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Spin Your Clothes Twice to Save Electricity

Carol — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:07:14 +0000

Here’s a simple tip from me to you. Many of us rinse our clothes in the washer twice to help remove soap residue. But with the price of electricity going up and up, did you know that a simple re-spin of your wet laundry can save electricity dollars later in the dryer?

Once your washer is done, simply re-spin a second time to remove excess moisture from wet clothes. This works especially well for heavy items like towels and blue jeans.

Rinse Your Clothes with Vinegar Using a Downy Dryer Ball

Carol — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:56:16 +0000

What causes your white clothes to become gray and dingy? Improper rinsing is the main cause! The residual detergent will discolor any white over time.

Rinse them a second time, adding a cup of vinegar to the water to remove all soap film. Or, use a Downy Dryer ball to release the vinegar into the rinse water automatically. Just pour in a cup of vinegar (instead of the Downy) and throw the ball in! This works so well that you may not even have to give the clothes a second rinse.

Not only will they will come out static-free, but fresh-smelling as well. A big plus is that it’s more natural than regular fabric softener and cheaper too!

Avoiding Bedbugs

Carol — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:36:56 +0000

According to many entomologists (insect expert), there is an epidemic of bed bugs now occurring in America. Recently I have heard on the news that several stores in NYC have had to close due to bed bug problems, as well as a complete mall in New Jersey.

Since much of our clothing, sheets, towels, etc. now comes from companies outside of America, even the most expensive stores sell foreign clothing from China, Indonesia, etc. The bed bugs are coming in on the clothing as these countries do not consider them a problem.

Experts recommend that if you buy any new clothing, even underwear and socks, sheets, towels, etc., that you bring them into the house and put them in your clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will kill the bugs and their eggs. DO NOT PURCHASE CLOTHES AND HANG THEM IN THE CLOSET FIRST. It does not matter what the price range is of the clothing, or if the outfit comes from the most expensive store known in the U.S.

They still get shipments from these countries and the bugs can come in a box of scarves or anything else for that matter. That is the reason why so many stores, many of them clothing stores, have had to shut down in NYC and other places.

All you need is to bring one item into the house that has bugs or eggs and you will go back and forth trying to get rid of them.

Tips for Drying Clothes to Save Energy

Geri — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:54:13 +0000

Make drying your laundry easy and energy efficient. Here are a few tips to help:

When drying large down comforters or down pillows, toss in a few tennis balls. It helps to fluff them up and dry more evenly.

Clean out your lint trap before every load. Check your outside vent twice a year for any blockage. It helps with energy efficiency and means faster drying times.

If clothes are left in the dryer too long they will wrinkle. Dry them again with one or two wet towels to help remove the wrinkles.

If you put a couple of dry towels in with your wet laundry, it will speed up your drying time.

Add ½ cup white vinegar in your rinse cycle to help with static cling in the dryer.

Dry full loads; small loads wastes energy. However, don’t overfill or the air cannot circulate and will cause longer dry times.

Cleaning Clothes With Dishwasher Detergent

Carol — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:59:58 +0000

In this day and age of more products to clean everything; stains, whiteners, brighteners, etc., who can afford it? I remembered a tip given to me from a friend years ago. It’s a great thrifty find to save money and time.

I used to work in a laboratory and had to wear white. Bleaching your whites leaves them dingy and yellow after awhile. She recommended Cascade dishwashing detergent – the plain old white powder stuff. Put your clothes in the hottest water they can stand, add 1/2 to 1 cup of the Cascade powder, and let soak for an hour. The enzymes break down the spots stains, and whiten up the whites.

Now they have the gel formula, and that works well too. I recently had a grease/oil stain on a white jacket. I poured some of the white Cascade gel on it, rubbed it, and let it set for 5-10 minutes. The stain came right out when other cleaning agents that you would normally buy for spot treatment were not working.

There you go, no need to run out and get 14 products to do your laundry. Look under the kitchen sink.