▪ Treat stains quickly. Stains are harder—or impossible—
dry-cleaning dollar with these tips:
to remove once they have set. Launder stained garments, or deliver stained clothing to the dry-cleaners as soon as possible
▪ Dry-clean sparingly. The dry-cleaning
after the stain occurs. You’ll stand the best chance of erasing process is harsh and costly. Subject clothing
the mishap if you move quickly.
to it only when absolutely necessary.
s worth:
▪ Double or nothing. Because dry-cleaning
“It’s an old home truth:
can fade or alter fabric color, always dry-clean
both pieces of a two-piece garment such as a
‘A stitch in time saves nine.’”
suit, not just one.
▪ Come clean with your cleaner. When
▪ Dust ... your clothing? Dust and lint are more than just dry-cleaning
you take clothing to the dry-cleaner, point
unsightly on your clothes; these abrasive particles can damage out stains and spots, and identify what
fibers. Use a lint roller and a clothes brush to remove dust and caused them, if possible. If he or she has to
lint from clothing regularly.
guess, it’s less likely that the cleaner will be
▪ Mend your ways. It’s an old home truth: “A stitch in time able to remove the stain.
saves nine.” Mend small tears or rips quickly, before they
▪ Put a stop to staples. Ask the cleaner
become big ones. A quick stitch to a sagging hem will prevent to use a safety pin to attach cleaning tickets
an embarrassing downfall later down the road.
to your garment, not a staple. The stapler
▪ Keep order in the closet. Crowded closets are more than shreds garment tags unnecessarily.
just inconvenient—they damage clothing, as well. Crushed too
▪ Tap the cleaners’ clothing-care
tightly together, clothes wrinkle unnecessarily, and moisture talent. Many dry-cleaners also offer clothing and odors are trapped in the fabric. Give your clothing breathing repair and alterations, shoe repair, and special
room in the clothes closet to preserve it.
treatments for bridal gowns, quilts, suede, or
▪ Go for the Gobi ... closet. In humid climates, closet storage leather. Ask them about any specialty services
can get downright funky. Moisture in the air settles on clothing you may need; they are a great source of
and encourages mold and mildew; the closet’s enclosed space wardrobe talent.
magnifies the destructive effect. Result: musty smells and
▪ Pitch the plastic bags. Once home,
damaged clothing. Investigate dehumidifier products to dry remove clothing from the dry-cleaner’s plastic
closet interiors and preserve your wardrobe. These plastic bags. Fumes from solvents used in the dry-containers hold moisture-attracting crystals and can be placed cleaning process need air circulation to
in a corner where they’ll absorb excess humidity.
dissipate, while plastic bags hold in moisture
▪ Repel pests. Moths and carpet beetles love the confines of that can harm clothing during storage.
the clothes closet where they attack natural fibers like wool and
▪ Recycler’s tip. Tie a knot in the bottom of cotton. Keep them out safely with environmentally friendly the plastic bag, and use it to line a trash can.
cedar blocks. Hung from hangers or clothing rods, cedar’s essential oils repel pests. When the scent fades, restore it by lightly sanding the blocks to expose new surface.
138
CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
Cost calculation:
the mending matrix
Grandmother Betty was quick to pick up her needle as a young mother in the 1930s, but whether or not to repair clothing is a more complex question in today’s world. Cheaper global labor has brought down the relative cost of clothing, while overall clothing quality has declined—and sewing skills are no longer part of an ordinary school curriculum. When is it worth your time to mend or alter clothing?
These days, it’s hard to know whether it’s time or cost-effective to mend clothing. High repair charges versus lower Growing up in the home of a hobby
clothing costs weigh against mending, lower-quality clothing seamstress, my son was fascinated by sewing
is harder to mend, and we may not own the sewing tools—
machines from an early age. By the time he
or possess the sewing skills—necessary to complete the job.
turned eight, son Ryan had learned to
Consider these questions to determine whether to mend or machine-sew most of the seams of his
alter clothing:
favorite shorts: bright-colored cotton “jams.”
I was happy to encourage his interest,
▪ Is the garment in good condition? Repairing a slight because everyone—male, female, fashionista,
tear in a new pair of child’s cotton overalls makes sense—but or fad-adverse—needs a set of basic mending
the identical repair will be hard to justify if the garment is skills. When he entered boot camp for the
worn and the fabric is thin. Mend garments only if they’re in United States Marine Corps, Ryan came to
mending basics
good condition, because worn fabric won’t hold a repair for agree with me as he watched fellow recruits
very long.
struggle with the simplest mending chores.
▪ How extensive is the needed repair? Taking up a Here is a list of mending basics that
frayed hem or reinforcing a split seam is a quick and easy job; everyone—even big, strong Marines—should
removing and replacing a broken zipper is difficult and time-know how to do. These simple sewing jobs
consuming. Save major mending jobs for expensive clothing require very few tools, and will keep clothing
that will justify the effort.
Mastering on the job and functional:
▪ Do I know how to make this repair? Even a simple
▪ Sew a button
mending chore will weigh heavy if the task is above your skill
▪ Mend a straight seam
level. Nothing can be more frustrating than struggling at sewing,
▪ Patch a hole
so take a reality check when it comes to sewing skills. Some of
▪ Take a hem
us have them; some don’t—so be honest with yourself about
▪ Darn a tear or a rip
your sewing competence when you contemplate making repairs.
▪ Replace hooks, eyes, and snaps
▪ What tools will I need to repair this item? A simple hem requires only needle and thread, but repairing a broken invisible zipper may be impossible without a special adapter
CLOTHING
139
foot for the sewing machine. Be sure to factor in the cost of Mine the mending for clothing cash
any tools you will need for the job when you evaluate whether Let’s face it: few of us look forward to mending clothes. As a to mend an item of clothing.
to-do list item, “empty mending basket” ranks as a lower-than-
▪ What would a professional charge for this repair?
low priority. Think again! Clothing that is already purchased To get a true grasp of the economics of mending clothing, find but in need of repair represents a hidden asset in terms of out what a professional would charge to do the repair. Balance time and money. To change your thinking (and free your clothes), that amount against what the garment is worth for a good try this method to keep mending in bounds.
rule of thumb on the question of to mend, or not to mend?
▪ Get real. If you’re using the mending basket to avoid dec
isions (or even just stall ironing chores), you’re misusing
“Even a simple mending chore it. Use the tips on this page to be realistic about when and will weigh heavy if the task is
whether to mend.
▪ Shop at home first. Before hitting the mall, check the above your skill level.”
mending. Often, those “new black travel slacks” on your list can be found in the basket—and it takes less time to shorten Make a mending center
them than it does to drive to the shopping center.
The mending basket can be a black hole that swallows garments
▪ Check when the seasons change. Some garments bought for years, giving them back only when time and styles have at season’s end never see closet space because they’ve been passed forever. Make mending chores fly by creating a mending tucked into the mending basket for a quick alteration to make center for your organized home. The center’s focus: a one-stop them wearable. Hunt them out when the seasons change and place to store garments in need of mending, and the tools to new wardrobe needs are fresh in your mind.
complete the repairs.
Locate a mending center in or near the laundry room or laundry center ( see pages 140–141). A quick stitch to a sagging hem before washing makes sure the problem isn’t exacerbated. Set aside a hanger area, or designate a basket or hamper to hold items in need of repair. Store mending tools in a basket or tote with a handle.
A basic kit should comprise:
▪ Scissors
▪ Needles and thread
▪ Measuring tape
▪ Thimble
▪ Seam ripper
When a mending job needs more than a minute or two, the tote makes it easy to relocate to a comfortable chair with your sewing. Choose one with good light, and your eyes will thank
▲ Basic sewing tools. Needle, thimble, and thread are you; make it near a television or radio, and you’ll enjoy your inexpensive allies in the fight to get the most use from your sewing more.
clothing. A basic sewing kit keeps clothing in good repair.
140
CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
Laundry
activity
center
Where there’s life, there are clothes—and where there are clothes, there’s laundry!
Does Mt. Washmore erupt and rise from the floor in your home on a regular basis?
Laundry nerds may revel in the act of folding freshly dried sheets, but the rest of us need a laundry reality check. Stay on top of the laundry mountain with these tips.
Schedule laundry chores regularly
▪ Let there be light! Good lighting will help you find and The equation is simple: you wear clothes? You wash clothes—
identify stains, so supplement existing lighting if it’s dark or and towels, sheets, and bedding, too. Put off the laundry side dreary. Can you read the fine print on a garment label? If not, of the equation, and the job becomes much harder. In the provide additional lamps or lighting fixtures.
laundry hamper, stains and wrinkles have a chance to settle in
▪ Find the upper reaches. Store detergents and laundry and make themselves permanent. A load of wet laundry, left products in an overhead cabinet, or mount a shelf unit on to itself in the washing machine, invites mildew. The dryer load, the wall above the washing machine. Households with small forgotten and unfolded, settles back into rumpled comfort children will need to locate cleaning products up and away once the heat dies down. As the laundry mountain grows, from little hands, but within reach of preteens and up, to make family members scrabble up its sides, looking for socks, jeans it easy for growing youngsters to take over their own laundry or underpants that are clean enough for a reprise wearing.
chores.
Solution: schedule laundry chores regularly. How often to do
▪ Get hung-up. Install a closet rod in the laundry center laundry will depend on your family’s needs. Households with to hang permanent-press garments. If cabinetry permits, an young children may have to launder multiple loads each day, expandable shower-curtain rod will hold clean shirts and extra while singletons can go for a week at a time between laundry hangers in smaller spaces.
sessions—as long as laundry operations are conducted regularly.
▪ Fold and retract. If space permits, add a retractable clothesline or folding drying rack to the laundry center. Even if Create a laundry activity center
the house has an automatic dryer, a clothesline or rack makes A laundry activity center combines the equipment, tools, and it a quick matter to dry sweaters and underthings that should supplies needed to get in and get the job done—quickly.
not be placed in the dryer.
Establish a space to assemble, sort, wash, dry, fold, and return
▪ Color-matching. Code laundry baskets with a different clean clothing and bedding.
color for each family member—and place baskets in every bedroom and bathroom. On laundry days, family members
▪ Location, location. Look to the location of the washing who can toddle can toddle their own baskets to the laundry machine (if you have one) to set up the laundry center. Clear center, and return the clean and folded clothing to their own space around the machine; folding laundry is an active process, closets at day’s end.
so you’ll need as much clear counter space as you can create.
▶ Cut costs and corral clothing with a set of laundry-room A sink nearby will make it easier to treat stains and presoak baskets. They’ll separate lights from darks and hold garments until soiled clothing.
there are enough for a full wash-load to save water and energy.
142
CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
Laundry
basics
Our grandmothers knew the drudgery of washing clothing by hand; they’d envy the wealth of laundry appliances and products available today—and the ease and speed we take for granted. Ready to tackle the family wash? Here’s the fast track to clean clothes: sort and prepare, treat or mend, wash, dry, fold, and put away.
Sort and prepare
For cleaner clothes, sort clothing by soil level. Jeans worn Skip the sort step before starting the wash, and you know while planting out seedlings in the garden aren’t good wash-what’ll happen: red jumper plus white undies equals pink mates for lightly soiled blouses. Fabric weight, too, should be panties (or worse, pink jockey shorts).
considered; the heavy stitching, brads, and buttons on jeans To sort laundry, start with color. Separate clothing into are too rough-and-tumble to share a wash cycle with lighter-white, light-colored, bright, and dark divisions to avoid dye weight or delicate clothing.
transfer—the pink panties problem. Wash white and light clothing separately to keep dye transfer at bay.
Treat or mend
Separating synthetics (polyester, nylon, acrylic) from natural As you load the washer, check each item of clothing. Close fibers (cotton, linen) can also cure dye transfer problems; zippers, remove belts and ties, and check pockets for forgotten synthetic fibers can be dye magnets, absorbing the cast-offs items that don’t belong in the wash.
from dye-rich natural fibers.
Eyeball each garment, searching for stains and treat them Troubled by lint in the wash? Keep lint-generators
before you wash ( see pages 148–149). Check if items need a (sweatshirts, towels, flannel fabrics) away from lint-attractors quick mend ( see pages 138–139). Keep the mending center in (nylon blouses, microfibers) in the laundry process.
or near the laundry area so that it’s easy to make repairs.
sort and prepare ▲
treat or mend ▲
CLOTHING
143
Wash
Add any fabric additives or softener. Follow manufacturer’s You’re ready to wash—but how well do you know your washing recommendations to use bleach, non-chlorine bleach, or fabric machine? Your washer’s product manual has a wealth of brighteners; these toxic produ
cts must be used with care and information about how to get clothes clean effectively. Washing according to label directions. Fabric softener should be added recommendations vary from machine to machine. For instance, during the final rinse cycle.
filling a front-loading spin-cycle washer more fully gets clothes Select the appropriate water temperature for the clothes cleaner, but overloading a top-loader that uses an agitator will in the washer ( see pages 146–147). Start the washer!
impede the cleaning process and could damage clothing.
Clothing loaded, add detergent. Detergent use is among Dry
those “know-your-machine” issues where it pays to be informed.
When the washer cycle has finished, time to dry. Place clothing Washing machines vary in capacity, and are designed to use in an automatic dryer, and select the appropriate heat level and cycle duration. Give any twisted garments a good shake as you load them; you’ll give them a head start to dry smooth
“Skip the sort step and you
and wrinkle-free. Hang delicate clothing from hangers, a dryer rack, or from a clothesline to air-dry. ( For more information on know what’ll happen: red
drying, see pages 146–147 and 149. )
jumper plus white undies
Fold and put away
equals ... pink jockey shorts.” Make sure that you fold or hang clothing quickly after removing it from the dryer; the last bit of heat in the garment will help differing amounts of detergent. Consult the washer’s product to smooth out wrinkles (and prevent the need to iron). Watch manual first, then read the detergent box to determine how out for metal buttons or zippers. They can be very hot after a much detergent to add—and do measure carefully, using a tumble in the dryer.
measuring cup. You may need to use more detergent for large Using color-coded baskets, place each family member’s loads, very dirty clothing, or if you live in an area with hard clothing in a separate basket as you fold. You’ll make it easy water. Use a bit less detergent for soft water, small loads, or for everyone to put away their own clothing if they only have lightly soiled clothing.
to grab a basket and go.
wash and dry ▲
Cut the Clutter Page 18