I put it in with the soap :D but my machine rinses it through fine
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I put it in with the soap :D but my machine rinses it through fine
jasp- There is a thread about it- http://forums.bellybelly.com.au/foru...-chat-2-a.html
Sequoia, sorry hun, I didn't see your post till now, a whole month later... did you still want to talk FlyLady? Always happy to natter on about it ;)
Oh yessy please! We're moving into our new house this weekend and I'm excited about how to keep it clean. :D:D
I have to say, I'm torn between FlyLady and SpeedCleaning and I'd like to amalgamate the two somehow...
oh, just found this thread - and love it!
I started using vinegar in the wash about 6 years ago, always used about a 1/3 cup but might reduce the amount as per your suggestions - but my washes have always been soft and never smelt like vinegar!
I've just started using Bi-carb a lot more round the house so will have to try that out in the wash as well. And cool that it can be used with MCN's - I'll remember that!
Does anyone know a good stain remover for a very delicate white dress of DD's? i tried soaking in the cheap version of napisan but only half went... any suggestions?
Also did someone say they have a recipie for home made washing detergent? I would love to try making one if you are able to post it or PM me.
Thanks!
Cat, here's my recipe for DIY laudry powder:
1/2 cup washing soda
1 cup finely grated pure soap
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup bicarb soda
Place soda crystals in a plastic bag & crush with a rolling pin.
Mix with other ingredients & store in an airtight box or jar.
Use 1 tbs for a small load, 1 1/2 for medium load & 2 for a large load.
Dissolve in a jug of hot water before adding to a top-loader. For Front loaders dissolve in hot water & add to dispenser.
If using for hand washing, wear rubber gloves.
- afm - My MIL gave us a new blender, I used the old one to crush the soda crystals - much easier & more effective!
I also used a bit more that the recipe says. I used an old scoop from one of the commercial boxes & used about twice what the recipe says - but that's just me, there was probably no need.
I pretty much always wash in cold water, so definitely dissolve it first.
The rubber gloves for hand washing - I think is because the soda crystals can be caustic on bare skin. I don't hand wash though so not a problem here!
A good dose of vinegar in the rinse cycle too :)
No worries :) I'll jump on this arvo and post up my FlyLady routine for you in the FlyLady thread, and you can give me the rundown on SpeedCleaning (I've been meaning to have a look at that book...) ;):
Sounds good, but may not be til the end of the week. Going away for a few days. :)
Thanks LoriRae :)
I'm a big fan of the bicarb/vinegar in the wash too - and have converted many ladies after they've been here & also all of the mums from soccer after I've done my week washing the boys white shirts ;) (Honestly, who chooses the uniform where U17 boys play soccer in white shirts?!) :rolleyes:
Something I tried for the first time a few days ago after reading on the back of the bottle - sugar soap to get out stains, especially on whites!
I was hesitant, (the blue of the sugar soap is a little scary putting it onto whites!) so used an old white shirt of DH's that he stained with napolitana sauce at work a few months back...
I put a little in a spray bottle & sprayed the stain... and then soaked it in a small bucket of sugar soap & warm water over night.
The stain is gone & the shirt is perfect!
Amazing, as the stains were not fresh...but now are completely gone :D
With putting bi-carb in with the soap, do you ladies put less soap powder into the wash?? At the moment I only use 3/4 of a scoop on everday clothes and a full scoop on DH's greasy work clothes.
What are you favoutire oils to add to the vinegar??
ETA - I use Bio-Zet Front Loader if that is of any help to anyone!
does anyone have a secret for banana stains - they leave that little mildewy like stain on clothes and nothing i do gets it out
Sunshine :)
Lemon - I loooove lemon in anything, it's so fresh - lavender, sandalwood, orange, bergamot, tea tree.:
I love citrus because it's fresh, tea tree is antiseptic and lavender is just good all round (also less expensive so I throw a bit more in).
Usually it's a mix of 3 or 4 of these, I chuck it in at random according to my mood ;)
Yeah I love citrus as well and also vanilla....a good vanilla is just so luxurious!!
Thanks Niliac but that doesn't even seem to work for me - being in the north my clothes get way too much sun (i've never seen clothes degrade/fade so fast) but the little brown grey spots from the banana residue are still there - numerous washes later - it drives me batty cause they are such an easy snack
Have you tried Sard wonder soap? Sometimes a good scrub with that combined with a soak can help.
I've tried the sard stick astrid (which I swear by for travelling to prevent permanent stains) but not the soap - i'd guess it would be more powerful??
Ok here's another trick...
Pour vinegar onto the stain and leave for 30 minutes, rinse in cold water then scrub with the stick or soap and leave for another 30 minutes, wash as normal and if needed repeat.
With banana try and have a soaking bucket so that anything with banana can be soaked straight away as its the only way to prevent the stains.
for most items I use lavendar:
for dd's school clothes i use tea tree (cant have the lavendar making her sleepy!)
and for woolens etc i use eucalyptus
A clever chooky told me recently eucalyptus is good for keeping colour in especially for blacks.
Here's a clueless question from me how do you add it to the machine, I'm worried about doing it with a front loader because we use cold water and I don't want a buildup of oil in the pipes etc.
thanks niliac I'll give it a go on the old stains and see how I go but the two particular things I'm thinking about probably were left and not attended to straight away - must get my soaking bucket back in action (stand a chance of getting DH to attend to dirty clothes then) - have been slack since the older two have reduced their messiness when eating.
be interested to hear about the eucalyptus - great question cause i avoid oils in the front loader too - cause if I can minimise the fade in the darks even a little it would be great
Quick question... Is the vinegar / Bicarb wash only good for drying on the line? Or can I dry in the dryer. I have towels to do tonight and was going to try this, but only if I can use the dryer... tia.
Ruf, I've used the dryer after washing with bicarb/vinegar and the clothes and towels were fine.
As for oils, I usually put in lavender - a few drops in with the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser (I have a Fisher Paykel top loader).
Ok hoping someone can help with this one...what about turning what was white...and is now pink...back to white?
DD claims I owe her a T-Shirt from JJs. And it wasn't even me that put her maroon pants in the wash with everything else :(
Oh those oils won't be a problem with build up, cos they are volatile oils. If you left the lid off the bottle it would evaporate. I put mine (not too much) in the prewash dispenser of my front loader.
just wanted to say thanks girls.. i am in major nesting phase and came across this.. not much of a dom goddess usually... anyway just did a load of washing with vinegar and clothes smell great.. used a lot less washing stuff too... next time will add some bicarb as well.
Jas, give the sugar soap mix a go... if it worked in DH's shirt with old napolitana stains it may work?
I also gave it another go soaking BIL's white singlet that he spilt a whole red slushie down the front of :rolleyes: (BIL is 16yrs!!!)
He did it on the weekend & I only found the singlet Mon night :doh:
I soaked it Mon night & washed it today... back to white again ;)
Cai - I add the oils to the white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser too :D
Yep, I was just going to post this, thanks Lulu... I think tea-tree and all the other high note oils (the citrus ones) would do the same: leave no residue because they are so volatile ie evaporate. Compare to say Sandalwood oil: that does not evaporate, it's too gluggy,most Low note oils are gluggy and would leave a residue in your machine if you were to add it.:
All essential oils are categorised as being either high, middle or low note. This is determined by a few things, mainly by how fast they evaporate... or not.
I've been following this thread and have used quite a few of the suggestions - they are great. I have the following essential oils around the house and am wondering if they are OK to use:
Lemon (sounds from above that as a citrus it is fine)
Lavender??
Geranium?
I also have something called an Essential Oil (or Aromatherapy) Solubalizer - I think I purchased it ages ago because I was told it would help mix the oil with water (for a bath) - does anyone know if it would help to aid this to the essential oil/vinegar mixture or is it just not necessary.
thanks for all the great ideas
Hi buliej, I use both lemon & lavender, have not used geranium but I have used rose geranium...all seem fine in my machine, knock wood!
Interested in the Solubalizer... I wonder what exactly it is?
I wouldn't think you need it to add to the vinegar / oils, but I don't think it would hurt either iykwim.
HTH :)
just a quick warning with ANY citrus based essential all (ie lemon, mandarin, bergamot etc) is that they are photosensitive so you need to make sure they are FULLY washed out, it is more for the contact with skin - for example if you make up a moisturiser with a citrus oil you shouldn't use it during the day because it reacts with sun and can lead to skin damage
I am just loving washing with the vinegar and bicarb. Makes for sensational laundry. My towels have never been better! I am still working with a small scoop of Omo sensitive, but hoping to one day, work up to ditching that too. Thanks for all the tips.
But, even with sunshine I cant get the banana stains out of DS bibs, so I am planning on trying the sugarsoap on them this weekend...
Okay I have a quick question.....I am changing from powder to liquid this week when I finish my last box of Bio Zet and was wondering if I still put the bi-carb in the soap dispenser with the liquid or not??
Anyone??
:bump:
yea i would , it would add to the cleaning of the clothes , i often put the liqid with bi card , i dont really ever put it in the "napisan section" (lol dont know what that bits called - i have a FL )
i usually boost my wash with a bit of amway pre soak/detergent booster if i need to .
do you have a FL ?
Yeah I do have a FL.