fold and put away ▲
Recycling
Clothing manufacture places big demands
on the environment, so green living calls for
recycling or repurposing unneeded clothes. Try
these ideas to breathe new life into old clothes:
▪ Get good clothes into the right hands.
In good condition, unwanted clothing is ripe
clothing
for recycling. Donate business clothes to
organizations that assist job seekers; and
give outgrown kids’ clothes to the local
children’s charity.
▪ Get creative with worn-out clothing.
Turn the cut-off legs of tattered jeans into
plastic bag organizers, and seam up the top
to create a messenger bag. Old fleece
garments make cute stuffed toys, while
creative quilters can make “memory quilts”
from children’s outworn character T-shirts.
▪ Add to your cleaning arsenal. Ragged
terry robes make stellar cleaning cloths if cut
apart into large squares—and holey cotton
socks find new life as over-the-hand dusters.
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CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
Clothing care for
different
fabrics
New advances in fiber technology have created garments that are more functional than ever before, but caring for them can be confusing. Clothing care labels offer a dazzling array of choices. Hand wash. Delicate cycle. Line-dry. No iron. Read the labels—then follow these guidelines to care for the range of fabrics in your closet.
Acetate
Over-drying cotton will encourage shrinkage; dry cotton Acetate is a man-made fiber, often found blended with other garments at a lower heat and remove them from the dryer fibers to create beautiful, easy-to-drape clothing. Acetate and while still fairly cool.
acetate blends clean up well, but can be very sensitive to dye transfer. Check the care label, and then wash garments
“‘Cold water only’ may signal
containing acetate fibers in cold water.
Acetate is a weak fiber, and can be damaged by twisting, that your ankle-length trousers
wringing, or heat. Hand-wash acetate blends, or use the gentle cycle of the washer for machine-washable garments.
will convert into capri pants if
Iron garments containing acetate using a low-heat setting.
not washed correctly!”
Press on the wrong side and use a press cloth to avoid shine and preserve the beauty of the fabric.
Linen
Cotton
Linen is a natural fiber, made from the flax plant. Check care Cotton is a worldwide favorite for comfortable, versatile clothing.
labels on linen garments to determine whether the garment A natural fiber, cotton can be found in garments as casual as must be dry-cleaned. If machine-washable, wash according to a T-shirt or as elaborate as a ball gown.
label instructions, using water appropriate to the garment’s color.
Cotton fibers will shrink unless the fabric has been pre-Linen absorbs more water during the washing process than other shrunk or processed, so start with the care label. “Cold water fibers, so guard against overcrowding in the washer and dryer.
only” may signal that your ankle-length cotton trousers will Iron linen from the inside out, using steam at a hot iron setting.
convert themselves to capri pants if not washed correctly.
Cotton items that are pre-shrunk may be washed in hot, Polyester
warm, or cold water, depending on the color of the garment The last century’s “wonder fiber,” polyester creates colorful, and care label recommendations.
durable, easy-care garments. Most polyester fabrics may be If care labels agree, add chlorine bleach to white cotton machine-washed using warm water, but check care labels first.
wash loads to remove stains; colored cottons may be brightened Tumble-dry polyester garments on low heat. Remove them by non-chlorine bleach formulated for colored clothing. Cold-from the dryer while still slightly damp to prevent wrinkles and water washing will protect the deep color of cotton jeans, and avoid a static build-up. If ironing is required, use a low heat: preserve the pep of brightly colored Hawaiian shirts.
polyester will melt beneath a hot iron.
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147
Silk
spandex is hand- or machine-washable, avoid hot water and Supple, strong, and lustrous, this natural fiber is among the chlorine bleach. Both will damage the spandex fibers. Unless world’s oldest clothing materials. While silk fiber itself is care labels provide otherwise, hang spandex garments to dry, washable, many weave patterns used for silk fabric will tighten and avoid machine drying.
or pucker if washed, and deep dye tones may not be color-fast.
The heat of the dryer can cause some spandex-blends to Let garment labels guide you when cleaning silk garments.
pucker or bubble. If ironing is necessary, press the item quickly
“Dry Clean Only” signals a fabric or construction that will not with a warm iron.
survive washing. Launder washable silk garments using products formulated for hand-washing or delicate fabrics. Mild baby Wool
shampoo (without conditioning additives that may add wax or Sheep love it, and we do, too: the soft, warm fiber made from oils) is a good choice for hand-washable silk fabrics. It will clean wool. Naturally insulating and easy to dye, wool fabric runs the natural protein and revitalize the fiber.
the gamut from rugged tweeds to floating wool challis.
Never tumble silk in the dryer. Instead, roll the item in a In the natural state, wool is washable, but because many towel to press out moisture, and then hang to dry. Press silk wool garments incorporate construction methods that cannot garments with a warm iron.
be washed, dry-clean wool clothing where the label requires.
If washable, use a gentle detergent and hand- or machine-Spandex
wash as directed by the clothing care label.
A touch of stretch makes clothing fit and feel better. Enter A tip from a venerable Shetland Islands’ knitter: wash and spandex, an elastic fiber now incorporated in small amounts rinse wool fibers in lukewarm water. Using cold water to rinse in many types of fabric to add stretch and comfort. While can cause shrinkage when it comes to wool.
FABRIC WASH AND DRY GUIDELINES
WASH
DRY
Fabric type
Hand
Cool
Warm
Boil
Dry
Tumble
Tumble
Tumble
naturally
cool
warm
hot
Acetate
Cotton
Linen
Polyester
Rayon
Silk
Nylon
Spandex
Wool
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CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
Out, out,
damned
spot!
Life is like an ice cream cone: it’s cool, it’s sweet—but there are always going to be a few drips. When they land on your clothes, will you know how to handle them? Prompt and proper stain treatment will keep clothing looking new longer; delay or the wrong response can make the stain a permanent addition.
Pretreat promptly. As you sort laundry, be on the lookout for stained items; pretreating is the best and easiest way to remove stains. A trip through the washer and dryer can turn a dribble of salad dressing into a permanent addition to a blouse if it’s not treated first.
Pretreat properly. When it lands on your pants and must be removed, sauce for the goose isn’t always sauce for the gander. Different stains require different pretreatment methods.
Here are some of the most common stain pr
oblems and how to pretreat them:
▪ Oily stains. Salad dressing, lipstick, and auto grease create oily stains on clothing—and so does your neck on the inside of a shirt collar. To treat collar rings and oily stains, apply liquid detergent directly to the soiled area. Allow the item to stand for 15 minutes before laundering. The detergent will loosen
▲ Easy does it. Treating stains is one time when a light touch and dissolve the soil so that it can be lifted away in the wash.
is best. Rubbing or scrubbing at stained fabric can harm fibers
▪ Protein stains. When Baby spits up on your shoulder, or lighten dye. Blot stains for best results.
you’ve got a protein stain. Blood, milk, and dairy products, and most body soil contain organic matter that will harden and set stains. Pretreat them by soaking in cold water, then wash in the over time or when exposed to hot water. Soak protein stains hottest temperature appropriate for the garment.
in cold water for at least 30 minutes before laundering. A tip
▪ Dye stains. Loll on the grass some summer afternoon, and from the nursing profession: stubborn, dried-on blood stains you’re apt to get up with a grass-green dye stain, compliments may be removed by applying a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide of the lovely turf. Foods with strong colors, such as blueberries solution (sold in drugstores for wound care) to the stain, but or mustard, create dye stains. So does direct transfer from fabric pretest fabric for color-fastness, first.
or leather, such as the blue cast rubbed off on white
▪ Tannin stains. Tannin puts the pucker in your tea—and undergarments worn beneath new jeans. Pretreat dye stains permanent color on your clothing if you spill it. Wine, coffee, with direct application of detergent to the stained area, then tea, soft drinks, fruits, and fruit juices commonly cause tannin wash in the hottest water appropriate for the fabric.
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Clean and green
Keeping a family in clean clothes isn’t just a rinse away. Chlorine bleach eats away fibers if over-never-ending chore; it’s a major consumer of energy
used. Too much fabric softener can stain clothing;
and natural resources in the household. Focus on
rewash to remove spotting.
these strategies to stay clean and green in the
▪ Clean and green. A green hint: use a cup of laundry area.
white vinegar instead of commercial fabric
softeners. Vinegar cuts detergent residue, softens
Using the washing machine
clothing, and removes odor—and at a price point
As an energy user, the washing machine is a
far less than commercial products.
household front-runner. Rein in the beast’s use of
water and power with these energy-saving tips:
Drying clothes
When drying laundry, convenience costs! Duck high
in the laundry r
▪ Chill out. Heating water for household use is a power bills with these tips for efficient dryer use: costly proposition, so turn down the thermostat on
the hot water heater. For most households, a setting
▪ Let the sun shine. Sunlight and fresh air dry of 120°F (49°C) is adequate—and lower hot-water
clothing for free—and the warm scent of sun-dried
temperatures make scald injuries much less likely to clothes is a sensory bonus. When possible, hang
occur. By turning down the thermostat, you’ll save
laundry outdoors to dry.
energy whenever you launder with heated water.
▪ Hang loose. Don’t over-fill an automatic dryer.
▪ Stay cool. Wash in cold water whenever
Crowded with clothing, the dryer will have to work
possible. New detergent formulations for cold-water
much too hard, and leave clothing with wrinkles
oom
washing dissolve well and get clothes clean at lower that can require ironing. Let clothes tumble freely
temperatures. Even when heavy soil or fabric type
for most efficient dryer use.
requires washing in hot or warm water, a cold-water
▪ Enough is enough! When using an automatic
rinse saves energy. Bonus: cold-water washing
dryer, don’t over-dry clothing. “Auto” settings sense preserves fabric colors.
moisture levels and temperature inside the dryer, so
▪ Fill ’er up. Wash full loads of laundry—you’ll use them when possible. Over-drying clothing can
use proportionately less water and energy than
cause shrinkage and fabric damage, so save your
doing several partial loads.
clothes and the environment by removing dried
▪ Cycle down. Make good use of the washing
clothing promptly.
machine’s alternate cycles for best energy savings.
▪ Free the filter. Clean the dryer’s lint filter with Permanent press or delicate cycles are shorter, and
every load. A lint build-up impedes air circulation
agitate and spin less than “heavy wash” ones. Use
and forces the dryer to work longer and hotter.
them for lighter-weight or lightly soiled garments.
Every month, rinse the filter; you’ll be amazed at
▪ Measure twice, wash once. In the laundry
the volume of lint that you’ll remove.
room, more isn’t better when it comes to the
▪ Vent it. Check the dryer’s vent hoses and outlet amount of detergent or other laundry additives you
hood for lint build-up or obstruction. If the hood
use, so measure carefully. Too much detergent
cover won’t open freely, replace it. Proper ventilation won’t clean clothing any better and will be hard to
is necessary for efficient drying and will save energy.
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CYCLES OF AN ORGANIZED HOME
TREATING STAINS
For this stain
use this product
and this method
Adhesive tape, chewing gum
Prewash stain remover
Rub the stained area with ice to harden the gummy residue; gently remove as much as possible with a dull knife. Saturate the stain with prewash stain remover. Rinse thoroughly before laundering.
Baby formula
Enzyme-based laundry presoak
Soak the stained item in a solution of enzyme-based presoak and water for 30 minutes to several hours.
Blood and bodily fluids
Enzyme-based laundry presoak; chlorine, Soak fresh stains in cold water for 30 minutes or until the non-chlorine or oxygen bleach product;
blood is gone. For dried stains, presoak the garment in a hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution,
solution of enzyme-based presoak and water, then launder.
sold in drugstores for wound care)
If the stain remains, launder the garment using non-chlorine bleach, chlorine bleach, or oxygen bleach, as appropriate for the fabric type. To remove set stains on a colorfast garment, apply hydrogen peroxide to the stained area using an eyedropper. Reapply until the stain is dissolved, then rinse and launder the garment. [Note: as hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, test the garment for color-fastness first.]
Coffee, tea, soft drinks
Prewash stain remover or liquid
Use prewash stain remover or liquid detergent; soak garments detergent; non-chlorine bleach
with fresh stains in cold water before laundering. For set-in stains, apply a prewash stain remover or liquid detergent; allow to stand for 15 minutes before laundering. Wash the garment using non-chlorine bleach where appropriate for the fabric type.
Candle wax, crayon marks
Paper towels and iron; chlorine or
Apply ice to the stain to harden it, then remove as much wax non-chlorine bleach
as possible with a dull knife. Place the stained fabric between two layers of paper towels, and iron with a warm iron to remove wax. Repeat with fresh paper towels until the wax is removed. Launder, using chlorine or non-chlorine bleach where appropriate for the fabric type.
Chocolate
Enzyme-based laundry presoak
Presoak in an enzyme-based laundry presoak before
laundering as usual.
Dye transfer
Color-remover laundry additive
Use commercial color-remover laundry additives as directed to remove dye transfer stains from light-colored or dye-magnet fabrics, such as light-colored garments and synthetics.
Eggs
Enzyme-based laundry presoak
Presoak egg stains in an enzyme-based laundry presoak for 30 minutes to several hours. Launder as usual.
Fruit or fruit juices
Prewash stain remover or liquid
Soak fresh stains in cold water before laundering.
detergent; chlorine or non-chlorine
For set-in stains, apply a prewash stain remover or liquid bleach
detergent directly to the stained area; allow to stand 15
minutes before laundering. Wash garment using chlorine or non-chlorine bleach where appropriate for fabric type.
Grass
Enzyme-based laundry presoak
Presoak grass-stained items in an enzyme-based laundry presoak for 30 minutes to several hours. Launder as usual.
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151
For this stain
use this product
and this method
Grease or oil
Prewash stain remover or liquid
Apply a prewash stain remover or liquid detergent directly to detergent
stained area. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, and then launder in the hottest water appropriate for the fabric type.
Mildew
Chlorine or non-chlorine bleach.
Launder mildewed garments in the hottest water appropriate for the fabric type, using the bleach product safe for that fabric. Mildew stains may be permanent.
Milk and dairy products
Enzyme-based laundry presoak
Presoak stained garments in an enzyme-based laundry
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