Be Pristine and Stain free. Advice from a Laundry enthusiast.

I, like many people around the world, do laundry. However, as an occupational stay at home mother and housekeeper, laundry is my most favoured of tasks. Here in Australia we call it "doing the washing". Doing the washing is definitely for me the most stressful and enjoyable tasks around the home I have to do.

I hate to iron or "press" clothes though. So there will be a few tips for those of you who share my thoughts on that task.

Since I have seven children, a husband and pets, let me assure you that the washing always needs doing and I can do upwards of four loads a day. I have come across many stains and had to remove them. This is why I enjoy laundry because the task never becomes mundane. One of my lovely children have always managed to ensure that I find a new way to clean their clothes as they like to paint them rather than paper. My kids also believe that food is better worn than eaten.

Unfortunately my children like many others, play, eat, draw, paint, glue, vomit and chew gum. All of which end up with a show and tell all over their clothes. So if you don't do any of the above things and your children dont either than your job in the laundry department is very easy.

So today I have written this in order to help you my reader maintain your sanity and advise you on removing stains, smells even dust mites from your laundry and help make the task a little easier.

Here are a few things you will require in order to make all of your fabric essentials clean and stain free:

• A washing Machine.
• A bucket
• A clothesline or Hills Hoist
• A basket
• A dryer or tumble dryer
• detergent
• fabric softener
• Pegs and or wire hangers or coat hangers.
• An old chair.

Some of the not so obvious tools are:

1. Stain remover
2. Eucalyptus oil
3. vinegar
4. nail polish remover
5. methylated spirits
6. rubber gloves
7. disinfectant or a laundry sanitising solution.

Lets get down to the part that I know you are here for. Stain Removal. The first thing to do with stain removal is recognising the stain. Once you know what you are up against you will find it easier to eradicate.

Let's start with the real pains.

Dirt: You will probably find that simply in the washing machine with the regular amounts of detergent will work just fine. However around shirt cuffs or my personal favourite stains where the item of clothing goes over the rump and the wearer has been sitting in the dirt are usually a whole lot harder to remove. You can use a spray on stain remover before washing but this does not always work. The best thing you can do is Soak it! All you need is a bucket of warm water (except if you think the colour may run) with a small amount of washing detergent and allow the item to soak from 4 hours to overnight. Then wash it in the machine and it will come out nicely.

Grass: Soak, soaked and soaking. Once you have soaked the item of clothing, Once you have soaked the item get your pre wash stain remover and apply it to the stain wait five minutes and then let the washing machine do the rest.

Blood: Blood is one of those things you MUST attend to STRAIGHT AWAY. Blood should be rinsed in cold water. The reason for this is that warm or hot water will force the stain to set. Once you have removed the majority of the blood (it will look like a weird brown outlined mark.) you need to soak the item. When soaking the water should be cold to warm. So just enough hot water to take the chill out of the cold. After soaking overnight wash in the washing machine.

Urine Faeces and Vomit: Not the most fun to work with. However if you are able to manage to hold back, be strong and not be sick here are a few things you can do.

• Urine: The best way to treat urine is with vinegar. Vinegar will not only neutralise the smell but stop the acid in the urine doing any more damage to the fabric. This is mainly a great tool for carpets, bed sheets and mattresses rather than clothes. You can still use vinegar on clothes for the same reason. Once you have applyed the vinegar (best approach is usually in a spray trigger bottle) Wash in the machine straight away and hang it out to dry in the sun. This will ensure that the smell of the vinegar is mostly gone and if there is the slightest "ghosting" effect on the region the sun will bleach it.
• Faeces: Rinse solids off with cold water and then spray with vinegar. It wil help neutralise the smell and stop any further staining. Next you want to soak the soiled item in warm water, washing detergent or a soaking solution (Napi San/ Sard Wonder soap) and some disinfectant or laundry sanitary rinse. Soak for a minimum of 4 hours. Then wash in the washing machine with your regular washing detergent and disinfectant or laundry sanitising rinse. Dry in the sun on the clothes line for maximum antibacterial protection and stain removal.
• Vomit:Rinse solids with cold water and spray with vinegar. Soak in warm water with laundy detergent or soaking solution for a minimum of four hours. Wash in the washing machine for a minimum 4 hours. Then wash in the machine and line dry in the sun.

Quick Tip: When either of the above three is on carpet whether pets or human vinegar is the key. If there is solids remove them first then spray with vinegar. Once the vinegar has soaked into the carpet sprinkle some bicarbonate soda over the wet patch, once absorbed vaccum up. Then treat the region with your favourite spot remover.

Crayon and Adhesive (from stickers etc): Apply eucalyptus oil to the affected area. Then very gently rub off. The eucalyptus oil softens wax and adhesives making it easy to remove.

An alternative for crayons and other wax substances is to place a cloth over and iron the area affected.

Bubble Gum:Freeze the garment. Once the gum is hardened scrape off. Whatever you are unable to scrape off pour eucalyptus oil on the area and gently rub it off.

Permanent Marker, Pen, and Texta: This type of stain must be attended to immediately. You will need methylated spirits or nail polish remover. Pour the methylated spirits or nail polish remover to the affected region (or regions like smiley faces grrr.) Then soak overnight. Wash the garment in the washing machine. If not completely removed repeat. You will have to wash a second time in order to get the flammable smell out of the clothing. This also MUST be hang or line dried. DO NOT PLACE IN TUMBLE DRYER. You will be risking a house fire.

Grease: The best way to remove grease is to pour dish washing liquid on stains, then wash in hot water. HOWEVER, if you have a front loader this is not possible as you will break your machine. So the alternative to that is your regular detergent in a HOT water wash. Adding some vinegar or eucalyptus oil. 

I absolutely loathe and detest ironing. I can think of plenty of other things to waste my time on like face book. LOL.

Anyhow here are some tips to have your clothes not only clean but to have them neat and crease free.

1. Use fabric softener. Not only does this magic stuff make your clothes and linen feel softer and remove static, but it prevents creasing during the wash.
2. If possible make your "spin dry" cycle slower. Spin drying will make your laundry dry faster but it means that you will have to iron.
3. Drip dry. If you are the type to hang your washing out. Grab a hanger and hang your garments on the hanger off your clothesline. The weight of the garment will pull on the garment making it crease free. (This mainly works on dresses and skirts or business shirts).
4. If you peg your laundry to your clothesline when taking it down off the line (except in a mad dash when its raining) fold the clothes. This particularly works in warmer weather. Folding straight away means no added creasing and the creases are easily smoothed out with your hands. If you are more likely to tumble dry. Fold as you take the garments out of the dryer. This way the heat in the clothes will help you smooth out any creases.

I realise that not everyone has access to a hills hoist or clothesline. However, line drying will slash your energy bills by a whole heap especially if you wash with cold water. Line drying and cold washing also reduces your footprint on the environment! Line drying also make your clothes smell fresher and cleaner. The sun is also a great antibacterial agent. It kills germs and eliminates dust mites. Does it fade clothes? Yes. So simply turn them inside out to dry unless you are doing stain removal.

If you don't have time to line dry (as in hanging it out is too time consuming) what you could do is wash your loads the night before and hang it all out first thing in the morning. This way it has all day to dry.

Having an old chair to rest your basket on is a brilliant thing to do. (hence the rusty old thing in the pics) If you rest the basket on the ground you have to bend down and reach up constantly. This is not good for those with bad backs, pregnant women, or women who have just had a baby. With a chair you still remain standing straight (although you still are reaching upward).

A clean washing machine means cleaner clothes. You want your washing machine to work at its peak performance in order to get the best wash. Once a week check your debris filters, detergent drawers and run your machine through a "blank wash" (Have the machine go through a wash cycle with nothing in it.) When blank washing adding a little vinegar (about a tablespoon) will help break down any sticky films or debris in the machine.

If you use a laundromat or a communal laundry no worries. Their machines are regularly cleaned and blank washed. The best way to tell if the machine is clean (you want the machine to work at peak performance) there should be no smell from the machine. No bad or good smells (unless you just saw someone use it).

If you live in an apartment, and don't have access to a clothesline you can always make one. You could put the clothes on hangers and hang them from curtain rails or set up some rope somewhere in the apartment. Just be certain that the fresh air can get to them.

If any fabric surface has pet hair on it. Dampen a rubber glove and stroke the garment while it's hanging up (as if you were stroking a cat) The grooves in the rubber gloves will pull the pet hair up and the dampness will ensure that it sticks to the glove.

Well that's about it from me. If I have left anything at all out please feel free to comment.

I have to finish my washing now,

Phoenix.