Taking care of your clothes and knowing how to was them is a big part of a great wardrobe. Patric Richardson believes that laundry should not be a chore, but something you enjoy and maybe even love. In his book, “Laundry, Love, Finding Joy in a Common Chore”, he states that, “Laundry like cooking could be elevated from task to hobby, if only it were more openly talked about and celebrated.” He continues, “So many people are closeted laundry lovers.”

I think I am one of them. I find it very satisfying to get stains out, wash clothes and figure out ways to dry the garments that so that they don’t need to be ironed.

View laundry as a love affair, not a never ending chore.

First get the right tools and change your mindset. Make this activity fun. Assemble some good horsehair brushes, a stain kit (recipe to follow), a spray bottle of vinegar and water (for stains), and a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol (for spot cleaning). Then you need oxygen bleach and a good detergent or soap.

Avoid using the dryer if you can.

You can cut down on energy usage, but most of all air drying your clothes helps them last longer. Says Mr. Richardson, “That lint is your clothes slowly dying”.

Check your clothes carefully for stains before washing.

Once the garment is washed, it’s really difficult to remove the stain. I like both the Carbona stain removers sold at the grocery store and I like to use our baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dishwashing liquid potion (recipe below).

Odor.

Odor clings on workout clothes because they are made from polyester. The fabric is awesome to work out in, but smells linger because the fabric is hydrophobic (hates water) and is oleophobic (loves all the oil from your skin). Sweat gets stuck. To eliminate the odor wash with oxygen bleach and the odor will be gone.

Washing Machines.

You don’t need a fancy washing machine, if you have good soap and have pre-treated your clothes.

Dryer

My go to formula is to wash the garments in cold water (pre-treated) and then put them in the dryer for 5 minutes to soften the fibers. Remove and lay flat or hang to dry. This process eliminates most ironing.

Stain Potion.

I have found this formula to be effective on most stains including grease, ink and grime. (Of course pre-test the solution on an inconspicuous part of the garment to make sure that the solution won’t damage the garment.)

1 t. Dawn detergent

3 – 4 T hydrogen peroxide

2 T baking soda

Scrub on with a toothbrush and wash garment per washing instructions.

The solution deodorizes the garment as well as lifts stains.