Homemade Laundry Products

Try Homemade Laundry Products

Front-loading clothes washers are designed to use High Efficiency detergent, which means you can use a lot less per load. (Regular detergent will create too much suds, and prevent proper rinsing.) But beyond detergent, you don't need many of the ancillary products sold for laundry. Here are some low-cost natural alternatives to try:
Stain Removers: Before washing, try soaking the stain with water mixed with Borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar, writes Dr. Alan Greene. You'd be wise to be as careful as you would using bleach to avoid discoloration, but you won't have to worry about the unhealthy fumes from chlorine.
Bleach Alternative: Add a half cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle of a medium load of whites, according to Annie B. Bond's Home Enlightenment. Or, try a half cup of Borax.
Fabric Softeners: Add a quarter cup of baking soda to the wash cycle, Greene recommends.
Color Brightener: Toss a capful of vinegar in with the detergent, writes Michael DeJong, author of Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing.
Static Cling: To fight static cling, a quarter cup of white vinegar in the washer should help, Greene says.

Fabric Refresher: In between washes, freshen your clothing with a spritz of dilute vodka. The smell will dissipate, green living expert Brian Clark Howard says, and your clothes will be ready for another day out.

This was found on yahoo.com

Happy Homemaking,
Tiffany

Whooo Hooo it's Laundry Day

I have not posted anything for Laundry Day in a very long time.  The hubbie and I have been just wearing stinkie dirty clothes, so I did not see the need to post about NOT doing the laundry.  Ha ha...just kidding.  I HAVE to do the laundry on Mondays or we sure would stink in the HOT TEXAS SWEATING HEAT!!!!  Oh boy, it is HOT in Texas.  It reaches 100 by 10am, it seems.  I have to make Dixie Lee come inside so her old bones do not melt.


Anyway....back to laundry day.  I do not have any tips today but I have something just as good (and to some it will be better than my tips, I am sure).  I have a way for you to get TWO free samples of Shout Products to help you keep your family looking their best.


Go the the Shout web link, here, to get a free sample of Shout Color Catcher.  I have never used this product and feel a bit causious about it.  Anyone ever use it?  I am going to try it with something from Walmart first...just to make sure.  LOL.  Not gonna risk anything vintage or pricey just yet.

Then head on over to the Shout Face Book Page and "like" them.  You will then need to watch a short video ( I think...I had to watch a video to get something today...might have been another product....) anyway...just follow the instructions and fill out the info or whateve...and get you a free sample headed your way.

Hope this helps make your Laundry Day more exciting.  LOL.

Happy Homemaking,

Tiffany

Monday Laundry Tips are back and I have a Give-A-Way coming up!!!!

That's right, I have 50 FOLLOWERS and I said that I was going to have a give-a-way when I reached that number.  I have actually exceeded that number...by one.   I will post more about this when I get the photos together and decide if I am done adding to the give-a-way stash.

On to the Laundry....

I took a break from the tips but have been truging along with the laundry.  If it doesn't get done, it just piles up and becomes over whelming.  Even with just the 2 of us, plus Dixie Lee's bedding and towles, it gets piled up during the week.

This past week I found 2 of the cutest skirts at a second hand store.  When I got home, I realised that the weird smell I was smelling in the shop was actually coming from these skirts.  Since they were put in a plastic bag, I guess the smell was trapped....and that day was very pleasant so I drove home with the windows down.  I have washed them a few times, left them out in the sunshine for 2 days, and now I am looking for something to REALLY help...some muscle.

I found these tips while surfing Cleaning Tips (.net):

Sometimes your stuff just starts to smell. It's not pleasant and sometimes you just don't know how to fix it. Some smells can even induce gagging, so there's definitely no way you'd want to keep those smells in your clothes and other laundered items. Fortunately getting rid of those smells isn't difficult and will leave you with pleasing results.
First, get rid of smelly dishcloths. Don't let your dishcloths get to the point where they make you gag. These dishcloths sometimes may need to only be rinsed out, sometimes they need to go through a laundry cycle, and other times you just need to throw them away and pull out a new one. Dishcloths are used often and you need to maintain them; keep up with their condition so you don't have to suffer from a nasty smell in the kitchen.
Most of preventing smells comes down to taking care of the problem as soon as possible. This means you can't let your smelly garments or other laundry items sit too long without treating them. The longer you let your rags and clothes sit, the more the smell will set in, leaving you with a tougher job to rid the smell. If you take care of the problem as soon as you can then you'll be in good shape for tackling all smelly situations.
Here are some other ideas you can try to get rid of those sour smells:

• Vinegar. Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash when you are adding the detergent. The vinegar will help eliminate the sour smell, while also being washed away itself.

• Dishwashing detergent. Create a solution of one gallon of water and two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent. Allow the clothing and washcloths to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. After soaking, wash as normal. This should remove the smell.
• Dry completely. As you are washing the laundry, keep in mind that you need to make sure that the items are completely dry before removing from the dryer. Also, do not allow damp clothes and linens to remain in the washing machine any longer than necessary since mold (which can be a cause of the sourness) can grow in damp, dark places like a dormant washing machine.
• Replace. There are times, no matter how much we may not like to admit it, that the only way to remove the sour smell from the laundry is to replace the offending clothing or washcloths. While this should not be the primary option used, it is effective.

Removing sour smells from your laundry definitely is possible; you may need to work a bit harder for some smells, but almost every smell has the potential to be eliminated. Bad smells are definitely unpleasant; you don't have to live with them.

I will be trying the vinegar tip today....As a Hints From Heloise devote....I should have thought about that myself.

Happy Homemaking,

Tiffany

Laundry Day Tips to help you breeze thru your day.....~SEG~

Monday, already????  Where does the weekend go?  I had a very full weekend spent with my darling hubbie and family.  March is going to continue being full of fun, family, and frantic weekends.  I should be thankful for the daily routines getting back on track come Monday morning and a full basket of laundry.

Our weekends start with Shabbat dinner.  And that begins when I, as the lady of the house, light the candles.  With this comes candle wax dripping on out beautiful white table cloth.  No matter what precausions I take, freezing the tapers, wax guards, etc, I always find that a rouge drop of wax makes it to the linens.

I found this tip in Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice.  I have posted about this book in a previous post, I highly recommend it for housekeeping advice.

Remove Candle Wax from Table Linen

"Apply ice to the wax until it freezes (or the cloth may be left out in a dry area overnight during the cold winter months).  In the summer, chip off all the frozen wax you can.  Next, lay down brown paper over the wax and press with a medium-hot iron.  Move the paper as it absorbs the wax, taking care not to redeposit the wax in a another area of the cloth.  Have patience and continue as long as any wax shows up on the brown paper".

I have found using parchment paper works, as well.

This works well on carpet, too.  I had a huge mess of wax on some carpet of a town-house I rented before I was married.  I just knew that I would loose my deposit because I had one of those big dark maroon, cinnamon scented, candles fall to the floor after being hot and melted for a few hours.  There was cinnamon scented maroon wax in puddles on the carpet.  It cooled and hardened FAST, too fast for me to get much up before ruining the carpet.  I let it sit there, vacuuming  over it for about a year, dreading the day I would be moving and the land lord see it.  The very last day, before he came to inspect the house while I was moving out, I decided to give the "iron to remelt the wax" method a shot.  It took awhile but IT WORKED!!!!  I got all of the wax up and there was not even a stain left.  I got all my deposit back!!!!

Happy Laundry Day,

Tiffany

Monday means....Laundry Day TIps

Looking for brighter whites or bolder colors? The answer just might be white distilled vinegar. It’s a safe and inexpensive way to boost the power of your detergent and add a little more muscle to your stain remover. With vinegar in the mix, your clothes have never looked better.

Here are some more laundry tips using the power of vinegar.....

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

Some stains on clothing and linens can be soaked out using equal parts milk and white distilled vinegar.

Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Remove smoky odors from clothes by filling the bathtub with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers.

Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Get water and salt stains off shoes and boots by wiping them down with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

Give patent leather shoes and bags a better shine by wiping them down with white distilled vinegar.

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

Eliminate manufacturing chemicals from new clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water.

Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

Bring out bright colors by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Fluff up wool or acrylic sweaters (hand- or machine-washed) and rid them of soap smell with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the last rinse water.

Get rid of the tiny holes left along the hemline when you take out the hem of any garment by moistening a cloth with white distilled vinegar, placing it under the fabric and ironing.

The above tips are from Vinegar Tips website.

Happy Homemaking

Tiffany

Laundry Day

 "Washing the laundry is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it"  Aunt Middle Mary  

I bought a new (new to me) book yesterday at Half Price Books and it is just full of homekeeping tips.  The book is Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice
It is available by following the link to amazon
, as well.  I will be sharing some of these tips on future posts but today I want to share some for my Monday Laundry Tips post.  I hope you find these useful.

Today's tip will focus on starching.  I like to starch David's work shits, they just look crisper and nicer when wearing.

"Starching is an effort to replace the original finish which the textile manufacturer gave to the fabric, and which, in most cases, is removed when the garment is washed.  Miss Sallie Anne's recipe for starch gives clothes a beautiful finish, leaving the fabric smooth and pliable and giving it a certain 'feel' which makes it attractive.  there is nothing quiet like a the feeling of putting on a freshly laundered and starched garment that Miss Sallie Anne has tended to." page 59.

Miss Sallie Anne's Superior Recipe for Starch

2-6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
1 quart boiling water
1.2 teaspoon lard, paraffin, or any white wax

Mix the starch and part of the cold water, and stir into the boiling water in a double boiler.  Ise the remaining waterto rinse out the adhering starch.  Add the lard or white wax, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.  Strain if lumps are found.  This paste can be thinned with hot water until it gives the stiffness desired to the fabric.
For white clothes, use the starch as hot as the hands can stand.  Hot starch penetrates better and more evenly, and does not leave glazed spots when ironed.  Keep the bulk of the starch hot and use only a part of it at a time, replacing it frequently when it becomes cold and thin.  More satisfactory results are obtained by having two pans od starch, besides the reserve supply.  Dilute one with enough ater to make a good paste for the thinner garments, and keep the starch in the other pan sufficiently thick for the heavier fabrics.
Starch first those garments which are to be the stiffest.  Garments wrung very dry before starching will be stiffer than wetter ones.

Happy Homemaking...

Tiffany
this post is linked to Penny Worthy Project

Monday Means...Laundry Day Tips!!!!

So last week I left you with a few tips to make your antique linens nice, crisp, and white.  So far, so good with mine but some had major spots and are still needing a bit of work.  I will be sure to show photos once they are all just right.

 I especially liked hanging them out on the line to dry.  I will do that more often with my laundry as the days get sunnier and warmer.  Do you have a laundry line in your backyard?  Not many do these days, understandably, it is not convenient but the laundry smells very fresh when you bring it in and your white get very bight.










Here are a few more reasons to try it: 

1. Save Money

Most households which abandon their clothes dryer save more than $100 per year off electric or gas bills.

2. Energy Conservation

Line drying laundry conserves energy and helps to protect the environment by saving precious fossil fuels. It is the pinnacle of green laundry!

3. Freshness

Clothes and sheets smell fresh without additional chemical laundry fresheners. This is particularly important for those sensitive to perfumes and dyes used in detergents and dryer products.

4. Gentle on Clothing

Tossing and tumbling in a dryer can cause wear and strain on clothing seams and buttons. Line drying is more gentle to fibers.

5. Physical Activity

Hanging up laundry is a physical activity which you can do inside or outside.

6. Good Rays

Sunlight helps to bleach and disinfect laundry. This is particularly beneficial for sheets, towels and diapers. However, for dark clothes it can cause harm - keep them in the shade.

7. Winter Humidity

Indoor racks can humidify the air in dry winter weather

8. Prevent Fire Risks

Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths and 400 injuries annually. The yearly costs in the United States for fire loss due to clothes dryer fires is estimated at $99 million.

9. Peacefulness

Taking time to enjoy the weather, the feel and smell of clean laundry can offer an outdoor experience that is meditative.

10. One Small Step

Line drying laundry demonstrates that small steps can make a difference. You don't have to wait for the government to take action to protect the environment or reduce your monthly expenses.



Photo from Flicr



 Happy Homemaking
Tiffany










This post was linked to:

 

Laundry Day Tips: Antique Linens

From:  1st-art-gallery.com

I have spent the last few days laundering my Greatma's old linens.  I did this once before, not very well, when I went thru the "I am going to use this old stuff instead of buying new stuff" phase when I moved into my first apartment at Texas A&M.  When moving out of that apartment, they got put in a ceadar chest with hopes to use them in my next home...and eventually, after a few more moves, they just got packed up and I did not really think about them.  Now that I am finding my love of vintage kitchen thingies again, I dug them out and am now trying to get them perfect.

Right now, some are soaking and some are out on the makeshift laundry line David strung up for me.  It is sunny and 65 degrees in Dallas (yes, in JANUARY) so hopefully the "floating in the sun" methos will work wonders.

When I am out and about I will pick up some Oxy Clean or Restoration (if I can find it, or order it from http://www.englesideproducts.com/ ) and try some of the tips using that, such as the following found on EHow, if they still need it.

*Determine the durability of the antique linens. If you're worried that the linen won't withstand a solid soaking you might want to fold it neatly in a square and baste the edges with a color-fast thread.

*Fill a large tub with hot water and a mild soap. Restoration, Oxyclean or pure soap flakes are good options. Run the water until all the soap is dissolved. Soak the linens for several hours.

*Drain the tub. Check the linens. If stains are still present, repeat the soaking process again. After two soakings, if stains persist, try laundry detergent and bleach. Be sure to drain and refresh the water before adding a new kind of detergent, so as to avoid reactions.

*Refill the tub and add white vinegar. Let your stain-free linens soak up to 20 minutes.

*Drain tub again. Refill with fresh water and let linen soak for 15 minutes.

*Iron linens when they're still quite damp, but iron them only if you intend to use them right away. Iron them on high and keep the iron dry.

(Note:  I left out the part about not putting the linens in the sun because I just do not agree with this.  Greatma put her linens  out "on the line" for years and they are still here....just the stains from storing improperly are hanging onto these particular goodies.  You should do your own research and make your own decision as to how you will care for your precious textiles.)

If I ever get all the stains out, I will post some great tips I found on properly storing your linens.  

Happy Laundry Day!!!!

Tiffany