Laundry Schmaundry - Your Dryer Loves You or Loves You Not?

Some days my dryer loves me,
some days my dryer loves me not.

When my dryer dries my clothes quickly and efficiently,
it loves me.

When my dryer when shrinks a shirt, sets in a stain,

or turns a zipper into a roller coaster for Hot Wheels,
it loves me not.

So, in keeping with the theme
Laundry Schmaundry
I'll reveal secrets learned early in my married life

that keep the love relationship between my dryer and me healthy.

This is my dryer.

Yep, it's lookin' kinda' red neck.

But, hey, my hubby fixed it!

If you didn't read the epic saga, you might wanna'.

Honey Dun Did the Honey Do

And, it's still working...

I've told you secrets about

Laundry Drools, Hamper Rules

Sorting,

 Warshing the Clothes and

Making Your Own Laundry Detergent.

Remember those dryer secrets I promised I'd tell?

1.  Stains still on the clothes when thrown in the dryer will always be on the clothes. Heat sets the stain. As you throw things in the dryer, check for stains and rewash.  It's cheaper than buying new clothes.

2.  Zippers that go in dryer will usually come out looking like roller coaster track. (Pants are the exception.)   Hang them to dry after finger pressing the zippers smooth.  Zippers are usually made out of a different fabric than the clothing.   Fabrics shrink at different rates. The majority of the zippered tops at the thrift store are there because the owner probably got tired of sitting down and having the zipper rise to meet her. 

This rule also applies to bras and fabrics with mixed fibers. Spandex shrinks less than cotton so the material can bubble. Heat also slowly depletes the integrity of the fabric, so you might not notice the damage until it's too late.

Sweaters rarely go in my dryer, they are also hung dry, sometimes just smoothed over the back of my couch.  I know, lazy, right?

My drying rack folds up and fits neatly between the washer and the wall.

3.  Pens left in pockets can break open in the dryer and like a Spin Art Machine and spread ink throughout the ENTIRE interior of the dryer.  Don't worry, in a few days it will completely dry and you can still use your dryer.  Names are not used to protect the guilty.  Gum can be scraped off the dryer, so can stickers, gummy candies and things too disgusting to even be correctly labeled. If you didn't check the pockets before washing, check before drying.


4.  If saving money, 1/2 dryer sheet works.  I also leave in the old one when toss in a new one.  It takes a few cycles to completely use up the stinky, static killing stuff.  You can also throw the used dryer sheet in the wash cycle to add a little extra whatever-it-is-that's-on-those-things to your water.

*******5.  FOLD OR HANG CLOTHES IMMEDIATELY*******
I don't like to iron and don't have time to iron.  I don't have time to rewash or redry a wrinkled load.  Kids shouldn't have to hunt in baskets of clean, wrinkled laundry to find something to wear.  I fold clothes into each person's basket, the kids are required to put them away.  I also have one basket for linens.  By disciplining yourself to take the time to fold immediately, you can save more time and money.

If you're really pressed for time, you can take clothes out from the dryer and lay flat on the dryer.  Come back to fold and put in baskets as soon as possible.

6.  Use correct hangers.  The pink one is for articles with sleeves.  The white hanger is for articles with straps.  If you all know this, then this is ONLY for my children, just in case they ever read my blog.  The white hanger leaves funny marks on the shoulders of dress shirts.


7. Clean lint trap with each load.  Yea, you might know this, but obviously, when you read these stats, a lot of people don't.  I could be saving lives, here, people.  Bear with me.  Some have the lint traps below the door, can dig in there and get out a lot of extra lint.  Once a year I unplug dryer, unscrew back and pull out lint and things.  Last year, score, 50 bobby pins were nestled in with lint near the fan. I  took an amazing picture but, surprise,  the card wasn't in the camera so the picture never showed up. 

8. Rolled up  hems means overdried, especially on heavy items, denim skirts and jeans.  Pockets with flaps can permanently dry askew. Finger press pocket flaps down, then partially dry in dryer or air dry. If previous overdrying has rolled up your hem, try ironing them dry.

9.  Keep fabric weight in mind.  If you put a pair of dark jeans with ten dark dress shirts, the shirts  dry first and are overdried by the time the jeans are dry.

**********

If you don't like doing laundry

and you've read the entire

Laundry Schmaundry Series,

you might be overwhelmed with all my laundry rules.

Just remember, I designed my laundry system  out of a desperate need

to save money and time.

The more efficient your laundry system is,

the less time you'll be in your laundry room.

The more money you save,

the more money you'll have to shop.

What's not to love about that?

More time and money?

Yea.

More time and more money just from doing your

Laundry Schmaundry

with

Momma Mindy's Secrets.

**********

What's a tip you have to share I missed?

I'd love to hear from my readers!

Laundry Schmaundry ~ Making Laundry Detergent

My series

Laundry Schmaundry

is turning out to be longer than I thought.

Who knew I'd have so much to say about

hamper rules,

sorting laundry,

 and washing the clothes.

And, I never thought I'd be one of "those" women who make their own detergent. 

All those years we lived on a teacher's salary, laundry soap was a luxury.

I shopped sales, used coupons, did rebates and used as little soap as possible.

Once my sweet hubby surprised me and with a gift ~

 a 25 pound box of name brand laundry detergent.

I was thrilled.

I was overjoyed.

I was speechless.

I could look forward to months of laundry without worrying about

the next sale,

the next coupon,

the next rebate.

Unfortunately, I was also allergic.

Days of itchy hives later, I figured  it out.

I hated to break the news to my hubby

that his love offering was ruining my life.

A sympathetic neighbor offered to trade

my box of  soap for her new box.

I'm still grateful for her kindness.

That would have been a good time in my life

 to know how to  make my own laundry soap,

but nobody talked about it,

 there was no Internet, and no way to find out this secret.

Now, I'm  at a time where I don't have to pinch pennies

until boogers come out of Lincoln's nose.

(yea, I made this up)

Now, we're making our own laundry soap.

My daughters wanted to learn,

so I was the support team.

OK, so I'm not  really one of "those" women,

but my daughters are!

 I bought them a bucket.

That was the extent of my involvement.

But, it's a really, really, really special bucket.

I didn't want a traditional bucket with one a lid

 you can't get off without biting your tongue so you don't say a bad word.

I've lost some strength due to health issues,

and I didn't want a lid I needed help to open.

I also didn't want to break a  fingernail.

That's a catastrophe, ya' know!

As I hunted around our local hardware store, asking the teenage worker

a lot of questions, he finally offered this amazing solution.

High on the top of the shelf, they offer this cool lid for their 5 gallon bucket.

You pop the lid down into the can, but the inside piece unscrews easily.

The simple ingredients.

Grate one bar of soap and cook with water until melted.

You don't have to measure the water, just use your biggest pot.

Mix in

2 cups borax

2 cups washing soda

Stir until dissolved.

Dump into empty 5 gallon pail.

Add hot water almost to top.

Stir.

Let cool overnight.

See how easily the lid unscrews?

I love the lid.

One fresh batch of laundry soap, waiting to be used up.

You're probably wondering what kinda' spiritual analogy

 I'm going to bring up about soap.

While searching my Online Bible for a verse on soap,

I doubted I'd find one. I couldn't think of one off the top of my head.

I was wrong.

Jeremiah 2:22

Though you wash yourself with lye,

and use much soap,

Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,”

says the Lord GOD.

Soap works for bathing and laundry,

not for removing our sins.

Iniquity is a sin committed on purpose,

therefore the consequences are greater

than for unintentional sin.

Trying to remove our sins by cleaning up our own act,

doesn't work.

The Lord calls our "good deeds" filthy rags.

When I was in college, my little fellowship was active in campus ministry.

At the beginning of each year, we passed out thousands of Gospel tracts,

aiming to give each student at the University of North Dakota the good news.

We also had Bible studies, the young men did open air preaching,

and we all shared the Gospel on an individual basis.

I'd witnessed to John and he wasn't interested in the Gospel.

However, the next Fall, he joined our group

and was frantically passing out tracts on a street corner.

I said, "John did you get saved?"

John looked confused, "What?"

Rewording my question, I asked, "Did you trust Christ as your Savior?"

He was still confused and didn't answer.

Finally I asked, "Why are you passing out tracts with us?"

John's answer broke my heart.

"Well, I did some really  @#$%#$ stuff this summer, oops,

 sorry, I mean some bad stuff, and I'm trying make up for it."

No matter how I explained the Gospel, he refused to hear.

He felt passing out tracts would cleanse his soul from stains.

He was wrong.  He was using "much soap" instead of the blood of Jesus.

Go ahead, make your own laundry soap.

Just don't try to cleanse yourself from sin,

go to the Savior.

****************

For some fun tips and recipes for scented soaps,

visit my friend Kimmie's blog,

Over the Moon with Joy.

She delightfully describes herself as

"Mama to 8 children, one homemade and 7 adopted,

married to my handsome Knight and daily following hard after Jesus."

 ****************

If you still want more recipes try Tipnut.

****************

 You can even make it in powder form.

****************

Laundry Schmaundry - Wash Schmaush

This week I've let you in on a lot of personal secrets.

Hamper.

Sorting.

Washing.

Now, sista' ya' hafta' wash the clothes. 

That's what this series

Laundry Schmaundry

 is all about.

I know a lot of you don't like laundry

so when you read this series you have about as much excitement

as I do when I read a cookbook.

Wait, I don't read cookbooks!

But, I share because if I can inspire or help you in any way,

it might make the job a little more pleasant for you.

If I help you a lot, maybe you'll make a meal for me

and I won't have to cook dinner.

So, finally, onto

 Momma Mindy's Washing Secrets

*****

Water Temperatures

I always start my cycle on hot water, add the soap, make sure it suds, then choose my temperature.

Hot - only for whites
Warm - lights and towels
Cold - for darks and reds.  Also for anything with urine or vomit or blood.  Isn't it amazing that the ickiest things in life are cleaned up with the cheapest, most available substance - cold water?

For several years, didn't have warm water attached to washer and ya' know what?  My laundry still always got clean using only cold water.  Life is more about making your circumstances work, rather than longing for different circumstances.

Pre-treating stains.

The crucial point here is to get the stains out or nearly out before you throw them in the washer to ensure you get the stains out.

Like my mother before me, I am a huge Spray 'n Wash fan. 

Like my mother before me, there were years I couldn't afford this luxury.  Yet, it is a luxury to some SILK~ Single Income Lotsa Kids~Family.  Yea, I made that up.  SILK sounds better than DINK~Duel Income No Kids~ doncha' think?

So, that's when I started keeping a toothbrush in my laundry room.  Sometimes, I just used a bar of soap for pre-treating.   I'd get the bristles wet, run it over the soap, and brush my stain away.  Obviously, you have to be careful about the kind of fabrics you're running your bristles over.

I also would just dip the toothbrush into the detergent lid to get a little soap.

For ring-around-the-collar, a white collar wife's worst enemy, I sometimes used shampoo. I read once if it works on the grease in the hair, it should work on the grease on the collar.  So, that last little bit in the bottom of the bottle would be diluted with water, squirted on the spot.

I'm a slow learner, but I recently added hydrogen peroxide to my pre-treating routine.  Just watch it bubble away blood.  It's amazing!

Laundry Detergent

I've always used the cheapest of the cheapest soap, and used half the amount they recommend. Secretly, I think it's a conspiracy.  They tell you to use more than you need, so you buy twice as much.

About six months ago, my daughters began making laundry soap for me.  But, that's another blog. 

We have sensitive skin, and soaps with a lot of color and/or perfumes bother us.  We LOVE the smell of them, but it's not worth itching all the time and breaking out in little bumps.

Fabric Softener

Although we love the smell, this is something else I couldn't afford for years, so it isn't a habit.  Besides, I could never remember to run down there to put it in.

When I was visiting my married daughter this year, I used her Downy fabric softener ball and it worked well.  I wanted to sit inside the washing machine and figger out how it knew when to open up because it was the rinse cycle.  Anyhoo, if I ever think about this while I'm at the store, I might actually start using this.

Bleach

Machines today have a bleach dispenser, which is wonderful.  Pouring a few cups of water down the dispenser after you add the bleach will ensure drops of bleach don't damage the clothes in the next load of laundry you wash.

I also know for a fact that if you don't carefully screw the lid on the bleach jug and set it on top of the washing machine, it will shake, rattle and roll all over the the laundry room.  It could ruin the load of clothes in the washer and the pile of laundry on the floor.

Getting my whites white is the bane of my existence.  For years, I used Clorox bleach.  Now, I'm using Oxy. I've tried pre-soaking, I've tried using them both, I've tried washing the loads twice, to no avail.  This is where I am an utter failure.  I cannot get my whites white. 

Instead, I bought the Teenage Boy black socks.  Works great.  I buy the girls colored socks.  Works great.

Then, the girls decided they wanted to go with the luxury hotel look for their bathroom and bought all white washcloths and hand towels.

Anybody have any good advice on getting whites white?

Washing Machine Care

A dirty machine means dirty laundry.  Dirty and grime can build up along the inside of the lid, along the edge and even along the top of the drum.  About once a week, when I'm washing a load of towels, I take a washcloth and wash down the machine in these areas, then toss the washcloth in the load.

The Washer Woman's Psalm

Psalm 51

...Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

...Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

...Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I love doing laundry, because I love the results.  You instantly see and smell a difference.

The Lord must have that same feeling, when He looks down on His people,  sees the glorious white linen because they're washed in the blood and smells the incense of the  prayers of the redeemed ones wafting in His nose.

And like any good parent, when the garments are defiled, He lovingly washes them over and over and over again.

However, in the Lord's laundry room, there is never a stubborn stain He can't remove.  But He doesn't need Spray 'n Wash, He uses His perfected method ~ Pray 'n Wash.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Laundry Schmaundry - Sorting Out Secrets

Yesterday I revealed a dirty secret about myself.

I admitted to my faithful blog readers
I like doing laundry.

I came up with a cleverer (it's a fun word to say over and over)
 title for my blog when I posted it on Facebook,

but it was too late to change it.

Drats.  I am always clever too late.

Anyhoo, if I could, I would rename yesterday's blog

Laundry Drools, Hamper Rules.

Since you are now well-versed on putting laundry in the hamper,

 the second blog in my series
Laundry Schmaundry
reveals more dirty, dark secrets.

Er, make that

darks, reds, lights,

towels and whites

secrets.

Yep, ya' guessed right.

Momma Mindy's Sorting Secrets

I know yer' already thinkin',

"What's so hard about sorting laundry?"

I'm thinking as long as I still find pink things that used to be white

and nubby clothes at the thrift stores,

not everyone in the world knows how to sort laundry.

To keep your dirty laundry from getting dirtier by being stepped on
or being worn again by someone passing through the laundry room,
I recommend sorting bins.

It looks neater and is more efficient. 
You'll always know which load needs to be done.

 Mount Washmore won't be looming
as if the Cascade Mountains grew another peak overnight.

A friend uses a row of laundry hampers under a long counter.
I used to use kitchen garbage cans under a red chrome table.
A tension rod and curtain hid my dirty laundry.

When the hamper upstairs is full, I bring it downstairs and sort it.

Monday is normally my only laundry day,

but when I was doing laundry for all six kids,

one day a week wasn't enough.

I still started on Monday,

but then watched the sorting baskets.

When one basket got full, it got washed.

Sorting Rules:

1. Stains are sprayed before tossed into bin.  Gives

Spray-N-Wash a little extra time to work.

2.  Things in pockets are put

 in their laundry basket or a tin cup, unless it's money.

I keep all money.

It's never enough,

but the thought of having a few pennies and nickels to call mine

can offer a special incentive to doing laundry.

I nag ask the kids to check pockets,
but since their failure could mean ruined clothes,
I don't skip this step.

3. Damp items are hung on the edge of the baskets

to dry and prevent mildew.

4. Towels are  washed only with towels.

Jeans are the only exception, because they're the only fabric

that doesn't get nubby from tossing around the dryer with towels.

5. Whites are only with whites so they stay white.

One red sock can turn an ENTIRE basket of whites pink.

Personal experience will validate that.

6.  Reds are always washed alone.

I include their pink cousins, nothing else.

7.  Darks have their own basket because I normally

wash them in cold to maintain their color. 
Unless it's a load of a teenage boy's

dirty black socks, t-shirts and hoodies,

they get warm water and maybe a longer cycle.

8.  Lights usually show more dirt and don't leech color,
 so are washed in warm water.

9.  Sorting isn't just for color, but fabric weight. 

Once they're separated into their own baskets,

I might sort again as I'm filling the washer.

I don't wash heavy jeans and sweatshirts with lighter items,

because they take so long in the dryer and 

the lighter items will be overdried.

The Lord uses the sorting process, too.

He separates like a farmer separates

 wheat from the chaff or

the sheep from the goats.

He even sorts by color,

those dark with sin go in one pile and those

washed white in the blood of Jesus in another.

Psalm 51:2

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

The good news?

You can always be moved from the dark pile to the light pile.

Psalm 51:7

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.



He can wash away sin and make me
whiter than any of those stinky socks I try to bleach.

That's one little secret,
I can't keep to myself.