Category: Laundry Service

Are There Alternatives to Laundry Detergent?

Published on Tuesday, 22 March 2016 20:46

Charles

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Let’s say that for whatever reason you don’ have laundry detergent. Perhaps you forgot to purchase any when you were last at the supermarket. Or maybe you just ran out and don’t feel inclined to go shopping (who does?). Maybe you’ve just decided to give up on all of those chemical things, soap included, so you are looking for some kind of alternative to laundry detergent. Fortunately, there are viable alternatives. Whatever your reason is for needing an alternative to laundry detergent, there is an alternative listed here.

Going au naturel?

Just deciding to “go without” is a great reason for looking elsewhere when it comes laundry time. The good news in this is that there are plenty of alternatives. Some are a little risky, but used with a certain degree of caution, they’re fine in a pinch.

Soap Nuts. No. They’re not really a nut. Instead, they are a fruit, but don’t get us mixed up in that debate. Regardless of what the plant folks call them, they’re great in your laundry. Soap nuts come from a plant called soapberry, the shells of which produce a soapy effect when they are added to laundry. You can buy them from a website called Naturoli (shameless plug). And not only are they all natural, but they also cost only pennies per load.

Ava Anderson’s Laundry Pods. Another alternative to traditional laundry soap is Ava Anderson’s Laundry Pods, which are a full of natural ingredients that are non-toxic, septic safe, safe for kids and pets, and lots of other cool stuff. Oh, yeah, and they clean your clothes too.

Laundry Soap by Another Name

If you’re not quite that ready for going natural, you can still make wonderful detergent for your wash with, what else, soap. Wow. Bet you thought we had to have a big meeting to think of that one. Fortunately, it’s true. In fact, many people do it all the time. The downside is that is that if you want to do it, you need to be careful, since some products, like dishwasher soap can be damaging to your clothes if you’re not careful and you use too much. A similar approach is to use regular bar soap and grate it up with a cheese grater, then add it to your wash.

The easiest alternative, by far, is to go online and schedule a laundry pickup at The Laundry Center. They know all of the tricks of the trade when it comes to doing laundry the right way. Even better, they offer free pick up and will deliver your laundry as fast as 24 hours. I’d bet your supermarket doesn’t do that.

5 Best Laundry Stain Remover Solutions

Published on Wednesday, 09 March 2016 19:02

Charles

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It doesn’t take but a stroll down the detergent aisle of your local market before you realize that when it comes to laundry stain removers, the world is your oyster. The good news in this is that virtually all of them are good at what they do, to one extent or another.

1. OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover. For an overall good laundry stain remover, OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover stands among the best. This one is not only good on your clothes, whatever the stain might be, but it’s also great on your upholstery and other fabrics.

2. Tide Stain Brush. If this one was any more fun to use, we might ignore the fact that it’s great on stains too. Seriously. We were tempted to put aside “50 Shades of Grey” to use this one. In fact, we suggest that it be included in the next edition. For laundry disasters, it’s not as much fun, but it does the job quite well.

3. Tide to Go. This one is great for the next time you want to go to a bar and offer to get rid of everyone’s incriminating lipstick stains in exchange for a free drink. Tide to Go is simply a marker sized pen that allows you to clean up stains, even without water.

4. Spray and Wash Dual Power Laundry Stain Remover. Remember Fizzies from when you were a kid? This reminds us of those. With Spray and Wash Dual Power Laundry Stain Remover, all you need to do is to apply it to your stains, and the “fizzies” action does the rest.

5. Spray and Wash Stain Stick. What appears to be a mild-mannered deodorant stick is in reality Spray and Wash Stain Stick. We’re not entirely sure how well this one will treat your underarms, but for laundry disasters, it’s great. It also has the advantage of being able to apply it to your worst stains, then just throw into the laundry hamper for the next time you do your wash. It’s just like pre-treating, but without the hassle.

Don’t want to involve yourself with laundry disasters at all? No need to get your hands dirty. Why not just contact The Laundry Center? If you are looking for someone who really knows how to deal effectively with stains and will even pick up and deliver your clothes for free as well, call them today.

How to Keep Your Laundry From Turning Pink

Published on Wednesday, 02 March 2016 13:46

Charles

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It might have been a popular trick to throw a red sock into someone’s white undies while in college, but in the years since, pink undies, or any other types of clothing for that matter, is no laughing matter. In fact, pulling your laundry out of the washing machine and having it be any color other than that you put in can be very frustrating, not to mention expensive. Fortunately, there are several thoughts to keep in mind to keep your laundry from coming out pink unless, of course, it went in pink.

Check Them Out. Before you put anything in the wash, especially new items, check them to see whether you think the colors will bleed. If you have a doubt, wash them separately, at least for the first few times you wash them. If you are still wondering, make sure to read the labels and wash accordingly.

Separate. Separating your laundry, whites, lights and pastels, bright colors, darks, and towels, is always a good idea. Too much work? Separate them as you throw them into hampers after you have worn them.

Minimize Friction. As you wash items over time, fibers tend to break down. This releases dyes and leads to fading. You can minimize this effect by washing like items such as heavy fabrics (jeans and the like) together. Better yet, turn them inside out and wish zippers closed. Using the permanent press cycle on your washing machine is also a good move.

Test For Colorfastness. If you are unsure of the colorfastness of certain items, test them by putting them in a sink full of soapy water for a half-hour. If after that time the water has changed colors, the items will bleed and are in need of special handling.

Don’t Use Salt or Vinegar. There is a common misconception that adding salt or vinegar to your wash will improve colorfastness (thanks, Pinterest), but this is incorrect. A very small group of fabrics set in vinegar, but this is very uncommon. Vinegar does help to eliminate odors but use it sparingly.

Wash In Cold Water. One of the best ways to help prevent your wash from turning pink is to wash everything in cold water. Negative side effects such as a laundry that is less clean will be minimized, and you can usually counter this with a good detergent.

Use Color Catching Sheets. Buy these anywhere they sell detergents, and they will help to prevent bleeding.

Hand Wash. If all else fails, and you are very concerned about colorfastness, hand wash the items of concern. You will have cut the chances of damaging other clothes and left pink laundry to the fraternity guys.

If you are still concerned about college pranks or otherwise worried about pink laundry, why not get your picked up, washed and delivered by the Laundry Center?

Laundry pick up and delivery is free, and you won’t have to worry about anything coming back pink.

5 Ways to Avoid Laundry Disasters

Published on Wednesday, 24 February 2016 16:30

Charles

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Do you approach your laundry chores with a certain kind of dread? Are you one of those people who get a sick, queasy feeling when you start thinking about doing your laundry? Maybe it’s that same uneasy feeling that you get when you watch the presidential debates? Ahh. It’s clear now, right? We can’t help you much with your election choices, but when it comes to doing your laundry, we have all kinds of great tips for avoiding laundry disasters. Here are five that we would like to pass along.

1. Read the labels. Manufacturers add labels to many of their clothes because they want to give you the best directions for keeping them looking their best. Unfortunately, they can’t help you unless you read the directions. That tiny label might be hard to read sometimes, but it can make the difference between clean, beautiful clothes, and a wash day disaster. That label gives good directions on what cycle and temperature to wash your clothes on as well as whether they can be tumble dried or not.

2. Separate your clothes. Don’t be tempted to throw all of your clothes into the wash together. Turning all of your clothing the same color of pink might be a great college prank, but it’s no fun outside of the ivy-covered halls. Separate whites, darks, colors, and delicates. Further, new clothes should also be washed separately to keep them from bleeding their dyes.

3. Pre-treat stains. Stains can usually be removed effectively if they are pre-treated promptly and properly.

4. Keep clothes looking better for longer. Adding a detergent booster will not only keep your whites whiter, but your colors more colorful and keep both longer. It’s also a good idea to turn your new clothes–especially jeans and wool items–inside-out to keep them from losing dye or going bubbly on you.

5. Dry your laundry properly. If your dryer has a tumble-dry function, use it. But also be aware that certain items may be too delicate to even tumble-dry. Wool can also shrink in a dryer. The safest way to dry your clothes is to hang them up immediately, allowing them to dry and air adequately. You will get your best result by hanging your clothes on a line. Besides, it’s more environmentally friendly too.

Tired of the whole laundry thing? Let the Laundry Center pickup and deliver your laundry. Not only will your clothes come back their best and brightest, but they will save you from lots time and relieve you of laundry duty.

What Laundry Should be Washed in Hot Water and Why

Published on Tuesday, 12 January 2016 20:29

Charles

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Not long ago, the New York Times ran a fun story about why most people still clean their clothes in hot water. Even in socialist countries like Germany, fer Gootsake, for whatever reason, they use hot water. The trouble with this is that this habit most often comes down to superstition, along with a dash of stubbornness and maybe even a reluctance to throw out what Mom taught us for good measure. Admit it: old habits die hard, even when you extend that tired old saying to things like cleaning clothes, and even when it’s bad for our budget as well as the environment.

Why do we still cling to the old notion that cleaning clothes in hot water are best? The truth is that sometimes it is best. The trouble is determining when the rule applies and when it doesn’t. Here are some guidelines that will help you, whether you want to break the hot water laundry habit or not.

When to Use Hot Water

Forget what “choosey mothers” choose, or what those pesky treehuggers are screaming, there are times when hot water is the best thing for you to use in your wash. These times are when you are cleaning whites, clothes that are especially dirty–think your kid’s play clothes–and things like diapers that are riddled with germs, use hot water 130 degrees Fahrenheit. As a rule of thumb, hot water is best to remove germs and heavy soiling. Now for the caveat: As effective as hot water is for doing these heavy jobs, there are plenty of instances where using hot water can lead to a disaster. For example, hot water can fade, shrink, and otherwise damage some fabrics. It’s for these reasons that you should always read your clothing labels before deciding to use hot water.

Not to make things any more complicated than they need to be, having all of the wonderful fabrics that we have today naturally leads us to need different washing instructions to keep them looking their best. Fortunately, there are also other practical considerations. Among these are the fact that the lower the temperature of the water in your wash, the less detergent that you need to use for the same job.

Washing heavily soiled clothes in hot water can set stains. In these instances, you should prewash heavily stained clothes in cold water, the wash them in hot water to remove the stain. Rinse water is always cold, so don’t worry about the effect this will have on your clothes. Besides, using cold water for your rinse will reduce wrinkling.

If the hot water myth has still got you firmly in hand, there is another option: try The Laundry Center for your nyc laundry pickup and delivery. Not only will you be guaranteed the best results in your wash, but you will have them picked up and delivered free of charge, regardless of how they are washed.