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Cleaning Your Machine

Fill the washer with warm water and pour a gallon of distilled vinegar into it. Run the machine through an entire cycle. This will clean and unclog the hoses of soap scum.

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Special Techniques


Final Rinse Cycle
To be sure clothes receive a thorough rinsing, add 1 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle. This helps dissolve the alkaline contained in soaps and detergents. It will also make your clothes soft and sweet smelling.

Use vinegar when hand washing. Since there will be no soap residue, you will only have to rinse twice.

A teaspoon of Epson salt to a gallon of rinse water will help keep most materials from fading or running.


Crème Rinse Your Sweaters
When hand washing sweaters, put a capful of crème hair rinse in the final rinse water.

Rinse woolen garments in lukewarm water to which a few tablespoons of glycerin has been added. This will keep them soft and will also help prevent itching when they are worn.


Accidentally Machine-Washed Woolen Items
Soak in tepid water with a good hair shampoo. Sometimes this softens the wool fibers so you can reshape it. Give it a try.


Faster Ironing
Place a strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the entire length of the ironing board and cover with the pad. As you iron, the heat reflects to the underside of the garment.

Starching the ironing board cover will help it stay clean longer.

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Removing Stubborn Substances


Chewing Gum
Place the garment in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Scrape off the frozen gum.
Loosen gum by soaking in white vinegar or rubbing with egg white before laundering.

Candle Wax Or Crayon
Place the garment between clean paper towels (or pieces of brown paper bag) and press with a warm iron. Wax/crayon should transfer from the garment to the paper.

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Removing Stubborn Stains


Grease On Double Knit
Use club soda to remove grease from double knits.

Grease From Suede
Sponge with a cloth dipped in vinegar and club soda.
Restore nap of suede by brushing with a suede brush.

Ballpoint Ink
Apply hairspray liberally to stain; Rub with a clean dry cloth until the ink disappears; Launder.
Apply rubbing alcohol to the ink spot before laundering.

Perspiration
Soak the garment in warm vinegar water before laundering.

Getting White Socks White Again
Boil in water to which a slice of lemon has been added.

Ring Around The Collar
Using a soft toothbrush or small paintbrush, rub hair shampoo into the soiled shirt collar before laundering. Shampoo is designed to dissolve body oils.

Mark the ring heavily with chalk. The chalk will absorb the oils. Once the oil is removed, the dirt will come off easily. If the ring has been there a while, it may need a few applications.

Apply a paste of vinegar and baking soda. Rub in and wash.