Take Care Of Your Clothes Properly, Make Them Last Longer advice, tips, and help

Take Care Of Your Clothes Properly
Make Them Last Longer

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Even if you saved a nice chunk of money and spent less here by purchasing your or your family's clothing through one of our fine clothing merchants, you still spent your hard-earned money which could have amounted to a nice tidy sum of cash.

So you have to do whatever you can to protect the investment you have made in your family's clothing budget and make your clothes last longer and brand-new in appearance for as long as possible.

If you're successful at doing this, it may enable you to further save more money down the road if you have smaller, younger children and are able to pass clothing down to them from a larger, older child if you manage to keep their clothes in decent shape.

First of all, read and follow the manufacturer's instructions on the "care label, usually sewn in the collar, for the proper care and cleaning of the garment. You'd be surprised how many people choose to ignore and not follow this important vital piece of advice.

And lastly, also don't forget to follow your washing machine manufacturer's instructions when it comes to sorting clothes by wash temperature, type of fabric, color, etc. for best results in cleaning your clothes.



Laundry Day Tips

Wrinkled Clothes
If your clothes stay in the dryer for too long they become wrinkled and ironing is right around the corner. I have found that if I add a clean damp cloth to the dryer and run it on touch-up cyle (or about 10-15 minutes) the clothes come out wrinkle free. It saves a lot of ironing time.

Alternative to Dryer Sheets
Instead of spending money on dryer sheets you can make your own. In a spray bottle mix one part fabric softener and one part water, then shake to mix. Spray a clean, old washcloth about five or six times and use in your dryer to prevent static cling. You may use the same cloth over and over again.

Stop Dryer Shrinkage
Keep a dry erase marker in the laundry room and write the garment to be excluded from the dryer on the lid of the washing machine. The dry erase marker will wipe off easily with a cloth.

Inside-out Laundry
I always wash our clothing turned inside out. This prevents wear on the fabric and also minimizes wrinkles. I have discovered that clothing hung in the closets while still inside out does not develop wrinkles or shoulder 'bumps'. An added benefit is that any stains or dust which might collect on clothing not worn often will be out of sight when the items are worn.

Easy Way to Get Wrinkles Out of Freshly Washed Pants
A friend of mine told me she made an amazing discovery quite by accident. After washing a pair of some pants she threw them in the dryer for a few minutes then hung them up on a hanger. The only way she could get the creases to match up on a particular pair of pants was to turn the pants upside down matching them up and hanging them by the bottom. The nice benefit was that with the weight of the waist band it made the pants dry perfectly as if she had ironed them.

Reusable Dryer Sheets
A package of handy wipes and fabric softener diluted 1:1 with water in a spray bottle. Cut the handy wipes in half. When you need a dryer sheet just spray 2 or 3 times with the spray bottle and throw the sheet in the dryer. You can reuse the sheet over and over until it's pretty shabby, then toss and use a new one. Saves money on softener too.

Dryer Sheets
To save on dryer sheets cut them into 3 or 4 pieces each. They work quite well this way. Or if you prefer liquid fabric softener, put just a little on a wash cloth or napkin and throw it in the dryer.

Making Cottons Colorfast
How to make cotton items such as jeans or dark bed sheets colorfast(colors don't run) and newer looking longer. Place new items (i.e. jeans or a sheet set) in the washer and fill with cold water. Add one 16 oz. box of non-iodized salt for low water level, 1.5 boxes for medium or 2 boxes for high. The salt is the mordant which sets the dye. Soak 2-3 hours then rinse and spin. Wash with laundry soap and dry as usual. Dye will be set and the items will be colorfast in cold water. Warning: soak only like colors together.

Keep the Color Like New
To make clothing stay the bright new color, try this tip. It works on all washable clothing. To a washing machine with enough cold water in it to cover clothes plus an extra inch add 1 cup table salt. Turn on machine and agitate for about 3 minutes. Turn off washer and leave overnight. In the morning turn on machine and allow it to finish cycle. Dry clothes as per label. Do put like colors together. Makes red not bleed and black stay black by setting the dye 90+ percent of the time. Wash with care next wash cycle (in case it's one of the 10% that used inferior dye.

Put a Bounce in Your Ironing
After using your Bounce Dryer Sheets save them and the next time your iron tends to stick just run it over one until all the build-up is gone. It is amazing how well it will clean your iron.

Hate to Iron?
Stock up on Niagra spray starch and take dry t-shirts out of the dryer(or from the clothes line) and spray them with the spray starch till slightly damp. Then hold the bottom of the shirt with both hands and give the it a few strong snaps (shakes). Then hang on a hanger till dry, and then put it away. This is great when traveling so I always carry a can of spray starch. This has worked with all types of clothing.


Laundry Center 3-Tier Laundry Center 3-Tier

Space-saving design stacks 3 ticking striped hampers-one each for whites, colors and delicates. Ventilated sides prevent mildew. Strudy rolling cart glides right to the washer. Easy to load and unload, holding 9 loads worth of wash. 26"x15-1/2"x59-3/4"h.




Power Wash Power Wash

Portable Washer/Dryer uses no electricity! Students, singles, travelers love PowerWash(tm). Washes 5 lbs. of laundry in 2 minutes flat-simply load, add soap and water, screw on the pressure lid and crank. To rinse, drain, refill and crank again. Dry cleans clothes in just 30 seconds, too, when you add non-toxic Dry Cleaning Pads instead of water. Great for lingerie, baby clothes, delicates. Super in the weekend cabin or dorm! Suction cup feet hold firm while you spin. 17-1/2"x15"x19"H.




Oxiclean 2.5 LB Oxiclean 2.5 LB

OxiClean® removes dirt and deodorizes practically any water washable surface. You can use it to brighten a deck, clean carpets, remove stains, odors and even to get rid of pet messes! The only thing better than its versatility is its price. In fact, one 2.5 Lb. jar of OxiClean® makes 75 gallons of cleaner. OxiClean® is the cleaning solution for household dirt that will give you more punch for your money! OxiClean® is a great laundry detergent. In fact, independent laboratory studies showed clothes washed in OxiClean® lasted up to 50% longer than clothes washed in ordinary bleach. OxiClean® may be tough on stains but its gentle on your fabrics. OxiClean® is safe. It uses no toxic chemicals, cleaning solvents, or harmful abrasives. After eliminating stains, OxiClean® breaks down into harmless water, oxygen and soda ash. It's "Mother Nature's Way of Cleaning". Finally you can throw out a lot of that other cleaning junk and buy something that will safely take care of your cleaning needs. So why wait? Order OxiClean® today!




The Proper Cleaning Care Of Various Fabrics

Acetate:
Dry clean only.

Acrylic:
Machine wash warm using warm water,  softener may be added during the final rinse cycle.  Machine dry using low temperature,  remove  promptly when done.

Cotton:
Machine wash warm, tumble dry low.  Use cool iron.

Metallic Cotton:
Machine wash warm, delicate cycle,  tumble dry low,.  Cool iron may be used.

Fleece:
Machine wash warm and remove quickly to avoid matting.  Hang to dry; do not use dryer.

Linen:
Dry clean is recommended and retains the original crisp finish to the fabric.  Hand wash in mild soap no chlorine bleach dry by laying flat on clean non-colored towel. Note: Hand washing softens the feel of the linen which is sometimes preferred.

Lyocell:
Lyocell garments may be either machine washable and dryable or drycleanable. Read the label. Washable lyocell has the strength and ease of care of other easy-care fabrics. Machine wash and dry at low temperature. Remove from dryer as soon as the garment is dry. If ironing is required, use a moderately warm iron.

Lycra:
Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water.  Never use chlorine bleach onany fabric containing Lycra.  Either drip dry or machine dry using lowtemperature settings.

Lycra Velvet:
Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water.  Never use chlorine bleach on any fabric containing Lycra.  Either drip dry or machine dry using low temperature settings.

Microfibers:
Acrylic,nylon and polyester microfibers are machine washable, machine dryable or drycleanable Follow the instructions for washing fabrics consisting of these individual fibers.

Nylon:
Most items made from nylon can be machined washed and tumbled dried at low temperatures. Use warm water and add a fabric softener to the final rinse cycle. To minimize static electricity use a dyer sheet when machine drying. Remove articles from the dyer as soon as the tumbling cycle is completed. If ironing is required, use a warm iron.

Polyester:
Use warm water add fabric softener to final rinse,  machine dry low and remove promptly from dryer.  If ironing is needed use a moderate warm setting. All polyesters can be dry cleaned.

Polyolefin:
Most items can be washed or dry-cleaned. Most stains can be readily be removed by wiping, using lukewarm water and detergent. If fabric is machine washed, it should be line dried or tumbled dried with gentle or no heat. Do not iron.

Rayon:
Dry cleaning is recommended.  Although hand wash in lukewarm water is okay.  No chlorine bleach allowed.  Lay flat on a clean non-colored towel to dry.

Silk:
Dry cleaning is preferred.   Hand washing is possible if mild soap and lukewarm water is used.  Laying flat on a clean non-colored towel to dry.

Spandex:
Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water.  Never use chlorine bleach on any fabric containing Lycra.  Either drip dry or machine dry using low temperature settings.

Suede:
Recommendation is dry cleaning.  Although Machine wash gentle cycle is allowed.

Triacetate:
Pleated garments are best hand laundered. Most other garments containing 100% triacetate can be machine washed. If ironing is needed, a high temperature setting may be used. Articles containing triacetate require little care due mainly to the fiber's resistance to high temperature.

Woodblocks:
As with all hand-printed fabrics, we suggest you do the following:  prewash by hand with mild detergent and rinse until water runs clear.  Dry flat. Additional color transfer from dark to lights may occur when sewn and washed together.  We suggest you take this into account when designing your projects.  We hope you enjoy the results when you use this ancient fabric handicraft.

Wool & Suiting:
Recommendation is for dry cleaning.  Can be spot cleaned with a damp sponge.

Fabric Care & Stain Removal



Most stains vanish completely if you act fast and wash the garment normally, but some are more difficult to remove and require special attention.

Before You Start:

Don't forget - act fast. The sooner you try to remove the stain after it happens, the better your chance of complete success. Always remember:

  • Read the care label in your clothes to make sure that your garment will not be damaged when you attempt to remove the stain.
  • Follow the detergent manufacturer's recommendation.
  • Check to see that your detergent is suitable.
  • Check your garments for color-fastness first.
  • Heavily stained items may need soaking before you wash them.
  • Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk, flame-resistant finishes or easy-care finishes.
  • Do not wash or soak wool or silk in a biological or bleach-containing detergent.
  • Finally, no treatment can be guaranteed to remove all stains from all fabrics.


Stain Removal Pointers

Remove Scuff Marks From Patent Leather Shoes
Use finger nail polish remover to remove scuff marks from patent leather shoes. Apply it straight from the bottle (no diluting) on a cotton ball and scrub gently. I haven't witnessed any adverse damage to the leather. This is a frugal alternative to those expensive scuff remover products you buy at the shoe store. Make sure to do a test run in an inconspicuous spot first.

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is Not Just For Dishes
Instead of using expensive spot pre-treatment products on your laundry, try Dawn(original blue) Dishwashing Liquid. Pre-treat the spot with Dawn before putting item in the washer. If it is a hard to remove spot apply the dish soap and let it sit for a minute then gently rub it into the spot. I have never had a spot that it did not remove in the past two years since I have been using it. You only need a little bit because it is concentrated, and a bottle lasts a long time.

Making Old Sneakers Look Like New Again
Use Clorox Clean-up gel or spray on your old discolored white tennis shoes. It makes them look new again (in most cases). I have had the most stained and dirty tennis shoes in the world and used Clorox Clean-up and it work absolutely great, especially on grass stains. It really saved a lot on the kids tennis shoes. It even makes the shoes smell better too.

Remove Even Axle Grease
When I heard on the news that they used Dawn Dishwashing Detergent to clean the feathers off the birds after the Valdese oil spill I tried it on my coat and then washed it in regular laundry detergent. The coat was so clean it did not have an oil smell or stain on it.

Remove Blood New or Old
If you want to remove blood from anything just soak the affected area in a small amount of cold water and pour table salt on it. Wait a minute or two and the salt will turn pink. You may need to repeat and sometimes scrub with a toothbrush but it works great!

Blood Remover
If clothes become stained with blood (even after the blood has dried), use Hydrogen Peroxide to quickly and easily remove it. Simply pour the Peroxide over the stain, allow to soak in to break down proteins in the blood, then wash as usual.

Remove Scuff Marks From Patent Leather Shoes
Use finger nail polish remover to remove scuff marks from patent leather shoes. Apply it straight from the bottle (no diluting) on a cotton ball and scrub gently. I haven't witnessed any adverse damage to the leather. This is a frugal alternative to those expensive scuff remover products you buy at the shoe store. Make sure to do a test run in an inconspicuous spot first.

Mildew Stains
If your clothes have a mildew stain just spray Tilex Stain and Mildew Remover on the stain and launder right away. Stains will be gone. Clothes will be saved.

Removing Lipstick From Clothing
Rub each stain on the denim articles with the facial cleanser noxema and put it back in the washing machine and to my surprise, all the denim clothing was saved!

Getting Candle Wax Out of Clothing
I recently spilled candle wax on a blouse while trying to blow out the candle. What do you do? First you set your iron to a medium heat, no-steam setting. Then you place a piece of paper over the wax. Next you iron over the paper to lift the wax. After you finish use a stain remover to wash the area.

Degreaser for clothes
To remove oil or grease from clothes, spray with Gunk engine degreaser and wash as usual. If there is a build up or ground in grease, scrub the soaked area with an old toothbrush. The engine degreaser removes oil and grease from clothing at least as well as it does from your car or truck motor!

Ink removal
On clothing if you use alcohol and blot on ink spots it will remove ink if the ink hasn't been on the clothing very long and/or set in by the heat of the dryer. It takes a while but it can be removed. Also, pine oil or hair spray will remove ink from clothing. Bonus tip-- if you have white tennis shoes and you don't have time to wash them but can't seem to get them pretty clean with a little soap and water on a cloth try using alcohol and see if it helps.

Food Stains on Clothes
For orange colored food stains, especially baby foods such as carrots or squash, or "adult" food such as spaghetti sauce, try this: wash as usual, with stain treatment, etc. then, place in direct sunlight to dry. Many stains simply disappear, while others are greatly diminished. This also works on the white rubber-tipped baby feeding spoons.


Nobody has to tell you that new clothes are expensive and it can really get you upset when your favorite shirt or pair of pants gets ruined before it's time is up. How long do your clothes last? You can make them last longer if you care for them properly and there are some great ways to make sure you’ll have that favorite dress for a very long time.

Use your clothes dryer sparingly. Hang your clothes outside on a clothesline whenever and as much as possible. When you do your wash, do you throw everything in the dryer? Even if you only tumble dry your clothes on a low heat setting, dryers strip away at your clothes over time, do you see that lint in the lint trap? That used to be part of your shirt! Drying clothes also causes them to shrink a little bit each time and all of those clothes that don’t fit anymore aren’t necessarily that way because you've put on a few extra ponds and gained some weight. To make your clothes last longer, hang them out to air dry. This is especially good for jeans and sweaters though you can still throw things like towels, sheets, socks and tee shirts in the dryer.

Dry clean only clothes means just that! "Dry Clean Only". Sometimes we try to sneak a skirt or top into the wash thinking it won’t do any harm when it often does. Materials like wool should never be washed, it can be the ruination of them. Take you clothes to a dry cleaner and make sure it is a good respectable dry cleaner with a large clientele. Dry cleaning also removes dust mite allergens from your clothes. When you bring your dry cleaning home, don’t forget to remove the plastic which can cause moisture to build up inside. If your clothing gets stained, don’t forget to tell the dry cleaner what kind of stain it is, this can assist them deciding how to treat it.

Magic Lint Remover Magic Lint Remover

Removes lint quickly and easily Easy to clean Reusable Do you have pets? A cat? A dog? Are you tired of looking like you rolled on the floor before leaving for the office? There's no need to ever be embarassed by lint or pet hair on your clothing again... no need to show up to an important meeting, or on an important date with the "fuzzies", if you have the Magic Lint Remover! Simply roll the Lint Remover across your clothing then rinse the fuzzies off under running water. Amazing! Reuse it again & again! Comes with one large roller and 1 small folding travel size roller.


Have a sewing hit handy and learn how to sew. Sometimes when you loose a button, the shirt goes in the bottom of a drawer until you throw it out a few years later. It only takes a couple of minutes to sew a button back on and you can use that shirt for a few more years. Also, small rips or tears in clothing can be sewn up very quickly to get some more life out them rather than donating them to your local clothing drive or Salvation Army.

Smart Stitch™ Smart Stitch™

A mini, portable sewing machine! Double thread sewing. Ideal for home, dorm or office. Smart Stitch™ is a tiny sewing machine that can do all sorts of sewing jobs, no matter where you are. You can use it for mending, repairing or stitching. At only 6.5 inches in height and weighing only 2.5 pounds, the Smart Stitch™ is perfect for those inevitable emergency repairs. You can keep it in your car or at the office. Since the Smart Stitch™ is battery operated you don't have to worry about finding a power source. The Smart Stitch™ comes with 5 spools of various-colored threads and a Foot Paddle and just like a traditional sewing machine the Smart Stitch™ provides double threaded sewing creating firm stitches. * Requires 4AA batteries (not included) What do I get? Smart Stitch™ Threader Spool Holder Bobbin Holder Spool Container 5 Colors of Thread Extra Needle BONUS: Foot Paddle 30 Days Money Back Guarantee




Buttoneer Buttoneer

Lose a button? Buttoneer® will replace it in seconds. This handy device is great for those of us who go cross-eyed trying to thread needles and usually manage to gouge ourselves sewing simple stitches. Just load it and squeeze! Buttoneer®'s nearly-invisible fasteners can even be used independently to repair hundreds of different fabric items. Buttoneer® is great for crafters, travellers and klutzes! Buttoneer® buttons and fastenings are washer, dryer, dry cleaning and iron safe. The needles may snag on certain knit fabrics. It is best to test them first on an inside hem.



Proper storage of your seasonal clothes, such as summer and winter, when not in use can help extend their life. Keep your clothes hanging loosely in the closet and don’t jam them up against each other. Heavy sweaters should never be hung on hangers that are not padded as this can put stretch marks on them from the hanger which will never come out.

Instant Solution to Hanger Marks in Knit Tops
If you have pointed hanger marks in the shoulders of your knit tops from them hanging in your closet simply put on the top and relax the knob with your hand held hair blower. The knob will be gone in 2 seconds flat.

Moth-proofing
Rather than buying expensive cedar hangars tiles or drawer liners, it is much cheaper to buy a package of cedar chips meant for hamster bedding. Simply tie the chips into cheesecloth bundles or old pantyhose/knee-highs. These can then be placed in drawers or hung in closets.

Hanging Blazers
When hanging suit jackets or blazers on a curved, shaped, wooden or hard thick plastic hanger, place the hanger with the curved side towards you. Then hang the suit jacket or blazer facing you. Placing the hanger backwards keeps the shape of the shoulders in a sturdier, tighter position.

Snaps that Won't Snap
Often children's clothes have snaps between the legs. I have found that after several uses or kids, snaps sometime loose their "snapability". If you get a hammer and hit on the round point of the snap several times (not too hard)the snap will be as good as new. Repeat if it still won't stay fastened.



Space Bags Space Bags

Are you running out of storage space in your house, store, or even your RV? Well the Space Bag® is the answer to your problems. The Space Bag® can reduce the storage space of items by up to 75%! Simply place items inside the Space Bag® and then evacuate the air using your vacuum. Now you have a place to store both large items like comforters and blankets or special silverware and clothing. The Space Bag® is airtight and is made from bi-axial layers of polyethylene and nylon that will protect your belongings from damage due to water, dirt, moisture, mildew, insects and odors.




Storage Cube Storage Cube

Super clear storage cube stores linens, clothing and archives. Made of a 12 gauge super strong vinyl with heat sealed zippers, heavy cotton rope handles, and self-correcting nylon zippers.




Personalized Garment Bag, Dress Personalized Garment Bag, Dress

Personalized travel garment bags in luxurious 100% nylon are featherlight, strong and water repellent! Your own last name custom embroidered in graceful white script instantly identifies this navy blue traveler as yours! Each has a full-length, easy-access zipper and measures 22" wide. Dress bag is 52" long to hold 4 dresses. Enter name up to 11 letters/spaces. Please place separate orders for multiple personalization.



Personalized Garment Bag, Suit Personalized Garment Bag, Suit

Personalized travel garment bags in luxurious 100% nylon are featherlight, strong and water repellent! Your own last name custom embroidered in graceful white script instantly identifies this navy blue traveler as yours! Each has a full-length, easy-access zipper and measures 22" wide. Roomy 4" gussets let you store up to 4 suits in 39" long bag, Enter name up to 11 letters/spaces. Please place separate orders for multiple personalization.


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