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laundry tip
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I hope this is OK to say. I wanted to add this tip to a prior discussion but didn’t get to it. It is an idea I had years ago and have never used (didn’t end up needing it) but I still think it is a great one! 🙂
If you have special care items to launder, you can make a magnet (think magnetic business cards) with an image of each special item (generic ‘sweater’ or specific with your same green sweater with buttons) and when that item goes into the washer, pull the magnet and put it on the front/top of the washer or dryer to remind you what needs to be pulled out of the mass of wet things before tossing into the dryer. It seems like an easy and specific visual reminder.
Best,
Shannon
I’ve been looking for the post from Lindsey about the laundry because I wanted to ask what type of detergent she uses. I have been buying thrift store close for my kids and was contiplating the comments made by Lindsey about buying quality clothing and washing them properly. I do sort, but use warm water for all my washing. I use a homemade laundry detergent consisting of equal parts Super Washing soda and Zote soap. I have bought clothes on clearance from stores like Old Navy and The Childrens place but am still having holes form within a couple months and the clothes not having a nice “drape”. Is it my washing techniquies, my soap, or really low quality clothing? Thanks for any tips.
As for holes, we buy the boys new jeans usually from Kohl’s, Levi brand. I would think Levi would be a good brand, as I remember that from my childhood, but they always get holes in the knees and very quickly… like within 2 or 3 months. I don’t understand why. They just keep wearing them with the holes until they outgrow them, though.
I would also love advice on washing cleaners. I use Charlie’s Soap for a HE washer. The detergent is ‘green’ and made locally (though I buy it on Amazon). I love the way it smells. BUT our whites are anything but. Is there something natural I can use to keep whites relatively white? I used to not separate colors and whites but I do now and I usually wash whites in hot water. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Shannon
We use homemade laundry detergent, and I add about 1/2 cup of baking soda plus 1 c. lemon juice directly to the whites, before I start the load. (We have a front loader.) That way the baking soda fizzes and foams on the laundry. It’s helped keep our whites white. (or at least white until they do something like lean up against wet paint or spill grape juice all over it!) (I also use a bit of extra detergent with the whites, and white vinegar as the softener.) Also – I’ve tried baking soda and vinegar instead of the lemon juice – it doesn’t work as well. 🙂
When I was a kid I learned to do laundry in an emergency. My Mom was incapacitated and I had to step up so my family had clean underwear. I had zero training at that time, and just dumped it in the machine and washed everything on warm. I don’t know if My Mom sorted, ironed, etc before that but we quickly became a low maintanance laundry family as I think I ruined everything that needed special handling and never used the iron. Everything I have learned since then has been from observing others when I happen to be visiting their home, or by chance observation on my own. So, in my experience…
Holes that “appear” in laundry for unknown reason can be from too much bleach. I am not ashamed to say I didn’t learn how to properly use bleach until I was 40 years old. Stretching knit fabrics too much can also cause holes.
Sorting and using hot water and a small amount of bleach (1/4c to 1/3c) can keep whites white. Once they go dingy I havent found a way get them back all the way. Not sorting is the fastest way to dingy. Or laundry detergent that doesn’t rinse completely. Borax can also help get/keep whites white. Baking soda can also help. But one additive at a time, not all at once. 😉
The best way to remove stubborn odors and some stains from laundry? Hang it on the line in the sun for a day or two.
I like the magnet idea! I wonder too if maybe you could take a marker and just put a small dot on the tags of clothing that shouldn’t go in the dryer?
Crazy4boys also suggested a dry erase marker and actually write on the washer what you need to watch for in each load. She says it wipes right off. I thought it sounded like a great idea, too!
Ah, I had missed that dry erase tip. Good one! I was also thinking the tags could be laminated with Velcro dots/strips on the back and go on the wall nearby.
But dry erase is the fastest/using least resources of them all!
shannon
I would like to add that active children in general make too many holes in clothing! My oldest son rarely has holes, because even if he’s going outside, he usually is bringing things like books to read or paper and pencils to draw. The middle 2 spend their time, jumping, swinging, climbing trees, riding bikes, sword fighting, rolling down hills, splashing in puddles, and all sorts of hole inducing activities. They have holes galore. But I’d rather have them be outside making holes in their clothing, than stuck inside for hours on end doing nothing but watching TV and playing video games like so many families do today. (Not that either of those are bad in and of themselves. Just when you do it hour after hour, day after day, year after year!) We do buy “high quality clothing” (we buy usually from JC Penneys, Kohl’s, Gap, Old Navy and Walmart at the end of the season sales when everything is on clearance. We buy a size up for the following year. I’m able to get most things for $3 an item that way. Sometimes less. It’s cheaper than buying things in Once Upon a Child or Goodwill over by us,, and cheaper is what I’m after! 🙂 )
My boys wear holes in jeans every year, even new ones. I’ve read that during the Great Depression, mothers would sew a button on the inside of the knee to discourage kids from crawling around and ruining their pants. The button makes it uncomfortable to kneel, so kids would roll up pants when they wanted to kneel. I’ve not done this myself, but I have seriously considered it!
Oh goodness a button sounds so painful! That would surely keep ME off my knees! 🙂
I agree, I love them outside and playing hard. I just thought that even with my two older children the jeans lasted longer without holes. Maybe it is different kids, maybe Kohl’s (we didn’t shop there with the older kids) ?? If others find the same with their kids, I’ll just take that to be the way things are…
shannon
For holes in the jeans….at one time both Sear’s and Shopko had a deal that you could trade in a pair of holey jeans (or shirts) for the exact same size. The Kid Tough Promise. I saved so much money buying jeans there…I’d literally trade in 5 or 6 pairs of pants and come away with brand new ones, which he’d rip through in a month or so. No joke. (We were both appalled at how quickly he’d rip through his jeans). No receipt necessary. I always bought a little big so that he had room to grow. I’m not sure if both stores are still doing it but it’s worth looking into!
Wow, that would be usefull…
Echo (7yo girl) goes through pants so quickly because of holes in the knees. The other kids go through them too, but not quite so fast.
I use homemade detergent that I made out of grated Fels Naptha soap, Borax, washing soda, baking soda, and oxiclean. I mix up a big canister of it and use 1 tbs per load. It works well and has done fine on all of our clothing. For tough stains, I use baking soda and vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. I don’t use bleach on any clothing at all. I use white vinegar in place of fabric softener.
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