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IN THE LAUNDRY

Laundry Recipes


  • prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1 cup of vinegar to each wash load
  • clean the hoses and unclog soap scrum from washer with 1 cup of vinegar in a load
  • remove grease from suede with toothbrush dipped in vinegar – gently brush over spot
  • remove fruit, mustard, coffee/tea stains from clothes with gentle vinegar rub. Wash as usual
  • remove deodorant and perspiration stains by rubbing with vinegar
  • clean steam iron using equal amounts of vinegar and water in the water chamber. Turn to steam, leave in upright position for 5 minutes. Unplug, allow to cool and loose particles will come out when you empty the water
  • clean a scorched iron plate by heating equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub the solution on the cooled iron surface
  • fill dispenser with 1/4 cup white vinegar to soften laundry without leaving odors.
  • soak clothes for two to three hours or overnight in one cup of baking soda to remove odors. Wash as usual.
  • make up a paste of cream of tartar and lemon juice. After checking the fabric for colorfastness, apply the mixture to the fruit, rust or baby formula stain, let it set for 15 to 30 minutes. When the stain is lifted, launder as usual. For stains on white clothing - Apply the paste and lay the fabric in the sun to soak, checking periodically. Launder as usual. For stubborn stains pour equal parts white vinegar and lemon juice into a dish. Submerse the stain in the mixture and soak from 30 minutes to an hour. Launder as usual.
  • add a quarter to a half cup of baking soda to the water and let it dissolve before you add your normal detergent to the washer to soften your clothes and give your detergent an extra boost of cleaning power. Adding baking soda to the bleach cycle means using less bleach on your whites. Add to the rinse cycle to deodorize clothing.
  • soak smelly clothes in a tub of water mixed with a _ cup of baking soda for at least a half an hour before you wash them the way that you normally would. To rid clothes of a gasoline or motor oil smell, sprinkle them with baking soda and then place them in a garbage bag and seal it tightly. Let the clothes sit in the bag for two days before washing the clothes.
  • by adding baking soda, you can reduce the amount of commercial detergent. If you're using liquid detergent, add about 1/2 cup of baking soda at the beginning of the wash. If you're using powdered detergent, add 1/2 cup of baking soda during the rinse cycle. Baking soda softens the water, thus increasing the potency of your detergent.
  • add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites.
  • pour hydrogen peroxide directly on blood stained spots. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary
  • do not use lemon juice on silk, but for bleaching socks, underwear and polyester clothing, add 1/2 cup lemon juice or slices of two lemons to 1 gallon of the hottest water the fabric will tolerate and immerse the clothing from a hour to overnight. Pour the mixture in the washing machine and wash as usual

Updated Februrary 15, 2007.