You can safely home launder pet bed covers, collars and leashes using the gentle cycle, cold water and an all-purpose laundry detergent. Throw in grimy washable toys. Use small loads with large-load settings to flush out hair and dirt. Tumble dry on lowest setting or air dry.

Chocolate contains cocoa’s dark tannins and cocoa butter’s oiliness. On washable items, remove the grease with undiluted laundry detergent dabbed on the stain, let sit 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Now apply color-safe bleach to the remaining water-soluble tannin stains. We can help with washable and with dry-clean only items, our stain experts…

Good old-fashioned vinegar’s back! This inexpensive miracle worker gives brighter, cleaner, fresher laundry. For instance, it removes sweat and deodorant stains, replaces fabric softener to reduce static, and boosts detergent power while eliminating buildup from powdered cleaners. Add a half cup distilled white vinegar to your next load and see the difference.

Get ready for the post-turkey workout. According to Men’s Fitness, the easiest way to keep your gym clothes fresh is presoaking. Most workout garments are made with fibers that repel water, like Spandex and Lycra, so you need to presoak in a half-gallon warm water mixed with 1 ounce laundry detergent and the juice of…

If candles dripped on the tablecloth, let everything cool and peel the wax off with your fingers. If it’s stubborn, freeze the tablecloth, then scrape off the wax with a credit card. Wash in hot water to remove remaining embedded wax. Better yet, and a lot easier, bring your table linens to us for expert…

Ever wear jeans fresh from the store and notice your hands and shirt turned blue? When dye is transferred by friction, it’s called crocking, and the indigo dye in blue jeans is a notorious crocker. Before you leave a tint of blue everywhere, the laundry is your first stop. Wash with cold water and, before…

White canvas shoes are perfect for summer – until they start looking beige. Here’s how to freshen stained sneakers, thanks to How to Clean Stuff. Scrub away dirt stains with shampoo on a nail brush, wipe residue away with a damp sponge. Use dish soap on grass stains and nail polish remover on grease or…

Using too much fabric softener on towels can leave a waxy, water-resistant coating on the fibers that is the opposite effect of a good towel. Would you use wax paper or a paper towel to blot water? To get your towels back to absorbency, add a quarter cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle for…

Beer stains should be blotted as dry as possible. As soon as possible, rinse the stain with cold water from the back of the stain. Mix liquid laundry detergent (or dish soap) with cold water and soak the stain at least ten minutes. Rinse thoroughly and launder in warm water. Yellow mustard can be tough…

You may not play as strenuously as a pro hockey player, but your gear doesn’t need to smell like a combination of sweat, plastic and fungus. Technical tshirts and compression shorts help prevent sweat getting into top layers, pads and leather. Air out gear after use to reduce bacterial growth encouraged by dampness. Wash everything in…