Threads Thursday

The stain that started it all...

So as I referenced in my first post, this whole blog thing started with an orange stain on a jacket...  In homage to that moment, this first blog is all about various tricks of the trade I've picked up along the way to take care of your clothes.  RIVETING stuff, I know...  

I never claimed that this would all be earth shaking lifeSMACKS, but I will say, when you're lookin' a'fool because you've got a stain right on the boob of your crisp white shirt, or just blew out a candle and sprayed wax on your favorite party dress (which you may, or may not, have spent a ridiculous amount of money on and convinced yourself you'll wear if for the next 20 years and it'll "pay for itself") then these little hacks may just be your lifeline.  So buckle in buttercup, here we go!

My secret stain weapon?  ICE

Yes, ice.  The orange stain on Sandra's white jacket was all over the back of it, we had no idea what it was, and it was dried and we had no clue how long it had been their either.  For those of you with kiddos, I'm sure you've pulled out an article of clothing and said, "What the HECK is that?"  So in that vein, the next time you have a stain of almost ANY sort, start with ice.

It's a simple process, take a cube and rub it back and forth on the stain. It works 90%+ of the time.  It freezes the stain right off.  No need to add chemicals, that usually makes things worse.  Have patience, but it will work.  Have a blotting paper towel or rag just to try and absorb as you go, but her jacket, after a 5 minute ice rub down was right as rain.

What does ice work on?  Blood (GUARANTEED)... Husband nick his neck shaving and get blood on his collar?  Ice ice baby.  Ketchup or mustard... Glop fall from your fantastic ballpark hotdog?  Ice ice baby.  Wine, coffee, tea, food stains, drink stains?  Ice ice baby!  

It sometimes works on ink (ballpoint not the liquid fancy pens) if you accidentally scribble using an old fashioned pen on your shirt. 

"M, you've CHANGED my life!  But what about wax?" you say?  Well my little muppets, wax is a naughty, naughty wench.  First things first... If you get wax on your clothes, DON'T TOUCH IT.  Let it dry completely.  You'll need to remove your waxed clothing to remove the wax, so if you're in public or can't take it off until later - Don't pick at it.  Seriously, don't.  That just rubs it into the fibers more. So pickers out there, grab a cocktail, and don't futz with it!

When you can take off your article of clothing, lay it on an ironing board with a throw away towel or pile of paper towels UNDERNEATH the stained area (between the back of the stain and your ironing board so that when you melt the wax it doesn't seep through to the board).

Get a bunch of paper towels, already pre-ripped to the size of the stain area (no sense in wasting the whole sheet!), and your iron.  Heat your iron to the appropriate temp for the article of clothing you've got (cotton, linen, silk, you get the drill)... and then place 1-2 blotter paper towels and place your iron on top.

This will MELT THE WAX INTO THE PAPER TOWEL.  The secret is to press and check.  Preeeeeeess and check.  When you see the wax has come onto the paper towel - pitch it and start with a new fresh paper towel... over and over.  It'll melt that wax right into the absorbent paper towel.  Patience, just like with the ice - is key.  Don't rub or move the paper towels around - you want to have the wax absorb into the towels, not get spread further onto your clothes.  

"M, you genius!  What other mind blowing hacks can you share?" you exclaim?  Well here's a few more clothing care hacks, in no particular order but quite helpful, especially when you're on the road or not at home with your arsenal of hacks of your own:

• Covered in lint? No lint roller?  Use UPS, Fedex, or any form of waybill plastic pouch that you stick on a package.  They're basically a hand sized lint glove.  Stick your hand in the opening, rip off the sticker part and pat your clothing to remove the lint.  If you travel, every front desk in every hotel in the world has these!  If you're driving, pull over to one of the stand alone drop off bins for Fedex or UPS and lift up the "supplies" portion - and you'll find a stash of those suckers.  I keep a pile at home and pack them in my suitcase just in case, fold one up and keep it in my purse for on-the-go emergencies.  BOOM!  That was the sound of your linted mind being blown!

• Just unpacked and your clothes are completely wrinkled? This one is a common sense hack we all forget.  Steam those suckers.  Turn on your shower to boiling hot - and if you can, hang the item in the shower (not in the water, just in the shower enclosure) and let the steam do the work.  If you're in a rush, hang it just outside the shower while you're showering, then when done - quickly dry the shower wall/area with a towel (so your clothing doesn't get wet if you hang it against it)- hang your article of clothing, and turn on the shower to finish steaming while you do your hair and makers.  Works like a charm. I steamed a full length Vera Wang dress that looked like it had won first place in the worlds most wrinkled clothing contest.  10 minutes, and she was smooth and flowing... and I didn't raise an iron once.  I hate ironing, and I hate hotel irons even more.  I've actually ruined more clothes than I care to share due to those things either heating too hot (and I scorch my skirt) or use the steam and it poofs some white/grey nastiness onto my clothes and ruins them that way.  Perhaps it's just me, but I loathe ironing.  End. Of. Discussion.

• Can't find your swimsuit bottoms?  (Ahem, Woomera!)  Lost the mate to your ski socks?  This one is an OCD thing of mine.  Everything has a place, a mate, and a system.  And because of my OCD, I organize every drawer... I may have a problem, but that's for a different blog.  So, back to this.  "Tell me M, how do you solve this conundrum?" you cry!  ZIP LOCK BAGGIES.  Each bikini top and bottom in it's own baggie.  Ditto for special (ski, running, etc) socks.  If you're really into it and have the same compulsion I do to ALWAYS match your bra and panties.... pop the mates in a zip lock and put them in the drawer.  You'll find that you never lose mates to anything again, and your drawers become organized "files" of clothing, that you can easily sort through and will never end up with a bikini top in your suitcase without the bottom.  It also makes it really easy when packing as you pull out the bag and have both of whatever you needed... No rifling through luggage, or dumping a drawer out in a panic for the bottoms to your favorite "makes my butt look good" bikini.

Alright my darlings... that's enough greatness for one day.  Stay tuned, tomorrow is Fab Friday's, where I'll share a list of things I just find to be Fab.  You may, or you may not, but at least I'll know that as you're reading you're stain and wrinkle free, and your britches match!  Mwah!!