Let’s Do Laundry!

NEVER IN MY WHOLE LIFE HAVE I EVER BEEN THIS HAPPY TO DO LAUNDRY!

Here’s some tips that might help put this kind of smile on your face when you do your laundry (doubt it, but we can pray).

Believe it or not I’ve done some reading on laundry, and one tip that I’ve started implementing was a scary one, and that tip is I’ve started sorting my laundry by material NOT colors, whites, pastels, etc.! I read this was a good thing, and it completely freaked me out, and after about 2 years I decided to give it a try. It’s been a good tip. Now I put all my knits and delicates together, my cottons together (no matter the color), and linens etc then I set my temperature accordingly. My clothing seems not to be wearing as badly in the wash as they used to. Anyway here are some tips you might like to implement:

Drink stains:

1. Coffee: boil water and stretch the fabric over a bowl. Carefully pour the water through the stain from about a foot above. If the coffee had milk in it, follow with an oil solvent, like Carbona Stain Devils #8 Coffee, Tea, Wine and Juice ($3.40 soap.com). If it contained sugar, follow with a pre-treatment product.
2. Juice: apply a Dish-Soap solution (1 T. clear soap in 10 oz water). Blot to remove the stain and soap residue. If the stain remains, use a warm white towel to blot on an ammonia solution (1 part ammonia to 2 parts water).
3. Red Wine: coat the stain with salt. Boil water and stretch the fabric over a bowl. Carefully pour the water onto the spot from about a foot above. For white wine: run cold water over the stain, then spray with a dish-soap solution (see juice) and dab with an enzyme detergent (most everyday detergents contain enzymes.)

Food stains:

1. Berries: use a spatula or a plastic knife to scrape off any excess. Apply a hydrogen peroxide formula (1/2 t dish soap and 1/2 C hydrogen peroxide) rinse.
2. Chocolate: scrape off any excess. Then spray with a dish-soap solution (see juice) and dab with detergent.
3. Gum: (this is a good one) rub an ice cube over the spot to freeze the gum, then chip away as much as possible using a spatula or plastic knife. To loosen the remaining residue, apply a lubricant, like glycerin, then scrape it off. Rinse. If any gum remains, dab with dish soap.
4. Ice Cream: rinse thoroughly with cool water, ten apply a stain pre-treatment, such as SHOUT. Fill a sink with more cool water and a few drops of detergent and let soak.

Sauces and Condiments:

1. Mustard: flush the stain with white vinegar (keep this stuff around because it is good for practically everything), then apply a dish-soap solution (see juice) and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Ketchup: treat with SHOUT. If any of the stain remains, use an eyedropper or a clean toothbrush to apply white vinegar to lighten it.
3. Salad Dressing: sprinkle cornstarch on the spot and let sit to soak up the oil. Rinse with cool water. Apply SHOUT and let sit for another 5 minutes.
4. Soy Sauce: rinse stain with cold running water. Blot with ammonia solution (see juice) then rinse again. Pretreat with SHOUT.
5. Tomato Sauce: scrape off any excess, then apply dish-soap solution (see juice). Blot with a damp towel to remove any residue. If the stain persists, apply a few drops of white vinegar.

tips provided by: Donna Smallin Kuper, certified housecleaning technician and author of Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness

Kevin Tibbs, formulation scientist and creator of the Better Life line of cleaning products