Laundry Tips

Laundry was probably first done by immersing cloth in streamsand letting the stream carry Laundry

awaythe materials causing stains and smells. In many Third-World countriesand rural regions, laundry is still be done this way. Agitation helpsremove the dirt, so the laundry is often rubbed, twisted, or slappedagainst flat rocks.

In the early 20th century inventors mechanized the laundry processwith various washing machines. Typically, these machines usedan electrically-powered agitator to replace tedious hand rubbingagainst a washboard. The earliest machines were simply a tubon legs, with a hand-operated mangle on top. Later the mangle too waselectrically powered, then replaced by a perforated double tub, whichspun out the excess water in a spin cycle.

Last Updated - 29th October 2005

Stain Removal

Blood, Fresh & Dried - Rinsefresh blood stains in cold running water and rub with soap. Repeat.For dried stains, first scrape or rub off as much dried blood as possible.Soak in warm water using a product which contains enzymes. Wash. Ifthis doesn't work, rewash the item using a chlorine-free bleach. Inthe case of stubborn stains, rust removers may be helpful.

Coffee, Tea - Presoak item inliquid detergent with bleach. Wash using the hottest water temperaturethat is safe for the fabric.

Cosmetics - Dampen stain andrub with liquid detergent. Rinse, then wash.

Dingy White Socks - Presoakin a liquid detergent solution for a minimum of 30 minutes. Wash ina liquid detergent which contains oxygen bleach. Food Coloring Soakin cool water. If stain remains, rub on detergent and rinse. Wash.

Fruit Juice, Wine & Soft Drinks- Soak stain in cool water as soon as possible. Then, soak inan oxygen bleach, using the hottest water safe for the fabric. Wash.

Mud - Brush off as much as possiblewhen garment is dry, then rinse under cold running water. Pretreatwith a paste of powder detergent and water, or liquid laundry detergent.Wash using laundry detergent and a fabric-safe bleach.

Rust Stains - The yellow, orangeor brown spots we sometimes find on our clothes may be caused by rust.Iron content of over .2 parts per million in your water supply cancause these type of stains, so it's important to have your water supplychecked. Two possible sources can be rust water pipes or water heaters.One way to combat this problem is by using a mechanical water softenerwith an iron filter. Also, using a non-chlorine bleach can help, aschlorine bleach may cause the iron in the water to precipitate onfabrics and leave stains.

Washing Tips

Brighten Colors with Salt - Hardwater can cause clothes to become dull or dingy after several washings.To solve this problem, add a couple of pinches of ordinary table saltto the washer with the detergent. Let some water run in the washerto dissolve detergent and salt, then add clothes. Colored clotheswill come out much brighter.

Delicates - Think you have totake that sheer voile blouse, beaded top, fringed silk shawl, or lacetrimmed dress to the cleaners? Think again! You can clean these athome by simply tying the articles in a cotton pillow case, knottingit closed, and washing in cold water on regular cycle. Beads, sequins,buttons and delicate laces will not fall to pieces, and garments canbe restored by steam ironing or steaming in the shower.

Diapers - Do you hate dunkingdiapers in the toilet? There is now a new invention called the LittleSquirt which eliminated this dreaded task. It is is powerful sprayerthat attaches to the water supply for your toilet. Instead of dunking,you simply spray the contents of the diaper into the toilet.

Down - As a general rule, downitems should be cleaned twice a year- once before you start wearingthem, and before you put them away after the winter season. Down canbe washed or dry-cleaned, read your care label for instructions. You'rebetter off taking large items that require a lot of washer and dryerspace (i.e. comforters) to the laundromat, which has larger machines.Be careful not to tumble dry down items at a temperature greater than140F, or water-resistant shell fabrics can slow drying.

Odd & Oversized Items :

Stuffed Animals - Old stuffedanimals can be salvaged. Place stuffed animals in a pillowcase, tiea knot in the case, and then place the stuffed animals in your washmachine on gentle or permanent press. You can even dry them. For bestresults, machine dry animals for about 20 minutes and then let airdry. Your child's favorite stuffed toy may look like new.

Baseball Caps - To clean baseballcaps without destroying their shape, place them on the top rack ofthe dishwasher and run through a complete cycle.

Silk - Why Dry Clean Silk? Didyou know that silk does not need to be dry cleaned? All you need todo is warm hand wash the blouse with some mild woolwash (normal detergentsare the wrong pH for animal fibers like wool and silk). Then dry untilit is just damp, roll it tightly and place in a sealed plastic bagthen place that in the freezer. Then when it is frozen take it outand iron it.

Suds & Cleanliness - When soapflakes were used, a lot of suds meant good cleaning performance. However,the way laundry detergent is presently formulated, this is no longertrue. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of this, and use excessiveamounts of laundry detergent.

Washing Time - Never set the washingtime for over 10 minutes -- most detergents have done all the work theyare going to do by then-- the rest of the time your clothes are justagitating in the dirty water. It may not seem like much, but you cansave a quite a bit of money over time using this trick.

Water Temperature - Water temperatureplays a key role in the washing process. Hot water offers the quickest,best form of cleaning, and should be used for the following items: Sturdywhites, colorfast pastels and light prints, cloth diapers and similarbaby items, and heavily soiled clothes. Warm water removes wear wrinkles,helps reduce wrinkling in the washer, and minimizes dye loss. It shouldbe used for permanent press, all colorfast dark or bright colors, nylonsynthetics, polyester, acrylic and washable woolens. You may want tokeep in mind that laundry detergents are formulated to clean best attemperatures above 60°F/16°C. Cold water may prevent sensitivedyes from "bleeding" minimizes washer wrinkling and saveshot water. It can be used for lightly soiled fabrics, and should beused to rinse all loads, regardless of wash temperature. However, dueto detergent formulations, cold water does not clean as effectivelyas warmer temperatures.

Drying Tips

Save on Drying Time - To saveon the time spent running your dryer, especially for "heavy"items like throw rugs, diapers, etc., first run an extra "spin"cycle in your washing machine. Then, add a clean, dry, fluffy towelto your dryer with the wet laundry. This can cut your drying timeby 25% or more!

Don't over-dry your clothes .If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it. Overdrying is alsoa leading cause of static cling.

Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked.This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommendusing rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapseand cause blockages.

Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying withthe residual heat in the dryer.

Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weightclothes.

Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve aircirculation.

Drying a small load reduces the tumbling effect and consequentlylengthens the drying time. Add several clean, dry white towels tospeed up the drying of small loads.

Turn your jeans inside out, so they won't fade as quickly.

Most dryers have delicate permanent press cycles, which have lowersettings to protect fabrics which might be damaged by high temperatures.

Don't overload your dryer, as it can result in excessive wrinkling.

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