Wear your black clothing more than once. If you’re wearing your black clothing to church or if you’re working in an office building, then you can probably get away with wearing them several times before laundering.  Sometimes I take a damp washcloth and brush off any dirt or other marks.

Wash them inside out. This will prevent the fabric from being damaged and from losing it’s color.

Use the gentle cycle. If possible, wash your black clothing on the gentle cycle or hand wash it.  The more agitation the garment receives in the wash cycle, the more color it loses.

Wash in cold water. This keeps the color from running and fading.

Use special detergent. There is detergent available that’s specially formulated for dark clothing.

If your black clothing does fade, try this tip – Wash the black solid garments with black Rit dye.  I have done this with some of my black clothing to help freshen it up and make it look newer.

What tips do you have to keep your black clothing from fading?

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If you’d like to try Wisk, here are some printable coupon links.  Visit the Wisk LaundryHE.com site for a $2 coupon.  Simply click on their site and at the top toolbar, click on “TryWisk HE”. A pull-down menu will appear for a $2 coupon.  Also, Wisk.com has a $1 coupon available on their site.  It’s in the bottom left corner.

Because of my sensitive skin and eczema, I cannot use regular Wisk products.  I like their formula for sensitive skin.  It cleans very well.  I also enjoy the smell of the regular scent.  The smell takes me back to memories of living with my parents and the smell of the clothes.  Special times.

Enjoy the coupons!  Every bit helps.

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While you’re getting your coupon, please take a few moments to watch the videos on the site.  Melissa and Joan Rivers want to give more to their charities so they have made videos for viewers.  For each video that you watch, All will donate 50 cents to charities.  Watch Joan’s video to donate to Guide Dogs for the Blind or watch Melissa’s video to donate to The Lili Claire Foundation.  Don’t forget to forward this on to friends and family as well.  It’s an easy way to help out a charity.

You also have a chance to enter the All Small & Mighty® Celebrity Apprentice Sweepstakes.  The grand prize is 2 tickets and an expense paid trip to the Celebrity Apprentice Finale! 50 runner ups will receive a 1 year supply of All Small & Mighty®.

Visit all-laundry.com to get the $2 coupon, watch the videos for charity, and to enter the sweepstakes.

Enjoy this great money saving coupon!  I know I will.

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Poor DH had to go to work with a long sleeve shirt and I stood outside yesterday in the rain and had to shake out EACH wet shirt (I looked like I had been in a blizzard by the time all that gel was shaken onto my head) and then had to break up 1 load of laundry into 3 loads to make sure the clothes had plenty of room to get all that gel off.  Needless to say, I wasted 3 loads of water and my shoulders were killing me.

The moral of the story… pay attention to what you put into the washing machine.  Check the pockets for anything and make sure you help your little ones get dressed so they don’t leave you any surprises.

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I was afraid I would never get that smell out of one of my fave outfits for her.  So I tried everything after I found a bag of clothes from a day last week.  I have no idea how I missed those clothes from her bag that had fallen under the seat.  So after trying all kinds of combinations of color safe bleach, Oxy Clean, vinegar, and Dreft, I called Karen and she and I came up with …

I found the magic concoction.  All you need to take that urine smell out is a big bowl, water, vinegar, and baking soda.  I use liberal amounts of baking soda, maybe 1 cup or a little less, and at least 2 cups of vinegar and then enough water to cover the clothes.  If you want to, add a scoop of Oxy Clean for good measure.  Let the clothes soak for several hours outside in the sun.  Then rinse and wash.  The smell has always come out with this mixture.  And I have really put it to the test as one whole set of clothes were washed, soaked, dried, and redone before I added the baking soda to the mix.  Hope this helps.

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The other thing that helps me keep up with laundry is keeping a place to hang up clothes after they come out of the dryer.  This also saves me from having to iron a lot.  In my old house, I had a clothes rack standing right by my dryer that I used.  It cost $5 from Big Lots.

The last thing is to do a load a day if you have enough.  I don’t but every other day would work for me.  This is probably my biggest weakness.

So how are you with getting the laundry caught up? Do you find that it’s not a problem or do you struggle?  Talk to you later.

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More thrifty laundry tips:

1.  Wash only full loads.  If you have to wash a smaller load then adjust the water level.

2.  Don’t overdry your clothes.  If your dryer has a moisture sensor, use it.

3.  Clean the lint filter after every use.

4.  Periodically inspect your dryer vent to make sure it’s not blocked.  (When we moved in this house, I thought our dryer was broken.  Our vent was blocked.)  This will help save energy and prevent fires.

5.  Air dry your clothes, if possible.

6.  When buying new appliances, look for the energy star.  When buying a new dryer, look for a moisture sensor.

7.  Always rinse in cold water.

8.  Dry towels and heavier cotton separately from lightweight clothing.

9.  If your clothes are really dirty, wash them in warm water instead of hot.

10.  Add a cup of vinegar to your wash.  It will act as a laundry booster and softener.

Do you have any tips to add?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

This post is for my mom.  She wanted me to write one about the many uses of vinegar. 

It definitely pays to have some vinegar around the house.  I need to go to the store to stock up on vinegar and baking soda.  I’ve had a mustard stain that won’t come out of my daughter’s clothes.  I think I need to try some vinegar or baking soda.  Both seem to be amazing, inexpensive, and safe products.  Definitely a thrifty choice!    

1.  Add 1/4 cup vinegar to laundry, along with the usual soap, to brighten colors and make whites sparkle.  This will also act as a fabric softener.  Also helps kills athlete’s foot germs on socks.

2.  Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar.  The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.

3.  Remove ink stains from clothes by soaking them in milk for 1 hour.  Then cover the stain with a paste of vinegar and cornstarch.  When the paste dries, wash the garment as usual.

4.  Appliances sparkle if cleaned with a vinegar and borax cleaner.  Mix 1 teaspoon borax, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 cups hot water and put it into a spray bottle.  Spray it on greasy smears and wipe off with a cloth or sponge.

5.  Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.

6. Use vinegar instead of laundry softener.  Vinegar prevents your clothes from getting that waxy build up on them.  Vinegar is suggested for using to rinse cloth diapers to keep them absorbent. 

7.  Remove water stains from leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.

8.  Loosen food grime and clean the microwave: Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean.

9.  Remove grease from kitchen walls: Put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.

10.  Prevent mold and mildew in the shower: Wipe down tile or Formica shower walls with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and vinegar. The vinegar will clean the walls and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.

11.  An excellent toilet cleaner can be made from 1 cup borax and 1 cup vinegar.  Pour the vinegar all over the stained area of the toilet.  Then sprinkle the borax over the vinegar.  Allow it all to soak for 2 hours.  Then simply brush and flush.

12.  Add a cup of vinegar to your mop water or mop floors with vinegar and water after a normal mopping.  Vinegar removes the soap scum.

13.   Annie Berthold-Bond says her favorite window cleaning recipe is to combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle.  Annie says the liquid soap helps remove the waxy residue.

14.  Boil vinegar and water on the stove to soak up bad smells from your house.

15.  Fill your water reservoir halfway with vinegar to clean your coffee pot.  Follow up by running 1-2 pots of clean water through to remove the vinegar.

16.  Vinegar also works as a safe degreaser.  No harsh fumes.  Use it on grease, undiluted.

17.  Clean vaporizers and humifiers by soaking unit in vinegar.  Soak unit and then run water through it.  I know, I got this tip from the actual directions that came with my vaporizer, but it really does help to remove the deposits and also to sanitize.

18.  After washing your whites with bleach, run another rinse cycle with vinegar.  The vinegar will help to remove the bleach smell.

19.  If you have fruit flies, put some vinegar in a jar on your counter.  (I wish I would have known this one a few years ago.  I had some fruit flies and bought an expensive fruit fly trap.  It probably just had vinegar in it.  Errrr!)

20.  If your puppy (or child) has an accident on the carpet, apply full-strength plain white vinegar for about 10 minutes and then blot dry. You may want to test an inconspicuous spot first.

21.  Adding a cup of vinegar to a dishwashing cycle will help clean your dishwasher and will also help prevent spots from forming on your glasses.

22.  Vinegar helps to kill bacteria.  Mix up a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Keep it in your kitchen to spray your sink and countertops. 

23.  Use vinegar to clean your garbage disposal.  Run a tray of ice cubes with 1/2 cup vinegar poured over them.

24.  Use vinegar, hot water, and a little soap to clean baby’s toys.  Rinse well.

25.  I have Pergo floors.  I was glad to find this tip from Frugal Living.  Mix 1/3 part white vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, 1/3 part water, and 3 drops diswashing liquid.  Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results. Pergo is better off when water doesn’t sit on it too long, the alcohol is added to make it dry faster.

For more tips on cleaning with vinegar try The Vinegar Book, Housekeeping: About, and Whole Foods Market.

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Crayon marks – Clean crayon marks off your floors and walls with baking soda and water.

Clean coffee mugs – Mix 3 tsps of baking soda with hot water to clean stains from coffee mugs.

Laundry – Add some to your wash to help clean your clothes.  You can cut the amount of chlorine bleach used in your wash by half when you add 1/4 cup to front loading washers and 1/2 a cup to top loading machines.

Sinks & Counters – Sprinkle some on your kitchen counter or sink.  Perfect to use as a gentle scouring powder.  Helps to remove kool-aid stains from counters.  You can also add some salt and make a baking soda and salt paste.

Pots & pans – Shake some on your pots and pans, add dish detergent and hot water, and let them soak.

Freshen your carpet – Sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet before you go to bed.  Vacuum the carpet when you get up in the morning.

General cleaner – For a general all-purpose cleaner, dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of water.

Soap Scum Remover – Mix baking soda and salt to make a paste that will remove soap scum.  No harsh fumes!

Freshen Stuffed Animals – Give stuffed animals a dry bath in baking soda powder and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.  Brush off excess.  This method is even safe for baby!

Clean Baby Equipment – Sprinkle some baking soda on your wet cleaning rag.  Use it to wipe down the crib, changing table, toys, etc.  Rinse and allow to dry.

Some sources and sites for more baking soda information:  How-To Info, Arm & Hammer, The New Homemaker, Frugal Living.

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