Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

How To Get Mildew Out of Clothes

Taking down that box of summer clothes that you’ve been dreaming about all winter can quickly turn to a nightmare if your clothing is covered in mildew. Mildew is a mold that tends to grow in dark places within the home, and smells terribly. Don’t toss out all your clothes just yet, with a few tricks it’s easy to get mildew out of clothes.

First, take the clothes outside and brush off any visible mildew. Doing this outside keeps the mildew from spreading in your home and the sunlight also helps kill mildew.

Bleach is the best way to get mildew out of clothes, but make sure you use the right kind of bleach. If possible, use chlorine bleach and wash with the hottest water possible. Oxygen bleach is safer for most fabrics, so if you can’t use chlorine bleach soak the clothing in oxygen bleach and super hot water for half an hour before washing.

Sun dried clothing is rough on the skin, but it’s worth leaving your clothes to dry in the sun after washing to kill any remaining mildew. When the clothes are almost dry, running them through the dryer for a few minutes will soften them.

Don’t let mildew ruin your summer wardrobe.

How to Weave a Rag Rug

Weaving is an ancient art form that is found in almost every culture around the world. Some groups of people weave so beautifully that their rugs and other woven pieces are considered fine artwork. Fine oriental and Navajo rugs are prized household items, however you can easily weave your own rug right at home.

Rag rugs are sturdy, home made rugs made from leftover t-shirts, bed sheets or other old fabric lying around the home. They make wonderful decorations for doorways, outdoors or even in the kitchen. In a society that’s used to tossing away old items, rag rugs are also the perfect way to reuse and recycle.

Here are links to two different websites with easy to understand tutorials about weaving your own rug:

http://www.wikihow.com/Weave-a-Rag-Rug
http://www.craftpassion.com/2010/03/recycle-tutorial-woven-rag-rug.html

It’s a fun and easy project that requires nothing more than old fabric, or a piece of cardboard. Making your own rug doesn’t take a long time, and leaves you with a sturdy woven rug for your home.

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

With the rising cost of health care, America’s been turning it’s attention to preventative medicine. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a repetitive hand injury that involved pressure on the nerve which runs from the wrist through the forearm. This occurs when our hands are in a flexed position for long periods of time, similar to the position of the hands when you are at the computer or driving.

One of the best ways to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is to look around your work space, and change anything that could be causing excess strain on the wrists. Purchasing a mouse pad with wrist support, and a foam wrist support for your keyboard will greatly reduce your risk of developing this debilitating injury.

Taking breaks when you feel your hands begin to tire is important in preventing injury. There are also many ways to stretch the hands and wrists in order to keep your hands happy. Here is a video of yoga stretches for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Remember, preventing injury now could help you avoid costly surgery later.

Cleaning Facts 101: What is Dry Cleaning Anyways?

Have you ever wondered what makes dry cleaning different from hand washing or normal machine washing? I know I have.

So I set out on some investigative blogging to reveal what really happens when you send your garments off to the dry cleaners.

Dry cleaning is a cleaning process for clothes and other textiles without the use of water, although, in this laundering method, clothes actually get wet. Tricky little name.

As opposed to soaking the clothing and textiles in water, dry cleaning uses a special chemical solution, called perchlorethylene (abbreviates as perc), that washes away all dirt, stains and other messes.

During the dry cleaning process, the clothes go into a large capacity machine (normally with a maximum capacity of 50 pounds). The clothing and textiles tumble around in the main cleaning basket with the dry cleaning solution. The machine starts by removing the surface soil then rotates to penetrate deeply into the fabric fibers.

After completing the cleaning process, the clothes remain in the same machine and dry completely in the tumble dry setting. Once dry, the clothes and textiles receive a professional pressing to remove all creases and wrinkles.

Water as a Health Food?

We hear it all the time, drink 8 glasses of water a day. But who has time for water when there’s an endless supply of juices, infusions and bottled drinks that at least have some flavor to them? When I was browsing the website of the World’s Healthiest Foods, I was shocked to find water listed alongside green tea and Tamari soy sauce.

The Worlds Healthiest Foods were compiled based on (among other things) the ratio of nutrients to calories, and since water from natural sources has a significant number of minerals with zero calories, that certainly puts it on the list.

Not only are our bodies at least 60% water, but water is also used to move nutrients around the body and remove toxins from the body. Drinking water leads to better heart health, proper blood pressure, improved mental performance, increased athletic performance, clearer skin and better digestion.

We all have the temptation to add flavor to our water to make it more exciting. But a lot can be said for getting used to the refreshing feeling of plain water.

If you are trying to cut out juices and sodas, but are having a hard time with water, try adding a lemon slice to the glass. For something a little more adventurous cut a small, peeled cucumber into half, and add into a water jug and refrigerate. Leave the cucumber floating in the water for a few hours and soon you’ll have your own refreshing cucumber water.