Doing the laundry today is easy when compared with days gone by. You separate whites and colours, toss one of the bundles into the washing machine, add detergent and come back in half an hour. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had to perform each part of the washing cycle by hand. They’d start by filling a huge copper pot with buckets of water. Then they’d light the kindling beneath the pot and bring the water to the boil. High alkaline lye soap would be added to the washing and they’d use a broom handle or paddle to stir the clothes, just like a human agitator. The dripping garments were then transferred to rinse water and put through a wringer ready to be hung on the clothesline. It was a very unpleasant chore—even worse if the wind was blowing or it was a cold day. We’ve got nothing to complain about!
You can help the planet by choosing phosphate-free and petrochemical-free washing powder, using smaller quantities, using cold or tepid water in the washing machine and diverting greywater to the garden. You can also lower your electricity bill by avoiding the dryer: hang your washing on the clothesline instead!
SAVE FEATURE: Keep old plastic clothes baskets to store out-of-season clothes (winter clothes in summer and summer clothes in winter). They’re ideal because insects aren’t attracted to the plastic (the way they are to cardboard), the mesh along the sides allows air to circulate, they’re a manageable size and easy to move around. Line the basket with an old sheet (so that the plastic doesn’t fume and stain the clothes) before adding the clothes.
Washing machines
When you buy a washing machine, there are two price tags. The first price tag, or sticker price, is the cost of buying the machine. The second price tag estimates how much water and electricity the machine uses per year and is indicated by energy efficiency stickers. The rating system uses a scale of one to six stars—the more stars the better. It also includes how many kilowatt hours per year the appliance used when tested to the Australian Standard—the lower the number the better. You can estimate how much the appliance will cost per year by multiplying the energy rating guide by the kilowatts per hour. To find the most energy efficient machines, visit www.energyrating.gov.au.
Another important thing to consider when choosing a washing machine is how well it cleans. There’s no point in buying a cheap machine if it doesn’t clean properly and leaves lint all over your clothes. In
Australia, Choice magazine compares the performance of different washing machines and their reports can be purchased (see their website, www.choice.com.au). Another way to find out how well a washing machine performs is to ask for other people’s experiences. Talk to friends and family or visit online discussion forums.
TIP: Make sure the washing machine has a filter or it won’t rinse properly.
Front loader versus top loaders
What you choose is a matter of preference. Shannon loves her top loader because she can interrupt the cycle and be in control of the wash and there’s less back bending when loading and unloading. Jennifer loves her front loader because it’s compact and has many cleaning options.
Front loaders use 40 percent less water (by cycling clothes through water at the bottom of the drum whereas top loaders fill the entire drum with water). A 7-kilogram front loader uses around 60 litres of water per wash. A 7-kilogram top-loader uses about 120 litres of water per wash. Front loaders also remove more water in the spin cycle so garments need less time drying.
TIP: Many modern washing machines have a ‘delay start’ function so you can program them to run when water is off-peak and therefore cheaper.
DID YOU KNOW? Front loader washing machines use specific low-sudsing detergents, as Jennifer discovered the hard way. Running her brand new front loader empty for its first wash (as instructed), she used the usual powder only to find the laundry floor covered in soap suds. A quick call to the hotline uncovered the problem and she was advised to remove the suds by adding 1 cup of full cream milk to the dispenser. The suds still inside the machine dissipated immediately. She now uses an appropriate detergent!
TIP: If you use cold water in your washing machine, you save around $1 per load.
TIP: If you soak clothes in a bucket (with or without washing powder) before putting them in the washing machine, you can choose a lighter cycle on your washing machine. Empty the bucket of water (and its contents) into the machine to use less fresh water. You could even use the water collected in a bucket when you shower.
Be mindful when selecting laundry detergents, particularly if you use greywater or if anyone in the family has sensitive skin. Avoid ones that are high in phosphorous (it causes algal blooms) and salt and those with petrochemical-based ingredients. Opt for plant-based detergents that are fully biodegradable. And don’t be seduced by claims of extra cleaning power. It generally means more chemicals are added to the detergent mix. Instead, to whiten clothes, add ½ cup of lemon juice to your rinse cycle and hang out the clothes in the sunshine. You can also buy eco-balls or laundry-balls that use mineral pellets. These work by altering water molecules and don’t produce soap suds so you can skip the rinse cycle when washing.
Shannon suggests using half the quantity of your regular detergent and adding bicarb to the wash cycle and white vinegar to the rinse cycle (placed in the fabric-softener slot) in the washing machine. For a large top loader, add ½ cup of bicarb and ½ cup of white vinegar. For a small top loader, add 2 tablespoons of bicarb and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. For a large front loader, add 2 tablespoons of bicarb and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. For a small front loader, add 1 tablespoon each of bicarb and white vinegar. Or try these other recipes:
Shannon’s recipe for laundry detergent
This recipe is designed for delicates, soft woollens and anything fine. Mix ½ cup of pure soap flakes, ¼ cup of very cheap shampoo, 2 teaspoons of bicarb and 2 teaspoons of white vinegar in a clean (re-labelled) detergent bottle. Add 2 litres of water and shake. It’s ready to use. Add fragrance, such as 2 teaspoons of lavender oil, but be careful adding eucalyptus oil because it strips colour and oils from fabric. Adding ½ teaspoon of tea tree oil is a good disinfectant and antiviral.
Shannon’s recipe for sensitive skin laundry detergent
Combine 1 tablespoon of pure soap flakes, the juice of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of bicarb in a large jar, add 2 cups of warm water and mix well. Label the jar.
TIP: Don’t overuse pre-wash treatments.
Most manufacturers have refill packs so you can reuse the same container over and over again.
Cut along the top and create a scoop for the garden or for cleaning kitty litter trays.(See photo in ‘Kitchen; milk bottles’ section.)
Use to store your own laundry detergent concoctions (don’t forget to label them).
TIP: Keep a funnel (made from the top of an old drink bottle) in the laundry to pour detergent into other containers. This is particularly useful if you buy in bulk.
Keep papers in them. Because the cardboard is impregnated with detergent it keeps bugs away.
TIP: As described in Speedcleaning, make your own starch from rice water. Keep the water after boiling rice. Mix 1 cup of the rice-water starch with 2 cups of water and stir thoroughly. Add ½ cup of this mixture to the rinse cycle of the washing machine. It’s great for sheets and lasts for about a month.
Rinse water can be collected in a tub and reused. If your tub is big enough, collect the rinse water and place your inlet hose in the tub for the next load of washing. Then return the inlet hose to the tap before the rinse cycle starts.
Collect greywater and reuse it on the garden or in the toilet. Just be careful with vegetable patches and make sure no soap water gets into the waterways (phosphorous and salt in waterways is a problem). It’s more convenient to have a greywater system professionally installed, but you can also use a bucket.
DID YOU KNOW? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 24.4 percent of Australian households collected greywater in the laundry in 2007.
How to use the very last drop
It can be frustrating not to use the absolute last skerrick of a product. To get the last bit of liquid laundry detergent from a bottle, Shannon removes the label and places the bottle in the top loader washing machine. It means all the liquid is used and the bottle is clean and ready for its next use. To get the very last drop from liquid soaps or soap-based products, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water and shake. If using this trick to get the dregs from Pine-o-Cleen or Solyptol bottles, use the mixture within 2 hours because it grows bacteria. Never add vinegar to anything containing chlorine bleach or you’ll get a nasty chemical reaction. Instead, just add water. To find out if the product contains chlorine, check the list of ingredients.
TIP: If colour runs from one garment into others in your wash, use the proprietary product Runaway. It comes in two varieties: Runaway for Whites and Coloursafe Runaway.
Dry-cleaning
Dry-cleaning is expensive and damaging to the environment. Many garments sent to the dry-cleaner can be hand washed. It’s common for clothing manufacturers to include a ‘dry-clean only’ label so they’re not liable for damage but some of these garments can be washed by hand. The exception is structured clothing, which has defined seams and should go to a dry-cleaner. With fabrics such as rayon, silk or viscose, do a test first by rubbing a wet cotton bud into a seam and leave it to dry. If the fabric crinkles, it can’t be hand washed. Be careful with darker coloured rayon, silk and viscose garments which may lose colour if hand washed. You can hand wash wool, linen, cashmere and cotton.
Hand washing
When hand washing, spot clean any stains first (for a quick stain removal guide, see How to be Comfy and use the search feature of your ebook reader to search for ‘stain removal’). Then fill a laundry tub or bucket with blood-heat water and add a small quantity of cheap shampoo. Gently wash the garment by hand, then rinse
in clean blood-heat water. The temperature of the rinse water must be the same as the temperature of the wash water. Allow the garment to drain then lay it flat on a towel in the shade to dry. Don’t wring out the garment. Iron on a cool setting with lots of steam.
TIP: Minimise visits to the dry-cleaner by airing your clothes outside away from direct sunlight (heat sets stains) before returning to the cupboard. Another way to avoid the dry-cleaner is not to buy clothes with a ‘dry-clean only’ label.
Clothes baskets are designed to be picked up by one person, which makes them great for carrying multiple items at once, such as pots in the garden.
Place them in the back of the car and carry your shopping from the car to the kitchen in one go.
Use as space helmets or turtle shells for the kids.
If the machine still works, find a new home for it.
If it’s broken, call a repairer.
If it’s beyond repair, you can pull the machine apart. The drum is easy to remove with a screwdriver and makes an excellent pot for the garden. Because the inner skin is perforated and the outside isn’t, it can hold water away from the roots, acting like a slow watering system.
If you don’t want it, contact your local council or a scrap metal recycler (they can be found in the Yellow Pages). A second-hand dealer might want it for parts.
The plug hole in a concrete or metal laundry tub makes them perfect to use for growing plants in the garden because draining is as easy as pulling out the plug (Shannon puts the plug on the underside so it’s easy to remove). You also avoid weeds because the tub is off the ground and weeds can’t spread as easily in a contained environment. If you suspend the tub on a wooden frame, there’s space underneath to keep plants such as ferns, orchids and potatoes. And if you’re growing herbs, the height makes it easier to pick them. You’ll need to water the contents more often if it’s a metal rather than concrete tub.
Use to mix fertilisers. Place a bucket underneath the plug hole, remove the plug (fixed on the underside) and you’re ready to go.
Use for worm farms. Put in the vegetable matter, add a layer of worms and let them do their work. Worm castings are great fertiliser. Put a bucket underneath the drain hole, undo the plug (fixed on the underside) and collect the castings. Use over the garden. For details on worm farms, use the search feature of your ebook reader to search for ‘worm farms’).
Shannon carries a couple of pegs in her handbag in case she needs to clip anything, such as a tablecloth flapping in the wind at a café.
Use to seal opened packets of food. Roll the top of the packet over several times to eliminate air.
TIP: Shannon thinks it’s a good idea to wash your plastic and wooden pegs under clean water each week in case birds, bats, spiders or other insects have pooped on them.
TIP: Plastic pegs leave less of a mark on clothes than wooden ones but they break down more quickly from exposure to the sun. Keep in a bucket in the shade when not in use.
WHY IT MATTERS: One of the effects of rising temperatures is less sea ice, which is having an impact on the walrus population. There’s not enough Arctic Circle ice for the walruses to share during swimming breaks so they huddle on the shore in large numbers. If the walruses are disturbed, it can set off a stampede. Over 3000 walruses were killed in this way in 2007.
Create a small wheelbarrow to cart items.
Turn it into a drying rack. To make some extra cross bars, flatten coat-hanger wire and secure it over the top edge of the trolley. Then peg your clothes to it. It has the added advantage of being easily wheeled out of the way.
How to make a rag bag
The easiest way to make a rag bag is to hang an old pillowcase from two hooks on the back of a door. Put old tea towels, clothes, towels and fabric inside. Some items might need modification, such as removing the gusset and elastic from old underpants and removing zippers, stiff shirt necks and any buttons (keep them in your button box). It will be easier to find the right type of fabric if you keep similar types together. For example, store cotton on one side of the rag bag, polyester on the other and wool in the middle.
TIP: Wool is great for cleaning French polished items and brass but not for cleaning polyurethane.
Only use a dryer if you absolutely have to. Hanging clothes in the sun is the best way to dry them because UV light is a great antibacterial. Clothes dried in a dryer wear out faster than clothes dried in the sun because the direct heat and tossing action places more stress on the fibres. The fibres are further strained when they go from a hot to a cold environment really quickly. And, of course, there’s the higher electricity bill to consider. For example, a pair of jeans that have been worn one day a week for 4 years, washed after every third wear in a high energy machine at 40°C, tumble dried and then ironed uses 240 kilowatts of energy a year. That’s the same as using 4000 60-watt light bulbs for an hour. If you want to save the planet, wear your jeans two days a week, air them on the clothesline and wash them after you have worn them five times.
If you must use the dryer, speed up the drying process by adding a dry tea towel or hand towel to increase the surface area. Another option is to remove most of the moisture by hanging the clothes in the sun (or an airing rack) and then finish the clothes off in the dryer on a low heat. Alternatively begin by using the dryer until the contents are almost dry and then finish drying them on an airing rack.
DID YOU KNOW? Before the 1930s, most people only had two sets of clothes but several sets of underclothes and used a clothes brush to remove the dust and dirt from the day. Only wealthy people had several changes of clothes.
If it’s still working, pass it on, sell it or take the dryer to a second-hand dealer.
If it’s broken, pull the machine apart and reuse various parts. Use the drum as a pot for plants. It already has a hole in the bottom to make draining easy.
Recycle it. Contact your council or a scrap-metal recycler.
Keep lint from your dryer and use it as stuffing in toys or as packing around delicate items. Keep adding to it until you have enough! Shannon stores hers in a small wastepaper bin with a lid.
WHY IT MATTERS: An OECD report estimates that around 150 million people in the world’s biggest cities could be at risk from flooding by 2070. The locations in danger include Calcutta, Mumbai, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Miami.
Many people don’t iron their clothes at all and apply the ‘wash and wear’ principle. Realistically, you can’t throw away the iron but there are a few things you can do to reduce its use. First, hang the washing as flat as possible to minimise creases. Second, put some aluminium foil under the ironing board cover to increase the amount of heat generated. Finally, try Shannon’s lavender oil technique. Fill a spray bottle with 1 litre of water and add ½ teaspoon of lavender oil. Spray this mixture over your clothes before you put them on and they’ll become smoother. Use it instead of an ironing aid.
TIP: Always buy a good iron. When it breaks, recycle the metal plate at a scrap-metal recycler. We don’t suggest using it to hold a door open. Modern irons don’t have the same rustic appeal, or weight, of the old ones.
TIP: If the steam jets in your iron become clogged with mineral deposits, clean them by filling the iron with equal parts white vinegar and water. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour, then empty it out, rinse with clean water and let it steam.
A good ironing board should last a lifetime. Shannon still uses an ironing board given to her as a wedding present. Replace the ironing board cover every three years or as required. If you do decide to upgrade, pass on your old one to someone who’s setting up home.
If it’s made of iron or steel and starts to go rusty, fix with Rust Converter (converts rust into a moisture-free black surface). When doing this, make sure you wear gloves and don’t sand the surface first. When converted, apply spray-on enamel paint.
Use in the garden to collect stink bugs!
It’s handy to use as a leaf sucker (rather than using a leaf blower) in the garden. Only suck things smaller than the tube but keep the vacuum away from any liquid. If sucking leaves, cut a hole in the centre of an ice-cream container and tape it to the end of the vacuum cleaner tube, creating a wide mouth. Cut the legs from a pair of pantyhose and tie the cut-off tops of the legs together so you’ve created an elasticised sack. Place the elastic over the outside edge of the bucket so the crotch of the panythose sits over the vacuum tube hole. That way you can suck up leaves until they fill the pantyhose and empty it into your compost bin or green bin.
Use it to vacuum the car.
If the bristles of the broom are flat, replace the head. Use the old head as a boot scraper (for details, see How to Be Comfy and use the search feature of your ebook reader to search for ‘broom’).
Use as a mop. Wrap an old damp T-shirt over a broom head and use it to clean the floor. Wash the T-shirt and use over and over again.
Turn them into pot plant holders.
Use as clutter buckets for cleaning. When cleaning a room, put everything that doesn’t belong in the room into the clutter bucket and place outside the room. Clean the room and then return the items in the clutter bucket to their designated place. It’s quicker than taking each item back separately.
Store string in small beach buckets and cover the top with an old shower cap with a hole in the middle and pull the string out.
Use to store kids’ toys.
A well-stocked medicine cabinet is a must in every household. Keep an eye on use-by dates and return any expired pharmaceuticals or bottles to the chemist to dispose of properly. They can become toxic when out of date and are not good for landfill.
Reuse them. Any bandage that’s had contact with blood, pus or other bodily wastes needs to be washed in soap and cold water and then washed in boiling water for 3 minutes. Hang on the clothesline to dry. To re-roll a bandage, lay a butter knife along one edge and roll it up by turning the handle.
Aspirin is a preservative. To preserve passionfruit, oranges, lemons or mandarins, add 1 aspirin and 1 teaspoon of sugar to ½ cup of fruit pulp. Stir, place in the fridge and keep for up to 3 weeks.
Keep moths from your garden. Dissolve 2 aspirins in 1 litre of water and spray over leafy vegetables.
Inhibit the growth of bacteria in cut flowers by adding 1 teaspoon of dissolved aspirin to the vase water.
In addition to softening chafed lips, Vaseline is an instant shoe polish. It gets rids of cracks in leather and is suitable for any coloured shoe.
Lubricate sticky drawers.
Rub over nails before hammering. They will be easier to hammer and the nails won’t rust.
Wipe over the top edges of outdoor pots or over the top of your letterbox to deter snails and slugs.
Keep unwanted cats or possums away. Rub on the underside of rocks in the garden or the underside of your doormat. Vicks VapoRub contains camphorated oils which cats and possums don’t like.