Laundry Tips

**sunshine** · 02-01-2006, 12:35 PM

Laundry Tips

Bleeding of Colors: Your red shirt got mixed in with
other clothes and ruined them? First off, DON'T DRY
THEM! Wash again with regular detergent and color-safe
bleach. If that didn't work, RitÂ®, the makers of
clothes dye, makes a color remover that works wonders
and doesn't cost much. To prevent bleeding in the
first place, I use a scoop of Oxi CleanÂ® with every
load.

Blood on Clothes: Pour peroxide on blood and rinse
with cold water. If some blood remains, repeat.

Burn / Scorch Marks: If the fabric is washable, brush
it gently with a soft brush or dry sponge to remove
loose carbon particles. Then, wash the fabric with
regular detergent and color-safe bleach. This will
permanently weaken the fabric even more than the
scorch has, but the scorch may no longer be
noticeable.

Burnt Stuff on Iron: Rub iron with aluminum foil to
remove burnt on starch, etc.

Deodorant Stains on the Underarms of Washable Shirts:
Sponge on white vinegar (or soak stain in it); wait 30
minutes. Launder shirts in the hottest water safe for
the fabric. Using an enzyme detergent or a detergent
with bleach alternative check care labels to be sure
this is okay). I sometimes put liquid laundry
detergent right on the area, leave it for five to ten
minutes, then wash. To prevent: Let deodorant dry
before dressing. And don't let stains sit! Apply
prewash spray or liquid detergent ASAP, then launder.
Every third or fourth washing, use the hottest water
safe for the shirts.

Fabric Softener: I have been using an old dish towel
as a fabric softener sheet. I pour a couple of capfuls
of Downey on it and throw it in the dryer. It has
taken over a year to go thru a bottle of (small)
Downey fabric softener. I add more Downey about every
15 loads or just when I notice a little static. It
helps to use a towel that is distinct from the other
laundry. I use a pink towel, which is a one of a kind
in our house.

Fading: Turn dark clothes inside out and wash in the
coolest water possible; dry on lowest heat. For
all-black clothes, throw in a box of black RitÂ® dye
every 8-10 washes or so to keep black clothes black.

Lint: Keep lint off dark clothes by not washing them
with towels, washcloths, dishrags, etc. This is where
a majority of the lint comes from and it's just easier
to eliminate them.

Spaghetti Stains: Wet the fabric and then sprinkle
with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a
toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.

Yellowed / Greyed Whites: RitÂ®, the makers of clothes
dye, makes a white-wash that works well for bleachable
and non-bleachable clothing that has yellowed or
greyed. You can also hang yellowed clothes out to dry
whenever possible to reduce the yellow.