Laundry

Train every one in the household to empty all pockets, and turn the garments the way they should be washed. I wash all jeans inside out to prevent fading. I turn all printed t-shirts inside out.
Have a different colored small basket for each family member. When you fold the clothes just put into their basket so they can put their own laundry away.
Use a laundry marker and place each childs name on the inside pocket. That way you can easily tell who the jeans belong to.
Try cutting down on the amount of soap you are using as this can make your clothes dingy. Use half the amount of soap and feel the water if it feels silky you have enough soap.
Never overload your washer, as clothes cannot swish around properly if there are too many of them in the washer.
Improper rinsing is the main cause of gray and yellow clothes. Rinse them a second time adding a cup of vinegar to the water to remove all soap flim.
Keep a small spray bottle filled with vinegar in the laundry room to treat perspiration odors before washing.
Double duty from fabric softener sheets. Use them in the dryer and then throw in the next load of wash in the washing machine.
Sheet strategies, choose different color sheets for each bed. You will always know which sheets go where.
Keep a plastic mesh pot scrubber near the dryer. One quick swipe with the scrubber and the lint basket is clean.
Adding a tablespoon of Epsom salt to each gallon of rinse water helps keep colors from fading or running.
If you accidentally shrunk a wool item, wash it in a mixture of hair conditioner and water. Gently reshape and let air dry laying flat.

Even your washer needs to be washed once in a while. Run the machine on hot water, normal cycle, and add a bottle of vinegar to clean the soap film and scum that's built up inside.

If you need a load of laundry to dry faster than usual, toss in a clean, dry, fluffy terrycloth towel -- it helps absorb the moisture in the load faster

Stuffed AnimalsOld stuffed animals can be salvaged. Place stuffed animals in a pillowcase, tie a knot in the case, and then place the stuffed animals in your wash machine on gentle or permanent press. You can even dry them. For best results, machine dry animals for about 20 minutes and then let air dry. Your child's favorite stuffed toy may look like new.

DON'T overload the machine as this not only effects the finished results as far as cleanliness is concerned but also the need to iron. Fewer items in each load reduces the amount of ironing required.

These are just a few tips for doing laundry that can make your life easier. Next post will deal with those nasty stains that children and husbands bring :)

Out damn spot Out!!

Blood on Clothes: Pour hydrogen peroxide on blood and rinse with cold water. If some blood remains, repeat. This will only work on whites as peroxide will alter the color of other items.

Deodorant Stains on the Underarms of Washable Shirts: Sponge on white vinegar (or soak stain in it); wait 30 minutes

Glitter on Clothing: That new sparkly shirt shedding glitter all over the place? Spray with aerosol hair spray to make it stay put. Wash separately from other clothes, or at least wash it inside out if you must wash with other articles of clothing.

Gum On Clothing: Use egg whites to remove gum on clothing. Brush egg white onto gum with a toothbrush. Let sit for 15 minutes and then launder on the items normally.

Lipstick: Use petroleum jelly for removing lipstick stains. Another possibility is to rub in a little vegetable shortening and then launder as normal.

Spaghetti Stains: Wet the fabric and then sprinkle with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.

Inspect wet laundry before drying to be sure stain has been removed. If a stain is still evident, do not dryer dry. The heat of drying will tend to make the stain more permanent.

For tea or coffee stains lemon juice should do the trick.

For mustard-ammonia or vinegar if applied quickly should remove the stain

For chocolate-try soaking in cold water then a paste of powder detergent then launder-check before drying.

Always check the staus of the stain before drying.