The Easiest Laundry Tip Detergent Companies Don’t want you to know

Today, I am doing laundry! Surprise!  Here is a little tip that I do to keep me from using too much detergent. I simply draw a line on the laundry scoop to get the correct amount. Here are the reasons I do this:

1. Detergent companies are happy to have you fill that scoop to the top so that you will run out and buy more detergent often. Shocking, isn’t it?

2. It is ecological. Less detergent = less pollution

3. Clothes will be cleaner. Why? Because all the soap will wash away during the rinse cycle. Less soap =  less soap left on clothes

4. Your skin will be less itchy. Detergent residue can be the cause of itchy skin.

5. I like the faint smell of clean clothes but I do not want people to walk around smelling like eau du Tide.

6. The non perfumed detergents can also leave a residue on your clothes and skin if you use too much.

So, read the instructions on your brand of laundry detergent and mark the scoop that comes with it and use only that much or even a little less. you can see from the line on my scoop that it looks like this would be the amount for a small load but NO, it is the amount I should use for a large load! I’m telling you, the big bad laundry companies have studied us consumers. They know that we are not good at eyeballing portion sizes.  More is not always better. I promise that you will have clean, fresh laundry using less detergent!  Happy day!   -Peg

Laundry lines

laundry is something that we all do. Most people look at doing laundry as a chore that can’t be avoided. I enjoy laundry. I like the  fresh smell of clean clothes. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment of having stacks of folded shirts and underwear. I get a certain thrill when I have removed an especially difficult stain. Call me weird. Go ahead, it wouldn’t be the first time…

I have posted about my laundry room in the past. Check out the  floor cloth I painted here.  There is more to my laundry room than just a pretty floor.   This may look like an ordinary cabinet.  You may think that I keep cleaning supplies in there. You may be right but there is also a secret behind those doors.

Check this out! I can hang and dry a full load of laundry on my retractable clothesline. I can also hide the line to tidy up before company comes over.  I rarely use my dryer anymore.  I feel good that I am being a good citizen by saving energy.  When I hang clothes in the winter, I appreciate the added humidity from the drying clothes.  During good weather, I open that window and enjoy a fresh breeze to help dry the load. I have tried using a collapsible wooden clothes rack but it takes up so much floor space and doesn’t really hold a full load of clothes. This works much much better. Here is the clothesline that I use but there are others out there that would work too. I replaced the plastic piece that pulls the lines out from the wall. I made a wooden one that is sturdier and can hold the weight of wet clothes. Make sure that you anchor both ends of the clothesline into studs in the wall. A load of wet clothes is heavy. I hope I have inspired some of you to put up an indoor retractable clothesline. It’s a good thing.

As an aside, I found these clothespins at an estate sale. I imagine that a very kind man painted these for his young wife.  She thought of him every time she  washed his overalls or her children’s dungarees. Her laundry line was between his vegetable garden and her flower garden, near the barn. He was the kind of husband who helped his wife with household chores. He washed windows. They probably held hands on walks together.  He brought coffee to her each morning  in her garden. He was a sweet, sentimental man. They both died within 2 weeks of each other,  happy and content after 60 years of marriage.  It is my honor to take care of these clothespins.   Happy laundry!  -Peg