Lay My Hat

Froggy ecological cleaner with vinegar for taps and shower screens. Brilliant. There must be something else besides vinegar in it because there are all sorts of warnings about not ingesting etc but it certainly works a treat and you can dilute it quite considerably.

I don't know if you can get it everywhere but it is made in Germany. I have only seen it in smaller outlets and independents, not in big supermarkets.

Hairspray for stains such as ink and dyes. Various methods: spray on, leave to dry and then throw in washing machine; spray on and throw in straightaway; spray on, air dry a bit, rub away and reapply, repeat till gone. I found it worked with (my own) hair dye stain on pillowcase (the-leaving-to-dry method) and with an old paint-looking stain on some shorts (rubbing and reapplication method, followed by machine wash).

Actually the sun works quite well on some stains.

I got a LOT of lily pollen on a favourite black and white striped t shirt, the white bits were REALLY yellow despite being washed and I was worried I'd set the stain in for good.

googled it and was advised put it out in the sun. As I'd taken the t-shirt to spain with me (not realising the pollen stain wasn't washed out) I tried it. Voila. After a day hanging on the line it was virtually gone, another wash and completely gone.

I've just discovered that HG Mould spray gets dried on bloodstains out of cotton.

I had a pillow case that had blood on it and I'd already tried removers on it (including one that was supposed to remove blood). Was just about to chuck it away, a bit miffed cos it would mean I can't use the duvet cover any more cos no matching pillowcases, and I thought I'd try the HG on it and the stain went. You do have to be careful with that stuff, don't get it on anything coloured (this was a white pillow case with a bit of coloured satin trim).

I'm just trying it again on a duvet cover that has some marks on it that won't come out.. again, might as well cos i'll have to bin it otherwise. ... and after 5 mins, the stain is definitely disappearing.

Good tip. I have some sheets I brought home from the apartment. A couple of them have blood stains,so I will try it.

Tip for mysterious stain on a white cotton top, discovered after removing from wardrobe this year. After trying my own hairspray tip several times, then the leaving-out-in-the-sun-tip, then washing it and thinking it was gone but still seeing a slight trace, I suddenly remembered about the bleaching effect of hydrogen peroxide and found the following advice:
"Either as a paste by creating it with different ingredients or simply applying the hydrogen peroxide alone or with water", with full page of details, at www.ehow.com/how_2199283_use-hydrogen-p ... tains.html
Another handy website: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/200 ... oxide.html
And - discovered in passing - bags of tips on removing blood stains at http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Blood-Stains

Faced with several weeks worth of bird poo splatter all nicely baked in the sun, on tiles and window sills when we went to do the big opening clean, it occurred to me that this stuff is called bird LIME.

So I sprayed it all liberally with Cilit Bang Grime and Lime and hey presto it all came off with just a wipe and a mop. Brilliant and no wasting water with the pressure washer!

very useful thread - thanks!

We are planning to buy a press to help our work.
Do you find them good/worthwhile?

Any comments?

Any make or other recommendations?

What size is best …e.g. is bigger… better?!

Steam presumably is useful?

Anything else we should consider?

tim441 wrote:very useful thread - thanks!

We are planning to buy a press to help our work.
Do you find them good/worthwhile?

Any comments?

Any make or other recommendations?

What size is best …e.g. is bigger… better?!

Steam presumably is useful?

Anything else we should consider?

I wouldn't be without mine - it's a Singer Magic Steam Press CSP-1.
A lot of presses come with the hinge across the long edge of the board - I can't see how this would work with sheets. With mine you can rotate the board so that the hinge comes on the short end of the board : by doing this you can feed the sheets in away from you. (I hope you understand what I'm saying, it's kind of difficult to explain without a diagram!)

I fold single duvet covers into three and double duvet covers into 4 to go through in one run. The only comment that I would make is that with kingsize duvet covers, you need to turn it around to finish off the edge. My board is 50cm wide - if you could get one that is 60cm wide, it would do the kingsize in one run.

I know that others on here have roller presses - I'm not sure how easy these would be for me - I find I have to smooth out little nips and tucks as I go along - otherwise the creases get ironed in. I think the roller versions would grab the sheets before you have time to do this.

I bought a press and it was good but it broke at the same time as we opened a second unit. In desperation I decided to take the linen to a commercial laundry and I've never looked back I LOVE IT! Just drop it off and pick it up all done. fantastic.

Yes it costs but not too much and when you deduct the electricity at home for washing, drying in the tumble dryer if it's wet, which it is most of the time here at the moment and then the electric for ironing not to mention the time and effort involved it is very releasing.

I can earn enough to cover it from my hobby of glass painting which is what I'm doing with my free time

I know there is a solution to a cup ring on wood but can't find it and need to remedy by Monday please.

apexblue wrote:I know there is a solution to a cup ring on wood but can't find it and need to remedy by Monday please.

Steam iron and a cloth. Google "Steaming Ring Marks" for details.