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Laundry & Stains:
Top Tips for Lightening the Load
Got kids? Then you've got laundry. Piles and piles of it.
A recent survey found that the average family washes seven loads each week.
My response to that: Who's doing their other seven loads?!
With school uniforms, sports clothes, play clothes, and everyone's bed linens and towels, our homes often resemble a Laundromat, with both machines humming and a half-dozen or so loads waiting for their turn.
We want to keep our kids in clean clothes and looking somewhat presentable, but that can take a lot of work. And the more kids (three for me), and the more activities the kids are in (gymnastics, baseball, basketball, skateboarding), the more overwhelming it becomes.
And then there are the
stains:
chewing gum, chocolate, crayons, fruit juice, and grass, just to name a few. And heaven forbid that one, or all, of these drips, drops or smears are defacing favorite clothes!
Just try to get your kid to hand over her favorite pair of jeans for an hour so you can wash them before they stiffen.
All the
new fabrics
just compound the problem.
It's hard enough to keep up with the loads, let alone the latest fabrics and their special care. As a result, the dirty clothes basket eternally runneth over, and no one ever seems to have the right thing to wear. You feel like you're on an ever-accelerating Laundromat treadmill.
Think it's time to throw in the towel? Not a chance. I'm too tough for that. And you are, too.
This is
Laundry 101
with a modern twist: a little help from
the kids.
Start by creating a
functional laundry room.
Then rally the kids for a
parent-led clothes-washing lesson.
And let it be know that from now on, keeping clothes clean is a family affair. It's worked in my home, and it can work in yours, too.
Choose from the tips and strategies below, keeping in mind your family's personalities and schedules.
Just do it.
How to Remove the 10 Most Common Stains
Clothing Care Chic
How to Remove Grease Stains
How to Unshrink a Sweater
How to Remove Rust Stains from Clothes
Easiest Home-Made Stain Solutions
How to Teach Kids the Clothing Care Basics
How to Care for Your Leather Clothes
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