Clothing Care & Maintenance

Clothing Detergent

There are many kinds of laundry detergents and soaps manufactured, so many that it is difficult to decide which kind one should buy and how one should use it. There is a great amount of information on the internet to help a person decide what to buy, but the kind of information was surprising. A web site that listed the products and ranked them according to their effectiveness could not be found, but what was found was the pluses and minuses of different kinds of laundry cleaning materials, and when each one should be used.

There are two main types of laundry detergents: soaps and detergents. They basically have the same functions and effectiveness but the difference between the two is that soaps are better for soft water while the detergents work well in hard water. How hard one’s water is will determine which will work best. There are also a number of other products such as bleach and fabric softeners that can help improve the cleanliness of clothes. These should be used according to the directions on the bottle and the directions that are on the clothing tags.

There are several considerations for buying detergents. The quality of cleaning is one, which is easier to recognize in each of the cleaners than one might think. The price can tell one how well the laundry detergent will clean. Also, many detergents are laced with “environmentally-safe” chemicals that replace the old ones. Detergents containing these environmental chemicals are much more expensive and don’t do a good job of cleaning. The simple fact is that the detergents that don’t have these new chemicals are already environmentally safe, and do a much better job of cleaning. Therefore, much of the time cheaper detergent is better. Also, the type of clothing being washed did not seem to affect what kind of detergent or soap one should buy. Only delicate items such as hosiery need a light-duty detergent. Another issue is whether or not detergents with additives such as fragrances, non-fragrance washes, or fabric softener that are mixed in will improve the cleaning. The websites all showed that these do not help the cleaning process and in many instances detergents containing these performed poorer than their normal counterparts. Additives such as fabric softener are very effective and helpful when USED SEPARATELY and when they are not part of the detergent itself. The last issue that had a common consensus among the websites was that the normal detergents and soaps use are the most effective and the best. New products such as slow release balls or rings that supposedly replace detergent are no better than just washing your clothes in hot water. These new products should be avoided.

After considering all this information, sticking to the basics is the best policy. The best guides that one has are the tags on their clothes and the laundry detergents that their parents used such as Tide or Sun are as good as any. These, combined with other separate products such as bleach or fabric softeners, will do the job as well as it can be done. If one follows this, and avoids the new trends such as these new “laundry-balls,” your clothes will come out as good as they can.

Top Online Resources:

  1. The Soap and Detergent Association
  2. ConsumerReport.org
  3.  Howstuffworks

Sewing Machines

The objective is to provide reliable and relevant information to consumers interested in purchasing a new sewing machine. This is a very important decision, and as thus, it requires much research and deliberation. This document hopes to help those faced with this dilemma find a sewing machine that will fulfill all their sewing needs at a reasonable cost.

Some important factors to consider are reliability, expected product life, cost, style, and functionality. It is difficult to find one that adequately fulfills all requirements.

Top Online Resources:

  1. Noncomputerized Sewing Machines Reviews and Prices
  2. Amazon.com: Sewing Machines- Sewing, Craft & Hobby
  3. Sewing Machine & Serger Reviews

Stain Removers

Stain removers are very important because life is messy and nobody is perfect. When you make a mess that causes a stain it is important to get it taken care of quickly, so that the stain doesn’t set and then become even harder to remove. There are tricks to some stains that that work better than most stain removers but these tricks don’t work on general stains so it’s important to have a good stain remover on hand for when accidents and life happens. If you don’t know which stain remover to use, these few websites can refer you to stain removers that are very effective and user friendly. Cost is also an important factor for buying a stain remover.

Top Online Resources:

  1. Consumer reports stain removers
  2. Ohio state university family and consumer science

Steam Irons

There is a lot more to steam irons that one would think. Some of the main points that a person should consider when buying a steam iron are style, price and overall product.

There are so many different types and styles of steam irons today. It is important that you know what type and style you want before you go out and start looking for a steam iron. According to reports one of the biggest elements of style is the weight. When buying a steam iron you should consider how much work you will be doing with it. If you are planning on using your steam iron a lot consider a lighter weight iron so that your hands and arms can take more work.

Along with weight, the controls on the iron are a point of interest. Make sure that when you are considering steam irons look at the placement of the controls. Are they easily accessible while the iron is being used? Are the controls easy to push or to change? These are all questions you should ask yourself before you decide on an iron.

The price of steam irons range greatly. You could easily find an iron for about $30 that works just great. With steam irons you truly get what you pay for. Considering that the average steam iron lasts a good amount of time it might be worth it to consider spending a little more to get a nicer iron so that it might work a little better.

Because the steam iron is such a vital household item there are many out there on the market. The best advice to buying an iron that is best for you is to go and try some out. Search the websites that compare different brands. Ask around to find out other personal preferences. In the long run you really can’t go wrong with any steam iron.

Top Online Resources:

  1. Good House Keeping
  2. Consumer Search 
  3. Epinion
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