I want to become a good washer woman. I so am not that. I am the one who seems to have 1 load of laundry a week, with a pen left in a pocket. Sometimes it gets really fun & it is a crayon. Or, like last week, a hunk of purple playdough.
I don't often ruin delicates by accidently putting them in the dryer. But, on occasion, it happens. I used to do it a lot more. I am not sure if I have gotten better at this, though. It could just be that the likelihood of me wearing anything delicate has vastly decreased over the last several years.
One good thing I think I have learned is to use plain ole baking soda in the laundry. I put a big scoop in every load & I think the difference in cleanness is pretty huge. And, I don't use quite as much detergent. I used to always use a little more than the cap said to use. Now I use a little less. So, the baking soda is getting my clothes cleaner, and is saving money on my detergent usage.
The better I launder our clothes, the longer they will last, the less I will have to buy.
But, if I slip up with the laundry, there are still options.
When I do leave that pen in the khaki pants' pocket & it leaves a massive ink spot, I can just turn them in to a backpack. Or, if it happened to be a pair of Cargo pants, I could make a messenger bag.
A grease stain that just won't come out of that t-shirt. No problem. I can make a kid sized tee from it.
Speaking of laundry. We have had the stomach flu in this house for over week. I bet there is a load I could put in right now...
ahhhh, laundry. is this every woman's dread?! Its not like its a hard job to do... but it ALWAYS needs to be done. I feel like I do at least a load a day, but there seems to be an overflowing fountain of clothes still in the basket. Crazy. Its one reason I'm a fan of summer laundry. We seem to day way less when we're wearing way less :)
ReplyDeleteThe baking soda idea you gave me on FB has been awesome! I'm doing the same thing; using a lot less detergent. Which is good, especially since I don't buy the nice, organic stuff. I figure less of this stuff is better. I think the soda is getting stains out better than some of the stain remover was!
So thanks :)
I still have a problem with getting stains out. I don't think I put the right stuff on, or wash it fast enough. Does the baking soda help with stains too?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing I've found in the dryer was a handful of dead roly-polies. Ryle had left them in his pocket.
ReplyDeleteThose are wonderful links! I shall bookmark them for "someday."
ReplyDeleteI have taken to adding borax to my wash, lessening the amount of detergent I use -- do you know if it's the same as using baking soda? I should google it, because I am extremely curious. I buy borax cheaply and in bulk because of soaking & washing diapers in it. So I happen to have it always on hand. But baking soda... now my curious mind must know more!
Today is my laundry day, in fact, so I am in the midst of doing more loads & building up the ironing pile (for tomorrow).
I would love to hear your thoughts on stains. I use OxyClean for some things and SimpleGreen for some things... but I hate stains. Sometimes I just ignore them and let them stay stainy! (aaaaah I can't believe I just publicly confessed that... must repent!)
I think the Baking soda is working better on stains than my stain remover spray. I'm not too good at stain treating. Melissa, we wear our stuff mighty stain-y, too!
ReplyDeleteYes, I've never been really good at getting the stains out either. Here are a few things I try to do occasionally (maybe if they were regular, I wouldn't have the stain problem!): Treating a stain right when it happens, not letting it sit overnight, letting things soak overnight in Oxyclean, letting clothes dry in the sun. I go through stages of using baking soda, but I don't know if I've ever noticed a difference. I will have to give it another shot. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI am going to try the baking soda idea in next weeks laundry. I think I had heard that one before but never tried it, and you are totally inspiring me to. I am loving these Thrify Thursdays, Erin!
ReplyDeleteI dream of being a "good washer woman" too, but I have so many questions about the whole thing. What to wash in Cold/Cold or Warm/Cold or Warm/Warm. What to wash as Delicate or Casual Handwash or Slow Handwash or Normal. So many settings - it's all terribly confusing. ;)
ReplyDeleteIm intrigued by the baking soda. Do you put a scoop in every single load, regardless of colors or temperature?
stephanie@metropolitanmama.net
Stephanie - I do put a scoop of baking soda in every single load, regardless of temp or color.
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert. But, the way I do my laundry is colors in Warm water & whites in Hot & delicates in Cold. Seems to work okay!
I have read that whites get whiter is washed in Hot.
I am going to try the baking soda idea in next weeks laundry. I think I had heard that one before but never tried it, and you are totally inspiring me to. I am loving these Thrify Thursdays, Erin!
ReplyDeleteI think the Baking soda is working better on stains than my stain remover spray. I'm not too good at stain treating. Melissa, we wear our stuff mighty stain-y, too!
ReplyDeleteahhhh, laundry. is this every woman's dread?! Its not like its a hard job to do... but it ALWAYS needs to be done. I feel like I do at least a load a day, but there seems to be an overflowing fountain of clothes still in the basket. Crazy. Its one reason I'm a fan of summer laundry. We seem to day way less when we're wearing way less :)
ReplyDeleteThe baking soda idea you gave me on FB has been awesome! I'm doing the same thing; using a lot less detergent. Which is good, especially since I don't buy the nice, organic stuff. I figure less of this stuff is better. I think the soda is getting stains out better than some of the stain remover was!
So thanks :)