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The best laundry hacks

by Laundry

Most of us don’t enjoy doing the laundry. Yet that pile just keeps on getting bigger and bigger.

But a few simple tips and tricks can make your life so much easier.

Keep socks paired in a mesh laundry bag.

Those mesh bags that we use for bras and delicates are also great at keeping small items from getting lost too. Most houses definitely have a sock monster. A top tip to get in the habit of is using a mesh bag for your socks, leave it next to or hanging in your laundry hamper and then as you take your socks off toss them in. When it is full add the mesh bag straight to the wash.

Zip your zips up

Not only can the zipper itself break or damage the drum in your machine, but the sharp metal teeth of the zipper can snag on fabric or lace and ruin your delicate items. To avoid this, be sure to zip up any clothing items with a zip before adding to your washing machine.

Keep white chalk in the laundry cupboard to treat grease stains.

Why I hear you asking, chalk is ultra – absorbent, you can rub a bit on any oily or grease stain as they happen and the chalk will absorb the grease and keep the stain from setting until you wash your garment.

For more stain tips check out my stain busting guide.

Decrease your clothes with ice cubes.

If you have a tumble dryer you can quickly “iron” your clothes with the ice cube tip. Just pop in the wrinkled items no more than 3 otherwise it won’t work into the dryer with an ice cube or two, on the warmest possible setting for 10 minutes, and let the ice cube create steam in the dryer to leave your clothes looking smooth. This is perfect tip for when you need something quick for a night out, let the steam do the work whilst you are getting ready.

Put your clothes in the freezer.

It won’t kill bacteria, but an overnight stay in the freezer will help to refresh your clothes and combat odours enough to, say, wear that pair of jeans one more time before washing them. Alternatively if it is freezing cold day pop them outside for a few hours, the frozen air will do the same and if the sun is out the sun will act as a natural disinfectant.

Ditch dryer sheets for woollen dryer balls.

Dryer sheets are great for fragrance but not a lot else so instead, go for a pack of woollen dryer balls they will keep the air moving, smooth out wrinkles and speeding up your drying time. Add 3 to a small load and 6 to a larger load.

Hand-wash your clothes in a salad spinner.

Those hand-wash-only items can be a pain to clean. But small items can be thrown into a salad spinner if you have one, add a bit of laundry detergent or Castile soap with water to give them a wash, this will be more powerful than hand-massaging but gentler than the washing machine. You can also use the spinner to dry them afterwards!

Use this tip for swimwear too.

Pre-soak your Sweaty sports clothes in vinegar.

For that foul-smelling load of gym clothes, soak your clothes in a half a cup of white vinegar mixed with cold water for at least an hour before washing. This will help remove unpleasant smells and break down sweat stains.

Prevent Colour Runs

If you’re not one to separate clothes by colours or have loads that are too small then try using a colour catcher. These magical little sheets lock dye in and you can actually see the colour has been absorbed when the wash is done. You can get reusable ones that last up-to 30 washes. But I still recommend trying to keep your whites together.

Shake your clothes to make them dry faster

To help clothes dry quicker, try shaking out some of the excess water before hanging or adding to the dryer. It will open up the fabric and make them dry faster with fewer wrinkles.

Or you can also speed up drying time by throwing a dry towel into a load of wet clothes for the first 15 minutes of the drying cycle. The towel will absorb a lot of the water.

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Laundry powder v liquid

by Laundry

The choice for laundry products these days is absolutely huge and it can be really hard to choose the right product that suits you and your family.

i am often asked what is better to use laundry powder or laundry detergent ?

Powder has been around since the early 1930’s and was first used in America but the early 1970’s bought liquid detergents to the market in Japan and Europe.

Both products aren’t actually that different. Liquid detergent is much better at cleaning up greasy stains and can also act as a pre stain treatment but powder is much better at cleaning up grass and muddy stains.

These days we are so much more economical with our washing and use lower heat settings in our washing machines. Liquid detergents work much better with cooler water as they are already a liquid, whereas some powders don’t dissolve well in cooler water.

Powder may leave little clumps of left over detergent on your clothes, which may result in washing again and powder can also leave chunks of undissolved detergent in your machine. Overtime, the clumps can build up in your washing machine, and cause a blockage.

But on the plus side powder is cheaper than liquid and comes in recyclable packaging. Although the boxes are usually quite heavy and large and can be hard to store. They do require a completely dry area for storage to prevent caking and this can be quite troublesome over the winter months.

Liquids are easier to use and come in a huge variety of scents but if you are not careful you can end up using too much due to the measurement lines on the cap being quite hard to read. Using too much product can leave residue on clothes.

Are you team liquid or powder ?

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Household items that you can forget to clean.

by Cleaning Tips

Out of sight out of mind is the saying.  If you can’t see it then others won’t see it and does it need to be factored into your cleaning routine

There are some items in the home that we can just forget to clean.

The Bathroom Extractor Fan

When we the last time you eve though to you yourself I must give my extractor fans a good clean. Extractor fans are one of the most annoying things to clean in your home, they are up high in bathrooms so often out of sight.  But they collect dust and lots of it! The dust soon clogs up and they no longer become effective!  Take a duster or hoover nozzle to them weekly stretch up high and give them a dust. If the dust has really built up get up there with an old mascara brush or ear bud to release the dirt.

Devices/TV remotes

We spend so much time on our devices these day but how often do you clean them? Simply wipe then daily with a antibacterial cleaner and a microfiber cloth to keep those germs at bay. Just think your phone can often be put on some very dirty coffee tables when out and about. Did you know that your phone carries more germs than a toilet seat?

Lights/Lamp shades

Light fittings are highly neglected when it comes to cleaning. Make a point monthly of simply giving them a wipe using a microfiber cloth or duster. Make sure the light is turned off as you don’t want a nasty accident. For lampshades grab a lint roller and go over them do gently pick up any settled dust.

Door frames

Dust really settles on internal door frames so make a point of a dry dusting session weekly to and go around all your door frames. You will be surprised at what you see on your cloth!.When people visit your home they can be sneaky and do the door frame test so be prepared!

PVC around doors and windows

As much as we clean our windows and doors sometimes the frames can be neglected, grubby finger marks and marks from opening and closing and coming in and out can easily occur.  I find a damp cloth and a tiny amount of cream cleaner work really at keeping PVC looking really clean and bright.

Brooms, hoovers and dusters

Things that clean for you need to be cleaned!There’s no point cleaning with a dirty tools! Soak your broom and duster heads in water mixed with washing up liquid and dry naturally outside or on the windows sill and then with your hoover make sure you empty the dust or change the bag weekly and give it a rinse through.

Washing Machine

Mould and residue can build up inside your washing machine, so run some white wine vinegar through it on a regular basis or some specialist washing machine cleaner. If your machine needs a deeper clean CLICK HERE

Shower curtain

I get so many questions about shower curtains have an orange effect on the bottom. This is often caused by limescale.  Take your shower curtain down every so often and pop alone in the washing machine with white wine vinegar rather than detergent.  After use always make sure you pull it and allow it to dry keeping your bathroom window open so it can really air dry.

House plants

You may think its a bit bizarre to hoover your house plants but dust really does settle on those leave.  Give them a light nozzle hoover or wipe over with a micro fibre cloth.

Behind the loo

You may keep the pan and the seat nice and clean but how often do you get on your hands and knees and get right to the back of your toilet?  Get down and dirty weekly to keep your toilet in tip-top conditioner and dust free. Have you read my guide on how to give your toilet a proper clean

I would be really interested to know what you forget to clean?

Thanks for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

This post contains affiliate links 

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My Review of the HOTPOINT Ultima S-LINE RPD 9467 JGG Washing Machine

by LaundryProduct Reviews

I am so lucky the lovely team at Hotpoint recently send me a new washing machine. The Ultima S-Line RPD 9467 JGG My washing machine was fine but it had been going strong for 6 years and had worked so hard with my constant overuse that a new one was definitely due. I really look after my washing machines and washing machine care is so important.  With the old machine I tended to do at least two washes a day, main reason being it only had a small drum and being a family of 5 and having a Hetty one load was just never enough.

I certainly did need a bigger drum and my new machine has a 9kg drum which has made a huge difference. I can get so much in and my normal load just looks lost. On a good day I now only need to do one load of washing, so that is only one lot of detergent and fabric conditioner daily and I am using less energy. This machine is a premium energy efficent device which comes with an A plus plus plus rating and ensures minimal consumption of power.

Its been so lovely seeing my new shiny machine in my utility room the appearance certainly does grab attention with its LCD screen and smart sleek design. I have now tested out every function and believe me there is a lot. This machine does everything.  This washing machine is super silent and my utility room no longer sounds like an aeroplane is taking off!

Some of the functions that have particularly impressed me are:

Anti Stain Cycle

This function saves the need for a prestain treatment. This worked on tested stains of red wine and coffee at 20 degrees!

Steam hygiene

This amazing function which has really impressed me allows you to wash your clothes at a low temperature and it will still eliminate 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

Woolmark

This is a really delicate function that is great for those beautiful woolen delicate tops that you may own this function cleans well and keep the siftness that can be sometimes lost when washing.

Plus there are a great selection of programmes to choose from.  Whats even better as you pull out the drawer for the detergent and fabric conditioner and there is a list of the programmes so you can never forget and it saves you from looking for the instruction manual. But one negative with the drawer is, it’s very difficult to remove and I do like to remove mine to clean it at least once a week as mould and mildew can build up in this area.

  • Cotton 40°
  • Cotton 60
  • Synthetics
  • Silk
  • Wool
  • Duvets
  • Delicates
  • Steam Refresh
  • Eco Cotton
  • Baby
  • Shirts
  • White
  • Woolmark

There is also a delay timer which I use to set so the cycle has finished just as I come downstairs in the morning, this was I can hang my washing out staright away nivce and early or pop it in the tumble drier.  For safety it has a child look and the digital display is very clear so no eye strainning.

I am certainly not a washing machine expert but I have found this machine really easy to use, its super quiet and looks good.

Price point is really good and its availble in many stores such as John Lewis and Tesco plus many online.

Look after you machine and it will continue to keep your laundry smelling good

I hope you found this review useful

Thanks for reading Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This product was gifted and the opinons in this feature and my own

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What are some of the dirtiest items in your home?

by Cleaning Tips

Everything we touch daily is covered in millions of living bacteria but not a lot of us know how often we should clean the items we use all the time. Some bacteria is actually good for our immune system but on the other side of the spectrum some can make us really sick. Germs can spread from person to person and from person to surface. Hand washing is so important and so many still go to the toilet and do not wash their hands.

Did you know?

Your bed

That you sleep in every night is covered in dead skin and your pillow case can contain more germs than your toilet seat.and your sheets can contain more germs than your bathroom door handle!  How disgusting is that. I am always asked about yellow pillows and this explains all, always use pillow protectors and ensure you wash your bedding at least one a week.  Fresh air in the bedroom too can really help and keep the bacteria from spreading and go deeper and deeper into your mattress. You should turn your mattress every six months and get a new mattress every seven years. Over time your mattress can become heavy from dead skin, gallons of sweat and millions of dust mites so make sure you hoover your mattress too or use a mattress cleaning system.

TV remote

Is one of the most commonly overlooked household objects that nearly everyone comes into contact multiple times per day. Your remote gets dropped on the floor, lost in the couch, coughed on, sneezed on, spilled on, and covered with any number of sticky messes. Most remotes are not designed to be easily cleanable and some TV remotes with a lot of nooks and crannies can’t be cleaned well even if you try to do so. ensure you wipe over your TV remote daily and spray with an antibacterial cleaner.  Always wash your hand when you come into the home or after using the bathroom to help keep the build up or germs and bacteria at bay.

Mobile phone and tablet

It’s a well-known fact that phones and tablets are dirty objects, but just how unclean are they? each square inch of your phone or tablet contains roughly 25,000 germs making it one of the filthiest things you come in contact with on a daily basis. That’s something to think about the next time you press your face to your phone. I tend to wipe mine over a few times a day with an antibacterial spray plus I also remove the case and place this in warm soapy water.  If your out and about having a coffee use handy handbag cleaning wipes to clean the table before you put your phone down and have an area in your handbag just for your phone or tablet.

Makeup Brushes

This is an important one. You need to be cleaning your brushes and sponges at least once a week. Among the nasty bacteria living in the bristles on sponge is Streptococcus, which can cause strep throat, scarlet fever and impetigo. If you are suddenly suffering from acne, pimple or an outbreak of spots then your makeup brushes could be the problem. Wash with baby shampoo or swirl in some olive oil.

Dish Cloths

The most important thing you need to know is that your dish cloth is most likely dirtier than your toilet flush handle or button. Soak daily in bleach or an antibacterial cleaner.  Sponges can go in the dishwasher too.

Washing Machines and Dishwashers

You would think that because these are constantly filled with soapy water then they are clean  but your wrong. These items keep your cloths and plates clean so they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Think of all the dirt they pull off daily! A dishwasher can contain E.coli and pathogens that lead to infections of the urinary tract and skin. You should place a cup of vinegar and run through a hot water cycle weekly add in a drop of lemon juice too to create a fresh clean smell and with your washing machine keep the seal clean and run an empty cycle weekly..Read my Washing Machine Care feature and How to look after your dishwasher

Toothbrushes

In my opinion you need to change your toothbrush monthly as they are pron millions of oral bacteria. Did you know that when you flush the toilet chain and don’t put the lid down first, particles of toilet water, including faecal matter can spray up to 6 feet and land on your tooth-brush! Gross!  But this is true try to keep it in a cupboard or as far away from the toilet as you can. Its important to give your bathroom an Intense clean once a week, take a look at how I do mine CLICK HERE

Good habits like taking your shoes off before walking through the house and washing your hands after using the bathroom or touching raw food can help the amount of germs that build up in your home.

As always Thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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Washing Machine care

by Laundry

It’s so important to keep your washing machine nice and clean as detergent alone isn’t enough to keep your clothes smelling nice and fresh.

Washing machines gain horrible smells from the build up of odours caused by the dirt they remove from your clothes and the hard water. Dirt sticks to the drum and builds up hence the reason we need to keep our machines nice and clean.

Tips to keep your washing machine clean

When your machine is not is use try to leave the tray open slightly just so this gets some air and dries out.  This little tray is on and off being wet and never really gets the chance to dry out. Once a week take your tray out and soak it in warm soapy water and then dry it well before you pop it back in.  Also clean the space it comes from putting your arm right in and giving it a good clean and dry.

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When your machine has finished a cycle try to take your clothes out immediately don’t leave them in for too long as this can cause damp smells.

If you use your machine a lot a once a week give it a good deep clean is good.  Just run the machine on an empty wash along with a washing machine cleaner, a do-lap of white wine vinegar or a cap full of bleach. Follow the instructions of the brought washing machine cleaner but for the bleach or white wine vinegar option put this into the detergent tray or straight into the drum.

This will help keep your machine smelling nice and fresh.

Then wipe inside the machine all around the drum with a nice clean soapy cloth.

Also weekly try to give the rubber seal a good wipe, you can use your detergent for this or mix some bicarbonate of soda with some white wine vinegar into a paste and use a small brush to get right into the rubber.  The rubber seal picks up all sorts of dirt from your clothes and will also pick up minerals and hard water.

The filter at the bottom of the machine will need to be emptied regularly, try to do this at least once a month. Plus if you can access the back of your machine easily check the water supply pipe for any build up of dirt.

My recommended brought washing machine cleaner is the Dr Beckmann there products never fail to let me down. I have found a really good offer for you too just CLICK HERE

I also recommend you buy your white wine vinegar in a bigger bottle online to save you money. I have picked a great 5l bottle for you too. Just CLICK HERE

There are so many ways you can use natural cleaning products around the home like white wine vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, I have put together some great ideas which will help you save money and clean naturally HERE

As always thank you for reading my post
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

this post contains affiliate links