A big part of taking care of someone who is sick is making them feel as comfortable as possible. If they have something contagious, it's also important to keep everyone else in the household healthy. These tips will help keep everyone feeling their best particullarly in Winter when there are lots of bugs going around.
The best sheets for a sick bed are those that can be washed in hot water and disinfected with chlorine bleach. You will probably need to change the sheets everyday, if not more often. Sometimes just changing the pillowcases will make the sick one feel more comfortable.
For your own protection, place the sheets in a laundry basket or hamper to carry them to the washer. If you carry them in your arms near your face, some germs can remain on your clothing or hands and cause problems.
If you have blood, vomit or medicine stains, treat these first. Sheets should then be washed in the hottest water possible with detergent and chlorine bleach to help kill germs, bacteria and head lice.
Line-drying sheets in the sun will also help to sanitize them.
Laundry is a fact of life for everyone so it’s a good idea to get kids involved in the process as early as possible. Sure, they’ll make some mistakes but you’ll be teaching a life skill and getting some help for yourself. Persevere and it will help everyone in your household.
Place laundry baskets or hampers in every bedroom and bathroom. Divided hampers are useful for sorting colors and whites.
Give each family member a mesh bag for socks. The bags can be thrown in the washer and dryer preventing lost socks.
Show children how to hang up clothes and install closet rods low enough so kids can reach them.
Explain the difference between dirty clothes and those that have been worn but are wearable again. This will cut down on your loads and kids will appreciate knowing the difference when they are on their own.
Clip clothespins to the side of every hamper. Teach family members to use them to mark stains.
Ask each family member to be responsible for returning clean clothes back to his drawers.
We spend a great deal of time in the bedroom with direct skin contact with bed linens where dust mites thrive. Bedding - sheets, blankets and bed covers - should be washed weekly in hot water (130-140 degrees F.) to kill dust mites. Cold water will not always remove the allergens.
Pillows should also be washed frequently and replaced regularly. Follow the washing instructions on the label.
Towels and BathmatsEven though the humidity of the bathroom helps reduce dry skin, dust mites can still thrive. Towels and bathmats should be washed in hot water after two or three uses .
Stuffed ToysIf you have a child with allergies, stuffed toys should be washed frequently - especially if the child sleeps with the toy.
Curtains and Household FabricsIn addition to regular vacuuming and dusting, all fabrics that can be washed should be done frequently including throw rugs and curtains.
Also try to dry all laundry on aclothesline outside in the fresh air and sunshine if you can, rather than in a clothes dryer. This is healthier and saves on your power bills.
The Hills Supa Fold 70 Folding Frame is a totally new and revolutionary design in folding frame clotheslines.
Hills Clotheslines have specifically designed the Supa Fold 70 for smaller living spaces such as flats, units and townhouses.
With a handy 23 feet of drying line space, the Supa Fold 70 clothesline has proven to be a very popular product for those in need of dry laundry, but with limited space.
Its powder coated steel design assures the utmost quality in strength and finish, plus the Supa Fold 70 is not only easy to assemble and install, but the design allows it to fold away neatly when not in use.
Top loading machines are less prone to leakage. Front loading machines require a seal on the front door, and similarly the front door must be latched during operation to prevent opening, lest large amounts of water spill out. This seal may leak or require replacement. Many current front-loaders, though, can be stopped and added to or removed from, by way of keeping the water level in the horizontal tub below the door level.
Energy usage
Front loaders use less energy, water and detergent and clean more effectively than the best top loaders.
Water usage
Front loaders generally use less water than top-loading residential clothes washers. Estimates are front loaders use anywhere from about one third ) to one half as much as top loaders.
Compactness
Front loading machines may be installed underneath counters. A front loading washing machine, in a fully-fitted kitchen, may even be disguised as an ordinary base cabinet/unit. They may also be convenient in homes with limited floor area, since the dryer may be installed directly above the washer.
Spin-dry effectiveness
Front loaders also offer much higher spin drying speeds of up to 2000 RPM. This makes it possible to dry clothes very quickly by hanging them on washing lines or airing racks or can substantially reduce the length of time required in a tumble dryer.
Noise
Front loaders tend to operate more quietly than top loaders, since there is less of a tendency to imbalance.
Accessibility and Ergonomics
Front loaders are more convenient for little people and those in wheelchairs, as the controls are front-mounted and the horizontal drum eliminates the need for standing and/or climbing.
For people who are sufficiently tall and can stand, top-loaders may be easier to load and unload, since reaching into the tub does not require stooping. However, this issue can be mitigated due to the offering of risers (usually with storage drawers underneath) to raise the front loader door opening closer to the user's level.
The Hills Extenda 4 is the next generation of retractable laundry line from Hills for couples living in the US, with 4 lines that extend out to a distance of 6.5m and retract out of sight when not required or needed.
If you haven't already, tomorrow is your last chance to vote NO on Proposition
23 -- the statewide ballot initiative supported by climate deniers and paid for
by oil companies and the fossil fuel industry.
Prop 23 would kill thousands of California's clean energy jobs and small
businesses while making our energy bills skyrocket. But this Tuesday, you have
a chance to stop this dangerous proposal and protect California's economic
recovery.
Check out your polling location and make sure you don't miss out on your
chance to vote on Election Day -- Tuesday, November 2.
I found a recent excellent article in the BBC News magazine by Tom Geoghegan, that discussed the whole issue were are facing here in the US with clothes line bans.
For decades, the clothes line has had an image
problem in the US but, ahead of a rally to highlight the benefits of
natural drying, is it about to be reclaimed?
There is a new protest movement sweeping the US and at its heart are two sticks and a piece of string.
Upon the humble clothes line, a
battle line has been drawn that embodies a uniquely American clash of
ideas about class, liberty and the environment.
Rules imposed by community associations and landlords forbid
tens of millions of home owners to dry their washing outside because,
they say, it's unsightly and even lowers property prices.
But a number of clothes line rebels have risked legal action
by disobeying these rules, saying it is the duty of Americans to reduce
their carbon footprint and leave their energy-hungry tumble dryers idle.
This Sunday their supporters will make their feelings known by holding a rally in Concord, New Hampshire to promote line drying.
These unlikely dissenters come in all ages and from all
backgrounds. After moving to Witney Ridge in Pennsylvania nearly three
years ago, Deborah Brensinger, a 55-year-old nurse, immediately began
hanging her clothes in her back yard.
"Our government is trying to encourage working with the
environment and doing things to cut down electricity, yet here's
something totally free.
"I get to see my neighbours, it's clean and it smells good.
It's a contemplative practice. I don't rush it, I enjoy it. It relieves
stress. You can do it leisurely at your own pace, in a world that's so
fast-paced."
What are your thoughts on clothes line bans here in the US? It pretty clear we love clothes lines, however we just cant understand why they need to be banned and why so many HOA are on board.
Below is a brief excert and trailer for a new film that is being put together around drying laundry and clothes with a clothesline...please take the time to watch the trailer and leave a comment as it certainly makes a compelling statement.
"A conflict is raging in the US. Protests, political movements and murder have taken place in the name of an unlikely ideal: clotheslines.
Tens of millions of individuals across Northern America are banned from outdoor line drying by the very communities they live in, forcing them to turn to the dryer. Homeowners who break the rules are fined, sued and even foreclosed on. This ban is not only infringing on civil rights, it's contributing to the environmental and energy crisis.
The dryer is responsible for 6% of the average household's energy bill and it costs residential ratepayers in the US an estimated $5 billion annually.
Corporate America has sold the dryer and the consumption of electricity as a status symbol, and now they have their eyes on a much bigger prize - the world."
