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Fluffy, fresh towels.
After a shower or bath, there’s nothing as refreshing as a big, clean terrycloth towel. Home laundry fabric softener can prevent a towel from soaking up water, incompletely rinsed detergent can harden the fibers. If towels aren’t smelling so fresh, add a cup of baking soda to the wash. White vinegar freshens mildewy staleness. Nothing…
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Fall fashion.
Slouchy and relaxed overalls and jumpsuits are everywhere, in classic denim, muted pastels, even leather with brassy hardware. Top trends run from trenches to shearling details, ideal for layering as weather cools. You’ll see long statement plaids, cozy corduroy, military-inspired jackets and classic bomber jackets. Warm up with oversized shearling-lined jackets, and long denim dusters (lots of…
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More vinegar tips.
Scrub a paste of baking soda and vinegar to remove collar rings. Spray full strength vinegar on yellow perspiration stains, mustard and ketchup too. Fluff up cotton and wool blankets with a cup of vinegar in the final rinse. Vinegar will help refresh and brighten stale bed and table linens after storage. And it’s a…
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Vinegar to the rescue!
It’s more than salad dressing. Distilled white vinegar is a nontoxic multi-purpose cleaning wonder that has many uses in the home laundry. New clothes need washing before wear, adding a ½ cup of white vinegar to the wash helps remove manufacturing chemicals and helps set colors. That same ½ cup in the rinse cycle keeps…
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Wash that mask.
Every time you wear a reusable cloth mask, it needs to be washed. After wearing for even a short amount of time, the fabric will absorb bacteria and contaminants from the air. Dermatologists are even treating cases of “maskne” where an unclean mask has rubbed the skin. Washing a mask is as easy as throwing…
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Berry stains.
They’re summer’s best treat but their bright colors can stain like nothing else. Stain removal starts with stretching the affected fabric over a large bowl, then pour boiling water through the fabric. This should remove most of the stain, but any lingering color can be released by dabbing the stain with white vinegar before soaking…
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Picnic classics.
Bright checkered tablecloth, silly (or plainly practical) BBQ apron, oversized cloth napkins/placemats/bibs, fun and fancy dishcloth wine wrappers, brand-new white t-shirts. All our summer favorites, all one oops from a stain. Ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce or beer, we’re all one spill away from a little mess. Bring it all to our stain removal experts, the sooner the…
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Linen, the summer classic.
Linen’s looser weave allows more air to flow. It’s also absorbent and conductive —wicking moisture back into the air so you feel cooler, naturally. The wrinkled, rumpled look of linen is a side-effect of the flax fiber’s inherent structure, considered by some to be a sign of comfortable elegance. Linen’s long-lasting quality costs a bit…
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Don’t sweat it.
When temperature, humidity, stress or activity trigger perspiration, it’s natural. But stains aren’t. Moisture combined with deodorant can create stubborn yellowing or white residue. Too much product is often the culprit – apply one thin layer and allow it to completely dry. A little is enough to do the job. Good old-fashioned dress shields or…
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Fourth of July!
We’re reminded on our nation’s birthday to celebrate and protect our independence, freedom and democracy. The great Supreme Court jurist Oliver Wendall Holmes said, “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore!”