October 2006 Issue
In this months Issue:
Making Your Closet Seem Bigger
What is Blocking?
Cling-ons Beware!
Home Laundry Tip
Making Your Closet Seem Bigger
Unless you've got a gigantic walk-in closet, most people would love to have a bigger closet. Many people these days are adding shelving, extra poles and special brackets and hooks. Here are some ways you can better utilize your closet space:
* First, take a look at what's in the closet. Take everything out and think: Do all of the items need to be there? Do all of the items fit? Are they still in style? (Be ruthless!) Store seasonal items elsewhere, and bring us any items that need buttons, repairs or cleaning.
* Examine your items carefully. What WAS in that closet, anyway? Is it mostly items that can go on shelves? Do you have a lot of long hanging items or are most of your items separates? Based on what you're storing in the closet, you can make some decisions about alternatives to the single-rod closet approach.
* Consider a double-rod system or extra shelving to maximize space. Place a small mirrored tile on the top of your closet above that high shelf that you can never quite see. This way you'll know what's up there. When building or adding shelves to a closet, remember that the space between shelves should be at least 8-10 inches. Consider putting shoes in boxes or on shelves to free up floor space.
Tired of not being able to find the right belt? Screw cup hooks into a wooden hanger and hang your belts there. Some catalogues also sell belt-holding hangers, too.
You'll feel great once you've de-cluttered and reorganized your closet. When you're done, how about tackling the garage or basement.
What is Blocking?
Many sweaters have care labels that say "dry flat" and that means you should block it. In the old days, home launderers (translation: moms) would, before washing, trace a pattern of the sweater on a brown paper bag. They would then allow the sweater to dry on a window screen or open-backed chair where air could circulate, and once the sweater was partly dry, they would then lay the sweater out on the pattern. The idea was that the sweater would be "re-formed" to its correct shape and size. Nowadays, most people just do it by eyeballing the sweater and guesstimating. After washing in a machine, remove the sweater before the machine starts the spin-dry cycle; if you're hand washing, take it out of the sink but do not wring out. Instead, roll it up in a towel like a hot dog to absorb moisture.
Next, lay another towel out on a flat surface like a counter or even the back of a chair. Spread the sweater out, including the sleeves, and make sure to get any wrinkles or folds out. To get the nap up, once it's completely dry, put it in the dryer on a no-heat setting for about five minutes.
It's a lot of work, but your sweater won't shrink and will continue to look great!
Cling-ons Beware!
We don't know anyone who enjoys static cling, but there are ways to combat this natural phenomenon. While there are plenty of fabric softeners and dryer sheets on the market that are designed to eliminate the problem, there are other ways to avoid static cling. Overuse of fabric softeners can break down fibers in clothing, and fabric sheets can leave a residue on some clothes.
The best way to deal with static cling is to not dry clothes completely. Since there's still some moisture on the clothes, static cling won't be a factor. You can either hang clothes up or spread clothes out on a rack or counter.
Another way to avoid the problem is to wash synthetic fabric items separately, since they are the ones that usually cause static cling problems. Or you can choose to not dry nylon, rayon and other synthetics in the dryer.
Here's a great, all-natural method of eliminating static cling: use 1/2 cup of vinegar in the wash cycle (not with bleach, however, since this could cause toxic fumes). Other experts recommend adding 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup or a little less of borax to the rinse cycle.
If you don't have the time to make your own solution, wash fabrics separately or allow items to air dry a bit, then attack the garment once you've put it on! Grab a metal hanger! If you're wearing a skirt or dress, just brush the inside of the garment from top to bottom; If it's your pants that are too clingy, bend the hanger straight and then reach up inside each pant leg and lightly brush downward.
Home Laundry Tip
Looking for a natural way to remove stains? Tired of spending lots of money on stuff that doesn't work? Try the natural stain remover: add one part rubbing alcohol to two parts water. We promise this is not only an effective stain remover, it's certainly very cost-effective!
Remember, when trying to remove a stain, it's best to dab, rather than rub. If the stain isn't a greasy one, be sure to use cold, rather than hot water. Hot water might set the stain, and then you'll never get it out!