Heather Solos's Blog, page 23

Hurricane Matthew – What We Learned

Heather says

I hope everyone is doing as well or better than can be expected. Last week, starting on Tuesday, it became readily apparent that Hurricane Matthew was coming for a visit. It was Thursday before we had a good idea of the type of visit he’d be paying.

We spent the week debating whether to go or stay and ultimately we decided to stay based on a few factors:

We are all healthy and the chance of our needed emergency assistance for our own well-being was incredibly remote. If you have health problems, sheltering in place can put first responders at risk. Disaster relief shelters may not be a comfortable experience, but it drastically reduces the risk others take on your behalf.
We do not live on the immediate coast, we’re about 25 miles inland, which doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a significant difference with hurricanes
Our home is on high (relatively, this is the Lowcountry after all) ground. It would take the storm surge of a category 5 hurricane at high tide to have water on our street.
Our home is a site built home
The storm would weaken significantly before nearing our area

For a little while I was unsure of whether staying during the evacuation was legal or not. I grew up here and remember Hurricane Hugo and its aftermath. I also remember the mandatory evacuation orders for those on the barrier islands. They no longer use the term mandatory. We read the order issued by the government carefully before coming to our final (but willing to change if the situation warranted it) decision.

I firmly believe that despite what the media will say that our governor handled this situation well. I believe calling for the evacuation well ahead of the storm was the right thing to do. For the most part, people were able to leave the area with minimal hassle. 

Due to all of the factors I mentioned above, weathering storm itself wasn’t that bad. For us, the worst of it was wondering if we had made the right choice, I am a worrier, it’s my nature.

Our home had only very minor (a few shingles) damage and we are still dealing with the inconvenience of not having power. 

Things I will do before the next approaching storm:

Stock up on unscented candles. We both even talked about it at the store on Tuesday and got distracted. Our home currently smells overpoweringly like, vanilla, lavender, and who-bought-that-weird-one?


Reminder: Do not use candles during the actual hurricane. Again, first responders do not need to deal with you accidentally setting your house on fire when it’s not safe for them to be out and about. That’s what your battery powered flashlights are for. 
Learn how to start the generator before the power goes out. The generator was new, in box. I knew we needed oil and gas and had both on hand. I figured I am a competent adult, following directions shouldn’t be that hard. I didn’t want to open it up unless we had to, as once you run a generator it needs to be winterized before putting it back into storage and I didn’t want the hassle.


The directions, it turns out  are written for someone intimately familiar with small engines. We did eventually get it figured out, but we were already a bit cranky.


Lesson learned.


Related: Make sure you can figure out the stupid vapor locks on the gas can. (I know they have an important role, but I find them INCREDIBLY frustrating)
The UPS I use to protect my desktop computer is very handy as a charging station for cell phones. A big shout-out to Verizon for waving data overages for those in the storm’s path. Ray and I were able to charge our phones three times during the power outage. It was really nice to not worry about. The UPS also charged up quickly when we got the generator going for the refrigerator / freezer. 
Get small bills. The first people to open after a storm don’t want to deal with the hassle of making change.
Use plastic containers to make MORE large chunks of ice.
Buy more snacks. You start eating before the storm hits due to nerves, you eat during the storm due to nerves, and after the storm you eat due to boredom. Just check the #CHS twitter community if you think I’m an isolated case.


You also may want to add some protein to the carbs, too. It’s one thing to be bloated and cranky after a movie marathon and very different if you have a lot of yard work to do.

The line about society being 24 hours and two square meals from anarchy isn’t really a stretch. When people are worried and anxious they may also be thoughtless. Don’t take it personally.

Have your blackout pantry in place well before Hurricane Season (or blizzard or tornado) starts. Add to it as needed and stay out of the stores and off the roads as people who don’t think ahead decide to get ready.

Be patient; be kind.

I hope everyone in the Home-Ec 101 Community is safe. I hope the storm was mostly an inconvenience and not a disaster for you. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their homes and families and my heart aches for Haiti. 

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CommentsAll very, very good advice. The one thing I might add is to get ... by Michael Carnell  

Menu Monday – Week 40

Heather says

Well, it is definitely still hurricane season on the East Coast. 

I know many of you who live on the East Coast are tired of the drama that accompanies these usually-and-thankfully-non-events.  While it looks like Matthew will make the S-curve and head out to sea, it bears watching. We’re going over our preparedness list and making sure our menu plan for the end of the week isn’t going to be expensive if our plans change. 

We live far enough inland that a big storm is more likely to be a massive nuisance and headache than a true emergency. We just make sure that we’ve got everything we need to hunker down and not add to the chaos. Check your list now and avoid the rush.

Please keep those in the direct path of the storm in your thoughts.

What’s on your menu plan this week? Do you need a printable to make your planning and grocery shopping easier?

Monday – Chopped salad with grilled chicken (Marinated in a Tex-Mex marinade and rubbed with taco seasoning)
Tuesday – Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage, Collard Greens
Wednesday – Tacos, the oldest has a football game, so we need it easy and easy to reheat. We’ll just brown some chorizo, make some cabbage slaw and call it good. 


 
Thursday – Pot Roast with lots of extra carrots



Friday – Falafel (We ended up going with the shrimp etouffee last week) 
Saturday – Caesar with Grilled Chicken

Sunday – Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet

 

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A Rare Home-Ec 101 Product Review: The Red Oak Trunk Organizer

Heather says: 

I haven’t done many product reviews in the last couple of years. I don’t like to commit to something if I’m unsure of how I’ll feel about it, I also don’t like the sense of obligation or the worry that someone will disagree with my opinion. I’m making an exception for this trunk organizer. 

Why? To sum it up succinctly, it’s great.

I’m probably stepping on some toes here, but you know that Avon-like party where everyone spends way too much money on bags that can be monogrammed? You do know what I mean, right? You bring a dish, usually with a bunch of people you barely know, you sit around listening to someone chat about [insert product here] explains how the business has changed her life, and then everyone buys the smallest thing they can, except that one lady I’m convinced is an audience plant. She’s at every one of these parties, “Oooh, I have that one. That one is my favorite, best thing ever!” How much disposable income does she have? And why am I a little jealous even though I don’t want to be there in the first place?

 I looked at that price of that big organizer at the party and just started giggling helplessly. I still spent too much money on the guilt-driven-obligatory-purchase. I got a car organizer, no monogram, that I ended up tossing after just a few weeks, it was flimsy and flopped over in a pathetic way that just made me sad.

It had to go.

I only wish I had known about THIS tote during our organizational challenge a few months ago. Unfortunately, I just met the guys behind this product at a completely-unrelated-to-this-website-event in Austin. We got to talking, which turned to our businesses. One thing led to another, and I offered to give it a try. 

*Here is where I mentioned that I received one trunk organizer, free-of-charge to review*

I’ll be buying another.

The organizer is rugged and durable; the seams won’t give it out the first time you use it to carry actual things.

 The sides stand up proudly, instead of wilting. The bottom isn’t a thin piece of cardboard. The material is not the flimsy. Many of the other organizers I’ve looked at have that thin material used for cheap, reusable grocery bags. I will be recommending this tote again next year when the annual organizational challenge circles back to cleaning out the car.

I took some photos so you could see it in action. That’s my oldest kid’s football helmet for scale. He’s got a big head; it’s an adult size helmet. (The red flag means he was too big to tackle and was ineligible to carry the ball.)

 

Have multiple kids in multiple sports? Divide and conquer. No more playing the what is that rolling around back there game while chauffeuring.  

 

And of course, you can’t forget the sunscreen and first aid kit. You’ll need the first aid kit. (Buy extra bandaids, and get the bigger ones, too. You’ll thank me later.) While you’re looking at the pic, pay attention to the stitching. Those handles are sticking around.

Check out the handles again; you can take it from the trunk, the beach, and back. 

And while you’re at the beach or pool and it’s just in the way, it collapses down to half-size or flat. Neat.

It’s not cutesy, but they do have it in a candy pink if you need some feminity in your trunk. (That sounds like a bizarre euphemism, doesn’t it?)

Have you ever had a long day, done all of the grocery shopping (including a bottle of wine), pulled into the garage, only to have that bottle of wine roll out and shatter on the driveway? No? Just me then.

This tote will totally level up your make-as-few-trips-from-the-car-to-the-kitchen game. One trip, baby.

We’re getting ready to start some major renovations at the fixer-upper, and this trunk organizer will be perfect for toting the tools back and forth. 

And? If you go with this option, no one is going to pressure you to host a party or pitch to your friends. 

That’s winning.

You can find this trunk organizing tote on Amazon. Enjoy!

*Back to your regularly scheduled programming.*

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Help Washing the Walls – A reader question that wasn’t what I thought

Hello. My name is [redacted].


I need some people, maybe 2 or 3 to help me wash my walls before we paint them


and I’m wondering where I could look for someone who needs a bit of cash. The walls are dirty and need cleaning.


I got some good ideas of what to wash them with.


I thank you for your help.

Heather says

When I first opened this email I was a little confused and at first I wasn’t going to respond. The author doesn’t need help deciding how to was her walls, which is what Home-Ec101.com is for. She is looking for actual, physical help washing her walls. So why did she write to Home-Ec101.com?

After a minute it hit me. She wants to know how to find people to help wash her walls.

Hiring a business is the safest route, assuming they are bonded and insured, and you check references. Angie’s List can be helpful for larger jobs.

However, some jobs don’t feel big or complicated enough to hire a business. Thankfully, the internet has made this aspect of finding a guy who knows a guy much simpler.  

The important thing is to use common sense and don’t pay up front. Decide how much you are willing to pay before you begin looking. If something feels off, trust that feeling and don’t hire the person. You don’t have to give a reason, “This isn’t going to work out,” is a perfectly valid end to the conversation.

I recently found a website called NextDoor. It’s a social network for your physical neighborhood. I’ve used it to find a music teacher for my youngest and it recently came in very handy when I needed a 3:45am ride to the airport. It turns out one of my neighbors drives for Lyft and has a newborn, so it wasn’t like there’s a lot of sleep happening at his place. I don’t look at it every day, but I give it a quick skim on the weekends. I see a lot of conversations around finding handymen, contractors, and people offering help with odd jobs and small services. There are also quite a few parents with teenagers looking for odd jobs like yours.

Local Facebook groups are another great resource. Join, read the guidelines, and ask. 

Sometimes, if there is a college nearby there’ll be young men and women looking to earn cash for easy physical labor. I believe they still have actual, physical bulletin boards where you can post the job.

And yes, there is always Craigslist, but unlike Facebook and NextDoor, someone’s identity isn’t tied to the listing which makes it easier to run a scam operation. 

Home-Eccers, what advice do you have for [redacted] as she looks for help with this job?

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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Comments+1 for Nextdoor. My Norcal town is broken into about 15 ... by DonnaI live in a small town and we have an email list-serv that is ... by Lynn  

Menu Monday Week 39

Heather says:

Fall is finally here, according to the calendar. I’m shaking off this year’s late summer funk and last Sunday I spent the afternoon reshooting some old recipes that need a little photographic love. I’m putting together an ebook of quick, budget-friendly weeknight dinners.  Since we have a wheat allergy in the house, everything was made with GF pasta and GF flour. I didn’t hold out a lot of hope for these meals to reheat very well, but I didn’t want to waste the food. I just wanted to knock out this project and hoped that maybe Ray would have some easy, if less than wonderful, dinners for the kids when I travel, which happens a bit this time of year.

It turns out, the skillet dinners froze and reheated without a problem. I was happy to have a couple of easy meals ready to go when I got home. I think my favorite of the batch is the Philly Skillet and yes, that is the same salad as in the picture below. The biggest hit for everyone else? The Taco Skillet.

Another bonus is each of these recipes is simple enough for my newly-minted teenager to cook. 

Now all I have to do is find time to shoot the next six. (Tentatively slated for Sunday)

Do you menu plan? Do you need a simple printable to help? 

What’s on the menu this week? 

Monday – Macaroni and cheese, broccoli (My serving of mac and cheese gets some blue cheese and Frank’s Hot Sauce, the kids prefer to keep it just to the roasted and seeded jalapenos) 
Tuesday – Grilled Chicken over Caesar Salad (We’ve started making our own Caesar and it’s probably a good thing we both work from home, it’s got quite the garlic kick.)
Wednesday Sue Polinsky’s No Tomato Chili, Cornbread or I’m kind of kicking around a street corn fritter idea. (I had some amazing street corn in San Diego last week and it made me want to experiment) The chili is also something I should reshoot and soon.
Thursday – Sausage Peppers and Onions



Friday – It could be a falafel Friday -another recipe I’m happily experimenting with. Here’s the starting point or if it cools off a little I’m in the mood for etouffee. 



Saturday – Leftovers or the start of Skillet Fest Part Deux 
Sunday – Leftovers or the start of Skillet Fest Part Deux

Before I sign off and get this week started. I received a concerning email from a reader last week. She had mixed bleach and vinegar while cleaning her closet to get rid of mold.

Do not mix bleach with other chemicals.
Dilute bleach properly
Do not depend on email for emergency answers to questions like this, call Poison Control. 


1 (800) 222-1222

She’s lucky, she ended up with only a bit of a sore throat from the fumes. Please be careful out there.

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Let’s Talk About Sweaty Sheets (Again)

Hello,

I’m so lost….


I’m trying to get some sweat stains out of my cream-coloured sheets, as well as my white mattress pad, and the closest I have to remove these stains is powdered Borax and/or pre-treat Resolve Spray ‘n Wash. I was really curious if it is safe to use both Borax and Resolve in the same wash? I’m desperate and I need some help please and thank-you very much.

Signed,


Lost in the Laundry

Heather says

Thank you for sending in this question. Mixing cleaning products willy-nilly is never a good idea and can be deadly if you’re not careful.

Here at Home-Ec101, we have a safety oath:

I solemnly swear to always read the label, consult the manufacturer, test in an inconspicuous area, never feed the mogwai after midnight, and to never, ever mix chemicals without lots of research and coffee.

Looking at your email, I’m fairly confident you found Home-Ec101 through a Google Search and landed on this post on dealing with sweaty sheets. I haven’t used this particular Resolve product, but I looked it up on their website and saw that it says it works great for blood, grass, and butter stains. That’s some marketer’s way of saying this will work for protein stains, dye stains, and grease stains. 

Can you use the pre-treatment and borax in the same cycle?

The Resolve Laundry Pre-Treatment is designed to be used in the laundry with other products. Borax, or sodium borate, is a common ingredient in laundry detergents. 

The pre-treatment may help with the perspiration stains and borax acts as a laundry booster, so using the two items in the same load shouldn’t be an issue. Do not overload your washer, give the sheets and mattress pad plenty of water to swish around and rinse away. Check the items before placing them in the dryer to ensure the stains have been removed.

The next time you are at the store, see if you can find some oxygen bleach, it can work wonders on perspiration stains.  

Remember – perspiration / sweat stains contain salts and proteins, using chlorine bleach on this kind of stain will often render it permanent stick to oxygen bleach.

A note on the mattress pad:

For what it’s worth, don’t sweat —ha!— the mattress pad, too much. Wash it well and don’t worry about the rest. Think of a mattress pad as underwear for your bed, and it doesn’t have a self-esteem problem. It won’t same self-confidence boost we get from wearing a nice pair. As long as you are regularly and thoroughly cleaning your mattress pad, it doesn’t have to be beautiful to do its job.  

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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Off Topic with an Menu Monday Attempt to Get it Together

Heather says

Late summers is difficult around here. You’ve got the usual back to school hassle and sports starting up with four kids, we enter birthday season mid-August and before any of that happens, I start dreading an anniversary.

For those that don’t know, my sister was killed  in August of ’13. It was a traumatic event and for reasons I’m not going to delve into here, it was initially treated as suicide and until her husband passed away in February, we didn’t dispute that publicly. “Justice” doesn’t always happen and I don’t know that we would feel any better if it had occurred. 

Like many of you I struggle with depression, for me it manifests as anxiety. Late summers, for me historically have been the toughest, ’13 just made it that much worse. Now August is nightmares and lying awake hoping to sleep, knowing that if I don’t get enough sleep I’m going to be an anxious, irritable mess the next day, lather, rinse and repeat. This year it didn’t start as soon and maybe it is ebbing away a little more easily. Maybe someday I won’t spend that week reliving the time sitting in the CCU. I wish there was a way to just be able to turn off for a week around now, but life doesn’t stop and those of you with kids know how it just piles on this time of year.

Like many of you, making it through is one foot in front of the other even when we don’t want to. It’s also cutting myself some slack when getting through isn’t meeting the impossibly high standards I love to set for myself.

I keep on keepin’ on, using routines and knowing what’s next, and trying not to kick my own ass when I just can’t do it helps me get through. So here we’re back to menu planning.

Monday – Carnitas over sopes (this is only my second attempt at the corn cakes, if they turn out well, I may be ready to share them) rice and beans, slaw
Tuesday – Beef stew (This will also make lunches for two kids for Wed & Thur)



Wednesday – Macaroni and Cheese with chicken, I’ll add blue cheese and Frank’s Hot Sauce. I let the kids add bacon and roasted jalapenos, if they want. Broccoli on the side. It’s kind of a celebration, a big project should be wrapped up, but I have the feeling comfort food will be high on my list.
Thursday – Clean Out Referigator Night
Friday – Tuna cakes, cheese grits, collards



Saturday – We’ve got a birthday and he’s requested Spaghetti and Meatballs

Sunday – Red Curry – I’ve been substituting eggplant and cashews for chicken, but we will have company so we’ll splurge and have shrimp and cashews.

I may make a crockpot Sticky Chicken for the macaroni, if it seems like there won’t be enough stew to feed the crew and prep lunches. 

I’ve been considering an InstantPot for a few months now, I’m looking at the largest one, hoping it’ll help keep the kitchen a bit cooler when I’m cooking large amounts for the upcoming week. Does anyone have one? What are your thoughts on the appliance? Is it worth the nearly cult following it seems to have developed?

Here’s to a new week and hopefully turning the corner.

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Do I Need Preservatives In My Homemade Cleaning Products?

Hi!


I’ve been reading a lot about the need for preservatives in homemade products, especially those made with water. I always use either distilled or boiled water and most of what I make is made in batches of 32oz or less. The main exception to that is my laundry detergent and fabric softener which I make in gallon batches. I want to make sure that the products I’m making are safe and are not spreading any germs, bacteria, etc.

My all purpose cleaner is:

Lemon vinegar
Borax
Dish soap
Water


My liquid laundry detergent is:

Borax
Washing soda
Water
Essential oils
Xanthan gum

Thank you so much for your help!


Signed,


DIYin’ it in Dillon


Heather says

This is a fascinating question. Let’s define what a preservative is before we get caught up in the :spooky hand wave: idea of “chemicals”.*

*Yes, I used scare quotes intentionally

Preservatives play an important role in our lives and have been helpful in our evolution from lives that rely on hunting and gathering, to subsistence agriculture, into ones where food production is delegated to others. Food and other products are grown or produced and shipped to markets where we can buy them and consume at our leisure. 

What are preservatives?

The term preservative just means a substance used to prevent the decay of foodstuffs and other materials. Did you know that anything that inhibits the growth of the bacteria that break down organic matter is a preservative? This includes things like table salt and sugar. Bacteria usually have a thin enough cell wall for water to pass. In solutions with high concentrations of sugar or salt, the bacteria can’t keep enough water in the cell to grow or multiply. Molds are a little tougher than bacteria and can grow and multiply in less optimal conditions. And if you think about it, penicillin is a mold and an antibacterial agent.

But what about cleaning products?

I know you asked about cleaning products specifically, not food. My point is more that preservatives aren’t necessarily dangerous chemicals and too much of anything that we consider benign can be harmful. Drink enough water in one sitting and you can die of water poisoning. Cut up enough lemons or pineapples without gloves and your hands will be raw the next day. 

I am so much fun at parties.

Using distilled or boiled water to make your cleaning products absolutely reduces your need to add a preservative to your cleaning products, if the containers they are stored in have also been sterilized.

 That said, you don’t live in a sterile environment, and bacteria will show up eventually. 

The borax in your recipes is a preservative and emulsifier—it helps keep everything in solution. The commercial dish soap likely already has preservatives in it, too.

When you buy commercially made organic products that disclose having preservatives in their ingredients the purpose is to extend the shelf life to the expected two years. The liquid soap you buy today was not manufactured yesterday and has likely had a long trip from the point of origin to a warehouse, to the store. If turnover isn’t high, it could have been sitting there for a long time.

If you aren’t using organic dish soap, you likely have preservatives like methylisothiazolinone in your solution.

Do you need additional preservatives in your cleaners?

Perhaps, if you use the product slowly. If you live in a busy household with a lot of turnover, you’re likely fine. If you notice your product breaking down, discard it and make a fresh batch. 

Additionally please use extra care around the food contact surfaces in your home. Salmonella is no one’s friend. 

For more on household chemicals check out:

Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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Welcome Mats, Door Mats, and Runners: What’s the Point?

Heather says:

The short answer? Door mats, welcome mats, and runners can extend the life of your flooring. Don’t believe me?

It takes an average of six to ten steps for all of the dirt on shoes to fall away and let’s face it, not everyone is diligent about wiping their feet. All but the smallest dogs can carry a surprising amount of dirt in a house between their paw pads -especially in winter when there is less grass.

Now, some people get around this by having a no shoes in the house rule and when I’m a guest I comply with the rules. If that works for you, great. You’re welcome to find a high horse if one is available, the internet is full of them. Personally, I’m a shoe person and I’m not about to take the time to switch to house only shoes every time I enter or exit my home. Maybe it is all the time I spent in chem labs or industrial kitchens that have conditioned me, but I can’t stand going barefoot. I strongly recommend that everyone should wear closed toe shoes while cooking. Maybe I was born without grace, but it seems I am always knocking knives off a counter or breaking the random glass. In my world, shoes are of the good. If you want to go barefoot, fine, but don’t cry to me when you need stitches.

Entryways are often some of the highest traffic points in a home. Without a rug, just the physical action of walking on the carpet, hardwood, or other flooring surface creates wear in a narrow path. Once you throw dirt into the mix, things wear out faster. If you pulled out a magnifying glass and took a close look at the dirt and grit that is tracked into a home, you’d find that the edges  of most of the particles are rough. When that dirt is ground into the flooring on a microscopic level it isn’t pretty. The dirt scratches flooring and tears the fibers of carpeting. Rugs counter this effect by acting as a catch all for tracked-in dirt and by taking the brunt of the impact at these high traffic points.

As wear develops, the scratches created by the dirt create hiding places for smaller particles of dirt which lead to that grimy, impossible to scrub away look.

Walking on carpet, especially carpet without the proper padding, creates what is called crush damage. As the fibers are repeatedly pressed down, they lose their ability to spring back into shape. Rugs offer protection from this type of wear. This is why hallway runners are so popular, either to hide existing crush damage or to keep it from happening in the first place.

Don’t forget to regularly shake out your rugs or they can become so loaded with grit and sand that they no longer catch what is tracked in, negating any chance of wear prevention.

Click the picture for more tips!

Rugs and mats may seem a needless or frivolous expense, but homeowners consider them an investment in the lifespan of your flooring. A new door mat every few years is significantly more cost effective than prematurely replacing carpeting and linoleum or refinishing hardwood. Renters, well some of you may file flooring under “Not My Problem”, but using mats and rugs decreases the amount of time spent sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. Isn’t that a win all around?

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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CommentsRag rugs, assuming they are lighter in color, can be tossed in ... by Heather SolosAfter living overseas my family became adjusted to and ... by GROOVY GOLDENDOODLESI find that more small area rugs are troublesome to clean ... by AmyI disagree, I feel having mats and rugs on my hardwood floors ... by Jennifer Wthat is one of my mom's pet peeves with taking shoes off at the ... by caseyPlus 16 more...  

How to Solve the Soaking Problem with a Front Load Washer

Dear Home-Ec 101,


I have smelly towel syndrome and want to try your idea with the borax and vinegar, but I do not know how to add the vinegar to my rinse cycle. With a front load, it’s a little more difficult to add anything to it or even “soak” anything in the drum. I bought a product called “Smelly Washer” but it requires you to soak the solution in the drum for hours. I have no clue how to do this since the drum drains anytime you stop the washer?


Please help on these two issues:

1. How to “soak” in a front load washer.


2. How to add to the extra rinse cycle (or rinse cycle, period)


Thanks so much!

Signed,


Front Loaded

Heather says:

Before we step into problem-solving mode, let’s figure out what the problem is.

Washing clothing in water uses three kinds of energy : chemical, heat, or physical or a combination thereof. Cleaning clothing pretty much comes down to finding a balance of these energies -wow it sounds so new age- that won’t damage the fibers.

Soaking is a way to give the chemical portion of the equation time to work. While your clothes are just sitting in water, the molecules in that water are moving around like crazy on a level we can’t see.

Think about adding drops of food coloring to a glass of water, the color spreads, the drops of food coloring don’t just hang out as droplets in the water. Also, you may notice that the color spreads faster in warm or hot water than in very cold.

Soaking clothing is basically the same. You have your detergent molecules bouncing around in water maybe bouncing into dirt, maybe bouncing off clothing fibers. There’s a lot of random stuff happening in there and a longer soak gives those molecules more time to get a hold of the dirt and bring it into solution where it isn’t still on your clothing.

Now for your smelly towels:

Soaking gives the laundry detergent molecules that are clinging to the towels a chance to come off of the towels and into solution. This will happen much faster with hot water than with cold, simply because detergent is more soluble (more can be in the water) at higher temperatures. The vinegar and borax, not used at the same time mind you, changes the pH of the water which also can improve the solubility of the detergent stuck to your towels.

So what about physical energy?

You get physical energy with agitation or tumbling. This forces water through the clothing (you do know that most fabric isn’t water tight, right?) increasing the number of interactions between the solution and the and the molecules (stains and dirt) that we want to come off of the fabric).

The problem with front loaders: You need your laundry to have more time in the cleaning solution. (detergent and water, vinegar and water, or borax and water).

Work arounds for the front loader soaking problem.

There are multiple ways to handle the soaking issue with a front load washer. The lowest tech and simplest method is to just use a bucket to soak items outside of the washer itself. If you have a lot of items, the bathtub is another option, but I’ll warn you the trek from the tub to the washer with a basket of sodden towels isn’t exactly fun. Just be glad it’s not down to the creek and back, right?

Another solution is to use the pre-wash cycle as a soaking cycle, understanding that the tumbling of the washtub increases the amount of physical energy involved.

If I find I have accidentally created detergent build up on my towels, I simply run the longest cycle on the hottest settings, with borax in the detergent receptacle and vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. This really is only effective with a small load, if you are overloading the washer, there will simply not be enough water to get rid of the detergent.

Click the picture for more tips!

There isn’t anything magical about a rinse cycle in a front load washer. It is simply a cycle where no detergent is in the water. If you need a rinse cycle and lack a rinse and spin option on your washer, just run a load without detergent.

Finally, with a product like Smelly Washer that requires soaking in the tub, unplug your washer before it has time to drain. Then allow the product to work overnight.

Also, check the lint trap in your drain line, that can be a serious source of funk in many front loading washers.

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

 

The post How to Solve the Soaking Problem with a Front Load Washer appeared first on Home Ec 101.

               
CommentsMaytag front loaders are still able to do a long pre-wash soak ... by DeeMy question sorta fits here, I hope you can help me. I can't ... by LauraAnd once you get the towels clean: commit to smaller loads. ... by MomizedIf it's just towels that are smelly, I recommend placing 1-2 ... by PurpleAngelCaviarSoaking your clothes isntead of letting them agitate so much ... by ParishPlus 4 more...