Laundry Tips

Ring around the Collar:
•Use a toothbrush to brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering.  Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.
•Mark heavily with chalk.  The chalk will absorb the oils and once the oil is removed, the dirt will come off easily.  This method may require a few applications if the yellow line has been there for some time. 
•Apply a paste of vinegar and baking soda.  Rub in and wash as usual.  This method also removes dirt and mildew.

No More Lint:
•You will eliminate the lint problem by adding 1 cup white vinegar to the final rinse cycle.
•Put a yard of nylon netting into the dryer with wet clothes to act as a lint catcher.
•If the lint, under and around the filter of dryer seems damp, it means the outside vent is clogged.  You better clean it out before the machine breaks down.

The Final Rinse Cycle:
•To make sure clothes receive a thorough rinsing, add 1 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.  This will help dissolve the alkaline in soaps and detergents.  Plus, it will give you soft and sweet smelling clothing for just pennies.
•The vinegar is a must for hand washing. 
•A teaspoon of Epson salts to a gallon of rinse water will help keep most materials from fading or running.

Creme Rinse Your Sweaters:
•For the best results when hand washing sweaters, put a capful of creme hair rinse in the final rinse water.

Accidentally Washed Woolen Items:
•Soak in tepid water to which you have added a good hair shampoo.  Sometimes this will soften the wool fibers enough to allow reshaping. 

Machine Washing Delicate Garments:
•Drop your delicates into a pillowcase and fasten the loose end with a rubber band.  Place in washer and wash on a gentle cycle.

Remove Grape Juice or Red Wine:
•Sprinkle the spill immediately with salt.  Dunk into cold water and rub the stain out before washing.

Clean Dirty Work Clothes:

•Add 1/2 cup of household ammonia to the wash water.

Make Those White Socks White:
•Boil in water to which a slice of lemon has been added.

Faster Ironing:
•Place a strip of heavy duty aluminum foil over the entire length of the ironing board and cover with pad.  As you iron, heat will reflect through to the underside of the garment.
•Starch your ironing board cover.  This also helps the cover stay clean longer.

Blood:
•Cover area with meat tenderizer.  Apply cool water to make a paste.  Wait 15-30 minutes, sponge with cool water.

Chewing Gum:

•Place garment in plastic bag and put in freezer.  Scrape off frozen gum.
•Or, loosen gum by soaking in white vinegar or rubbing with egg white before laundering.

Candle Wax or Crayon:

•Place the stained area between clean paper towels or pieces of a brown paper bag and press with a warm iron.

Ballpoint Ink:

•Apply hair spray liberally to stain.   Rub with a clean dry cloth and the ink usually disappears. 
•Try rubbing alcohol on the spot before laundering.

Rust:

•Apply lemon juice and salt, and then place in the sun.
•Rust can also be removed from white washables by covering the stains with cream of tartar, then gathering up the ends of the article so that the powder stays on the spot.  Dip the entire spot into hot water for about 5 minutes.  Ordinary laundering will complete the job.

Mildew:
•Dry in the sun after moistening with lemon juice and salt.
•Treat with 1/2 cup Lysol.

Perspiration:

•Soak the garment in warm vinegar water.

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