Laundry Tips & Tricks: Part One

[Ultramatic]

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Tired of dingy whites? Stubborn stains? Faded colors? Well the answer to all your laundry problems are in this NEW thread. Yes with Laundry Tips & Tricks YOU TOO can have sparkling whites, bright colors and sweet smelling laundry!</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Hubby spilled Bosco on your antique tablecloth? Ask away! You have some tips on how to remove a ____ stain? Share! Your colorful poncho is beginning to fade? SOS! Know how to keep colors from bleeding? Get the word out! Laundry smells blah? Inquire here!
</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">So pull up a chair to the dinette table, pour yourself a cup of kawwfee and have a slice of bundt cake...Laundry Tips & Tricks is open. </span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Keeping dark clothes dark.

<span style="font-size: medium;">Wash them inside out with either a detergent made for dark clothes or a bit of dish washing liquid. Never hang to dry in direct sun.</span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Using less detergent.

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Put a sliver of old soap in a sock and tie the end. Toss in the wash. It won't be necessary to use the full amount of detergent. </span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">(I haven't tried this one yet, but sounds intriguing.)</span>

 

[polkanut]

If you prefer to line dry your shirts, polo, dress type etc. put them on a hanger and button the top button to keep them from flying off.  It helps eliminate marks from the clothespins, and it helps to lengthen the body of the shirt because the wet fabric and gravity do the trick.  This also helps to pull out some of the wrinkles.

 

P.S. They also smell better than something baked in a dryer.

 

P.P.S Remember, when hanging laundry on the clothesline, tops by their bottoms, and bottoms by their tops, and socks by their toes.  

 

[appnut]

Stains

One word.  biz.  Have used successfully since major surgery 11 years ago.  Drainage from incision rujined a favorite shirt.  Shout didn't budge it.  A friend of mine told me she used Biz--called it a girl's best friend.,  Thenb she said, read between the lines, as I was pretty naive aobut what she was trying to tell me.  Bought a box.  don't even check for stains like I used to for each garment before I put in the machine.  I usede to inspect every garment before I washed it.  Slowed down the process considerably.  I'd put a load in the dryer, start the next load, and hten stand there and start working through the next pile that went into th4e machine.  Felt like such a drudge.  Have not had one disappointment since fall of 2001. 

 

[polkanut]

I agree Bob,

I really like the BIZ Blast Packs.  Just toss in the water and let it do its thing.  No muss, no fuss.

 

Don't forget good old-fashioned bluing for whites like grandma used to have.  Just be careful when adding it to your wash water.  Follow the instructions closely or you'll have blue stained laundry.  I prefer Bluette over Mrs. Stewart's any day.

 

[JohnaMarsz]

Ultramatic question

Hi Ultramatic - Regarding your dark clothes tip - you suggest dish washing liquid, but here in England that's what I would call the liquid I put into my dishwasher. Just wondering if you could clarify if that is correct or do you mean fairy liquid, like the little bottle of detergent you use to hand wash at the sink?

Just don't want to get this wrong in case I bleach something!

Many thanks,

John

 

[Ultramatic]

Hi John..

<span style="font-size: medium;">I meant the liquid you use to wash dishes in the sink, not in the dishwasher. </span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Biz...

<span style="font-size: medium;">Wow, I haven't seen Biz in these parts in YEARS. I remember my mom using that when I was a kid though. </span>

 

[polkanut]

My mom switched off between BIZ & Axion.  Would love to find a stash of Axion.

 

[qsd-dan]

Which Biz is preferred, liquid or powder?

Liquid for colds and darks, powder for warm/hot/lights?

 

[mrb627]

Biz

What on earth is a blast pack?

Malcolm

And I agree, BIZ is a little known secret weapon. It rocks!

 

[polkanut]

That is their name for the dissolving packets that you just toss in the washer.

http://www.bizstainfighter.com/products

 

[DADoES]

 
I've used both Biz powder and liquid.  It's expensive IMO for the size of the packages.

 

[mrb627]

Blast packs

Never seen them at my market. I usually buy the box of powder. Only use it for white loads so it lasts a long time!

Malcolm

 

[Ultramatic]

Sweaters cuffs stretched out?

<span style="font-size: medium;">Spray with hot water and blow dry with a hair blower. They should shrink back to their original shape. </span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Bath Salts

<span style="font-size: medium;">Add 1/4 cup of scented bath salts during your washing machines rinse cycle when your washing your bed linen. Not only will your sheets smell great, but the salt acts like a starch to keep them crisp. </span>

 

[appnut]

It's expensive IMO for the size of the packages.

I get the largest size with the flip top box lid.  Just tossing 1/2 a scoop or little more in with detergent and not spending lots of time looking at every garment for stains is with the "expense" in saving me time. 

 

[appnut]

Axion

That was on the market when we got our 1970 Kenorew 800 with the 30 minute automatic enzyme soak cycle.  I couldn't find anything that equated it in performance until I learned Biz was still around.