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.

How to Start Your Own Work at Home Wash and Fold Service

There are many work-at-home business ideas that don't occur to most people. One of them requires no special skills and very little start up money. Moreover, everything you need to operate this business can be found in your laundry room. Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's a hint: you already do it and probably have been for years. I'm talking about starting your own wash and fold service.

Laundry. So simple to do, yet most people hate doing it. For you, it can provide an extra income.

Many stay at home parents (SAHPs) looking for a work at home (WAH) job or business probably don't think of a wash and fold service as an option. It certainly wasn't something I thought of initially when I was looking for something to do from home. But after trying a few different opportunities and being disappointed with each outcome, the idea of a running home-based wash and fold service was born. It took some work and a few trials and errors, but now I clean clothes once a week and gross 20,000 a month. Not bad for just cleaning clothes!

I'm going to share with you how I began my home-based laundry service, Raspberry Laundry and Dry Clean, and give you tips that would have saved me a lot of time. I'll include a step-by-step guide as well as ideas for marketing. Starting a home laundry service is a great way to make extra money without having to sacrifice a lot of your time!

Take Care of the Legal Stuff
You'll need to check with your state on potential licensing and registration requirements. There will be a sales tax you'll need to pay on a frequent basis; it is imperative that you know what the sales tax is in the county you will be operating in. You'll also need to establish how you will be organized; Sole Proprietor, Partnership or Corporation.

Open a Business Checking Account
I strongly recommend keeping your laundry business and personal transactions separate. Although not necessary, it is easier come tax time to report your earnings and expenses if they are not commingled with your personal finances.

Set up Your Record-Keeping
You will need to keep track of several things including:

• Laundry clients
• Payments received
• Expenses
• Mileage

This does not mean you need to go out and purchase fancy financial software- What i did is i buy a columnar notebook and list all the expenses and receivables.

Arrange the Method and Terms of Payment
Determine your payment terms. Will your clients pay you before services are performed or after?  These are policies you'll need to establish prior to taking on clients. Almost all of my clients prefer to pay cash.
You'll also need to determine how much you will charge your clients.

Make a Website
Some may argue that this step is not necessary, but I'd have to completely disagree. You do not have a brick and mortar store like the Laundromats, so your website, in a sense, is your store. You need to have a way for clients to find you and get information about your services. You can accomplish this goal by creating a website. Weebly s is a free web design site that is very user-friendly.

Market Your Services
There are several online and offline ways to market your services; I'll begin with online marketing.

When it comes to creating your online presence, you're going to have two options: free marketing and paid marketing. I use a combination of both to promote my wash and fold service. Free marketing would include listing yourself on free directories such as Google Places and Yahoo! Local. Sulit and olx  is another great source to advertise your laundry service for free. Paid marketing includes sponsored ads you see on a search engine results pages. The top dogs are Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search, Microsoft Advertising and Facebook Ads. There are many more free and paid online marketers, but use this as your starting point.

Social media marketing is an imperative piece to your marketing efforts. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn are just some of the available social sites. You don't need (and won't have the time) to create multiple accounts--a Facebook Page is sufficient to begin. To get clients to "Like" your Facebook page you could offer an incentive such as money off their first order.

Online marketing requires only time and a computer. For offline marketing you're going to have to do a lot of walking and talking. First thing you'll need to do is create an attention-getting flier. Fliers are a cheap way to promote your business and if there's a local college campus, you can expose yourself to hundreds of potential clients every day. Make sure your flier has an attention-getting headline and print it on vibrant colored paper.
Include pull off tabs at the bottom of your flier containing your:

• Business name
• Phone number
• Email
• Web address (if you have one)

Business cards and flyers are another marketing tool you'll need for those times when you are talking with a potential client.

Make a list of local companies that could use your service (spas, doctor's offices, day cares, restaurants) and contact them either by phone or in person. You don't have to make it a pushy sales pitch. Just give a quick introduction about yourself and your laundry service, coupled with how your service can benefit their business.
Here's a little insider information that I've used to win over business clients: you are less expensive than big, commercial cleaners and you don't require lengthy contracts. Most large commercial cleaners require at least a year's contract and will charge for multiple items, such as fuel and processing. Knowing this information can give you something attractive to offer potential business clients.

Lastly, you'll need to talk about your business as often as you can. Networking is a very powerful tool. You never know when you'll run into someone who just happens to need your service or knows someone that does.

Ready...Set...Launch!
Now you are ready to go live with your business. Please be patient and understand that Rome wasn't built in a day. You will need time to grow your business. I didn't get my first client until 2 months after launch and believe me, I was starting to think I never would. After that first client I grew to 4, then 8, then 12. As a stay-at-home mom, I was making great extra money by just doing laundry out of my home. Now I help other stay-at-home parents accomplish the same thing through my company Raspberry Laundry and Dry Clean Services.

For more details you may call 0917.447.4068 or simply visit our site www.raspberrylaundry.com

How to clean your upholstery?

When you know how to clean and care for your upholstered furniture it will retain the look that made you fall in love with it in the first place. With proper cleaning, care, and maintenance, it is possible to have all your upholstery looking its best for a long time. It pays to be consistent, and it’s not hard to do.

Vacuum

Vacuum your upholstered furniture weekly for general cleaning and to remove surface soil. This also prevents dirt from becoming embedded into the fibers.
You can also use a brush to gently whisk the dirt away. Make sure to always use a soft bristled brush so that you don't snag the fabric.

Spot Clean

While regular care does a lot for your upholstered furniture's maintenance, accidents will happen. Blot any spills immediately with a clean folded towel: never rub, but blot gently. Sometimes this is enough to get rid of the stain completely, especially if the fabric has been pre-treated with a fabric protector.
Always test in an inconspicuous area before you use any product for spot cleaning, and check the manufacturer's instructions to see if you need a water based or solvent based cleaner. It is best to use a mild cleaning product. Apply with a soft brush in a circular motion to work into the fibers, then vacuum when dry.

Avoid Sunlight and Pollutants

Too much sun can damage your upholstery fabric, causing it to fade and even fray. Try to position it so that it doesn’t sit in the sun for extended periods of time. This is especially true for silks.
Airborne pollutants such as fumes from cooking or smoke can also harm your fabric. It isn’t always easy to avoid that from happening, however, proper ventilation can help. It can also help with odor control, as upholstered furniture can easily absorb odors.

Call a Professional

It is best to have a professional clean your upholstered furniture every couple of years or so. Experts recommend having this done on a regular basis and not wait for it to get visibly dirty. The dirtier a sofa or chair becomes, the harder it is to restore to its original glory.

Contact A Professional to do the cleaning for you 358-1375 / 3918115 or visit www.raspberrylaundry.ph.tc 

How to Fix White Clothes That Have Turned Pink

Panic time?
A load of fresh white clothes can quickly be turned into a load of wet pink clothes with only one red shirt slipping into the washing machine. However, those clothes can be saved and turned white again.Turning them white again can be accomplished with bleach and hot water as long as it is done immediately.

If the stains were caught before the clothing was put into the dryer, put the wet clothing to the side and fill up the basin with hot water.
Add one cup of chlorine bleach to the hot water and add the pink clothing to the basin.
Cover it with plastic for a day or until the pink residue has been totally removed. It is also best if you would place the basin into direct sunlight.