In today's video I'm sharing my 7 best tips for taking care of your ten-item wardrobe.
I keep my laundry routine pretty simple. Here are my 7 tips...
🧺 Use a high-quality detergent Use the best quality laundry detergent you can afford, preferably a more natural detergent. I have found over the years that the quality of a laundry detergent really does make a difference in preserving your clothing. In this video, I'm using Hiketron detergent, which is high-quality and smells so good (use code JENNY15 for 15% off) also for a comprehensive collection of natural detergents, check out Grove Collaborative.
🧺 Take care of stains as soon as you can If you are at home and stain one of your garments, take care of it immediately. Use either a stain remover or a high-quality laundry detergent. I have traditionally used Shout stain remover, but if you have a natural one you would like to recommend, please share it below.
🧺 Wash your clothes inside out and on delicate By washing your clothing inside out, you can prolong the wear and tear on your garments. I also find that they fade and pill less.
🧺 Use mesh laundry bags for delicates Wash any majorly delicate clothing in a mesh laundry bag to prevent snags. Delicate lingerie along with pantyhose should always be washed this way too. I am linking some great laundry bags here.
🧺 Dry appropriately I hang the majority of my clothing up on the dryer racks in my laundry room (linking a similar wall mounted dryer rack here). Anything that does not require air-drying, I will place in the tumble dryer along with our wool dryer balls. (Here I am linking wool dryer balls on Amazon and Grove Collaborative.) I do not use dryer sheets as they can contain harsh chemicals.
🧺 Steam or iron to get rid of wrinkles I use a steamer with nearly all of my clothing. I find it a gentle, quick, and convenient way to get the wrinkles out. I do use an iron for Ben's shirts. I love this steamer because you can use it horizontally and vertically. It also heats up in 30 seconds and is easy to travel with.
🧺 Hang your clothing well If your closet is crammed with too many clothes hanging on wire racks your clothes do not have the opportunity to breathe and they can become misshapen and even musty! I like to hang my clothing well-spaced on nice hangers. This is a must! Ditch the wire hangers from the dry cleaners and invest in padded non-slip clothing hangers such as these velvet hangers.
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I really enjoyed reading your comments from Monday's outfits of the week video. I especially appreciated your response to the "boring American mom" comment I received. Amy B. reminded us all of the great quote from C.S. Lewis, "The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career." Hers was the most liked comment on YouTube. I love Lewis' sentiment and hope that it encourages you as we head into this Mother's Day weekend. Thank you, Amy!
Thank you for joining me for today's video. I would love to know if you have any tips to add to my list. Let us know and your comment could be comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur. I'll see you tomorrow for the latest installment of The Clueless Gardeners!
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6 comments:
Puracy has excellent products and a stain remover. Even my husbands comments on their products.
Seventh Generation makes an affordable free and clear laundry stain remover. I found it at Target.
Here's a discovery I made after a laundry pod failed to dissolve and hardened into a lump of plastic after a trip through the dryer. I tried a number of things to get it out of my clothes, but finally resorted to Dawn dishwashing liquid. It worked! Then I tried it as a last resort on some old stains that seemed beyond hope. It worked on those, too.
Just put it on the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then wash the item in your regular detergent in the washing machine.
I'd love to know if this trick works for others. The idea came to me because this is how to get tempera paint out of clothing (a tip from kindergarten days).
I generally use Shout or Spray N Wash as a stain remover but - after having a skirt ruined (I treated the stain immediately, but didn't wash it until the next day - there was significant fading) I only pre-treat immediately prior to washing. Also, if the stain is old or seems like it will be very tough to remove, I will use the stain remover but then use a bar of Fels-Naptha to scrub the stain before tossing into the wash.
I use OxyClean spray for stains. If it is a matter of general dinginess on an item (for instance, my black and white striped nautical top sometimes gets dingy), I use Whole Food's 365 brand Oxygen Whitening Powder (It doesn't actually bleach things, just is really effective at getting out ground-in dirt). I'll put a scoop of it in a dishpan of warm water, and soak the item for a few hours or even overnight. Then I just add the item to the wash and it comes out looking newish again.
These are wonderful tips for washing and drying clothing. I was hoping you might include some tips too for clothing that has been worn but is not really “dirty” enough to be washed. I sometimes wear an outfit to attend to some events away from home, but, when I get home, I need to change into other clothing to better suits the tasks at hand. My “away from home” clothes were worn for such a short period that I can wear them again before washing. I do make sure to hang these clothes as soon as I take them off and let them “air out” on my shower curtain rod, before returning them to my closet. I turn the hanger the opposite way from my fresh clothes so I remember these clothes have been worn. I usually will reach for these clothes again the next time I need to to “dress up”. I usually group any of the worn clothes separately from the clean clothes in the closet.
I know this practice is not exactly the way you dress for the day, but I wonder if you have some clothes that you “re-use” before washing. If you do, how do you handle them?
Thank you Jennifer! I have read all your books through the years, and love your online presence!!
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