Cleaner Clothes Archives - Page 5 of 7

Clever Ways To Use Mismatched Socks

Why is it when a perfectly good pair of socks goes into the laundry basket…only one of them make it out of the dryer? This is a mystery we’d all like to know the answer to. Instead of throwing them away, try some of these ideas.

1) Dusting Mitts

Put one or both hands inside a sock and start dusting hard to reach places like blinds, the back of the tv, the baseboards, ceiling fan blades and more!

2) Shoe Protectors

Keep your shoes protected in the closet and while traveling by placing them inside of a sock.

3) Pet Toy

Put tennis balls in the toe portion of each sock then tie or sew ends together.

4) Car Washing Mitt

Use to clean rims and other tiny, hard-to-reach places on your car’s interior and exterior.

5) Glasses holder

If you misplace the holder for your glasses or sunglasses, place them in a sock to keep them from getting scratched.

6) Potpourri Sachet

Fill a clean sock with potpourri and tie/ sew the end shut. Stick it in a closet, hamper, or drawer to keep it smelling fresh.

7) Furniture Protectors

Place socks on the bottom of chairs or table legs to keep them from scratching during a move.

8) Foot & Hand Softener

Rubs hands and/ or feet with a generous amount of lotion. Then place socks on overnight for smooth skin in the morning.

9) Cool Pack Cover

Cover ice packs to make them more tolerable on bare skin. This will let you get the benefits without the freezing burn.

10) Dry Erase/ Chalkboard Eraser

No more wasting paper towels. Use a sock to wipe marker or chalkboard clean!

What’s the secret to soft, fluffy towels? Vinegar and baking soda. Add these two ingredients to your load of towels plus half the recommended amount of detergent.
Running late? Hang your items in the bathroom while you shower to release wrinkles.
You’ve accidentally shrunk your favorite sweater. No worries – soak it in a solution of baby shampoo and warm water, then gently massage it back to its original size. See our blog titled “OH NO! Shrunken Clothes!”
Vinegar and Baking Soda instead of detergent will revive your old towels.
Tennis balls in the dryer will decrease wrinkles in your bed linens.
Add salt to the wash to prevent colors from fading
Wash colors inside out to prevent fading over time.
Maintain the shape of your sweaters by laying them flat to dry as opposed to hanging them.
Squeeze a large lemon in with those workout clothes! It will break down oils trapped in fabrics & leave a clean fresh scent.
Adding 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar to your rinse cycle is a natural fabric softener.
Swimsuit stretched out? Avoid the urge to wring out all of the water. Instead lay flat between towel and roll to remove excess water.
A little dish soap, a toothbrush, & some hot water do wonders for ring around the collar.
Trying to get a blood stain out? Use hydrogen peroxide and rinse well
Make DIY Dryer balls by rolling aluminum foil into a ball and placing in the dryer.
Wash dark clothes and jeans inside out and air dry them to keep from fading
Remove stubborn armpit stains with lemon juice and baking soda.
Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.
Wash your socks in lingerie bags to ensure they’ll never lose their match.
Use chalk to eliminate grease or oily stains.
Add Borax to every wash to keep your whites, bright and your colors, colorful.
Over drying clothes is the leading culprit of static cling. Always set your dryer to the recommended dry time.
Always dry towels and bulky items separate from your light weight items.
Not a fan of bleach? Brighten your whites instead by adding 1 cup of white vinegar oxygen booster lemon juice to the wash. Air-dry your clothes in the sun. You’ll have bright whites with a fresh, clean scent.
The best defense to any stain is to treat as soon as possible. Keep a Tide-To-Go Stain Remover in your purse or vehicle for those moments.
To loosen a stuck zipper, rub a bar of soap over the teeth.

How To Remove Ink Stains

How To Remove Ink Stains

Most of us have had an ink stain at some point or another, or a leaking pen ruin a favorite shirt or pants. Before you toss those clothes in the rag bag, check out some of these simple at-home tips to deal with ink stain removal.

Hair Spray

Squirt the stain with hair spray and the pen marks should come right off.

Rubbing Alcohol

Try soaking the spot in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes to remove the ink, before putting the garment in the wash.

Vinegar

Treat an ink stain on a shirt by first wetting it with some white vinegar, then rub in a paste of 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts cornstarch. Let the paste thoroughly dry before washing the item.

Milk

Believe it or not, a Readers Digest article says to remove ink stains from colored clothes, an overnight milk bath will often do the trick. Just soak the soiled garment in milk overnight and launder as usual the next day.

Salt

Pour salt on an ink stain that’s still wet, gently dab with a wet paper towel, and then remove and brush off the salt. Repeat until the stain has completely lifted.

Sand Paper

Yes, you read that right. The same Readers Digest article said to use a little fine-grit sandpaper and a gentle touch for removing or at least minimizing an ink stain or small scuff mark on suede clothing or shoes. Afterward, bring up the nap with a toothbrush or nailbrush. You might avoid an expensive trip to the dry cleaner.

Cream of Tartar

Make a paste by mixing 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cover the ink stain with the paste for 3 to 4 hours, then brush off the paste and wash the shirt.

Reminder: be sure that you have gotten all the ink out before you dry the washed garment in a dryer, because the heat of a dryer will set the stain.

Wash Before You Wear….ALWAYS!

With back to school comes new clothes shopping, so we thought we’d re-post this important blog. Keep reading to find out why it’s so important to wash before you wear.

There are three good reasons to wash new clothes, especially those that are worn in direct contact with your skin, before you wear them.

One is to wash out extra dye that can be transferred to your skin or other garments. Most fabric made from synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic) are colored with azo-aniline dyes. These dyes can cause severe skin reactions for those who are allergic to them. If the allergy is severe, the rash will be similar to poison ivy. But even less severe reactions can cause dry, itchy inflamed patches of skin.

It is possible to transfer lice, scabies, bacteria and fungus from person to person when clothes are tried on. Dressing rooms can become breeding grounds for everything from viruses to athlete’s foot.

And, most importantly, to remove the chemical finishes that manufacturers put on clothes to enhance color or texture. The finishes won’t bother everyone, but if you have sensitive skin you can develop a rash especially in constant contact areas like armpits, collars, cuffs and trouser waists and thighs.

Urea formaldehyde is often the chemical used to prevent mildew on clothes that have to be shipped long distances in hot, humid containers from overseas to the United States. It has a very strong odor that will remain in the fabric until the garment is washed. One washing will not remove formaldehyde completely but you will reduce the build up significantly and it will continue to be removed with each wash.

It is especially important that children’s clothing, especially clothes for babies, be washed before they are worn. Babies are particularly sensitive to chemicals and skin rashes can occur. Select a detergent that is fragrance free and dye free as these can also cause skin reactions. Washing the clothes for children will also make them softer and more comfortable for them to wear.

Washing new sheets/blankets and towels is also important to remove chemicals since these come in direct contact with skin. Washing will also improve the absorbency of the fabric by removing surface fiber coatings.

If you have a tag on the garment that reads “wash separately before wearing”, beware of dye transfer and color bleeding. Washing will help remove the excess dye but check the rinse water. If color remains in the water, it make take several wash cycles to get rid of the excess dye so continue to wash separately or with similar colors.

Why A Clean Laundry Basket?

We see it all the time here at Sapulpa Laundry. You spend your hard earned money washing and drying your clothes, towels, sheets etc.. Then, without thinking, you place all of your clean belongings back in a dirty laundry basket. Dead skin cells, grime from your sweaty workout clothes, and whatever else hitches a ride on your clothes throughout the day, are all lurking in that laundry basket! Lets don’t forget to mention bacteria, including the dreaded staph bacteria also known as MRSA!

*Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It’s tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus – or staph – because it’s resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.

What To Do:

Wash it. Give that basket a good washing with soap and hot water, or simply use an antibacterial wipe and wipe the basket down thoroughly before putting your clean laundry back in it. You can also use any hard surface disinfectant, but be watchful of anything with the potential to discolor (i.e. bleach). Make sure to dry the basket completely before putting your belongings back in it.

Bag it. Try using washable laundry bags. Wash the dirty bag along with the clothes. Once the bag is dried, place the clean clothes inside the bag to transport back home.

Line it. You can also use a disposable plastic laundry bag, clean trash bag, or a reusable cloth liner to line your laundry basket. Set your clothes inside the bag that lines the basket. Dispose of the plastic bag once you’ve put your belonging away and wash the cloth liner the next time you do laundry.

Natural Stain Remover’s

There are so many hidden chemicals in today’s products. Chemicals, unbeknownst to us, that can cause eczema, hives, contact dermatitis etc. If you’d like to switch to some natural products, here are a few to try:

White Vinegar

You can use white vinegar for so many things – cleaning, softener for your clothes and as a stain remover. Mixing white vinegar with dish detergent is a great remedy for removing greasy stains.

Boiling Water

Fruit stains, like berries, are particularly hard to get out of clothes. Household Management 101 claims if you pour boiling water directly on the stain it allows it to penetrate the fabric and effectively remove fruit stains. They also recommend submerging the stain in a bowl of white vinegar for about an hour after you’ve poured the boiling water on the stain. If parts of the stain remain, they say to use whitening toothpaste on the remaining stain and rinse well.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is another product that most of us have in the pantry already. It’s an excellent natural stain remover for many different types of stains.

Sprinkle some of on a wet stain and let it sit for about half an hour before washing. It’s really that simple.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a nontoxic chemical that can be used in so many ways and is affordable.

For sweat soaked, dirt stains – soak the stain in water mixed with hydrogen peroxide (50/50) for an hour and then add some hydrogen peroxide to the wash water. Be sure to test the fabric before washing!

Denatured Alcohol

Denatured alcohol is also a great stain remover. Use a small amount with hot water to remove stains caused by grass or paint.

How to Get Cleaner, Brighter, Clothes

Why buy expensive or dangerous cleaning products, bleaches or de-greasers when all you need is probably already in your cabinet!

Did you know baking soda can work magic — including getting cleaner and brighter whites at a fraction of the cost.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…..

1) Put one cup of baking soda in your wash.

2) Then add your detergent

3) Run your wash on the normal setting and……Voila! Brighter, cleaner whites!

Try this DIY homemade laundry detergent recipe. This is a project that will save you money and help you rid your home of toxic chemical cleaners and make your clothes brighter and cleaner in the process.

Ingredients

1 bar (or 4.5 ounces) shaved bar soap (a homemade laundry bar, Ivory, or Zote)
1 cup Borax
1 cup baking soda

Directions

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Use 1 Tbsp per small load (or 2-3 Tbsp for large or heavily soiled loads) then add to your laundry. Store remaining in a sealed container.

Keeping your colors brighter is a challenge at times. Colors fade when the chemical bonds between the dye and the fabric break down, so the best way to keep your colors bright is to wash clothes in a way that either prevents dyes from dissolving, protects the fibers in the fabric — or both. Follow these tips, and your colors will look as good as new!

Turn clothes inside out— According to experts, the tumbling action of the wash cycle and the dryer can cause fabric fibers to break as clothes collide into each other and against the walls of the machine. Turning clothes inside out before you wash them will keep the worst of the fraying on the inside.
Soak clothes in salt water— Salt is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and great for keeping your colors bright. Before you wash that colorful new top, soak it overnight in salt water. Simply fill your washer with cold water, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt, and then add your clothes. In the morning, just add detergent and run the washer as you normally would. You can add additional clothes at this point, too — just be sure not to overfill the washer.
Wash in cold water— Washing in cold water instead of hot not only helps keep your colors bright, it also conserves energy and saves you money. For best results, use a detergent formulated for bright clothes and cold-water washing.

The Mystery of Laundry Symbols

As if life wasn’t confusing enough with emoji’s and acronyms – now we have to deal with squares, circles, triangles, lines and dots on the labels of our clothing! However, clothing-care symbols are a code worth knowing.

The American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International, put out a standardized set of care symbols with the goal of creating a universally understood “laundry language”.

ASTM symbols follow a simple scheme and a set order: wash (tub shape), bleach (triangle), dry (square), iron (iron) and special care (circle). A circle by itself usually means dry cleaning or wet cleaning. A circle (special care) inside a square (drying) changes “dry” to “tumble dry.”

Adding lines, dots and other marks modify these base symbols and adds info. For example, a large X through a symbol offers a warning, where an empty symbol often means that any version of what the symbol represents is OK to use. A crossed-out triangle means do not bleach, where an empty triangle tells you that any bleach will do. Adding two parallel diagonal lines means to use only non-chlorine/oxygen bleach.

Clear as mud? Don’t worry, I’ve included a chart to help you decipher what seem to be ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics:

Avoid Over-Stuffing the Washing Machine

We have been asked from time to time: “How do you know when the washing machine is full enough?” and “Do you stuff it full, or just put a few things in at a time?”. These are good questions, and vary from machine to machine.

Overstuffing is NEVER a good idea. An overstuffed load will not come clean!

Clothes need a certain amount of room in the washer to move around, and a sufficient amount of water and detergent is needed. The extra room allows them to move against each other, and that abrasion helps get them clean. If the clothes aren’t subjected to enough water the dirt, grime, sweat and detergent won’t be rinsed from the fabric. And that means dingy, still dirty clothes. Gross!

Overstuffing can cause clothes to wrinkle since there is not enough room in the drum of the washer for them to move around.

When you move your clothes from the washer to the dryer and you notice every item is wrinkled, it’s a sure sign you’ve overloaded the machine.

Overloading can cause your clothes to pill more readily. When overcrowded, the clothes rub against each other too much and this abrasion causes them to look older faster and to pill. Pilling is a surface defect caused by wear, and causes little fiber balls to form.

Guide to Load Sizing

Keep in mind that these are loosely loaded clothes in the washer. If you have to push your clothes down, or in for front load washers, to make room for more in the washer…then you’ve put way too many in there.

Small Load – fills about 1/3 of your machine.

Medium Load – fills about 1/2 of your machine.

Large Load – fills about 3/4 of your machine.

Removing Red Wine Stains from Silk

With Valentines Day quickly approaching, we thought it would be good to talk about removing wine stains. Red wine spilled on silk is one of the hardest stains to remove. If you act quickly, you should be able to effectively remove the stain before it sets.

Note: Silk is a delicate fabric, always do a test patch in a discreet area on the fabric before using it on the stain.

Step 1 – Be Quick

If you spill red wine on your silk blouse, tie, or upholstery, the faster you work on it, the more successful you’ll be at removing it. Allowing it to dry will make it almost impossible to get out. If you’re in a restaurant, or otherwise away from home, and unable to work on the stain, blot it with a napkin or paper towel to get as much of the wine out as you can. Do not rub – it will only grind the stain into the fabric and make it harder to remove.

Step 2 – Try Homemade Remedies First

Homemade remedies don’t contain a lot of harsh chemicals that can damage delicate fabrics like silk, so it’s always best to give them a try before moving on to something stronger.

Try mixing a solution of one half hydrogen peroxide and one half cold water and letting the stained area soak in it overnight. If it doesn’t come out the first time, pour out the mixture, mix up a fresh batch, and soak just the stained area again. This may take several attempts and you’ll need to blot the area in between each application. If it’s a bad stain, use full strength peroxide. Don’t allow the stained garments to dry until the red wine is completely gone.

Again….do a test patch in a discreet area on the fabric before using it on the stain.

Another effective solution is mixing Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water. Soak the affected silk, and then rinse just the stained area with cold water. You may need to soak it a few times. I’ve read some have tried vinegar or rubbing alcohol mixed with Dawn and been successful.

If a slight stain remains, dab rubbing alcohol onto it; then, put a cloth soaked in alcohol on top of the stain to keep it wet and let it sit. Blot the moisture away to remove the wine. Repeat if necessary.

Step 3 – Try Commercial Cleaners

There are several good commercial cleaners on the market for removing red wine as well.

Spray and Wash works well on red wine stains, while remaining gentle enough for silk. Spray it on, keep the area wet and blot away as much of the wine as possible.

Gonzo “Wine Away” is a very popular one that is available at most hardware stores. Follow the directions on the package and use in a well-ventilated area.

Again….I can’t stress enough….do a test patch in a discreet area on the fabric before using it on the stain.

Erado-Sol, a commercial cleaner, is the best over the counter cleaner and will remove 100 percent of the stain. It may be difficult to find, so I recommend looking online.