Archive for the ‘Laundry’ Category

How to quickly freshen up clothing

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 1:35 No Comments

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Do you want to quickly freshen up an article of clothing, but don’t have time to run it through the washing machine and dryer.  The longtime standby was the throw the clothing in with a dryer sheet, but this can be expensive, not to mention it can leave a waxy feel on your clothing afterward.  But there is something easier to do that will leave your clothes smelling wonderful.

Take a clean washcloth and put a drop or two of essential or fragrance oil in the scent of your choice.  Pop it into the dryer with the clothing and let it run for 5-10 minutes.  When you remove the clothing, it will smell great!

You can try a variety of scents depending on your mood.  You can also use this method if you love your clothes being scented when you take them out of the dryer, but you don’t neccessarily want to use a dryer sheet to get the job done.


This was posted under category: Cleaning tips, Laundry Tags: ,

Why you should clean your dryer lint screen

Thursday, November 6, 2008 3:45 No Comments

Do you use fabric softener when you do your laundry?  And have you ever given your dryer’s lint screen a clean?  If not, you are adding to your electricity bill each and every month.

Part of what makes a dryer dry clothes is the air flow that circulates the hot air to the outside of the house, which is channeled through the link screen.  This is why it is important to remove the lint from the lint screen before using the dryer each time, because otherwise the circulation isn’t as good and it takes longer to dry - not to mention the potential fire hazard if lint is left in the lint trap through multiple dry cycles.

Now, take out your lint trap and pour water into it… you would expect water would pour through it, but in actuality, chances are it is acting more like a thick cheesecloth and it is slowly dripping through… this is because the coating from fabric softener sheets also coat the lint trap, causing air to not circulate as well. 

Using a stiff brush, wash your lint trap with hot, soap water, allow to dry and then insert back into your dryer.  You should notice an immediate difference in how quickly your washing machine dries clothes.


This was posted under category: Cleaning tips, Laundry Tags: , ,