Banana Leaf Ironing

I remember the old way of ironing clothes.When i was like 7 year old i saw my grandmother, She would always put banana leaves underneath the iron for resting in between uses. It makes the clothes smell good like earthy, full of nature. Only people that used it understands what i am saying.
I almost forgot this technique, good thing somebody reminded me about the benefit of using banana leaf.

Now i will try to use this old method again because this is really helpful even if you use steam iron or not it doesn't matter.
It seems that the iron will move smoothly if banana leaves are used. It appears that the organic wax from the leaves enabled the iron to glide over even the stickiest of fabrics. I was also told that the leaves would also help to clean the stains from the iron.Try this at home and see for yourself.

How to wash clothes by hand

Have you been destroying shirts in the washing machine or overpaying at the dry cleaners? Washing your clothes by hand is actually the best way to save your clothes and extend their lifetime.

1. Wash clothes in a place with abundant water such as a shower head, bathtub faucet, or outside using the garden hose, etc.
2. Find a bucket/basin/bathtub/stoppable sink that is big enough to hold your clothes. Remember that clothing is smaller, heavier, and harder to manage when wet.
3. Add detergent. If you are using liquid, pour it right in. If you are using powder, it might work better to dissolve it with a smaller amount of water.
4. Add clothes. You might realize this is an important step, but don't forget to sort your clothes before putting in for wash. Clothes can be sorted on various bases like color (colored, dark, or white clothes), or you can sort based on type (put your normal clothes like shirts and pants together or put your heavier clothes like bed sheets and towels together) or any other way which you think it best fits you.
5. Cover the clothes with water. Whether you use hot, warm, or cold water depends on the type of fabric you are dealing with. Cold water is usually the best option for most fabrics and conserves energy. Warm water is better for heavily soiled clothes, but hot water can shrink cotton and wool. Luke warm water is appropriate for silks. Hot water is the best for socks because it kills fungi.
6. Let the clothes soak for about 20-30 minutes. 20 minutes is appropriate if you don't have many clothes, 25 if you have a medium amount, and 30 if you have a big bundle of clothing. Don't soak any longer because detergent will damage both the fabric and fade the color of your clothes.
7. Use a brand new, never-before-used toilet bowl plunger to agitate the clothes with a gentle up and down action. Your hand will work just as well. If you do use your hands knead your clothes as if you were kneading bread.
8. Drain out the water. Remove the clothes and let them drain for several minutes. (One way is to put the clothes in a sink, bath tub, or any clean place where the force of gravity will take the water away.)
9. It usually takes three changes of water to remove the soap. Put the clothes back in the container and cover with clean water. Agitate them. Drain the water. Repeat this step at least two more times. Rinsing the clothes until the water runs clear will also work.
10. Take out the clothes, and allow them to drain for several minutes.
11. Hang everything up to dry on plastic hangers.

Cleaning your iron

Starch and other laundry products can build up on your iron. It is important to remove any build up to prevent it from transferring to your clothing. This is a guide about cleaning a clothes iron.

Cleaning Your Steam Iron

To remove burned on starch from the iron place a towel dampened with vinegar on the ironing board and sprinkle generously with table salt. Set iron on warm dry setting and run over a towel until the stain is removed. Clean gunk off the surface of an iron by polishing gently with 0000 grade steel wool. Don't try this with a non-stick iron. If iron surface is dull, polish with Pearl Drops or other toothpaste.
To clean mineral deposits from a steam iron, fill it with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. Allow it to steam for several minutes, disconnect, and let stand for an hour. Empty the reservoir, rinse well, and repeat if necessary.

Safety in the Laundry Area

A clothes dryer doesn't look scary or appear to be too dangerous. Unfortunately, it is the cause of over fires every year totaling millions of peso in damage. Regular cleaning and maintenance can protect you and your investment.

Get Rid of Dreaded Lint
Whether you use an electric or gas clothes dryer, you will have lint. Lint builds up in the lint trap but also inside the dryer hose and vent and can reduce air flow and drying efficiency. Lint can cause humidity levels to rise around vents causing mildew and mold to develop in walls and insulation. But most important to remember: Lint is combustible. Lint causes fires.
Fortunately, removing dangerous lint is simple. The first area to clean is the lint trap. It should be cleaned after every load by removing the lint from the screen and wiping the edges. If the screen seems clogged, it may be front the dryer sheets you have been using. Submerge the lint screen in a sink of hot water and then scrub with a bristle brush to remove all the built-up fabric softener.
The key to success in de-linting a dryer is a dryer lint brush. This long-handled flexible brush will help you reach areas that you cannot get to by hand.
Remove the dryer lint filter. In the opening - whether on dryer top or in door, use the brush to gently loosen the built-up lint. Don't force the brush if you meet resistance but be sure to cover every surface as much as possible. Remove the big chunks of lint that come out with the brush. Don't worry about the smaller pieces.
Replace the lint filter (which I'm sure you have cleaned). Turn the dryer to air only and run for a cycle. This will pull the lint into the filter or blow the loose particles out the outside vent.
At least once per year, unplug the dryer and check where the exhaust hose connects to the dryer. The hose or pipe is held in place by a clip or a steel clamp that can be loosened by pliers or a screwdriver. After removing the pipe, reach inside the dryer opening or use a vent brush to remove as much lint as possible. A shop vacuum is handy for removing the most lint and use a damp cloth to wipe away remaining lint around the connection.
Look inside the hose or pipe and clean it as well. If your exhaust hose is vinyl or foil it should be replaced with a flexible metal pipe with flexible fittings. Most building codes no longer allow vinyl or foil exhausts.
One last step is to clean the exterior vent. Again remove as much lint as possible using your hand or a shop vacuum. You may need a screwdriver or another tool to hold the vent flap open for easier cleaning. If you live in a high humidity area or use your dryer more than twice weekly, you may need to clean this vent several times per year.

Using the Dryer Safely
If possible, clothing that has been soiled by volatile chemicals like gasoline, cleaning agents or even large amounts of cooking oil should not be dried in a clothes dryer. If they must be dried in the machine, wash the clothing more than once to minimize the risk of fire. Use the lowest heat setting and shortest drying cycle possible. Use a cycle with a cool-down period at the end of the cycle to prevent ignition.

Installing the Dryer Correctly
A clothes dryer should not vent inside. The exhaust contains too much humid air and can cause problems with mold and mildew which are hazardous to health. A vent less dryer should be used if outside venting is not possible.
Be certain that you have a 220v grounded electrical outlet available for an electric dryer. A professional should used to install gas lines for gas dryers.

Never store volatile chemicals or rags near a dryer. Some liquids emit vapors than ignite. The area around the dryer should be kept free of lint, papers and stacks of clothing.

LPG maintenance

• Always keep the LPG valve / regulator switched off when not in use, especially at night after the work is done and when going on a holiday.
•  LPG should also be sealed and place inside a cage.
• Always store the LPG cylinder in an upright position and away from other combustible and flammable materials. Store no more than one spare LPG cylinder at any given time.
• Check for gas leaks regularly by applying soap solution on cylinder joints. The appearance of soap bubbles indicates leak points. Do not use open flame to detect leaks.
• Always replace worn-out or defective tubing and regulators. Half of all gas-related accidents occur due to leakages from the rubber tube. Change the tubing every two years and the regulator every five years.
• Make sure all parts of the installation are in good condition. If you should find anything wrong with any part, contact your distributor immediately and ask for assistance.
• Never tamper with your LPG cylinder.

Disinfecting Washers

It may seem strange because it always has soap and bleach swirling around inside it, but you still need to disinfect it at least twice a month. I do the regular disinfecting of washer every week because of soap residues that sticks to the washer.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

1. Locate the stuck-on detergent inside your washing machine. Don't forget to check the lid, too.
2. Scrub off all the caked-on soap gently using a non scratching scouring sponge or old toothbrush and with chlorine bleach. Be sure to feel up underneath the opening. This is an area that is often overlooked.Try to removed soap residue form the fabric softener dispenser.
3. Add 1 cup of bleach to the bleach dispenser, if the machine has one.
4. Run the machine on the heaviest cycle.
   
   

   

   
   

How to remove mold out of fabric

Mildew, like mold, is a fungus that tends to grow in dark, moist places, especially those that aren't accessed too often. Storing seasonal clothing away for next year makes them a prime target for mildew.

Before you consider tossing everything away and spending you're hard-earned money on a new wardrobe, try removing the mildew. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to get mildew out of clothes:

 Lemon juice and salt:

1. Make a paste from lemon juice and salt.
2. Rub the paste onto the mildewed areas.
3. Let the garments dry in the sun.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until no mildew remains.

White vinegar and water:

1. For heavy mildew buildups, pour some full-strength vinegar on the mildew.
2. For light stains, mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Pour this solution on the mildew.

Ironing Tips

Do you sometimes feel like your clothes look even more wrinkled after you iron them? The following tips and guidelines should help make your ironing go more smoothly.

Ironing Time-Savers

• Do your ironing in the bedroom. You'll be able to use the bed to sort your laundry, and you'll have hangers close at hand in the closet.
  
• Cut your ironing time by putting a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect heat so you're actually ironing from both sides at once.
  
• Progress from articles or garments needing the lowest temperature to those requiring the highest.
  
• For a perfect fit, place your ironing board cover on the board while it's still damp, and let it dry in place.
  
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  To avoid creases, place a rolled up towel in a sleeve before ironing.
  ­To prevent wrinkles, keep moving freshly ironed surfaces away from you.
  
• To prevent collars, cuffs, and hems from puckering, iron them on the wrong side first.
  
• Iron double-thickness fabric on the inside first, then on the outside.
  
• Acrylic knits can stretch out of shape if moved when wet and warm. Press each section dry, and let it cool completely before moving it on the ironing board.
  
• When pressing badly wrinkled corduroy, hold the iron just above the garment and steam the fabric thoroughly. While the corduroy is still damp, quickly smooth it along the ribs with your palm.
  
• Revive the nap of velvet or corduroy by pressing it right side down on a piece of the same fabric.
  
• If you don't have a sleeve board, insert a rolled-up towel in sleeves so they can be pressed without leaving creases. Or make your own sleeve board from a cardboard tube covered with soft fabric.
  
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• Quick spray starch can be made at home by slowly adding 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 2 cups water. Stir until the starch is dissolved, and pour the blend into a clean spray bottle. Spray fabrics lightly when ironing. 

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  Use paper clips to hold pleats in place.
  ­­Restore a shiny look to chintz by ironing the fabric right side down on waxed paper.
  
  
• To keep from giving your wash-and-wear garments a sheen when you do touch-up ironing, turn the clothing inside out and iron the wrong side.
  
• To remove wrinkles from a tie, insert a piece of cardboard cut to fit its inside. Cover the tie with cheesecloth, and press lightly with a steam iron.
  
• To avoid flattening embroidery or eyelets when ironing, iron them face down on a thick towel.
  
• Hold pleats in place with paper clips when ironing. Be careful that the clips don't snag the fabric -- particularly if it has a loose weave.