Laundry Tips & Tricks: Part One

[cleanteamofny]

Lestoil is good for removing chewing gum and grease and motor oil.
3/4 to 1 cup with any brand good detergent. Use longest wash cycle and restart cycle before draining.

For Lestoil scent removal:
Rewash items with favorite detergent.
Add 3/4 cup of vinagar and 1 cup baking soda to first rinse.
Add favorite fabric softener to 2nd rinse.

Always transfer Lestoil to a glass vessel for longer shelf life or it will eat a hole through the plastic bottle messing up walls/baseboard or cabinet flooring!

 

[Ultramatic]

Wow!

<span style="font-size: medium;">And I remember when Lestoil used to come in glass bottles. </span>

 

[mrsalvo]

This is an excellent thread. Haven't looked for Biz in a long time.

Stain Removal: I manage a movie theatre and I've gotten some pretty bad concession stains on much of my clothing. My godmother gave me the BEST receipe I've ever used. It's simple and it lasts, and lasts, and lasts.
Buy a good spray bottle and mix the following:

1 part water
1 part dish soap (like Dawn or Ajax)
1 part ammonia

Spray stain and wash immediately.

I don't think this forumla is for HE machines, so maybe add more water. I will tell you that it makes tons of suds.
Just wished I had discovered it sooner.

 

[Ultramatic]

<span style="font-size: medium;">I am definitely trying that! Shout and the like are pricey.  Thanks for sharing!</span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Home made powdered laundry detergent

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Really simple, but  have no idea how effective it is. Has anyone tried it?</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">1 Cup Borax</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">1 Bar Shaved Soap (Fels Naptha or Ivory)</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Stir the ingredients together (after shaving the soap) and store in a resealable container. Use 2 TBS per load of laundry. This method should work well in HE front loader washers as well since it is a low-suds formula.</span>

 

[mrsalvo]

Concerning the homemade laundry detergent, there was a sizeable thread on that last year that I started and was suprised by the number of responses. I think there are pro's and con's to the homemade soap. I have some that I use on really dirty clothes that seems to do well, esp. combined with the stain remover that I make (above).
Before I came across this receipe, I used to use 409 and I had fairly good results.

Do try the stain remover and let me know what you think. Looking forward to your reply.

 

[jaxsunst]

At the dollar store (Dollar Tree here), there is a line of products called "Totally Awesome". Their laundry pretreat is the best stuff I've ever used, haven't found anything it will not get out. And, it's only $1 for bottle.

 

[yogitunes]

GOOP!...found in auto parts stores....wether regular or orange is great for removal of grease stains...1/2 cup with your regular detergent works wonders

does anyone remember Grease Relief?....Dawn works equally well, but can be sudsy...

plain BakingSoda on a damp sponge is great for cleaning almost any surface, from appliances, to stove tops, to bathtubs.....the uses are endless....and has taken out stains that heavy duty cleaners leave behind...the many uses could be a thread all to its own

 

[stan]

Lye Soap

Other than common sense laundry habits... correct water level (my conventional), sorting, correct wash, and rinse temps, what I use for a lot of things, (not all) is a bar of old fashioned Lye soap!

Im talking about the real thing not Dove, or Camay, but a lye soap that's made for fabric, not skin.
Just wet the stain, rub the bar into the stain, rub, or let sit a couple of min, throw into the machine, your done!
This works very well on ring around the collar, grease spots ect. It's safe non toxic, lasts forever

 

[Ultramatic]

Greasy Clothes?

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Pour a can of cola into the load along with your detergent. It will improve the cleaning power of most detergents. Colas contain a weak acid that helps degrease clothes. </span>

 

[Ultramatic]

Dingy whites?

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the machine.  Your whites will be white again. Another bonus of using vinegar is a cleaner and softer load of laundry. Vinegar will help in washing out excess soap residue that can leave clothing feeling stiff.</span>

 

[qsd-dan]

Pour a can of cola into the load along with your detergent. It will improve the cleaning power of most detergents. Colas contain a weak acid that helps degrease clothes.

Never had any luck with this one. I even tried 2 2 liter coke bottles with low water levels at 120F, still no go. Passed it on to a couple of my gear head friends with both vintage and modern washers (front and top load), they had no luck either. It wasn't until I started using STPP, a high quality oxygen bleach, and super hot temps (minimum of 150F), that I had luck removing grease, especially without pre-treating.

 

[mich]

Here's my Magic Tip...

For really stubborn, ring around the collar, spray this liberally until the stain is saturated. It will not destroy the fabric color, however, I do recommend that you wear gloves while handing since it's very alkaline. 

 

I swear, the stuff is like Magic Although, I haven't tried it on anything but, ring around the collar stains. It really works on the stubborn, dried in stuff. 

 

[danemodsandy]

I Second....

....All the comments on BIZ, which I recently rediscovered thanks to Tim (Polkanut). It saved a set of twelve real linen placemats, plus a table runner, that had been stained by poor storage practices *. Some of the pieces were deep tan, others were their proper linen color, and some were half-and-half. Nothing, but nothing I tried would shift the stains.

It took two days of soaking in BIZ, with a change of water and powder after the first day, but the entire set is now the same proper linen color, stain-free.

By the way, Goop is phenomenal on lipstick stains, even the indelible stuff.

* Not my storage practices; I bought them this way for next to nothing because of the damage, taking a chance I could save them.

 

[washdaddy]

for greasy food stains--

I use to work in a restaurant many years ago. Inevitably food stains would happen.

When washing those clothes I would add a half cup of electric DW detergent powder to the washer and let it dissolve in hot water than add regular laundry detergent and clothes to the machine and let it go.

Everything would come out clean with no stain leftovers.

 

[polkanut]

If you click on the link in Reply #12 it will take you to the Biz website, and you can print out 2 $1.00 off coupons. 

 

[mich]

Dishwasher Detergent...

Used to Contain, lots & lots of Phosphate. Think about 30-40% by weight. The stuff is super powerful, and cleans so well, that's why it was the active ingredient in Dishwasher & Laundry Detergent for the longest time. 

 

However, things have changed. Environmentalists in Spokane, realized that, the phosphate content, contributed 2-3% to the phosphorus levels in the Spokane Rivers and lakes, and started a ban in there town. They convinced Washington State, to follow, and environmentalists, inspired by there actions, convinced there local congress in there areas, to repeat the same. So, around July 2010, 16 states legislature went into effect, requiring the phosphate levels, in detergent to be nothing more than trace amounts. Think 0.5%...

 

So, more than likely, adding dishwasher detergent, into your washer isn't going to have much of a effect at all. It's mostly just washing soda, and nothing else, which, isn't all that powerful. 

 

My personal suggestion, is to pretreat greasy stains, with small, dime size amounts of Dawn, or Palmolive. Try to stick to the Original Scents, and such, as they don't have additives like Bleach alternatives, and such, that could cause color loss. 

 

As for Food Stains, Pretreating with Liquid detergent, containing, protease enzymes (Tide, Wisk, All) will remove most stains effectively. 

 

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

 



 

<span id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show">The ultimate stain remover that actually works on a seriously set in stain! Never buy oxyclean again!
The mixture is:

1 tsp. Dawn dishwashing detergent
3-4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide
couple tablespoons of baking soda.
Scrub on with a scrubbing brush</span></span></span>

 

[polkanut]

Another trick we use especially for dark clothes is to turn them inside out before laundering.  It really helps preserve colors.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

Yep, I do that. My aunt told my mother that one.