In the spirit of continuing to hone in on our home improvement techniques, here are a few key fixes to some surprisingly ordinary household management mistakes.
1. Trying to get a stain out from the front of a garment.
Instead of trying to dab away a garment stain from its surface, flip the fabric inside out, put a cloth or paper towel on the exterior spot and dab clean from the inside. The stain will likely transfer onto the secondary fabric a lot more efficiently that way.
2. Throwing your gym clothes and t-shirts in the wash without turning them inside-outward.
For the most effective removal of body fluids and bacteria from your less gently-used items, turn them inside-out to make sure the grimier portions are on the surface of what’s being washed. Be sure to use a detergent that contains enzymes like our Stain & Odor Detergent or Active Wash for the deepest clean!
3. Not taking your dressy items out of the dryer before the cycle’s through.
Wanna prevent wrinkles in a major way? About five to ten minutes before your dryer’s done with the cool-down phase, go ahead and grab your dressier items and hang them up to finish. Chances are, they’ll already be dry enough by then, and this will help dial down your ironing time in a big way.
4. Putting your nonstick pans in the dishwasher.
To get the most longevity possible out of your nonstick cookware, it’s best to hand wash these items to avoid wearing down their surfaces. A spritz of Power Dish Spray and a sponge or kitchen brush is all you need to keep your nonstick cookware in top condition!
5. Cleaning fabric-bearing furniture with anything but soap and water.
Sounds simple enough, right? Right. Good old-fashioned dish soap and a little elbow grease can work wonders on the surfaces of couch cushions, thick bedding, and other cloth areas that can’t be conveniently put into a healthy rinse cycle.
6. Not cleaning out your washing machine.
It might seem counterintuitive, but washers aren’t self-cleaning devices. One way to rid your machine of bacteria and grime is to throw a couple of cups of white vinegar into a clothes-free, heated rinse cycle and let it run all the way through (for front-loaders, you can use the detergent dispensary area). Check out our guide to how to clean your washing machine for more details!
7. Using hand towels to dry your dishes.
Fabrics like rags can collect bacteria. Rather than spread the microscopic love onto all of your plates and cups, let your dishes air dry on a rack, or use a clean Swedish Dish Cloth, which can be sanitized in the dishwasher or washing machine!