Merlin

Since we as a community seem to require the wisdom of the obby from time to time on all things household, I thought I'd start a thread we can dig up whenever one of these issues pops up. And anyone who can help, please chime in.


And of course, I'll go first.....

Dear obby,
Let's say I make the dreaded mistake of not sorting laundry properly and some of, okay a lot of my white stuff comes out in a stunning shade of blue, how long and how much bleach should I soak it in to get it close enough to white again to get away with wearing?

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oblongmelon

DO NOT SOAK ANYTHING IN BLEACH..it is caustic to most fabrics in large amounts..and even if diluted with water-TOO much bleach will cause yellowing-not whitening as with popular belief (trust me-years of washing nursing uniforms taught me that)..if the garments are really REALLY miscolored-then I suggest picking up a package of RIT COLOR REMOVER..its found with the RIT DYES..it will definately get your stuff back to white..you would add it to your wash load before you put the clothes in...it works GREAT-I have a hub who has a tendancy to put anything red in with white stuff (I think he still can't see outta that eye)so I ended up redoing alot of the laundry..
If the clothing articles are only slightly tinged, well then go ahead and use about 1 cup of bleach in a FULL was load..make sure you use HOT WATER ..and TIDE. Tide seems to do the trick for removing stains/melted crayons/color changes..Good luck. and remember-LIMIT THE BLEACh...I am a fan of FELS NAPTHA SOAP..use this recipe for REALLY WHITE CLOTHES..
FELS NAPTHA Powdered Laundry Detergent RECIPE
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup 20 mule team borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy loads, use 2 tablespoons.

This is an old time recipe that everyone's grandmother used..it makes stuff so clean you have to wear sunglasses..one bar of grated fels naptha lasts about half a year or longer and you can buy it in most supermarkets in the laundry soap isle. (ITS BAR SOAP)

Kevster

Obby -

Thank you! You are a goddess!

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I think over again
My small adventures, my fears.
The small ones that seemed so big,
For all the vital things I had to get and to reach.

And yet there is only one great thing, the only thing:

To live to see the great day that dawns,
And the light that fills the world.

-old Inuit song

oblongmelon

it's just common sense boys...FYI -if you're going to throw a horse head in someone's bed-make sure you have a tub large enough to soak the sheets in cold water afterwards-or that damn blood will never come out..(not that I would know anything about that..)

dbax791

What is the best method for cleaning baseboards (white-painted trim) that accumlate dirt in the little wedge between the trim and wall?

oblongmelon

take an old fairly stiff brissled tooth brush.(dry).dip it in baking soda-or salt-and brush out the grooves-then once you're all done with that part(dry)..use an old soft cloth to wash the baseboards down with ammonia and water and a drop or two of dish soap. Then rinse with a clean cloth and clean water. (sometimes q-tips help getting the really hard to reach places.)

DaFunkyUnit

ok, i think its time for an "Ask Obby" forum....



She's like Martha Stewart, except for the fact that people actually like her.

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cheapchinese

i got a pair of white sneaker obby.. how do i get them clean and white again?? can i throw it in the the washer and dryer??

dbax791

Obby, you rock.

gear02

I throw my colors and whites together when I don't have too many clothes. I thought it was ok if you use cold water to wash them and make sure that the clothes you mix aren't prone to bleeding.

Btw I end up washing all my clothes in cold water. Is this good?

oblongmelon

are they cloth? or are they leather? yes, you can throw them in the washer-either way..but if leather-use a lesser degree temp of the water..
I would hesitate to put them in the dryer though-the heat sometimes shrinks and loosens up the rubber soles..and then you're screwed and you look like you have floppy ronald mcdonald shoes on..tide works great-add a bit of white vinegar to the load-that will definately take out any "strong" foot odor you might have lingering in the shoes..the tide cleans the dirt-but odor -if any is another subject all together-
hang them by the laces to dry in the sun-you'll be good to go.

oblongmelon

NO. and the reason why is because cold water does not kill germs.
think of when you wash your hands after sneezing-or using the restroom-do you use hot or cold water to get the heebee jeebies off? HMMMM? (GOD I HOPE YOU'RE WASHING THOSE HANDS!)even though you think you might be clean as whistle-who knows what you are sitting in, leaning on,walking through,brushing up against..that you don't know about..Even though manufacturers sell washers with cold cycles, and they sell "cold water detergents"..hygenically speaking-lukewarm/warm/hot is always better. For those clothes that are prone to running-fill up the tup halfway with cold water-then add warm for the rest of the washertub..cold water washing needs extra detergent-
take this test-place one drop of dishsoap in your hand and wash your hands with VERY COLD WATER-results-hardly any suds N bubbles..now try the same thing with warm/hot water..see the difference?

gear02

ahhhhhhh....thanks obby!

molecularfire

Hello. Long time listener, first time poster to the ask obby thread. I have a question that I hope you will be able to help me with. How do you get ink and dried blood off of white clothing. Thanks.

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Disclaimer - The above opinion should not be taken as medical advise. My only advise is to talk to your doctor. If you are stupid enough to take anything I say seriously, you have nobody to blame for your cranio-anal inversion but your stupid self.

I may not be smart enough to do everything but I am dumb enough to try anything. - Beastboy.

oblongmelon

if the blood has already been set by heat-(ie: dryer) chances are the only that that will lessen the stain is repeated washings.or a good scrubbing with FELS NAPTHA...but try this..spray the stain with a bit of hydrogen peroxide followed by a bit of table salt poured on it..any proteins from the blood that come loose from the peroxide will cling to the sodium crystals and should lift part of that stain off..in the next washing-but dont do the peroxide treatment until about 10 minutes before washing unless you are sure the garment is colorfast-either way..follow up with REGULAR TIDE..
(ps..REGULAR TIDE takes dryer-melted crayons COMPLETELY OFF clothes)
Hairspray takes off ink quite well-as does peroxide..
make sure if you get any kind of blood on garments you IMMEDIATELY hit with ice cold water so the stain does get a chance to soak in..

InfiniteNothing

Holy cow. I'm learning so much.

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As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

oblongmelon

You'd be surprised what you pick up over the years.

Nija

who'd you kill?

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molecularfire

So far nobody. I just have people bleed on me a lot. It still amazes me how much blood someone can lose and still live.

oblongmelon

uh...Maybe you should invest in latex clothing.

molecularfire

Nah. I have this rule... there are only two parts of my body that I will cover with latex.

oblongmelon

well i know ONE of them-what is the other?

molecularfire

It's been so long, I've forgotten.

Memo

Yes! Hydroen Peroxide works WONDERS on any blood stained fabrics. Has saved me many times in the past!

oblongmelon

caribiner23

Hey Obby--

Love ya, love your show. Here's my question:

The other day I was making potato pancakes for a Christmas/Chanukah thing that's coming up and now my entire place smells like fried onions and potatoes. I opened the windows for a couple hours, but the smell is still there. How do I freshen the place up? The potpourri I've got sitting around is covering it up somewhat, but I'd like to clear it out soon.

Secondly, how do I get the onion scent off my hands? A couple of showers and lots of handwashing still hasn't cleared it up.

I'll hang up and wait for my answer.

Nija

I've used febreeze around the house to get the stinkier smells out of my house (friend potatos, beer boiled brats) and it's works great. can't help with the hands tho

Jenny

Febreeze is great!

And btw, friend potatos hmm? Just what kind of friends do you have?

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coleslaw

To get rid of onion, garlic or any other lingering smells on your hands, dump some salt into your palm (2-3 tablespoons maybe?), add some water and then "wash" your hands with this mixture. After you rinse all of the salt off, the smell should be gone.

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Nija

cooked