Over the past few weeks I was thinking of new ways to make my laundry routine the natural way using stuffs that are found in my kitchen. I had to face new ways to treat faded clothing and yellowish whites.So I began experimenting because I don't want to use chemicals on a regular basis. I still prefer using biodegradable materials and alternative solution that has proven results. I've collected empty jars filled it up and labelled each.Below are the tips you can try for yourself.
1. Keep Your
Whites Their Whitest
Do your white
T-shirts tend to go grey? White socks look dirty no matter how many times
they're washed? Try one of these tried and trusted methods for making whites
stay white.
Soak in a
solution of 4 liters water and 180g bicarbonate of soda.
Soak in hot
water in which you've dissolved 5 aspirin tablets (325mg each). Add 240ml white
vinegar to the washing machine's rinse cycle.
2. Get
Blacker Blacks, Darker Darks
While faded
and distressed-looking garments are the rage for some age groups, you may
prefer not to look as if the last time you went clothes-shopping was 1998. Here
are some tips for keeping black and dark-coloured wardrobe items looking like
new.
• For blacks,
add 2 cups brewed coffee or tea to the rinse cycle.
• For dark
colors like navy blue or plum, add 1 cup table salt to the rinse cycle.
• For denim
that will be slow to fade, soak jeans in salt water or a 50/50 solution of
water and white vinegar before the first wash. Turn the jeans inside out before
putting them in the machine and turn the temperature setting to cold.
3. Get Rid of
Odours
Know that
"new" smell of dye or chemicals that comes with just-bought sheets or
shirts? Have a teenager who thinks nothing of leaving sweaty clothes in a
locker or gym bag for weeks on end? Worse, ever have a run-in with a skunk?
Grab two old deodorizer standbys. First, add ½ cup baking soda to 1 gallon
(3.78 litres) water and presoak any smelly washable items for about 2 hours.
Then, as you machine-wash them, add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
4. Get Rid of
Yellow Stains
With time,
white cotton and linen tend to turn yellow — hardly the fresh, crisp look for
which cotton is famous. Let sodium come to the rescue by mixing ¼ cup salt and
¼ cup baking soda with 1 gallon water in a large cooking pot. Add the yellowed
items and boil for 1 hour.
5. Freshen a
Laundry Hamper
Hampers are
handy for keeping dirty laundry in one place, but they can get a little ripe
when packed with soiled clothes. Two ways to prevent hamper smells:
• Cut the
foot off a pair of old panty hose, fill it with baking soda, knot it, and toss
this makeshift odour eater into the hamper. Replace the baking soda every month
or so.
• Keep a box
of baking soda next to the hamper and sprinkle some on soiled clothes as you
throw them in the washer, where the soda will freshen and soften the load.
