Laundry day! We dread this day more than anything. When you finally clear through the over piling mountain of dirty clothes, presto, the laundry basket is refilled again and before you realize it, you are bang-on at the same spot. From sorting, pre-treating, loading the washer to turning the clothes over, there is a lot to do in laundry than just pressing a few buttons. And stains just turn the process from being a nightmare to an experience that is straight out of a horror movie. Here are a few tricks that will lighten your laundry load.
Soaking
The best way to get rid of stubborn dirt and grime in clothes is by soaking them in soapy water overnight. It will loosen up most of the dirt and a simple rinse in water will have them clean as new. This is especially useful for clothes that look grimy all over.
Get the Right Detergent
Not just any detergent is going to work. Pick the detergent as per the cloth type. For instance, for delicate sweaters, you will need a detergent with conditioning effect; powder will work for general loads and liquid detergent can be used for pre-treating the stains. Rather than stocking your cabinet with a bunch of different detergents, invest your money in any one product that works as an all-rounder.
Use Shaving Foam for Stains
From soya sauce and mustard to coffee stains, shaving foam can take care of them all. Simply blot the area with a dollop of shaving cream and let it sit for a couple of hours before wiping it clean. It will remove the stains right out. If you have tossed the garment in the washer before removing the stains, check it once before putting it in drier. The heat from the dryer will set the stains deeper, making it impossible to remove.
Say Yes to Wrinkle-Free Cleaning
Wrinkle-free cleaning may seem impossible, but by simply installing a hanging bar in your laundry room you can make it happen. As soon as the clothes are out of the dryer hang them. It is an easy way to sort through the clothes with minimal wrinkling. Who knows, you might just be able to skip the ironing part altogether with this simple tip.
Take Care of the Odor
How many times has it happened that while folding clean laundry you still find musty odor lingering on it? By adding half a cup of baking soda in the washer, you can get rid of the musky smell and your machine will get a fragrant boost too.
Use Vinegar to Soften Clothes
Whether you put your clothes in the washer or prefer hand washing them, always stock your laundry room with vinegar. Vinegar can not only come in handy when removing stubborn stains, but it also acts as an effective fabric softener. Simply put a few drops in the washer and it will do its job.
Get the Temperature Right
Keep the temperature cold for fine clothes, moderately warm for slightly soiled garments and hot for heavily dirty clothes. You need to be careful with the settings, too. Hot water can shrink the cloth and cold water may not be effective with the stains.
The Author:
Collarmagic.com
For a site that is Pioneer thinking, I am surprised that you would push dry cleaning in this article so heavy. Dry cleaning is not dry, like it says. It is a toxic slew of liquid chemicals that clean your clothes. It lingers in your clothes long after you take them out of the plastic. Also, most Water Stains in fabrics do not come out in dry cleaning, and you are paying them to dry clean when they are simply washing it in order to get the water stain out. Bad information in my opinion. Trying to live more with the earth than against it, I no longer work at a dry cleaners, I use only cold water wash, line dry my clothes in summer and we recycle our grey water into uses outside. I think your other ideas are great, but the dry cleaning being pushed is a bad thing for all of us.