The Kitchen Sink V5I41

by Misty Crouse

Let’s Spill the Laundry Tea!

There is so much laundry fine print that it’s usually overlooked. Let’s start with the basics. Soap vs Detergent, same thing, right? Far from it. Before washing machines, laundry required three things: A bar of Laundry Soap, a washing board and pair of strong arms. Which works great for hand washing or scrubbing a stain out, but laundry soap is bad for your washing machine. Ask any appliance repairman, they will tell you the soap degreases your washing machine which shortens the life of your machine. I know people “make” their own laundry soap, but even if you grate the bar of soap, it still doesn’t belong in your washing machine. Now laundry detergent is specially designed for washing machines, and there are so many different kinds there is no need to make your own anymore.

Fabric softener is nice for making laundry smell good and helps with static cling but there is some fine print, typically people don’t understand how it works. Fabric softener (including dryer sheets) works by applying a layer of fabric softener molecules to the top of the fabric surface. This layer can stop fabric from being absorbent, so it isn’t recommended for towels, athletic wear, or certain work wear. A great reminder of the importance of checking clothing tags. An important disclaimer, and this isn’t to scare anyone, but it is a safety issue, DO NOT USE fabric softener on Children’s clothing that needs to be flame-resistant or flame-retardant (and any other items that need to be). The layer of fabric softener is highly flammable (that’s IF the article of clothing were to catch on fire – it’s not going to spontaneously ignite or anything). Fabric Softener is optional, some people don’t use it because they don’t want to separate laundry. Some people love it for its intended use. Others love it so much they use it on everything and then end up causing problems for certain laundry and end up ruining clothes. Vinegar is a great alternative for fabric softener, and the best part is no need to separate anything!

Most of Oklahoma has hard water, test yours to be 100% sure, but chances are yours is. How does this affect your laundry? Let me tell you! The hard water deposits can make your towels less absorbent, feel funny, and even trap bacteria which can cause your laundry to smell. Got a favorite shirt that you just can’t get that smell out of. Yep, it’s probably hardwater build up. If you follow my Laundry Strip Recipe from a few months ago, you can tackle any buildup laundry with ease. We have it on our website for reference. If you think it isn’t that bad, then you can skip the stripping and start adding a water softener to your wash. There are two: Calgon & Borax. Calgon is liquid, I use a cap full for each load. Borax is a powder, and I typically use ½ a cup per load. Both works great, just a matter of preference.

What is the deal with bleach? Find that it yellows some of your whites. Chances are the clothing is dyed white, and bleach is just yellowing it. This is where I suggest Oxi-clean, which is great to whiten whites and is safe for colors too. There is also Out White Brite Laundry Whitener, which is ammonia based, and has specific instructions that need to be followed. It does work well, but it isn’t on my favorites list because of the ammonia smell. My all-time favorite is a natural and FREE method, sunshine! It is a perfect way to whiten those pesky spots naturally. Hang them to dry in the sun and they will be bright white in no time. The only downside to using sun power is some potential fading of colors if left to dry in the sun too long, so set a timer on your phone or Alexa and grab another chore off the list while waiting.

I think I’ve spilled all the tea about Laundry. Join me on March 13th when we will talk about the “Super-Bowl of cleaning”: Spring Cleaning! If you are interested in more information and the science behind the cleaning, I recommend www.fortheloveofclean.com.

Remember to be kind to yourself and Happy Cleaning