How to Fight Static in Your Clothes

If you use store bought dryer sheets which eliminate static by coating clean laundry with a film, you will notice an increase in static when changing to a natural laundry alternative.  How can you fight static naturally and without chemicals?  Try these tips!

1) Separate your synthetic fiber clothes from your natural fiber clothes.

To reduce static, try hang drying your synthetic (artificial) fiber clothes.  Examples of synthetic fibers are polyester and acrylic.  If you are unable to hang dry these synthetic fiber clothes, try separating them from natural fiber fabrics like cotton before drying.  Usually synthetic fiber clothes need less time in the dryer than natural fibers.

Be careful not to over dry as over drying can create static cling.  Try adding a damp/almost wet wash cloth to your synthetic loads when tumble drying and the added moisture will help to distribute existing moisture and keep the clothes from over drying.  Alternatively, you can add a damp/almost wet with white vinegar cloth and it will have the same effect.

2) Use wool dryer balls and use less time to dry your clothes in the dryer.


With using wool dryer balls in your laundry, you can decrease your drying time.  The wool dryer balls absorb moisture and work to circulate and fluff your clothes as they dry.  If you use a timed dry setting, you will have to decrease your drying time.  When clothes are dried for less time in the dryer, they have less time to rub together and create less static electricity.

3) Use vinegar instead of fabric softener.

Try replacing your store bought fabric softener with vinegar.  Not only will you save yourself a ton of money as vinegar much less expensive than fabric softener, you will also see a reduction in static.  Don’t worry about the smell, the vinegar smell will be washed out by the time the washing machine cycle is complete.


I especially recommend using vinegar instead of fabric softener for bath towels, kitchen towels and dish cloths.  The vinegar will work to soften your towels without all the chemicals of store bought fabric softener.  If you choose to use fabric softener on your towels, it will leave behind a film.   This fabric softener film will make the fibers of your towels less absorbent, which is the exact opposite effect you want to happen.


Want to scent your laundry before hang drying it?  Try adding essential oil to vinegar in your fabric softener compartment.  For an energizing scent, try pink grapefruit essential oil.  If you would like a relaxing scent, try adding lavender essential oil.

Sandra

Cleaning with Homemade Cleaners (Take 1)

I’ve cleaned my home for many years using both handmade and store bought cleaners.  When purchasing store bought cleaners I’ve tried to stay to more natural or eco-friendly cleaners (eg. Method).  Not until recently, have I felt ready to jump in and make a switch that will hopefully eliminate my need for store bought cleaners permanently.

One area in my house I have always used store bought chemical cleaner is… the dreaded cleaning of the toilets.  I somehow thought if I used a whole bunch of chemicals in the form of a blue liquid, that this was the only way to “safely clean” my toilets.  I had a mental block preventing me from seeing another solution.  After all, I knew there had to be another way.  Otherwise how would my grandmother have cleaned hers??  I'm pretty sure she was not investing in blue liquid.  But I needed to use a recipe from someone I trust.

I recently purchased the book “The Organically Clean Home” by Becky Rapinchuk (Clean Mama).  She has changed the way I think of “clean”.  Using her book, I’m making some changes and switching to homemade, natural, chemical free cleaners throughout my home.

Via Cleanmama.net

For years, I have cleaned my sinks and showers with pure 100% white vinegar.  Not a nice smell I know, but I knew it worked.  I knew that vinegar has a ton of germ killing properties.  I knew that it worked well in our old house to clean up the effects of hard well water.  Heck, “vinegar” has its own label here on my blog, I use it so much.  Sometimes vinegar was the only thing that would work to clean my sinks and showers at the old house, no store bought cleaner could compare.  But I could not get past cleaning toilets naturally and without a blue liquid.  With Becky’s book, I hope to conquer this fear.

Last night, I made 2 recipes from her book.  I wanted to start with recipes I knew I would use often and would make a big difference in our house.  One recipe is for my bathrooms – Lavender and Lemon Bathroom Disinfecting Spray.   And one is for my kitchen – Tea Tree and Orange Disinfecting Cleaner.  I’m not new to Tea Tree essential oil, and I know it has MANY benefits.  But, I’m most excited that I can now replace my 100% vinegar solutions.  My nose will thank me I’m sure.  And now I won’t be worried about using my cleaners before company arrives because I was afraid of the vinegar odour.  These cleaners smell wonderful!


I gave the new cleaners a test run, and I am very impressed with how easy they were to throw together.  I have all the ingredients on hand.  I can now replace my homemade kitchen cleaner and my 100% vinegar bathroom cleaner.  I’m so HAPPY!

I’m excited to try more recipes from her book.  I have sticky notes all over the pages of her book, marking recipes I want to try next.  The best part is most of the recipes use ingredients I already have on hand.


This week, I’m going to conquer my bathroom toilet cleaning fear.  I’m giving her very simple, chemical free recipe a try.  Not only can I pronounce all the ingredients and I know what they are.  Big step.  I will let you know how I make out!

As Always,
Sandra

By the way, I’m not paid for this post, all opinions are my own.  I just love her book and want to share how it is changing my cleaning routine :)

Naturally Reduce Static in Your Laundry

Wool dryer balls are a natural and eco-friendly alternative to costly dryer sheets and fabric softener.  Commercial dryer sheets and fabric softeners often use harsh chemicals and coat your laundry which transfer to the clothes in your dryer.  These harsh chemicals eventually end up in contact with your skin as you wear your clothes.

I use wool dryer balls to reduce the static in my laundry. Wool dryer balls save time and money on your electricity bill by shortening the drying time.  The wool dryer balls work by wicking moisture away from your clothes and gently tumbling, circulating, and softening the clothes in your dryer.

Visit my Etsy shop to check out my selection of wool dryer balls: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleisPrettyShop

Here are a couple of helpful tips I've learned to reduce static in laundry naturally:

The most common cause of static is from over drying laundry.  If you use wool dryer balls in your dryer, you will notice your drying time can be reduced by as much as 30 - 40% in some loads of laundry.  You will need to adjust your drying times on your dryer to make sure your laundry is not over drying otherwise it will start to create static.  Also, try drying on a low heat setting so clothes dry more evenly.

Another solution to reduce static is to add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle dispenser.  Vinegar will also work to soften your laundry.  Another added advantage of adding vinegar to your rinse cycle is the vinegar works to clean your washer and prevent odors and mildew.

Synthetic materials and fabrics also contribute to static.  Try to separate these synthetic materials out of your laundry before drying.  Try hang drying your synthetic fabrics instead.

Another static fighter option is to put a ball of aluminium foil in the dryer with the wool dryer balls and laundry.  The aluminium foil ball will work to discharge the electricity that is built up.  The tin foil ball shrinks and hardens as it tumbles in the dryer which can be very noisy.  Be sure to keep away the aluminium foil balls away from children and pets as they pose a potential choking hazard.

If you are still having difficulty with static once you have your clothes on, try applying lotion to your skin where the clothes are sticking to you.  The lotion creates a barrier which will block the static.

What are your static solutions?

As Always,
Sandra

Updated:  Make your own wool dryer balls, check out my tutorial... Click here.

Guest Post for Pretty Organized, and a Giveaway!

I'm over at Pretty Organized today share my laundry tips.  I'm giving away some of products from my Etsy shop, plus everyone receives a 15% coupon code for my shop.  Be sure to check out the post and enter at Casey's lovely blog... Pretty Organized!

As Always,
Sandra

Recaulking Our Master Bath Shower…

When we first moved into our house the master bath shower was in bad shape.  All the caulking was black with mildew and mold.  It was GROSS, to put it mildly.




I decided to give re-caulking the shower a try.  I knew it couldn't get any worse that what it was.


First, I got to work with my scraper and scraped off and cut off as much caulking as I could.


Here are the rest of the supplies I used to complete the recaulking…


Next, I used the silicone remover gel.  I just needed to brush it on with the attached little brush and wait.




Then I used paper towel and my scraper to remove more silicone caulking.  I had to repeat this process a couple of times in areas, depending how much caulking had to be removed.




Next, I got to work on killing the mold and mildew.  I used an old paint brush and brushed on the bleach, being very careful not to spill or splash any.  Make sure to wear protective glasses and gloves, and old clothes.  I brushed the bleach onto any surface that had mold or potential for mold to grow.


After leaving the bleach sit for about an hour, I rinsed it well with water using a rag.  To get off any soap scum and hard water build up, I sprayed and washed the whole shower with vinegar and rinsed well.




I let the shower dry fully for 2 days before I could finally begin caulking.  I used painter’s tape to mark off where I wanted to caulk.  I also wore gloves because caulking is hard to get off skin.


I cut the caulking tube on an angle and squeezed the silicone into the areas to caulk.  I find the squeezable tubes easier to control compared to the tubes that require a caulking gun.

Be sure to use caulking formulated for a bath or shower.  After applying the caulking, I spread it with my caulking applicator tool.  So much easier than using your finger and less messy too.  I find it easier to remove the tape when the caulking is still wet.





Such a huge difference!

As Always,
Sandra

Make your own Homemade Laundry Detergent

So EASY!  You can save money and cut down on chemicals your skin is in contact with by making your own Homemade Laundry Detergent...



The first step to making your own laundry detergent is to buy or make washing soda.  Check out my post here to make your own washing soda (VERY EASY).



Here is what you’ll need:

6 tbsp Washing Soda

6 tbsp Borax

6 tbsp Liquid Castile Soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Unscented Liquid Castile Soap,—I use unscented so I can scent with whatever essential oil I choose at the time I do laundry, or leave unscented)

Essential Oil (optional)

Empty Milk Jug or other mixing container (you can use a empty ice cream pail)

Water


Steps:

1.  Put 1 cup of hot water in a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add washing soda and borax.  Stir to completely dissolve washing soda and borax in the hot water.  If water is not hot enough to dissolve the ingredients, try microwaving the mixture. 



I have used 20 Mule Team and Eco-Pioneer Borax and like them both.

 

2. Add castile soap to washing soda and borax mixture and mix to combine.  Pour the mixture into a 4 litre (1 gallon) milk jug or other container.  Optional: Add essential oil to the milk jug mixture, about 20 drops.

 

I buy my Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap from London Drugs, Well.ca or you can find it here.  I bought my Lavender Essential Oil from Well.ca.

3. To fill the milk jug, add cold water slowly –so lots of suds don’t form.  DON’T the shake container.  Leave some room in the jug to mix (i.e. Don’t fill jug with water to the very top).  Mix with a spoon or gently rock or tilt the jug from side to side to prevent lots of suds from forming.



4. It is best if you can leave the mixture overnight and then gently stir or tilt to mix and then pour it into other containers if desired.



Use a few tablespoons of your new laundry detergent per load and add more for large or extra soiled loads of laundry.  Use vinegar as fabric softener (don’t worry, the vinegar smell rinses away). 

As Always,
Sandra

Simple is Pretty Parties Here…

Towel Washing Advice

Do you have bath towels that don’t absorb water?  How about stinky washcloths or dishcloths?  I’ve found a solution…



Vinegar.

When I get new towels, here is what I do after I get them home from the store.  I add about 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle.  No need to measure, just pour.  I do this for the first couple times I wash them.  This allows the towels to absorb water better.  If you have colored towels, vinegar also helps to set the color.



I also use vinegar as a fabric softener.  Don’t worry about the smell of vinegar in your laundry.  The smell is gone after the clothes are washed.  If you still smell vinegar, just give your clothes or towels an extra rinse.  Much cheaper than store bought fabric softener!

If you have stinky washcloths or dishcloths, try adding vinegar to the wash cycle to get rid of the smell.  If that doesn’t work, try soaking the cloths in a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water for an hour and then throw them in the washing machine.  Vinegar has natural antibacterial properties which gets rid of that yucky smell!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

As Always,
Sandra

Simple is Pretty Parties Here…

Revealing My Mop…

{Drumroll} …



…Ta Da! 

I have been using my Rubbermaid Reveal Mop for about a year and it works great.  I love the fact I no longer have to buy refill cleaning pads.  (Just an FYI, Rubbermaid does not know me and I'm not getting anything from them to write this post.  I just want to share what makes sense for me and the cleaner I use).

Previously, I had a Swiffer Wet Jet.  I liked my Swiffer Wet Jet until it started to spray the cleaning solution all over the place.  But one thing I never liked about the Swiffer Wet Jet was the dependency on using their cleaning solution and pads.  Expensive!

In comparison, the Reveal Mop is much less expensive.  I make my own cleaning solution and the cleaning pads are reusable.  Just throw the cleaning pads in the washing machine.  I purchased 2 cleaning pads, so if one is in the wash I have another to use in case of spills and other cleaning emergencies (which happens a lot in our house).

The Reveal Mop's cleaning pad is larger than the Swiffer Wet Jet’s.  Which means… less time cleaning because I can cover more area with each sweep of the mop.

You can use a store bought cleaning solution or homemade solution with the Reveal Mop.

Here is the recipe for the cleaning solution I use:




1) Fill refill bottle to “water” line with water.
 

2) Add 1 to 3 Tbsp of White Vinegar to refill bottle - Vinegar helps prevent streaks and also has strong antibacterial properties (the vinegar smell disappears, but if the smell is too much just decrease the vinegar amount in your solution).



3) Add 1 Tbsp Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap to refill bottle.  I like the smell of Citrus Orange.  I bought online from Well.ca, but lots of stores carry it, including Amazon.ca.



4) Add about 10 drops Tea Tree Oil to refill bottle.  Tea Tree Oil is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.  I bought online from well.ca, but tea tree oil can be found in most stores, including Amazon.ca.



5) Put the lid on the refill bottle and give it a quick shake to combine the ingredients.  Place bottle on mop and you are ready to clean your floors!





Quick, easy and inexpensive.  Also much better for the environment, much less waste!



What mop do you use?  What are your floor cleaning solutions?

As Always,
Sandra

Cleaning Blinds

Today, I started cleaning the blinds in my house, something I've been putting off for too long.  I had been procrastinating because I did not how to start and this task seems to take forever.  In our house, most of the rooms have white aluminum horizontal blinds.  I confess I've only thoroughly cleaned the blinds a couple of times since putting them up almost 5 years ago.  Other than that, they get a quick vacuum or spot clean with a rag.

I cleaned the horizontal blinds in the past by putting them in the bath tub and scrubbing each individual blind.  Hard on the back!  Then I would have to dry each individual blind with a towel to avoid water spots.  Since we have well water, it leaves water spots on everything.  As a result, daily I use vinegar to clean the kitchen sink and it works great at removing the spots.

My adventure started in the dirtiest blind space.... my kitchen.  Horizontal blinds are over the sink and vertical plastic blinds are in the dining room.  

 
In the kitchen, the blinds get dusty and greasy.  I needed a new blind cleaning solution.  I turned to my old pal Vinegar.  I was hoping the vinegar would cut the grease but it needed a little help.  I put in a little Dawn dish detergent in my vinegar pail (no water added).  With a rag soaked in the Dawn and vinegar, I got to work and washed each individual blind as they hung.  It took a little time and elbow grease, but in the end it was much faster than the bathtub method.  And best of all, I didn't have to dry each individual blind to avoid water spots since no water was used.

With the kitchen and dining room blinds now cleaned, my next step is to clean the blinds in the rest of the house.  The rest of the blinds should go faster as they are just dusty and not greasy.  Do you have any blind cleaning tricks or tips?  I'd love to hear them!

As Always,
Sandra