Laundry notes

Laundry Cheatsheet

Wash

Other tips:

• use soap flakes or liquid soap, only a tablespoon. soap doesn’t clean; it lowers viscosity of water to let it slide through clothes and remove dirt
• wash everything on warm, express cycle (around 28 min)
• high spin: make it as dry as possible shorten drying
• really dirty things (hiking, gardening) – quarter cup washing soda on top of clothes (sodium carbonate). Softens water, allowing detergent to remove dirt and keep it in the water
• whites, kitchen towels: tablespoon of chlorine-free oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate). Not on silk/wool.
• possibly add dye-trapping laundry sheet
• Fold/roll knits, wool, and silk items and pack them tightly into a mesh bag
• Spray 50% vinegar on shirt collars or anything that tends to get skin stains
• Separating laundry: separate white, cool/grey (blue, green), warm (red, orange), and black. Not only because of microbleeds, also because darker colors are heavier due to more dye, meaning more abrasion if mixed.

Stain removal

Stain removal:

• right before washing
• emergency: rubbing alcohol. Spray/add to cotton makeup pad, press and lift on stain
• ring arond collar: few drops of oil-based stain solution on inside of collar. sprinkle sodium percarbonate, rub it in, let sit for thirty minutes. pour almost boiling water through stain. then wash.
• collar stain prevention: spray collar with vinegar and water right before before washing
• underarm stain: oil-based stain solution, few drops on each stain. sprinkle very small amount (10 grains) of sodium percarbonate onto each drop, rub in. let sit for thirty minutes. pour nearly boiling water through the stain. then wash.
• phantom stain (brown stain after drying): caramelized sugar remaining on clothes. few drops of oil-based stain solution, sprinkle sodium percarbonate, rub in, lset sity for thirty minutes. pour nearly boiling water through the stain. then wash.
• red wine: mix a tablespoon of sodium percarbonate in a bowl of very hot water. Now dip the stained portion of the item into the bowl, give it a swish (the stain should change color), and throw it into the wash.
• For strong smells, spray vodka on the garment, air out

Dryer

Dryer

• use wool balls to dry faster
• scent these balls, if you wish, with essential oils of your choice-perhaps citrus in the summer and frankincense in the winter
• don’t forget to a ball of aluminum foil to eliminate static

Steaming/ironing

Steaming/ironing

• When steaming clothes, hang your garments first; then touch only the top edge of the steamer head to the garment, keep the steamer hose straight, and move the steamer head slowly up and down each garment so as not to accidentally burn yourself. As you steam, pull the fabric gently (not tautly) with your other hand; this helps remove the wrinkles and makes the process go faster. And whenever possible, place the steamer inside the garment (don’t turn it inside out) and steam to the front (away from you). This way, you can see what you’re doing as the wrinkles disappear from the garment. Steaming from the inside means you’re also less likely to make an error-if you create a water spot, it will happen inside the garment.
• Steaming is best for providing a soft, wrinkle-free finish for silky blouses and skirts, drapes, and any garments for which you like a softer finish. For example, I like my oxford cloth shirts to look soft, not crisp
• Ironing, on the other hand, is best for creating a hard finish. I iron all my cotton shirts (excluding T-shirts) and all my dress pants
• While blocking takes a bit of practice, here are the basic steps:
  • Before washing your garment, lay it flat and then measure its width and its length. Pay particular attention to the area you want to make larger or smaller. How much-an inch, two inches? Make note of that.
  • Wash as normal.
  • Lay the clean and damp garment flat again and massage the section of the garment with your hands to the size you require-based on the measurement you took previously.
  • To ensure the garment dries exactly to your preferred dimensions, I recommend pinning the item along its edge with straight pins every two inches. Then let it dry.
  • Once your garment is completely dry, remove the pins and it’s ready to wear. This perfect fit should likely last through several washes and sometimes even longer.

Other treatment

Other treatment:

• Colorizing denim: Add one-quarter cup of salt to a sink or large bowl filled with hot water. Then place your denim item into the basin and leave overnight. The next day, simply wash and dry as normal, and your denim should permanently hold its color.
• Cigarette smoke or strong smells: spray with vodka
• Washing machine clean: simply pour one pound of Borax directly into your empty washing machine; turn on your hottest, longest cycle; and then pour a gallon of white vinegar in your dispenser. Done! Periodically, I also scrub the dispenser drawer with a fifty-fifty mixture of vinegar and water. As for cleaning your dryer, once it’s cool, spray the inside with your fifty-fifty mixture of vinegar and water, and then wipe down with a clean, white terry washcloth.

Shopping list

Equipment:

• Soap flakes or a high-quality, plant-based liquid laundry soap that’s free of petroleum, phosphate, phthalates, and parabens
• A bottle of bleach alternative (100 percent sodium percarbonate); use one tablespoon sodium percarbonate to one quart of water (this solution lasts roughly an hour-then it off-gasses the extra oxygen molecule and the H2O2 becomes H2O, or plain water)
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/waterstofperoxide-natrium-percarbonaat/9200000079990757/
• A box of washing soda (100 percent sodium carbonate)
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/wassoda-1-kg-minerala-natriumcarbonaat-was-soda-waspoeder-zilversoda-wasmiddel-sodastralen-washing-powder-sodium-carbonate-sodium-carbonaat-sodiumcarbonaat/9300000139727859/?bltgh=uZNS57WCF2RnA4vIxg5Lag.2_12.14.ProductTitle
• A laundry soap bar (used with the laundry brush for spot-cleaning and found at most grocery stores), such as Fels-Naptha
  • https://www.etos.nl/producten/seepje-waszeep-140-gr-120596363.html
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/seepje-vast-wasmiddel-waszeep-vlekverwijderaar-bergamot-en-limoengras/9300000064641458/
• Cotton makeup pads
• Tennis balls
• Wool balls
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/droger-ballen-xl-8-stuks-zero-waste-dryer-balls-duurzaam-wasverzachter-herbruikbare-drogerballen-droogt-de-was-sneller-tiny-panda/9300000010584237/?bltgh=pmp--cYnPEbfpfKjvY5M3w.2_11.13.ProductTitle
• Dye-trapping laundry sheets (like Shout Color Catchers)
  • https://www.kruidvat.nl/k2r-colour-catcher-doekjes/p/4150189
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/colour-catcher-anti-doorloop-doekjes-2-x-28/9300000098070393/?bltgh=hTv8AL-jlm-BwyxwnkpLhA.2_13.15.ProductTitle
• A spray bottle that you’ve filled with 50 percent white vinegar and 50 percent water
• A store-bought bottle of 70 percent rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
  • https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-70-alcohol-ketonatus/p/2639904
• A bottle of concentrated, oil-soap stain solution, such as The Laundress Stain Solution
• Laundry mesh bags in multiple sizes—but mostly small (get these online or from any big-box store)
  • https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/botc-waszakken-wasnetten-set-van-5-bescherm-je-wasgoed-en-wasmachine-transparant/9300000123930939/?bltgh=u4z3ACH4p-8aqZiuWPJFIA.2_18.19.ProductTitle
• A small bottle of Amodex-magical, nontoxic stuff recommended even by permanent-ink manufacturers
• A small spray bottle of cheap vodka (it’s for your laundry, I promise)
• Inexpensive, white terry washcloths (I buy stacks of them)
• Cotton makeup pads
• A small laundry brush (my favorite features horsehair)