TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham provides tips on caring for household linens.
- Keep linens in a separate closet from clothing.
- Do not keep linen on open shelving, but rather in a shut closet that is well ventilated.
- Rotate the use of your linens. When your put away your clean linens, place them on the bottom of the linen pile so that each bedding set gets equal wear.
- Ironed, rolled holiday tablecloths and napkins that are used only once a year can be wrapped with tissue or put in a poster tube.
- To wash a fine lace tablecloth, fold all of the delicate edges and corners in toward the center. Continue folding corners in until all of the delicate edges are protected. Sew the bundle with a loose white thread. Handwash in a very mild detergent such as Woolite and cool water. Rinse and squeeze out the water. Do not wring. Remove the thread and lay flat on a white towel to dry.
- Curtains and drapes are going to fade from the sun--it is unavoidable. How about moving the curtains around from one window to the other for equal fading?
- Don't wash terrycloth towels after each use. This will only shorten their life span. Wash them once a week instead, and always wash them in hot water to get rid of any skin debris.
- If you dry towels outside, use fabric softener to prevent the towels from becoming stiff and rough. Also, remember that dark towels will fade if they are left in bright sunlight.
- Towels should be used in rotation to limit the amount of wear on them.
- When washing and ironing dish towels, use the hottest setting to eliminate as many bacteria and germs as possible.
- Starch linens every few washes. A thin layer of starch will help protect fabric from dirt. Combine one tablespoon of starch powder and two tablespoons of cold water until the mixture is smooth. Add 1-1/2 pints of boiling water to the starch mixture. Dampen the linens and immerse them in the mixture. Squeeze out the water and hang the items to dry. Spray them with starch and iron.
- Be sure not to iron linens when they are too wet or scorching may occur. If the iron hisses, then the linen is too wet.
- Make sure the iron is clean before ironing linens. Wipe it off with a mixture of equal amounts of vinegar and water. This will remove any mineral deposits that may have accumulated on the iron.
