Laundry as a Metaphor for Life

If sins are thought of as stains on the soul then is laundry a process of redemption?

• So I mused as I faced the thrill of removing gum from twill! Twill is a diagonal weave resulting in ridges on fabrics like denim. This helps to make a strong bond with plastic substances like chewing gum. Ice is recommended to harden the gum so most can be broken and scraped off with a dull knife. But I had no ice so I used theology instead.

1. Sympathy - I soaked the garment in warm water and detergent to soften up the gum.


2. Prayer - I used a commercial stain lifter to loosen the gum.


3. Chastisement - I rubbed with a toothbrush.


4. Purification - I sprayed with vinegar and rinsed with water.

Behold the surface of the garment was as free of blemish as the day it was made!

Green Cleaning

queenwashandfold@gmail.com
I used to work for a financial institution with a quarter trillion in assets. Every time they were about to make a decision they asked two questions. "What is the risk involved in doing this? What benefits can we achieve from this?" Ask yourself the same questions when doing any cleaning at home or work.

I am recommending cleaning solutions that I have tried and found effective. These do not involve extreme risks to the average person such as "Caution, Irritant. If swallowed do not induce vomiting. Wear gloves at all times when handling". Why put up with all this hassle just to wash some clothes or mop your floor? These solutions are so non-toxic that some of them even have a therapeutic effect on the human body!


Vinegar is Queen

• Use instead of fabric softener. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the final rinse.
  
• Mix up 1/4 cup vinegar and two cups of water in a spray bottle.
  
1. Use to clean windows.
2. Use as a general purpose cleaner.
3. Spray on leather shoes after applying shoe polish. Then polish again for a mirror shine.
4. Spray on salt stained shoes. Wipe off with a rag to remove salt.
5. This will clean stainless steel surfaces.
   

Baking Soda is King

• Add 1/4 cup along with your regular laundry detergent for a real cleaning boost.
  
• Sprinkle over surface and use instead of harsh, abraisive cleaners to scrub sinks, toilets and tubs.
• Speaking of tubs. Put 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup sea salt into tub. Add water as hot as you find comfortable and sprinkle a few drops of essential oil e.g. lavender. Soak awhile. This will soothe or prevent many muscular aches and pains.
• For indigestion. Mix 1/2 t. in 1/2 cup water. Sip slowly.
  

Tips To Get The Most From The Dryers

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Tips from the masters of dry, soft and wrinkle free to help you dry your clothes well.

1. Spin the washer drum to make sure it is empty of any small items.


2. Use a basket to transfer clothes from washer to dryer unless you like leaving a trail of wet laundry behind you.


3. Reduce ironing and static cling by adding an anti-static sheet to the dryer.


4. Any wrinkles present now are likely to 'bake in'. Gently pull at your pants legs, shirt sleeves, cuffs & collars to stretch out any creases.


5. If there are different dryer types choose high efficiency for delicates, synthetics, permanent press, etc. and regular for heavy cottons.


6. Select the appropriate dryer cycle for your clothes e.g. hot for towels, permanent press for synthetics, etc.


7. Remove the clothes from the dryer as soon as they are dry (or even a little damp if you are going to hang or iron them immediately) or they will become as wrinkly as prunes.


8. Carefully fold and stack your clothes. Pack heavy items on the bottom of your laundry bag and lighter weight items near the top to prevent creasing.


9. Pat your self on the back as you are now a Laundry Master!

Tips for a Great Wash

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Maybe you just stuff all your clothes into a machine or two, dump in some soap and hope for the best. If so with just a few tips you could get a much better wash while helping to protect the environment.

Fact Sheet: Water Conservation in Self-Service Laundries

1. Use front loading machines - FLM's - instead of top loading machines. FLM's's use as little as one third the water of the top loaders, are quieter and much gentler on your clothes. Top loaders can stretch clothes and eat socks!
   
2. Sort your laundry items. At a minimum separate the whites and the darks. Use the appropriate cylcle for each i.e. hot for whites and warm for darks.
3. Turn clothes with patterns, printed T-shirts and pants inside out. This will protect the coloured surface from abrasion by other items. The colour and pattern will last much longer.
   
4. Use the recommended amount of soap. Remember FLM's use less water so they cannot rinse out excess soap.
5. Use fabric softener. It will make your clothes feel softer when they dry. However, as it coats fibres, it will make your towels less absorbent.
   
6. Do not overload the machine. Yes it is tempting to stuff just one more garment in and then another. But you will not get a good wash or a proper spin. Any money you save will be spent on the dryers. Plus there are greater thrills in life than handling sopping wet laundry.
   
7. Pack clothes evenly i.e. a large garment (e.g. pants) then a few small garments (e.g. socks) then larger garments and so on. Remember the machine will spin at high speed to drain, but it will not spin at maximum speed if it is unbalanced.
8. Fasten zippers, buttons, hooks, etc. Why? Otherwise they can snag and rip any fabric they come into contact with in the washer.
9. Wash bulky items - down jackets, comforters, etc. - in double or triple loaders. There is not enough water in a single loader to wash them properly. Nor will the machine spin at high speed (unbalanced load) to drain the bulky item. This leads to long expensive drying times.
10. After emptying the washer spin the drum. Often a small item will cling to the fins on the drum. No more will you know the anguish of an unpaired sock!
    

So now you know how to get a great wash from those FLM's. If your laundromat does not have any tell the owner that he will save in water, heating and maintenance costs if he replaces his top loaders with FLM's.

Next tip series will be on how to use dryers effectively. Efficient drying means no or little ironing.

Queen Wash and Fold

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queenwashandfold@gmail.com

The Queen St Neighbourhood Laundry has a new Wash & Fold Service, me. For $0.99/lb. I will sort, wash and fold your laundry. Think of me as a virtual valet and my service as a combination detox & spa for your clothes.

I know our machines very well and will get you the best wash and dry available. Plus I will carefully fold your laundry. Think of the time and drudgery that you will save.

Let me tell you about our lovely laundering facilities shown above. We have 16 high efficiency single loaders, 3 double loaders, 4 triple loaders, 2 top loaders and 20 dryers of which 8 are high efficiency. The high efficiency washers use much less water than convential machines however they are not suitable for bulky items such as quilts or down coats.

Have you ever wondered what is behind a great coin laundry? Below are some pics of the graffiti in the alley behind the QSNL.