Steps to successful Laundry
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I’m participating in The Switch & Save Challenge, trying a variety of Arm & Hammer products and sharing my experiences with you!
Over the last few weeks we have been talking “laundry“. I also have another $25 Visa card to giveaway……so keep reading.
I asked if you are a laundry lover or hater? I also asked what you look for in a laundry detergent.
I learned:
- Most of us don’t like doing laundry, but know it HAS to be done.
[pullquote]Laundry is my nemesis. It seems to multiply and just when I think it is complete it comes back. I, honestly, do not know where it comes from, because most of it is not mine. ~Ellen J[/pullquote]
- There are some, though, that actually ENJOY doing laundry
- Many of us hate putting the laundry away
- Some of us lucky ones have husbands or children who help with the laundry, making the task easier.
[pullquote]Do I dare admit that my husband does the laundry probably more often than I do? It was one of those things I taught him how to do early on . No, I will not share him. ~Shaina[/pullquote]
- Doing a load or two every day, is the best way to keep it under control.
What do we look for in a laundry detergent?
- Cost and Scent were tied for the two biggest factors when choosing a laundry detergent
[pullquote]What do I look for in detergent? Cost is a definite factor, scent (sometimes we get the fragrance-free…don’t want to compete too much with my perfume ), and of course, I want it to work. ~ Bridget [/pullquote]
- Stain fighting and cleaning action were next on the list
- Color safe and skin irritants were also important
I have been using Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Power Gel Laundry Detergent, which includes not only Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (duh!) but also OxiClean to tackle tough stains. I have to honestly say…………I’m in love with it! And I can’t tell you how many times my 14 year old has told me how GREAT it smells when she’s doing laundry. I mean seriously, who knew a 14 year old even CARED what the laundry smells like! lol
Steps to successful Laundry
via Arm & Hammer
- Sort it Out:
Proper laundry sorting is important to prevent laundry problems like dye transfers and shrinking clothes. Read and follow care labels.
- Colorfastness:
If uncertain whether the garment dyes are colorfast, find a hidden area of the garment (such as, the inside seam) and apply a “Pre-treatment concentration” of detergent. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and rinse. If color remains fast, proceed on whole garment.
- Pre-treatments:
Treat stains early. Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. Always test an inside seam for colorfastness.
- Drying:
Do not put garments with a stain in dryer. The dryer heat will set stains and make them permanent. Repeat pre-treatment/washing techniques above. If this doesn’t work, send garment to cleaners. Some stains, however, may be permanent.
You may also want to read:
GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Required entry:
Tell me your favorite laundry tip in the comments for a chance to win a $25 Visa gift card from Arm & Hammer.
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Giveaway will end on July 29, 2011 at 5 pm CST. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. I will email the winner and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected. Contest open to US residents only.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergents. And be sure and head over to The Switch & Save Challenge for the chance to win $25,000.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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I save up things that would be washed separately until I have a decent size load. Sometimes, it means that something is “out of service” for a few days, but doesn’t seem to matter, and is definitely more cost effective.
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My favorite tip is to do at least a load a day to keep up. I have 3 children and if we do not do at least 1 load a day, it piles up!!!!
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My best tip for laundry was teaching my kids to do their own laundry. My oldest daughter has always had way more clothes than everyone else in the house combined and I could spend all day just doing her laundry. Now she gets to spend all day doing her own and I can do something fun. 🙂
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I shared the giveaway on FB.
Laundry Tip: Don’t over dry your clothes! Take them out when they’re ALMOST dry to keep them from pilling and looking over worn.
I tweeted about the giveaway. (@sebh55)
My mother-in-law taught me to put distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser to help the rinse cycle get rid of any remaining detergent residue in the clothes. I also button buttons and zip zippers right before putting my dirty clothes in the hamper, that way I’m not doing those tedious tasks before putting the laundry in the machine. I also sort laundry as I put it in the dirty clothes so it’s done well ahead of time. There are certain articles of clothing I wouldn’t dare put in the dryer because they would shrink or are too delicate to go through the dryer, so I keep a laundry drying rack in the bathtub of our spare guest bathroom to hang dry any laundry I don’t want going through the dryer.
Add vinegar to laundry to help get out any stinky odors.
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I make my own laundry detergent. I find that not only does it save LOTS of money since I have 4 kids but it cleans better. I use it as a spot carpet cleaner, too!
Would you share your “recipe” for this? I might try it on whites first. thanks~
Purex 3-n-1 sheets. My daughter goes to a residential high school and these are a lifesaver. She can throw one sheet on top of her hamper and not have to carry bottles of detergent and softerner. I bought 2 packages of 20 last year and it last the whole school year.
Bleach those nasty dishrags! I use white dishcloths so I can use bleach without ruining them. I CAN’T STAND when they start to smell and bleaching them solves the problem!
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We don’t use the dryer in the summer – the sun and wind are FREE and make the towels very absorbant. (:
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Spit on bloodstains (it works!) and ammonia added to the load to get the smell of urine out of clothes, sheets, etc.
I’m getting lots of great tips, here! My best tip to get help with folding laundry is to tell the kids they can’t watch TV unless they fold clothes while they’re watching. The laundry is folded and ready to put away in no time! I might have left this tip on another post, but it really works for me.
I’ve actually tried a baking soda paste on kid stains and worked like a charm 🙂
My favorite tip is from my mom who has “laundry day” and does it just once a week. I like this much better than every day. It works better for me, my loads are full so I’m not wasting water or energy, I get it done and don’t have to think about it till the next week! I do it on Mondays so I know I’ll plan on being home (mostly) and can plan for the rest of the week and organize and clean the house in between loads.
My favorite tip is to pre-treat any super dirty spots with a little dab of laundry soap or dish washing soap if it’s extra dirty. Just put a little on the dirty spot, rub, rub, rub and then stick it in the washer. It’ll come out much cleaner that way.
I pre-treat everything that is stained immediately. I also just got a HEwasher that does a wonderful job with cleaning clothes.
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If there’s something I don’t want to shrink or have to iron, I never put it in the dryer. I’ve ruined so many clothes that way!!! 🙁
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My favorite laundry tip is to do laundry every 2 days so it doesn’t build up too much.
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I check to make sure stains have been removed in the wash before drying to make sure they don’t set in if not removed initially. This has saved us from permanent stains many times!
Put your wet laundry in the dryer for about 5 to 10 minutes and then hang them outside to dry. Your clothes will be soft, smell wonderful, and this will help your budget, your environment and your clothes! : )
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Fill the tub with water and pour some fabric softener in with the detergent then put your sheets in. Makes the sheets softer and cleans them better!
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I do 1 or 2 loads of laundry every day to keep it from piling up. I also use BIZ stain fighter in every load. It brightens whites, removes stains, and gives clothes a nice fresh scent.
My tip? Try to stay on top of it, otherwise it seems to multiply and you never catch back up!
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My tip is to pretreat stains before tossing clothes in hamper
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I do laundry just one day a week – that way it is ‘done’ for 6 days – not always being worked on!!