Here is some useful information to keep your precious heirloom linens in good shape.
Storing Linens Flat
Always launder or dry clean linens before storing. Some stains may not be visible but can provide food for mildew or insects. Take care to rinse thoroughly to remove all detergent which can cause discoloration. Be sure that your linens are completely dry - especially after ironing - before you store them. Moisture creates mildew.
Store linens in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Wrap them in acid-free tissue paper, not regular tissue paper. The acids in regular tissue paper can yellow white linens. Never store linens in plastic bags, cardboard boxes or in direct contact with cedar chests or any wood drawer. Fumes from petroleum-based polyurethane plastic boxes and wood acids can yellow or weaken the fabrics.
Place heavier pieces like place mats on the bottom, then solid tablecloths and napkins and place lace pieces on top of the stack. It is better to store linens unironed because starch can attract insects and any crisp creases can weaken fibers.
At least twice per year, refold the linen to prevent continued stress on one area. Try to use your precious linen regularly so that you can enjoy its beauty, rather than just leaving it in the closet.
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.
Washers, dryers and dry cleaning make doing laundry easy, but they can be tough on the environment. With a few simple changes, you can reduce your environmental impact and trim your utility bills.
If laundry day doesn’t seem like a big deal, consider this: On average, an American household washes almost 400 loads of laundry a year, according to Energy Star.
Your laundry days add up, so it’s worth thinking about how you can minimize your household’s impact.
The less energy and water you use when washing your clothes, the better. Use your washer’s energy-saver setting if available. Washing your clothes with cold water will both slash energy costs (as you no longer have to pay to get the water hot!) and keep your clothes brighter longer – a double bargain for the earth and for your pocketbook. Also, cleaning your lint tray will keep your dryer working efficiently.
When it comes to loading your laundry machines, make sure you’re working with full loads. Filling your washer and dryer with clothes will help laundry day fly by faster and reduce energy use at the same time.
Consider not using your clothes dryer and use a clothesline instead. There are many different types of lines available designed to suit every type of home - either indoors or outside.
This sounds pretty disgusting! I hope that they had a good washing machine when the time came to actually wash the jeans.
College students are well known for their questionable hygiene, particularly when it comes to clean laundry their first year in. Not yet ready for the world of responsibility University of Alberta student Josh Le wore his tight-fitting raw-denim jeans every day for 15 months and one week, after just one wash. Privy to Le’s “experiment”, one day his professor took bacterial counts from his pants before he threw them into the wash, then sampled the same jeans a couple of weeks later. So was the bacteria count out of control or were the jeans just as fresh as they were straight from the wash? Jump ahead for the results!
•Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head. •Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth. •Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside. •Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.
For Motorists:
If you must drive a vehicle, monitor weather and traffic reports for the latest road conditions.
Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible as these roadways will be cleared first.
Drive slowly. Vehicles, including those with 4-wheel drive, take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement.
Keep the name and phone number of at least one local towing service in your car in case you break down or become stuck in the snow.
If you get stuck on the road stay with your car and contact a towing company.
For Pedestrians:
Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces.
Wear layers including a hat, gloves and scarf to stay protected from the cold. And, keep clothes and shoes dry.
Have heightened awareness of cars, particularly when approaching or crossing intersections.
Here are some handy hints to help with your laundry:
Sort and Separate
Even though automatic washers and dryers have taken the work out of the task, you still need to sort your laundry before washing. You not only need to pay attention to the colors of the clothing, but also the fabric.
Sort By Color
Separate white articles from the laundry basket or hamper. This includes underwear, socks, towels, linens, all white or very light colored articles. Put them in a pile.
Separate lightly colored articles - put them in their own pile
Separate dark colored clothing or other articles - towels, jeans, socks, sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. Put them all in a pile.
Sort By Manufacturers Instructions Ignoring the manufacturer's recommendations for laundry care is not smart. Don't learn the hard way by ruining that blouse you just bought for $65.00 and wore once.
Go through each pile separately. Look at each article and read the recommended washing instructions.
Some recommend hand washing in cold water only and laying flat to dry, or line dry.
Some tell you to wash with like items, hot temperature and dry in automatic drier at medium heat temperature.
Some say no chlorine bleach; some say tumble dry, with low or no heat.
Washing
Set the water temperature. use hot water for whites, warm water for all other loads. Cold water can be used with detergent specifically made for washing in cold water.
Check for stains and pretreat them before washing. Concentrated laundry detergent might also help to pretreat.
Set the washing cycle. Consider the clothing you are washing to set either normal, permanent press or a gentle cycle. Most clothes can use a normal cycle.
Add your laundry detergent. Check the instructions for the proper amount as some detergents are more concentrated than others.
Add the clothes. Do not overfill the machine. Overloading the washing machine will cause your clothes not to wash properly and will not rinse completely.
Add any additional liquids to the machine, such as bleach or fabric softener
A hamper is a primarily British term for a wicker basket, usually large, that is used for the transport of items, often food.
In North America, the term generally refers to a household receptacle for dirty clothing, regardless of its composition, i.e. "a laundry hamper".
In agricultural use, a hamper is a wide-mouthed container of basketwork that may often be carried on the back during the harvesting of fruit or vegetables by hand by workers in the field. The contents of the hamper may be decanted regularly into larger containers or a cart, wagon, or truck.
The open ventilation and the sturdiness offered by a hamper has made it suitable for the transport of food, hence the use of the picnic hamper.
At one time it was common for laundry services to leave a large basketwork container with a lid which is now commonly referred to as a clothes hamper. The same type of container would be used to return clean clothing, which would be put away by the laundry service and the empty container left in place of the full container for later pickup.
This type of daily or bi-daily hamper service was most common with Chinese laundry services in 19th century England and America.
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.
Laundry can bring chaos to any home. Many people find that a laundry cart can be helpful when dealing with this laundry chaos. Maybe you don't have one of your own yet. Well, here is a look at three signs you definitely need to add a laundry cart to your laundry room immediately.
Sign #1 - You Have a Big Family
If you have a big family, that's a sign that you definitely need a laundry cart. Trying to get all that laundry into the laundry room is tough. In fact, it can be a back breaking job that leaves you sore for days. With the laundry cart it's easy to get the laundry from all over the home. Simply wheel it to the laundry room instead of trying to actually carry everything from all over your home.
Sign #2 - You Make Multiple Trips When Getting or Putting Away Laundry
Another sign that you need to buy your own laundry cart is that you make multiple trips when getting or putting away the laundry. If it takes you five trips to round up the laundry and even more to put clean laundry away, you are wasting your energy. With the cart you'll be able to take care of everything in just one trip as long as you purchase one that fits your needs.
Sign #3 - You're Tired of Laundry Mania and Disorganization Throughout Your Home
Are you sick of dealing with laundry mania and disorganization throughout your home? Maybe laundry ends up in piles everywhere and you are never quite sure where the laundry detergent ends up. Well, you'll find that a laundry cart can help you get things more organized. All the laundry can easily be sorted with laundry carts that come with multiple compartments. Many have shelves too so you are able to store laundry essentials on the cart so you can easily find
If you deal with a lot of laundry each week, there is one important tool that can make it a lot easier for you - a laundry cart. These carts are designed with your laundry needs in mind, offering compartments, hanging racks, and more to help you deal with your laundry nightmare. If you're not convinced that you need one of your own, here is a look at just a few of the advantages of having your own laundry cart.
Advantage #1 - Wheels
Do you have lugging that laundry through the house, whether it's clean or dirty? It can be tough on your back to carry heavy baskets full of laundry throughout a larger home. One of the main advantages of a laundry cart is that it has wheels on it. The wheels allow you to easily wheel your laundry through the home. This is a lot easier on the back and you'll stop dreading the laundry so much when you have one at your disposal.
Advantage #2 - Easily Pick Up Laundry from Every Room
If you have a larger family, sometimes it's hard and time consuming to get all the laundry from each room into the laundry room. The laundry cart makes this easily as well. Just wheel it from room to room and throw dirty laundry into the compartments of the cart, which will make it easier for you to get everything into the room in just one trip. You won't have to keep making multiple trips all the time.
Advantage #3 - Store Clean Laundry without the Wrinkles
When you get the laundry done, you don't want it to get wrinkled and messy while it is waiting to be put away. The laundry cart will help you to hang up any items that may easily wrinkle. You can also put items on the cart folded so they can be put away later.
If you do a lot of laundry, you'll find that the laundry room definitely gets a whole lot of use. Whether you have a nice, large room or a smaller space, keeping that space well organized is definitely a priority. After all, everything runs more smoothly when it's all organized. If you need to get your own laundry room organized, a laundry cart may be a helpful investment to make.
First, you'll find that the laundry cart can help you to keep laundry essentials organized if you don't have a lot of space. If you have your washer and dryer in a closet, look for a cart with plenty of storage space so you can simply place all the essentials in the areas available on the cart.
Instead of allowing items of clothing to wrinkle or putting them in a pile of clean clothing, the laundry cart can help you stay organized once again. Many of these carts come with a hanging garment rack so you can easily hang up anything that will wrinkle easily. Then later you can wheel through the house and put the hanging clothing in their proper places.
For other items that are freshly washed, you can fold them and put them on the laundry cart as well. This way clothing that is clean doesn't get mixed up with laundry that is dirty. The cart makes it easy to put laundry away as well, since it easily wheels through your home. It will keep you from the temptation of keeping those clothes in the laundry room because you don't feel like trying to carry them through your home.
As you can see, a laundry cart can definitely come in handy for an organizationally challenged laundry room. Buy one of your own and get things organized in that laundry room today.
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."
