LAUNDRY HINTS
+ Treat stains as soon as they happen (see here). The longer they are left, the more firmly they will set in place.
+ Don’t be unnecessarily rough when washing clothes. Clean by gently squeezing, and rub stains lightly. Don’t use over-hot water: cold or lukewarm is quite satisfactory for all but the dirtiest washing.
+ Only ever use ‘just enough’ soap powder or laundry liquid. Too much is wasteful and often hinders, rather than helps, cleaning, is bad for the environment and just requires extra rinsing.
+ Keep woollens under water as much as possible during washing: lifting them in and out of the water causes unnecessary strain on the fibres.
+ Don’t use bleach unnecessarily. The best, most efficient, least harmful way to bleach clothes is still by drying them in sunshine and fresh air. Spreading them out on a flat surface and dampening now and again with fresh water will speed up the bleaching process.
+ Lemon juice makes a good bleach for white cottons. To bleach, use 1 cup lemon juice in ½ bucket water. A soapy solution with lemon juice added is an effective whitener for cotton fabrics.
+ To keep colours bright, add a cupful of white vinegar to your washing machine during the rinse cycle.
+ Before washing white socks, soak them in salted water. Stains will then come out easily in the wash.
+ Wash dark socks inside nylon stockings to keep them lint free.
+ Wash small delicate items inside a pillowcase.
+ When you are rinsing coloured woollens, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the final rinse. It keeps the colours bright and is recommended for multicoloured garments.
+ To find out if a coloured garment is colourfast before washing, damp the inside of the hem, then press between two pieces of white cloth with a hot iron. Should any colour come out, you will need to wash the garment separately.
+ When you have to rub the collar and cuffs of a shirt with laundry soap, use the tail of the shirt. This ensures even wear.
+ Place freshly laundered items at the bottom of the pile so clothes are used in rotation and receive the same amount of wear and tear.
+ Soak new tea towels in cold water with a handful of Epsom salts before use to remove the dressing, making them soft and absorbent.
Dye fix for corduroy
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Finely grate 2 potatoes, add ½ cup white vinegar and ¼ cup table salt. Add 4 litres water and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Strain, then let the garment soak in this for 20 minutes before washing. This treatment only has to be done once and the dye should be fixed.
+ Woollen garments that have shrunk slightly can sometimes be re-stretched: dissolve 3 tablespoons Epsom salts in boiling water, let it cool, then soak the garment for 30 minutes. Remove, squeeze out the excess water, then stretch into shape. When it is almost dry, press with a cloth between the garment and the iron.
+ When washing blankets or woollen clothes to be stored over summer, add a cake of camphor dissolved in hot water to the final rinse. This will discourage moths and silverfish. And 2 tablespoons glycerine added to the rinsing water will keep blankets soft.
+ If a woollen blanket becomes matted after washing, dissolve a pack of Epsom salts in hot water and allow to cool. Gently hand-wash the blanket in the cool solution, then leave to soak for 30 minutes. Gently wring out the excess water and dry the blanket in the shade.
+ To wash a doona or eiderdown, prepare a large quantity of soapy water (use a wool wash: nothing harsh) and wash by kneading and squeezing. After rinsing thoroughly, wring to remove as much water as possible and carry outside in a laundry basket. Shake vigorously and dry outdoors. Always choose a sunny, windy day to speed up the drying. Continue to shake the doona during and after drying to keep the filling evenly distributed. If necessary, smooth out the cover lightly with a warm iron before it is dry.
+ When you find a mark on your doona cover and decide to wash it, put a clothes peg on the mark before taking it off the bed, that way you can easily find and spot clean the cover when it gets to the laundry.
+ Keep scraps of soap in an old stocking and tie both ends – this can be used in the washing machine if you run out of soap powder.
+ To get a starched look, yet not too stiff, dissolve 3 teaspoons gelatine as directed on the box. Add to 4 litres hot water. Rinse the garments, wring and dry as usual. There will be enough body in the garments to make them look as good as new.
+ Put life back into net or lace curtains after laundering. Rehang them, arrange the folds to your liking, then take a can of fabric finish (used to make ironing easier) and lightly spray them – stand about 1 metre away and spray at an angle, so that the spray doesn’t penetrate the curtains and dull the windows.
+ Tie apron strings when they are washed, to prevent tangling.
+ Soiled petit point embroidery can often be freshened by rubbing with bicarbonate of soda. Brush out with a soft brush.
+ Pollen from lilies is notoriously difficult to get off clothes. But if you place a piece of Sellotape on top, then peel it off carefully, your garment will be pollen- and stain-free.
+ To keep sheer terylene curtains crisp, add a good handful of Epsom salts to the final rinse. Hang them up while still wet (with a towel on the floor to catch any drips) and they will dry uncrushed and crisp.
+ Slip covers will have a better fit if stretched back over the furniture while they are still damp.
+ To bleach delicate lace that has yellowed with age, soak it in sour milk for several hours and then wash as usual.