Water Temperature Archives - Page 6 of 12

Benefits of Turning Clothes Wrong Side Out

As the primary laundry care taker in our home I understand the frustration of having to turn clothes right side out while folding them. However, there are very good reasons for washing them wrong side out.

1) When you turn the garments wrong side out all the wear & tear of washing is done on the inner side & does not affect the outside (right side) of the garments. If fading occurs, it’s also on the inner side, therefore, leaving the right side looking new.

2) All the buttons, rivets, sequins etc. on the right side of the garment don’t undergo the friction during washing.

3) Turning wrong side out also helps when targeting tough spots on collars and cuffs. These areas get a better scrub during the washing process resulting in better cleaning of these areas.

4) Color fast fabrics can cross stain during washing. Turning the garments right side out can help to avoided or minimize this from happening.

5) As the garments rub against each other during washing it creates friction. Friction results in fuzziness and pilling (those pesky lint balls that form on fabric) – washing them inside out prevents this from happening.

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.

OH NO! Shrunken Clothes!

Step One: Soak

Fill a sink or bathtub with lukewarm water then add a cap of baby shampoo to the water.

Place the garment into the sudsy water. Let it soak for a minute or two, then gently massage the item with your hands to help relax the fibers.

Remove the item from the water and gently squeeze it to remove some of the water. (But don’t wring the garment or rinse!)

Step Two: Absorb

Lay out a big, clean bath towel and lay the garment flat on top of it.

Roll the towel up from one end so the garment is wrapped inside. Press on the towel gently to absorb the excess water, then unroll the towel.

Step Three: Re-Shape

Grab another clean bath towel and lay the damp piece of clothing out on it.

Use your hands to gently stretch the item to its original size. Last, but not least, leave the clothing item on the towel and allow it to air dry completely.

NOTE: Don’t rinse out the little bit of shampoo that is left in the garment after Step One. This process doesn’t leave very much soap behind in the clothes, and the little soap that does remain helps keep the fibers pliable during the stretching process.

Stinky Shoe Care

What you may not know is that the actual stink in your shoes is bacteria, and it’s living inside your shoes! It’s not only important to get rid of the smell, but also the bacteria, because over time it can cause an infection or nail fungus.

Deodorizing Canvas or Fabric Shoes

Canvas or fabric shoes can be tossed in the washer and ran through a warm water cycle. To deodorize, add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. Don’t use fabric softener, because it can trap bacteria in your shoes.

Place them outdoors in the sun to air-dry. UV rays will also help kill any bacteria that may be left. If placing them outside isn’t an option, place them in a sunny window sill or with a fan blowing on them.

Deodorizing Stinky Shoe Inserts

Take them out of the shoes and wash them in a sink full of warm, soapy water. Drain and refill with 2 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes, rinse thoroughly. Finally, using a paper towel, press the insole to remove as much water as possible, and then allow them to air-dry.

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.

Laundry Guide: Washing

Sort your clothes by checking the care labels. Washing symbols can be difficult to decipher but you can usually find the correct wash temperature (check out our blog The Mystery of Laundry Symbols). The machine wash symbol often looks like a tub of water, if there’s a cross through it, it can’t be machine washed.

Separate whites and dark’s so colors don’t bleed on to the whites.

If you’re using a Tide Pod, or one of the other “pod” detergents, toss it into the drum first. The detergent will properly dissolve during the wash cycle. For small and medium loads use only one pod, for large loads use two pods. When using liquid detergent pour it into the dosing cap. Fill until line 1 for medium loads, line 3 for large loads, and line 5 for HE full loads. For powder detergent, fill the drum until line 1 for medium loads, line 3 for large loads, and line 5 for HE full loads.

Fill the machine with your clothes. Don’t overload the drum – 3/4 full is about right.

Choose a water temperature that’s right for your laundry load. Select a wash cycle. Start the machine.

How to Avoid Ironing

I DO NOT like to iron! I want to pick out an outfit, put it on, and then be on my way. I do not want to pick out an outfit, get the iron and ironing board out, and then iron it. It takes more time out of my schedule if I have to iron, and if you’re in a rush, it can be stressful! Here are a few of my ”tried and true” tips to help you out.

∙Be sure to dry permanent press clothing in a gentle/low heat dryer, not HOT! Hot will only make a wrinkled mess and can melt the fabric. If you forget your clothes and don’t pull them out of the dryer in time, and they happened to get wrinkled, all you have to do is place a damp bath towel in with your clothes on gentle/low heat and dry for a few more minutes. Be sure to take them out just before or as soon as they are dry and lay flat or hang on a hanger.

∙After you’ve washed and dried your clothes, remove them immediately from the dryer. Then with a little spray bottle filled with water, spray the collar, button holes, and the sleeve edges. Then quickly “Finger Press” those focal points to be smooth and flat so they are no longer folded, curled, or crinkly. This easy finishing touch makes a big difference for permanent press shirts to look so much nicer….and it’s easy! No Iron involved!

∙If you do end up needing to get the dreaded iron out, then try to iron your clothes with a damp cloth. Place the damp cloth on top of the garment and iron. This will steam the fabric and it won’t be too hot. Try a small spot first to see if this will work on the fabric. Remember, too hot of a dryer or iron on permanent press fabric can melt it.

How to Wash Antique Linens

Some of us are fortunate enough to inherit a little piece of our family history. If we’re lucky, these items will be in good condition, but that’s not always the case. Some items may have dry rot, mouse nibbles and/or rust. You won’t be able to save these things if the fibers are already compromised. If you tug on two sides of a garment and it comes apart without much effort, your item has dry rot and has reached the end. Sometimes, you just have to let go, there’s no way to save it.

To start, here are a few items you should have on hand:
White Vinegar
Rust Remover
Restoration – (Oxyclean is similar, more widely available and slightly less expensive than Restoration, but it doesn’t work as well.)
Bleach pen
Laundry detergent (simple soap, nothing added)

***PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT GUARANTEE ANY METHOD THAT YOU CHOOSE TO TRY. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE CONDITION OF THE GARMENT.***

“Restoration” and white vinegar are preferred products. Read the label and use common sense. You may only need to use “Restoration” for your initial laundering to remove storage dirt. You can also use “Restoration” in the washing machine with your laundry, too. It removes odors, age spots, storage stains, label stains and often, some rust. If it doesn’t remove the rust, try using “Whink Rust & Stain Remover.” Be aware that if rust has already eaten away the fibers that you may be left with a hole where the rust had been after cleaning with rust/stain remover.

Use “Restoration” first and, if stains remain after two or three sessions with it, put the dampened piece outside in bright sunshine for a day. This is often a magical solution. Horrible stains will usually disappear within an hour. This is the least invasive method. It is effective and it’s free – it also sanitizes. However, sunlight does bleach and weaken fibers over time. Sunlight is destructive so I am not suggesting that you constantly subject your fragile items to sunlight. This method, used once or twice on a piece that would otherwise need to be thrown away, can be very helpful. If the stains persist, you may need to resort to using bleach with laundry detergent. I like to have a bleach pen on hand because it allows me to pinpoint where I apply the bleach. After using bleach, always rinse with white vinegar, then rinse again with clear water.

Step 1. Use hot water with “Restoration” until the water turns clear. (approx. 4- 6 hours or overnight) If the water is not clear after overnight soak, repeat this step. Extremely filthy items may require several soakings.

Step 2. Drain and refill container with water; add white vinegar (a splash or a cup, depending on container size); swish around and soak for 10-20 minutes.

Step 3. Drain and refill with lots of clear water; swish around and soak for 15 minutes. Done!

If stains remain, repeat entire process.
If there is rust, use rust remover on wet fabric, then repeat from Step 2.

If stains remain, lay wet/damp item outdoors in sunshine.

If stains remain, soak with laundry detergent and small amount of bleach. Or use a bleach pen on small stains. It is better to soak longer using very little bleach.

IMPORTANT!
DO NOT mix chemical treatments. Pre-rinse items that may have bleach or detergent residue with vinegar to neutralize the bleach and then rinse twice in clear water before trying another treatment. DO NOT bleach anything after using Oxyclean or peroxide or any other chemical treatment. Your items may turn permanently blue, or worse Rinse really well before trying any other product.