The Queen of Laundry

Gosh where did that week go. The car show is officially done for another year and all the associated washing is all sorted – that reminds me, I am sometimes known as the queen of laundry, so if you have any problems let me know, I might be able to help!

I got my obsession with washing from my Nana. She lived with us in Rangiora for a bit and was the washing guru - she taught me a lot. I also worked on the counter of the Rangiora Dry Cleaners in the Crestani days. I loved going out the back a getting tips and tricks about getting the cricket or bowling whites, white. Jim Sands was a wealth of knowledge,  but my Nan taught me about washing – especially sorting the washing. This would have to be the most important step.

My second biggest tip is to wash through the week when you have a great day for drying on the line. The cost of the wash will outweigh the cost if you need to dry them in the dryer and the stress of trying to sort it out in your weekend.

For all of you who have boys or men (still boys!) in your life, my advice to you is to wash their clothes separate from yours!! I use pink Vanish with Persil Ultimate in the wash and get them on the line. That smell and stains are gone. I do an extra-long wash and add an extra rinse, works every time. We lived on a dairy farm, so a mix of cow and maintenance was a huge feature in the washing pile. Tea towels and dish cloths are the same - by themselves and extra wash and rinse and on the line (hopefully) in the sun to dry.

Peg your socks in pairs, this way you know immediately about the one that’s missing in action. It also makes it easy to sort and fold them straight off the line. If you need to, buy an airing rack and peg them up with squeezy pegs (rather than hanging them over the rails), then put the rack outside (again hopefully in the sun). When it comes to sheets, I change ours at least once a week and treat them the same (by themselves, extra wash and rinse and outside in the sun to dry), I also buy white sheets so I can keep them white. For these, I use the white Vanish rather than pink with the Persil. Iron the pillowcases, it brings out the freshness and it’s totally worth the effort!!

A tip I got from my friend Vicki just recently was about when you are washing wool. Always keep the temperature the same for washing and rinsing. This helps the fibers keep their shape. Unless it says machine washable, don’t wash it in the machine (even on a gentle cycle). Roll the garment or blanket in a towel and give it a squeeze to reduce moisture, then dry flat. Use wool wash detergent and 30 degrees is a good temperature. No Fabric softener for wool!!

The rest of your washing should be just normal. Treat any stains with a paste of pink vanish or a prewash if it’s an oily stain. Sunlight is fantastic at fading those tomato or curry stains. Iron what you need to and hang dresses and tops on hangers on the line to keep them from wrinkling and also making them super quick to put away.

Ironing makes your clothes neat and fresh. I Iron in small loads, so it doesn’t seem so daunting. I have a small handheld steamer for delicate tops and dresses. It’s also great for quick touch ups and freshening up. Iron those good linen/cotton tea towels, your drawers will thank you for it.

The only thing I put in my dryer is towels. The front loader is great, but it flattens the fibers. You can fluff them up out of the washing machine and into the dryer for 15 mins and then on the line or just dry them in the dryer.

Well, I think that about covers the washing for this week. Remember if you have any issues message me, I will be happy to help if I can!!