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.

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.

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.

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.

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.