Get out of the house with your friends and/or family this SUNDAY!
Gather everyone and head to the Tempe Diablo Stadium this Sunday morning before all the cars begin their four day rally departure through Flagstaff, Bagdad, Globe, Roosevelt Lake, Oro Valley and other spots around Arizona! Your kids and friends will love to see these cool cars! This FREE event provides coffee, doughnuts, raffles, and free prizes!
A friend of mine has invited me to the Copperstate 1000 Departure to be googly-eyed with her over this 80 exotic and rare racing and touring car display! Of course I said I would go with her and also support the drivers in their upcoming four day rally!
Until May6, visit the Arizona Museum for Youth for the, Wing It! Things that Fly exhibit!$7 admission gets you into the museum for great activities! Kids get to build things that fly and experience stimulated flight!
A highlight to this exhibit?
The Camp out — Flying creatures of the night, such as bats, owls, fireflies, night hawks and moths, get the spotlight. Children will “camp out” using tents and experience the calls and sounds that each creature makes.
Need to get everyone out of the house for some cleaning? Use these events, then call our Moxie Girl Team to schedule an appointment for home services while your out of the house having fun!
Laundry is a process- especially for those who are attempting their first load… It makes me think back to my college days sharing community washers, doing my laundry for the first time from home.. Boy, did I, among hundreds of others, not have a clue of what I was doing! And neither did my friend.
She would constantly “get another wear” out of her jeans until it was just about time for Finals, never sorted through colors or even items to be washed in a lingerie bag. In one giant heap it went, and at the end of it all, the clothes stayed in a suitcase that was only pulled from when it came time for that item to be worn.. And the vicious cycle continued..
Now this is how we do it...
For those who can relate and who would like a play-by-play of better ways to do laundry, eHow gives us these fiery instructions:
Gather Your Materials
Before you head all the way to the neighborhood laundromat (or, for the fortunate few, to the washer and dryer downstairs), make sure you have the following:
* Quarters: Yes, washing and drying costs money; usually 75 cents to $1.75 per load for each machine. Laundromats often have change machines; those that don’t, however, leave you to fend for yourself.
* Detergent: News flash! Laundry detergent does not automatically spray out of the inner workings of the machine. That said, go to your local supermarket or convenience store and pick up a bottle (liquid form) or box (powder form) of detergent. There really is no difference between liquid and powder detergent. You may find that liquid is less messy, however, but also slightly more expensive. You’ll probably be happiest with the brand your Mom or Dad used (you’re used to the smell), but you should especially look out for detergents that may give you an allergic reaction.
* Bleach: If you’re doing a load of whites, you may want to add bleach to get your clothes as bright as possible. A note of caution: Bleach should only be added to whites (as you may have guessed, it tends to, uh, bleach). Luckily, because scientists work so hard, detergents are now available that have “color-safe bleaching action” (meaning that you can mix your whites and nonwhites). Which bleach should you use? A survey by Consumer Reports found that Tide liquid detergent with bleach alternative was the most effective detergent on the market. Cheer came in a close second, followed by Arm & Hammer. Just thought you’d like to know.
* Fabric softener: To help eliminate static cling and make your clothes feel softer and smell fresher, add fabric softener. Fabric softener is available in both liquid form (which is added during the wash cycle) and sheet form (which is added during the dry cycle). As in the powdered-detergent-vs.-liquid-detergent debate, there is no real difference in effectiveness between liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets; some consider fabric-softener sheets a worthless indulgence, while others find it a necessity. You be the judge. Some examples are Downy, Snuggles (with that cute little bear) and Bounce.
* Laundry basket: We don’t want to see your dirty underwear hanging over your arm. To keep us from getting sick, we insist that you purchase a heavy-duty laundry basket or a drawstring laundry bag. If you’re cheap, you can go with a pillowcase.
Splatters, sprays, spills, splashes, smears… Stains are inevitable, just as they are common. But, getting rid of those stains could be as easy as opening your kitchen cabinet.
Blood stains
· Pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain and then cover it with table salt. The salt will absorb the blood color after about 15-30 minutes. Then, just brush the salt off and wash the fabric in cold water.
· OR just keep blotting with a clean cloth that has been dampened with peroxide.
Chocolate stains
· If it’s melted chocolate, allow it to dry and harden, then scrape it off with a blunt knife.
· Apply full strength dish soap or laundry detergent directly to the spot, then wash as usual.
Sweat stains
· Add two tablespoons of white vinegar and about a half of a cup of baking soda into some water.
· Soak the sweat stained clothes.
· Wash according to the label.
Ink stains
· Rubbing alcohol, hairspray or hand sanitizer can help lift an ink stain.
· After applying, rub with spot a WHITE towel, cloth, paper towel (avoid brown paper towels)
· Repeat as necessary until stain fades.
· Then pretreat with detergent and wash but do not dry until you are satisfied that ink stain is removed
Tomato Sauce
· Sponge stain with cool water immediately.
· Then rub with a lemon slice or sponge lemon juice on the stain.
· Flush with water, blotting as much liquid as possible.
· Allow to dry.
· If any trace of stain persists:
· Presoak (the method of soaking a stained article in warm water before laundering it) in a solution of 1 quart warm water, 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing detergent, and 1 tablespoon white vinegar for 15 minutes.
· Rinse with water and launder as soon as possible.
· Alternately, apply hydrogen peroxide to stain
Grass stains
· Take about 1/4 cup of your average household sugar and mix in a little bit of water to create a scrub
· Rub sugar scrub it into the grass stain for about 1 minute
· Then throw them in the washing machine with your detergent and wash as normal (do not rinse off the scrub).
Poop (if you’ve got a baby or toddler, you can’t escape this one!)
· In between loads of laundry keep a bucket of water with Borax in it (out of reach of your child/children, of course)
· Soak all the stained baby clothes, sheets, etc in the bucket.
· Add clothes and a little Borax to the washer and soak 30 minutes
· Wash as normal
Red Wine
· Pour white wine on the stain and wash asap.
Food Grease/Oil
· Treat with Dawn dish soap
· Wash as normal.
Dirt and Red Clay · Remove as much of the dry dirt as you can by lightly scraping WITH the fabric weave.
· Saturate with a mixture of 1c. white vinegar and 3Tbsp ionized salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes and rinse with cold water. If the stain is still there, repeat, or move on to the next suggestion.
· Soak the stain in a mixture of 1c. water and 1Tbsp Borax
· If the spot STILL persists, or soak the item in a gallon of water to which you’ve added a cup of ammonia (or use bleach if the items are white).
If possible, always treat a stain immediately. The longer it sits, the more it sets in and gets more difficult to remove.
Don’t put stained clothes in the dryer! Always air dry until you’re satisfied that the stain is gone. Sometimes they may appear to be gone when the item is still wet but the reappear after it’s dried. Heat sets the stains in so avoid it until you’re sure it won’t show.
Always try each method first in an inconspicuous area. If the piece of clothing is delicate or expensive, don’t chance it. Just take it straight to a dry cleaner that specializes in stain removal, like ZCleaners in Tempe and Scottsdale.
Confession of a Moxie: I’m a serious shopaholic. An admitted, addicted, head-over-heals shoe addict. The number of pairs in my closet is in the triple digits and I have been known to wash dishes in six inch slingbacks for the added excitement. Enjoying and appreciating luxury clothing items is a blessing and a curse–while I drool over a Micheal Kors silk blouse at Nordstrom, I am haunted by the lingering advise of my mother:
“You know that’s going to be dry-clean only…Don’t even dream of putting that in the washer!…That’s a lovely shirt but it will never look the same after the first time you wear it…”
And, annoyingly, she’s right (as mother’s usually are). Does this mean that my days of dry-clean only tunics and sensitively dyed jeans are over? Don’t be silly! I would like to pass on my zeal for fearless shopping and tip all of you off on the dos and don’ts of delicate laundry, dry-cleaning, and temperamental garments.
If you’re lazy…Most ready-to-wear (casual) garments that say “dry clean only” can be washed in a machine. When in doubt, put it on the coldest and most delicate setting. I always hang-dry these garments to avoid any accidents (shrinking, discoloration, textural wear, and other nightmares).
My mother’s way…Turn delicate items inside out and soak them in a sink of warm water with a mild soap for ten minutes. I use Ivory. Gently ring out extra water and hang the items to dry.
Know when to throw in the towel…Satin gowns and business suits require a trip to the dry cleaners. It’s worth it–have a Moxie pick it up for you!
Delicate Stain Removal… Using hydrogen peroxide to spot-treat stains on delicate items is a milder solution to harsh stain removers.
Now you too can be a garment goddess–so stop worrying and start shopping!
