although, i have not gone as far as getting rid of my dryer, i have taken on some of the care for washing laundry that my mom instilled in me. with six children, i try my best to recycle as many of their clothes as i can. and, surprisingly, i have been very successful at preserving their clothes simply by making sure i care for them properly when i wash them. phoenix and tyler have both worn clothes that were mackenzie's (she is 7 years older than phoenix, 8 years older than tyler) and i have even passed some of them on to amanda for gracie (who is 10 years older than mackenzie). they have lasted for over 10 years and through 4 children. ryan and jacob have clothes that i have put away and will save for elijah. he has quite a while to go, but in the long run it will save me some money to have those extra clothes for him.
here are a few tips on how i keep our clothes clean and make them last longer. and, be sure to stick around til the end for your chance to win a coupon for a free bottle of new purex plus oxi detergent and to learn more about a great sweepstakes purex is hosting. you could win some fabulous cash prizes!
laundry care tips
- wash spills out right away with cold water and a little bit of detergent. i use purex laundry detergents because they smell great, clean my clothes well, and are extremely affordable for everyone, especially us. scrub gently and then let it sit on the spill until you wash.
- before putting your clothes in the washer, turn all clothes right side out unless it specifies on the garment to turn it inside out. it is always important to read the labels of your clothes. most garments that require you to turn them inside out, usually have buttons, sequins, or a print on them.
- wear your clothes more than once before you wash them. if you only wore a pair of pants or a shirt for a couple hours and you didn't really do anything to get it dirty, hang it or fold it up and wear it again before you wash it.
- never overload the washer. although cramming more clothes in the washer might cut down on your time spent washing clothes, your clothes are not going to get clean that way. newer machines, like mine don't have the old fashioned agitator inside, so your clothes are basically cleaning themselves by friction moving around in the washer, so if your clothes can't move around, they aren't going to get clean.
- clean your washer every now and then. i know that sounds silly since you are basically "cleaning" it every time you use it, but they do get dirty. about once a month i run my washer empty on the clean cycle using vinegar. if your washer doesn't have a clean option, just run a regular cycle and fill the container where the bleach goes with vinegar. i prefer white vinegar, but i am sure apple cider works good too.
- speaking of vinegar... if you ever accidentally forget about your clothes in the wash and when you discover them, they smell a bit sour, just rewash them in vinegar and it will take the smell out. i promise you your clothes won't smell like the vinegar once you have washed and dried them.
- only use the recommended type and amount of laundry detergent. more laundry detergent doesn't mean your clothes are going to get super clean. the manufacturers have already considered that when creating the laundry solution. using more detergent will just leave a residue on your clothes. those residues attract dirt more, so if your kid plays in the dirt, their clothes are going to hold onto that dirt more because of the sticky residues on their clothes.
- always wash like colors together. i get a little crazy here and separate my clothes in reds, whites, darks, lights, and towels. i even do a separate load for those clothes that you aren't sure whether you should wash them in whites or light colors. i wash those using color safe bleach.
and there you have it. i don't use a ton of products on my clothes except for purex laundry detergents, purex crystals, and a fabric softener bar in the dryer. i wash a lot of laundry on a daily basis and feel like i have mastered the art of laundry washing and folding. can they please make it an olympic sport next time? actually, it is pretty much my least favorite job because i know if i miss a day or two, it will always gets backed up and someone is without a shirt, a pair of pants, or even...underwear. we have renamed our giant laundry pile mt. rushmoore...you know, because we are the moore family! get it?
purex sweepstakes
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giveaway
alright, here is a quick giveaway and chance for you to win a coupon for a free bottle of new purex plus oxi detergent. just enter using the rafflecopter below! good luck!
purex contacted me and provided me with the coupons mentioned in this review. i received no compensation for this post and all comments, opinions, and ideas are my own and in no way influenced. by entering this giveaway, you agree to six cherries on top disclaimer/terms of use.
