Stinky Laundry

You are starting to do laundry and you notice that the laundry bin just reeks of sweaty sport socks.

You can help alleviate some of the odors by sprinkling in some baking soda.

It will absorb some of the odors so that clothes don’t smell quite as bad and it is safe to wash with even with the most delicate items.

Single Socks

I keep a basket next to my dryer. Now when I have a sock that I can't find a mate for, I throw it into the bin. Once a month I let my daughter go through the basket and match them up. Usually we end up matching them all. If we don't find a mate for several months, she turns them into stuffed animals or sock puppets.

Garage Laundry

I keep an old laundry bin in the garage for dropping soiled and extremely dirty items in so that they do not ruin regular clothing. We have old towels that are used for shop rags that can be tossed in as well.

Each week when I do laundry, I drop everything from that bin into the washer on it's own. Since I have started doing this, I don't have as many mysterious stains appearing on clothes.

It is also a lot easier to fold up the towels and place them out in the garage with out worrying about shop rags getting put in the linen closet with regular towels.

Gross Grass Stains

You are doing the laundry and you just found a lovely surprise!

The kids were playing in the yard and they got grass stains on the knees of their jeans.

How in the world are you going to get this out?

Grab your trusty bottle of rubbing alcohol and drizzle each stain before you throw them in the wash.

Iron On Patches

You are doing the laundry and you notice that an item of clothing needs a patch. You grab the ironing board and the patches and go to work. When you get done you notice that the iron on patch stuck to the hole, but it is also stuck to the opposite side.

You can loosen it up by re-heating the patch in order to be able to separate the cloth.

The next time that you need to use an iron on patch, place a piece of aluminum foil between the layers of clothing. This will help keep them from sticking together from the adhesion on the back of the patch.

Towel Etiquette

Everyone has towels in the bathroom, but have you actually thought for a minute about how long it has been there? Is it sanitary?

In the moist environment of the bathroom, bacteria and/or mold can propigate quickly. Here are some rules of thumb for preventing buildup and cleaning out towels that may have already become stale.

First things first, do not use towels more than 2 times. Even though you can't see it dirt, perspiration and body oils are transferred to the towel each time that it is used. This will go doubly so if you have children in the house as they tend not to was as thoroughly as they should.

When cleaning the towels, I separate into 2 loads. Colors and whites. Only fill the washer about half full. A lot of movement and water contact is needed to clean towels thoroughly.

After you have loaded the machine add a detergent booster such as Borax or and Oxi based laundry detergent. When possible wash with bleach to kill microbes.

Before starting the machine set it on the highest hot water setting and the washer on the longest cycle setting.

Once the wash cycle is done remove the towels immediately and place in the dryer. Dry the towels thoroughly. If you put them away damp, bacteria can build up before you even get a chance to use them.

Finding T-Shirts Easily

When folding t-shirts in half just before placing them in drawers you can't always tell what they look like. Your kids (or spouses) will end up trashing the drawers trying to find their favorite t-shirt of the day.

The next time that you fold your t-shirts place the side with the largest picture on a flat surface.

Fold each side that has a sleeve toward the center of the shirt. (about 1/3)

Now fold the shirt in half so that the neck of the shirt is at the hem, then fold in half again the same way.

When you look at the shirt you should now see a large portion of the design.

When you place the shirts in the drawer, set them up on end so that the design is visible when you open the drawer.

Now everyone can grab the one that they need without messing up the whole drawer.

Removing Blood Stains

We have all done it. Whether it is ourselves, our spouses or kids, we are going to get blood on something at some time. You have tried different things in the past, but nothing seems to work really well. Try this little tip and it should work well for you most of the time.

Immediately soak the stain in cold or lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes. Rub the cloth between your fingers a bit and see if the stain rinses out.

If not, add about 3 tablespoons of ammonia to your water and let sit for about 15 more minutes.

Rub again and see if the stain rinses out.

If the stain is still visible, put a little liquid laundry detergent on the spot and rub in. Let sit for another 15 minutes or so and wash as normal.

Not all blood stains will come out entirely, but depending on your fabric this will work most of the time.

Remember that if you resort to bleach or hydrogen peroxide, DO NOT use it on colored clothing. Both of these items will bleach out color.

Sorting Socks

You spend more time doing laundry than you want. Here is a quick and easy tip that will help you have more time to spend with your family, plus your kids will be able to help out too.

Pick up a mesh laundry bag for each child. You can color code it so that you know who get which one. Hang it from the back of the door or in a predetermined spot. Now when your child get's undressed have them place their socks and underwear into the bag.

When you are ready to do the laundry, grab the bag and tie it off. Toss it in the wash. Now when it is clean and dry give back to the child that it belongs to. It will then be their responsibility to sort and put away their socks, and fold and put away their underwear.

Sock Frenzy

When you have more than a few people in the house, it is hard to try to keep laundry day fuss to a minimum.

This helpful tip may alleviate some of the stress of getting the wrong socks put away.

When you are shopping for socks, try to get every one a different brand or style.

That way matching up socks will not be quite as hard.

For example, I always get totally white socks and I get my husband socks with gray heels or toes.

Some manufacturers actually now use different colored thread on the toes of different sized socks so that it is easier to match them up.

Keeping Uniforms Clean

Your kids have uniforms for everything. Sports, School, you name it, there is a uniform for it! It seems like you can never keep on top of it. Pieces get misplaced and you can never find it when you need it.

To help keep things from getting too chaotic while preparing for school on week days, set up an extra laundry bin just for sports/uniforms.

Now you can check your schedule and if you see that there is a need for them. If you see that there is a game/activity you will know right where they are so you can clean them and have them ready to go.

Of course it will be harder to train your kids to put them there, but once they have a game/activity and the uniform is clean, they might remember!

Swish N Snip

When I do the laundry I try to find things to make it go as quickly as possible and even save me time later.

Before I start folding clothes I grab a pair of sharp scissors. Now as I am folding the clothes to put them away, I can trim off those hanging threads that I find.