Home&Garden San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, July 10, 2011 | Section N
Laundry list: Dos and don’ts From viscose rayon to silk and linen, the ladies at The Laundress have compiled a nifty chart to help consumers determine what they can wash at home and how to do so safely. Here are some highlights. For the rest go to: bit.ly/ap3nxG
Dirty secret? T aren’t the last hose clothing labels word on fabri c care.
Wool, cashmere, mohair, angora
How to shrink your laundry bill
1 Hand wash or machine wash with delicate/ woolen cycle
1 Use detergent specified for wool and cashmere
1 Cold water 1 Turn item inside out; place item in mesh bag
1 Wash with like colors 1 Lay flat to dry in natural shape
1 Steam only; do not iron DON’T: 1 Use hot water, fabric conditioner or bleach
Val B. Min
a / The Ch
ronicle
1 Use dryer 1 Dry in sunlight
HOME ECONOMICS
for whites or darks
1 Use fabric conditioner or dryer sheets
1 All water temperatures 1 Separate colors 1 For cotton: Use dryer at
1 For linen: Line dry or dry
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Lindsey Wieber Boyd, co-founder of The Laundress
1 Use regular detergent
high temperature or hang dry; iron hot or steam.
By Chantal Lamers
“Ninety percent of fabric can be hand washed safely.”
Cotton and linen
on low; always remove and hang when damp; easiest pressed when damp
I’m not opposed to dry cleaning, but I’ve long yearned for the empowerment to clean my own very beloved cashmere sweaters and assorted vintage frocks. (I wince just a tiny bit when I relinquish control of a cherished garment to a stranger.) As it turns out, those little labels affixed to clothing dishing out permission on whether you can wash it at home or must march it down to the dry cleaner aren’t always the last word. For that you can thank Lindsey Wieber Boyd and Gwen Whiting, cofounders of The Laundress (www.thelaundress.com), a specialty collection of assorted detergents and cleaners. “Look further at the fabric content, don’t stop at the dry-clean-only label,” says Boyd. “Ninety percent of fabric can be hand washed safely.” Her athome laundry list includes trousers, suits and blazers, swimsuits, dress shirts, silk scarves, blouses, wool and cashmere. There are some exceptions:
DON’T 1 Use bleach (weakens fibers)
Polyester and nylon 1 Machine wash on normal
1 Regular detergent 1 Warm water 1 Line, hang dry or tumble
Silk blends under 50 percent; leather, suede, raw silk and most rayons should never be washed or drenched in water. Follow the duo’s carefully researched advice and nearly all of a closet’s contents can be safely hand washed or even
dry on low; iron on low to medium heat or steam
DON’T 1 Use bleach
Laundry continues on N7
GARDENING
Edibles take a bite out of the front lawn By Corinne Asturias S P ECI AL TO THE CHRONICLE
My mini-mutiny began last fall when half of our formidable front lawn turned the color of pale fries. “The sprinkler system,” my husband said impassively as we stood before our dead rectangle, “is shot.” We stood for a moment in silence, surveying the large space in front of our house, half alive, half dead. The truth is, we’ve never loved our lawn or the concept of lawns. They permeate the American dream and dominate our midcentury, suburban development in San Jose. Space hogs, water suckers and giant leaf collectors that have to be
blown, mown and doused in chemicals with a great ruckus to look good, what is the point of a lawn other than to say: we have land, time and money to waste? When our kids were young the home turf had its benefits: a landing pad for soccer balls and dogs and skateboards, and a display carpet for the annual holiday tree. But lately, its uselessness had started to gnaw at us. And staring at the newly dead zone out front, I realized that in all the years living in this home, I’d never even thought about what I wanted for the sunny space occupied by my lawn. My imagination started to roam and a rebellious vision
Kat Wade / Special to The Chronicle
When half of the author’s front lawn died, she and her husband opted to build two 4-by-8-foot raised vegetable beds with a buffer of roses closest to the street.
took shape: the organic vegetable garden I’d always wanted but couldn’t plant out back because of three dogs, two tortoises and not enough sun. Vegetable gardening as a trend, if you’ve been living under a
rock for the past three years, is back, resulting in a tide of so-called victory gardens (named for war-era attempts to augment the nation’s food supply with local plots) and urban farms of all stripes. There’s a dose of recessionary
thriftiness in there, but also an unmistakable desire for tangibility and back-to-basics meaning. First lady Michelle Obama jumpstarted the national consciousness when she plunked a veggie patch on the White House
lawn. Throw in the locavore movement, an E. coli outbreak or two, the guy at the farmers’ market charging you a buck for a potato, and you’ve got the makings of a mini-revolt. Our plan was modest: Garden continues on N5
San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, July 10, 2011 |
N7
FROM THE COVER
Experts shrink the laundry bill Laundry from page N1
popped into the washing machine. While traditional dry cleaning employs a chemical cocktail, consumers actually have the option of using ecofriendly bleaches and fabric detergents to clean “dry clean”-only items. Conventional dry cleaning uses the carcinogen PERC. The practice can fade and damage fibers, and the residue can linger. While taking matters into your own hands isn’t necessarily a time-saver, it will shrink your dry cleaning bill and, if done properly, can help all sorts of garments hold up longer. Want to give it a try? First, assemble a cleaning arsenal. This includes: bleach alternative, stain remover with enzymes, proper detergents for silk, cotton, wool, cashmere and delicates. Always test products on a small, portion of fabric before using on the entire garment. Add a washbasin, mesh bags, steamer, iron and ironing board. To avoid color transfer, choose a metal-fame drying rack that comes with mesh shelves for laying items flat to dry. The women who started The Laundress have garnered a following for their line of eco- and clothing-friendly products as well as their “recipes” for at-home laundering, available for free at thelaundress.com. “That’s what separates our brand from everyone else,” says Boyd. “We educate our customers versus just shoving a product in their hands. We empower them so they can do it on their own.” Here, Boyd shares some valuable laundering lessons, from how to safely wash wool to tips for keeping denim dark and even how to remove pesky set-in yellow armpit stains. Never sweat armpit stains again: “The pit stain was actually one of the reasons Gwen and I started this brand,” says Boyd. On cotton, linen and synthetic fabrics you can get rid of those nasty yellow or gray stains (the result of body oils and deodorant) by applying an enzyme-based stain remover. Work the solution into the stain with fingers or a stain brush. Pour hot water over the stain and soak. Repeat the process until the stain is gone and then wash. The process works on existing stains but you can help thwart these blemishes by treating garment underarms prior to washing. Keep denim dark: Boyd often hears people say that they take their denim to the dry cleaner to preserve the color. The process can actually cause fading. Instead, wash denim inside out in cold water. Then allow denim to air dry; placing denim in the dryer is where the majority of damage and color fading occur, and soften by ironing while still slightly damp. Spray with fabric freshener between washings. Put wool and cashmere in the washer: “A lot of people think we’re crazy when we tell them it’s OK to wash wool and cashmere in the washing machine,” says Boyd. First, gently remove pilling from fabric and place in a tight knit mesh bag. (This process isn’t recommended for use in
Resources
Silk and silk blends (50% or more)
ENZYME-BASED STAIN REMOVERS 1 OxiClean Max Force Laun-
1 Use delicate detergent 1 Hand or machine wash
dry Stain Remover Spray, $3.86, at drugstores.
in mesh bag on delicate/ woolen cycle
1 The Laundress Stain Solution, $18, at the laundress.com
1 Cold water 1 Wash with like colors 1 Lay flat or hang to dry. 1 Use steamer or iron on low
1 Naturally It’s Clean Enzymes Laundry Pre-Treatment, $13.50, at green home.com
heat; press items inside out
BLEACH ALTERNATIVE 1 Vaska Oxygen-
1 Oxo Brite Non-
1 Ecover NonChlorine Bleach, $4.57, ecover. com
1 Soak for more than 30 minutes 1 Wring or twist garment 1 Dry in sunlight
1 Tumble dry on low or
1 Use regular detergent
1 If needed, use iron on
industrial washing machines.) Use a detergent safe for wool and cashmere, then set the machine to cold on the delicate or woolen cycle. The key is washing only like colors together, because yarn dye can easily transfer to garments.
Thanks to GateList, Paul Chang’s business is now at the top of Google’s Page One for the key phrases he selected, as well as for many others. GateList press releases allow him to publicize information about new products and technology in his industry, all while adding to his “findability” on the Web.
Val B. Mina / The Chronicle
Lycra and spandex
1 All water temperatures 1 Separate colors
The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo, $19, thelaundress.com. For delicates: The Laundress Delicate Wash, $19, the laundress.com
Paul Chang, Owner Sunset Sewing and Vacuum
er or bleach
wash on normal
1 For wool and cashmere:
Chlorine Bleach , $6.99, ecos.com
DON’T 1 Use hot water, fabric condition-
1 Hand wash or machine
Dark Care, $9, at drugstores
bleach, $6.99, at Target
GateList has supercharged my web presence.
Never wring clothing — it wrinkles and distorts fabric.
or delicate detergent for swim or sport wear
SPECIALTY DETERGENTS 1 For darks: Woolite Extra
line dry; dryer will weaken elasticity low or steam
DON’T 1 Use bleach (will deteri-
Chang says, “GateList has made it so easy for customers to find me.”
orate and turn yellow) or fabric conditioner/ dryer sheets
alternative in hot water, when possible. Heat can bake the stain into the fibers, so don’t dry the item until the stain is gone. E-mail comments to home@sfchronicle.com.
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Drying wool and cashmere: After washing wool or cashmere in the machine, lay pieces flat to dry on a rack. If you’ve opted to hand launder these items, press the water out of the fabric by pressing the garment against the tub or washbasin. Lay the item flat in a towel, roll it up and place the rolled item over a dry towel or on a mesh rack. Never wring clothing, which can wrinkle and distort the fabric. Avoid using hangers, which can leave indentations on shoulders. Steam things up: “Ironing can be really timeconsuming, scary and frustrating, especially a man’s shirt,” says Boyd, who prefers the ease of a hand-held steamer, about $40. For the best results, turn the garment inside out, steam and let dry overnight. “Always steam silk scarves. We don’t recommend ironing silk in general. Ironing can alter the color or burn it if you don’t know what you’re doing.” On liquid fabric softeners: Avoid traditional liquid fabric softeners, which are made with animal fat. The substance doesn’t wash out in a single cycle, and it leaves residue on the fabric that breaks fibers down. On using vinegar: “There are more than 300 uses for vinegar but our favorite is as an odor remover,” says Boyd. “Soak items in vinegar and wash as normal.” On stain removal: Evaluate the stain. Is it old or new? Treat the stain with an enzyme-stain remover and soak the item in hot water before washing. (Soak silk and cashmere items in tepid water; soak silk for no more than 30 minutes.) Launder items with bleach
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