More Laundry Tips

As I am in the laundry business, I always look for ways to improve our services by trying new products, surfing the net, reading forums among moms and clipping magazine articles. I came across an old magazine with TLC for textiles as one of its articles. Here are some more tips on washing and drying the softies in your home reposted on this blog.

Clean Dingy Curtains

When the weather permits, take down drapes, curtains, or sheers and shake them outdoors to remove surface dust. Then machine wash at the highest water level, adding window coverings after the tub fills so they can move about freely. Remove from the dryer and hang immediately. After washing sheers, dip them in a solution of 1 cup Epsom salts and 1 gallon hot water, and hang them over a shower rod or towel bar to dry. You won’t have to iron them.

Wash Slipcovers

Presoak washable fabrics in cool water with regular detergent for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash on the delicate cycle, then dry on the lowest heat setting. For a smooth fit, put slipcovers back on furniture while just slightly damp. Hint: Use a wooden spoon to tuck fabric into crevices.

Perk Up Pillows

Check care labels, but in general it’s safe to wash polyester- or down-filled pillows two at a time in the machine on the gentle cycle for 2 minutes. (Be sure to check seams on feather pillows for any gaps and mend openings, or they may burst when immersed or during the spin-dry cycle.) Toss a couple of clean tennis balls into the dryer with pillows to plump them up. Hand wash foam cushions in the tub or sink with a mild detergent and warm water. Air-dry.

Launder Comforters and Blankets

For cotton, rayon, or synthetics: Presoak or use a prewash spray on badly stained items. Then wash on the delicate cycle (check label for water temperature; if not specified, choose cold-water setting) for about 5 minutes with regular detergent and oxygen bleach, if safe for the fabric. Put in the dryer on the gentle cycle, or line dry. For down-filled: Wash separately using a mild detergent and the delicate setting. Thick comforters may need an extra rinse cycle to remove all the soap. Add a clean sneaker to the dryer load to help down fluff back up.

Towel Care- use mild detergent when washing them.

Quick Touch-Ups

• Refresh pillows, comforters, and curtains by putting each item, along with a fabric softener sheet, into the dryer on the air-only setting.

• Mop up pet hair, light soil, and debris on washable slipcovers with a slightly damp microfiber cloth; use a lint brush on silk or delicate textiles.

• Dust off drapes, cushions, and fabric-covered chairs by vacuuming on a low setting (use upholstery attachment).

My Choice of Washer & Dryer

We opened another branch of our laundry shop last September 1 at the New Intramuros Village/ North Susana Executive Village. The place is near The Grand Terrace and Puregold, about two blocks away to Tandang Sora.

Having another branch meant additional machines. We bought ours at Excellence Trading, the distributor of Whirlpool units/products here in Manila. If I need heavy-duty units, I go straight to Whirlpool. I've tried other brands before but it's only for our personal needs. The Whirlpool washing machine and dryer can handle 10 kgs of clothes in one load. It works so fast also. Our units can wash 150 kgs of clothes (comforters, linens, curtains, stuffed toys as well) for a day. I really trust this brand, it's so reliable.

Tips For A Perfect Wash

As some of you knows, I'm into the laundry business. I would like to share some tips to follow for a perfect wash.

1. Sort The Laundry. Separate garments depending on how soiled they are: very stained or not very stained. Wash white and pale garments separately from colored or dark garments. Zip all the zippers, button all the shirts/dress.

2. Read The Clothing Labels Carefully. To check the garment's maximum washing temperature and wash type (hand wash, machine wash or dry clean).

3. Select The Appropriate Wash Cycle And Temperature. The temperature, wash cycle and spin will vary according to the garment composition. Natural fabrics such as wool, linen and silk will shrink if washed at excessively high temperatures and will lose shape if spun or hung vertically. Artificial and synthetic fabrics are very sensitive to heat, and therefore must be washed in warm water and ironed out at a low temperature. Jeans must be washed inside out and never at more than 40C.

4. Add The Correct Amount Of Detergent. Adding too much detergent damages clothes, harms the environment and if the detergent does not dissolve correctly, clothes may become stained. Do not overload the washing machine: overloading may prevent the clothes from being properly washed.

5. Dry The Clothes. Spin drying and direct exposure to sunlight during drying tends to make clothes lumpy. After machine washing, it is a good idea to dry clothes immediately, as leaving laundry in the washing machine for an extended period may cause unpleasant odors and humidity in garments.

6. Iron The clothes. Start ironning at the lowest temperature. Iron the clothes slightly damp or inside out in case of dark colored clothes.