CLEAN

When my first child was born
I was introduced to disposable diapers.

I then pretty much decided there was no point
 to ever using any other kind.

Especially since I was using a laundromat anyway
 and it actually saved us money.

My third child decided otherwise.
Her skin was very sensitive.
Diaper rash does not a happy baby make!
All diapers were a problem.
I asked my pediatrician what could be done.
We struggled until it was a serious problem.
He prescribed diaper service.

Diaper Service (DS) for the un-initiated is amazing.

Used cloth diapers were placed in a provided bag, in a provided sanitized, deodorized container and exchanged weekly.

If I remember correctly we recieved about 4 or 5 dozen sterile gauze cloth diapers on Thursday each week. I was not expected to rinse them out, or clean them in anyway (except to shake out the worst that would simply fall and flush) - just put them in the bag in the container and they were picked up from the designated delivery/pickup area.

Diapers were also guaranteed free of most other residues like soap, fragrance etc. That solved our skin problems and baby was much happier and healthier.

When we took a lengthy car trip we debated what was best for baby care. Diaper service always was VERY helpful and we assumed they would provide enough diapers but wondered what was best to do for the soiled ones.

The manager came personally to my home.  He explained that they never supply more than a 2 week supply and that they could be kept in the bag/container for that long. YUCKKY - not to mention that we would be traveling for 3 full weeks - IN a car.  He then took pity on me and taught me how to wash the diapers 'properly'. He invited us to tour his facility and see how clean is done commercially.

That was kind of cool.  My curiosity alone would accept that kind of invitation. My clothes have been clean every since. I use variations of the techniques on all our laundry.

BTW:  if you choose to try any of the following be sure to use your common sense.  It is your best friend and will save you many mistakes and larger problems - listen to your own instincts!

First of all the diapers are white.  This allows common bleach to be used to sanitize them.  I used cloth diapers for all my other babies.  I recommend and preferred the gauze type to the flannel.  Thanks Nancy - that was one of my best gifts ever when you blessed our house with those.

I have since begun using white house linens too: sheets, towels, dishtowels etc - mostly white - easily cleaned. Have you ever noticed that large hotel chains use white linens? Another advantage to white is that you can immediately see that it is clean (or not).

So Mr. DS explained their process and walked me through their factory.  Soiled diapers are dumped into large machines, as is, and washed in cold water - no soap, no bleach - only cold water.  He said this is the FIRST and most important secret to clean laundry: a cold pre-wash without product in water only.

When my husband worked as a janitor they were instructed to use plain water first.  Many things clean up with water only.

Secret #2: Mr. DS next told me to be sure to not overcrowd washers.  Lots of water and room to 'swish' is essential. At the laundromat he said most people sacrifice real clean by stuffing the washers too full.  Are you guilty at home?

I am guilty, guilty, guilty when in a hurry.

If you find yourself wondering if a batch is a little full - it is!
Split it up to more loads.

I am also a bit finicky about sorting.  It really does make a difference.  Keep white with only white, light with only light, brights together, darks with darks. I often give lights an extra cold pre-wash or hot post wash and always give heavily soiled loads an extra 'rinse' - an extra complete cycle.

 I also keep different weights and soils separated.  Heavily soiled jeans or other work clothes get a rinse before being washed.  Some fabrics need special care but I wash most things and seldom use the cleaners. I worked at a dry cleaners for a few years.  Many of the things you bring to be cleaned are simply washed properly and pressed.

Mr. DS said that when washing clothing to drop them loosely into the drum until it reaches the top of the center vanes - no more. I wanted to know how many diapers that would be since I would be dumping in soiled wet nasty diapers and not wanting to touch them.  He gave me a random number that I verified by taking a basket of clean diapers to the nearest machine and checking.  I was paranoid about my baby having serious diaper rash again. For the front loaders follow the instructions on the machines - too few is better than too many.

Secret #3 from Mr. Diaper Service was to put the diapers through a hot wash cycle with soap and bleach (after a complete cycle of cold).  He said soap brand did not matter significantly.  He also said to NEVER, ever, under any circumstance,  add fabric softener.  He said it leaves an oily residue on clothing that attracts dirt and pigments (causing eventual grayish discoloration) and irritates sensitive skin.

I protested - but the diapers were so soft!
How did DS get them to be soft?

He explained secret # 4: Money! and then he laughed.
Secret 4 equals an investment for most of us - of time and money. It is simple though. Put them through one more complete wash cycle! Really! And make it hot - except for brights and deep colors.  Ideally it should be boiling for the wash and rinse cycle.  Good luck finding any machine that will do that.  Modern washers make all water somewhat warm and somewhat cool.  The temperatures are regulated to adjust to the middle ranges.  Hot means hotter than lukewarm.  Cold means warmer than straight from a cold well or pipes in the winter.

That makes for 3 complete wash cycles: 1. cold with water only, 2. hot with bleach and soap, 3. hot with water only.  Since this does take extra time (and we pay for our water), even now that we have our own machines and don't use a laundromat, this process is spelled money and time.  He was right.

I have heard that adding 1 Tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water will remove soap residues from laundry.  It helps but an extra rinse is VERY effective.  Part of the problem is getting the correct amount of vinegar for a large load - that is cups full when dealing with gallons of water and  a stack wet clothing and it costs money also.

You may be able to save some of that money by never buying fabric softeners (fs) again. But what about static? It will go away when you stop using the fs and clean your machines thoroughly to remove the residues. Yes it will take time.  You have to endure a bit of static while the fs gets washed out of your laundry.  The only time I have to endure static now is when you visit and have lots of fs in your clothing or if I let you wash your laundry in my machines. Static seems to also happen when some fabrics are washed and dried the first time or two. It goes away - I promise!!

While my babies were small I used diapers to mop up spills and messes of all kinds. Now I use my white towels. I must also thank Helen for teaching me how to keep stains off the rug and furniture.  My toddler spilled grape juice on her off white living room carpet one Thanksgiving. I was a basket case. She calmly handed me some light colored towels and a pitcher of cool tap water and then showed me how to soak and blot the stain until all the color went into the towels.  It took a while but her carpet was stain free - BELIEVE me when I say it was - I took all the time needed to ensure it was clean and mostly dry.

 First blot the majority of the spill - soak it up all you possibly can - paper towel works great to wick it back out.  Take care to not spread it further - blot it from the outside to the middle.  Pour a small amount of cool water onto the spot and immediately soak it back out.  Continue until no color remains. Press firmly to help it wick up from underneath. I have often stood on the diaper/towel to press it enough to get all the moisture possible back out of the rug.  Repeat until clean.  Do not add soap to a carpet/furniture spot - it has an oily residue that will cause dirt to cling to the spot later.

An aside: If a carpet or furniture needs to be cleaned you will notice the spot you are cleaning up is lighter than surrounding areas and that it is time to do some deep house cleaning.  Since I know you weren't planning to do it right then (go ahead if you were going to anyway) this is when you do not follow the 'blot to the middle' rule.  After the stain is removed 'feather' your clean area back into the rest of the rug/furniture by letting some water soak the outer edges and blotting it up 'less'.  Of course remember to only blot -  fiber on most furniture is not manufactured to tolerate excessive rubbing and may be damaged.

I should thank my third child for her sensitive skin.  I like clean clothes.

STAIN REMOVAL and INK

*deep breathe, adjust chair, get glasses*

Are you ready? I am done, done, done and done!
(Except telling you about removing stains.)

If you only want the short answer, fast ... go to comments here.
You can also see the victims and culprits there.
Now for the rest of the story.

The shirts are saved.

The pj's functional, the sweater is history,

and  my washer clean -
amazingly it did not get any ink inside!

Just to be sure, I washed a dark jean batch first

and then a batch of dark colors. (Naturally I scoped it out first).

Yes I do always sort - carefully -

I like my clothes to stay the original color.

Hmmm - one of these days I will tell you about how I learned to get clothes clean and keep them that way.

The ink in Fountain pens and gel pens are water based so wash out more readily, especially when wet. Regular ball point pens use a synthetic colorant with an alcohol solvent in a thick paste and are usually oil based. They tend to dry quickly and set to a permanent stain easily. A sister sent this link and it was very informative. Another sent me some tips and tricks - Thanks to both - I think I got it out.

My first line of defense against stains, especially food on clothing, is SUNLIGHT Dishwashing Liquid with lemon. Rinse out all the spot you can, as soon as you can, with cool water and rub the Sunlight in. It will remove grease spots, spaghetti sauce (even on whites) and all but the toughest, dried on or in, set stains.  Occasionally grease on polyester/synthetics may need a second treatment or TIDE. I air dry suspect items until I know the spot comes out.

It did not remove these ink stains.
No color came out when I rubbed it in or rinsed it.
I did not really expect it to but I usually try it first.

I must state that I like Tide laundry detergent. My mother used it and survived washing for 11 children  and a husband on the farm (manure be gone).  Dad also did construction and sheered sheep.  His clothes always got washed last in the old wringer washer. Water was precious, hand pumped, heated on the stove, and used and reused to wash many batches of clothes: first whites and baby stuff, then light colors, then mediums colors, next darks and last (and always nasty) were the jeans and work clothes.  There was a separate tub of rinse water. The electric wringer swung between the washer and the rinse tub to squeeze - literally wring - the water out. The rinse when replaced was dipped back into the washer for a load or two of some of the colored and dark batches (with the addition of soap and fresh water to bring it back to the needed level and temperature). If you have never used such contraptions or bucketed all your water count your blessings ... and they were so much nicer than washboards and riverbanks!

But I digress.

And did I mention the tiny ink spot on the shoulder of one of his new shirts that was also in the batch?

I put Tide on that and it came right out.

TIDE is an effective stain remover for almost every stain on every fabric.

Just make a paste, (or use the marvelous, modern miracle of liquid) rub it into the stain and launder as usual.  Before drying, check to be sure the stain is completely gone.  If not repeat. I admit it openly - I believe in TIDE! And yes it does cost slightly more - small cost for clean laundry! BTW - use much less than the cup in the box. I never use more than the lowest mark on that cup so I chose a dipping cup that size and discovered my soap lasts much longer, and cuts the cost.

I always soak very deep, large or dark stains for a minimum of 30 minutes. Some difficult stains persist through several tries but get lighter each time.

Tide did not remove the larger ink stains. It did remove the small superficial marks surrounding the large soaked in one.



No color came out when I applied the paste or rinsed it.
I actually did hope.

I figured there was little point in trying lemon juice, vinegar, milk, baking soda, or salt as some stain removal guides suggested.  I also felt that starting with mixed compounds and detergents was a bit extreme or might set it so chose to use the simplest things I had on hand. Please do your own research as to what mixes involve.
I also saw no point in spending money to purchase various stain removers that I don't use otherwise anyway - and that none of you recommended. If I needed to spend money I would rather buy a NEW item of clothing. Some friends loaned me some products - that did not budge any ink/color.

All sources available suggested rubbing alcohol or hairspray.

First I tried the pj's.

I saw little difference in the effects but both did loosen the ink and cause it to bleed into the pad underneath AND the pad I blotted it with. Hairspray (I tried several kinds) seemed to really spread it quickly and created a messy halo effect that did hand wash out using a paste of Tide. The stains were now slightly smaller and lighter - and purple - they became a fairly bright shade of purple while in contact with the alcohol.

A word about padding: Use it - lots of it and then a little more.

Protect all surfaces and be careful to keep your hands ink free.
I choose a couple of worn out hand towels.
Most of my towels are white. Some are ready to replace.
*mental note: answer the why on laundry post*

When I became careless I nearly stained my white counter merely by setting things down

and I got it on my hands and made a mess on my green shirt that had to be spot cleaned before I could continue.

I started the alcohol process on my shirt - dip, dab, dab, dab, dab, dip, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dip, dab, dab,dip, dab, dip, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dip, spill, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab - ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

There was no other way! put the cloth behind, put drops of alcohol on the spot and blot.  Move towel pad to clean spot and repeat. It was getting lighter though. It was coming out.  I was bored! I could only stay at it for short bursts and then go work on something else - and that isn't exactly how I had planned to spend my day, much less my week!!! I persisted because I really do like that shirt.

Some sources suggested fingernail polish remover.
I rummaged in my cupboard and found some.
I vaguely remember buying it perhaps at the $ store.
I think its name brand  (at that price) piqued my brain -
AMES brand - I am not kidding! made in Ames CT.
It was a non-acetone protein enriched remover. That means it had glycerin and, among other things, fragrance - really? -
 Pheww - these smells are very strong and I ventilated the area.

I stared at it awhile before I decided to actually apply it. I decided not to waste anymore time avoiding David's shirt. I got some cotton swabs and tentatively applied it to the tiniest spots on the back (far right) I didn't want to damage the fabric - oh yeah - I didn't mention these before because I found them later.

The first and most amazing thing that occurred was a strange yellowy residue that blotted out almost instantly.

(The next day I saw the yellow spreading out of spots treated with alcohol.)

I was a bit afraid of the polish remover on the green cord but tried it too. It made it look like a scab.

The stains generally did not lift significantly until the yellow blotted out.

JOY! Astonishment!

The smaller spots, on the tan shirt back, almost disappeared in 4 or 5 dabs, but they were only the size of a glass pin head.

I moved on to bigger stuff and decided to use paper towel on the top side. The ink seemed to be more on the outside so I began from that way.  A first application looked like an ugly bruise. I could see the yellow crud coming out first.

The nail polish remover mostly did not bleed through to the pad on the back - or rather the ink didn't.  It seemed to almost peel the ink off the fabric. I checked the label.  100% cotton just like my cord shirt but this one has a smooth finish of some type that launders like PermaPress. [There's another blessing! I remember when there was no such thing.]

In an hour or so I had most of the ink gone from that shirt.

When the ink was a light gray-blue, hairspray seemed to become more effective.

 Half an hour later a grey blue spot identified each stain - still.

I took a break.






The now lighter and smaller 'w' shaped spot on the front would not budge. I tried everything.

Putting more on by tipping the bottle directly onto the stain.

Soaking it in alcohol, nail polish remover, etc.

I started combining stuff according to directions.
I tried the more radical ones on the pjs first.
Between each attempt I hand washed the area out, sometimes only rinsing, sometimes with a paste of Tide. It lightened, slightly.


My green cord shirt was not fairing as well.  The nap was holding the ink. When I saw the area start to lose some color I decide appliqué/embroidery was the best option for it. A small berry over one and a leaf traced from the original design for the other (both on upper right).

I started trying and combining anything and everything even solvents.  Sometimes I washed it out, sometimes I didn't. I spilled the remover.  My friend loaned me some that was different from mine. I was willing to risk a hole in the fabric to learn what might or might not work. I tried the harmless acidic foods. I even tried the stuff on the other fabrics. Nada, zip, nothing helped.

BTW - that is when the sweater became history.

So far I hadn't tried anything on it. I applied the polish remover and it wicked ink into a huge spot. I attempted  to wash it out just to see if I could but admit that I was not diligent or persistent in treating it.  I couldn't be bothered. I did learn to be very cautious about stains 'wicking' into surrounding area in the future. It is always good to work from the outside to the middle - often the stain is not as heavy on the edge.  Other things to consider would be color fastness and fabric types.  Some solvent type of treatments would harm, shrivel and/or dissolve some fabrics. Some fabrics are fragile enough that abrasion might cause thread breakage or other signs of wear.

Finally I washed it thoroughly and started again with my friend's remover.  It lightened a bit more.  When it stopped lifting again I decided to see if sunshine might help.  I put lemon juice on it and laid it outside on my back step for a couple of hours in full sun.  Next I washed it out completely in the machine. It was light enough that I had to look for it.  I left it with a paste of Tide on it overnight, washed that out and put Sunlight Dishwashing liquid on it and left it for several hours and then washed it out again.

I decided I am done.
It is good enough- not perfect but OK.
If I don't have my glasses on I can't see the light grey w shaped spot or find the small spots left on the back.

It is air drying on the back of a kitchen chair. I will treat it again before the next wash.

Oh and since it is staying so blue/gray I decided to experiment on my royal blue T-shirt.A few months back bleach accidentally flicked a few tiny spots on the front.
They turned completely white.
I tried writing on them with a blue pen on purpose.
It laundered out.
I wear my green shirt buttoned there anyway.
I asked David to retrieve the pens (he wore gloves).
After I wet the shirt I carefully pressed the ink onto the white spots. They look absolutely black.

I intend to let them dry completely, heat set them with my iron,
 and see if I can 'stain' my white spots blue!

Can I deliberately do what happens accidentally?
Wish me luck.