Sorry for keeping you in suspense but as you can imagine, we've been doing a lot of running to the washroom and it's been tough getting anything significant done. The kitchen was in the third ring of chaos until Derek was able to go to Grandma's for a couple nights. We thought that would happen sooner but then realized that Grandma needed training in how to maintain the training, so we used her day off to come over to our place and observe how it works. Consistency is important with training!
In the meantime, I thought I'd share some tips on how we're tackling baby stinky cloths and toilet-training toddler laundry. Infant poop just ends up every where and stains almost anything it seems. Kristen spit up a lot so I was cleaning milk vomit from her and my clothes. Derek's recent learning is creating lots of stinky clothes but the reusable absorbency sheets we got shouldn't use fabric softener (which generally reduces absorbency of any material). Aaaand he sometimes doesn't get the poopy in the potty, which makes me wish for Kristen's infant poops! =S Those are my issues; these are my solutions!
1. Buncha Farmer's stain remover. After an initial rinse-off of the poop/milk, rub the stick over the affected area until foam builds up. Rinse out the remover. Repeat until the stain is not very noticeable (I usually only have to do this 2x in total). Rub and foam one more time as a leave-in for the actual wash.
2. Baking Soda. I soak smelly baby cloths in the sink with a liberal dusting of baking soda and enough cold water for me to swish the cloths around in. I use baking soda in the "bleach" compartment of every wash cycle EXCEPT when I'm using vinegar for items that don't recommend fabric softener. Let's not explode the budget-unfriendly washer!
3. Vinegar rinse* before washing for anything particularly smelly.
How about you? What tricks do you have for removing stains and smells? What have you "lived with" because you couldn't find a workable solution?
*I've read recently that vinegar may harm the plastic tubing and such in a washer. I don't have any definitive info, just someone posting on a forum thread what their service person told them. Vinegar compounds differ from bleach and it's that composition which is incompatible with the plastic. Others, of course, have been using vinegar rinses in their washers for years and haven't noticed any issues. Just thought I'd note this so you'd be aware of the health of your washer!
Showing posts with label laundry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laundry. Show all posts
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Iron? What's an iron?
You mean that super stuff in spinach, right?
I was never super at laundry. I got it done but when I was growing up, we never really got into the habit of sorting out and putting away our clothes. We washed them, dried them - both in the machines of course! - then left them in the hamper to be folded, or more correctly, to be rifled through. It would sit upstairs between the rooms and be approached in the morning for a socks, underwear, that missing t-shirt or those comfy jeans. Even if they were folded by someone else, we would rarely claim our respective batches and just take what we needed for the day. Horribly lazy, I know!
I'm sure if my mom or dad were reading this, they'd either be laughing at us pretty hard or hitting up another page to avoid painful memories.
Now that I'm a wife and a mom, you'd think I'd get into a better habit of getting it all done. Um, not really! What is really helpful to our household but not so much for me forming a habit is my husband's desire for tidiness and getting things done, so he gets to the laundry before I do.
I used to feel really bad about it but we've had a good number of discussions as we keep discovering and re-discovering what our respective strengths are. I am good at cooking, he is good at cleaning. I am good at making sure our clothes don't shrink, he is good with folding and sorting. I am good at keeping the kids happy, he is good at keeping all of us on time. Or at least, less late. =P
I still have to keep fighting that shadow of shame that keeps lurking around my shoulder. Can't I do better? Can't I just get it all together? Well, of course I can! But I have to keep reminding myself that I would sacrifice other things in the process and we have both come to prioritize keeping our emotional and mental health rather than a really tidy home. This doesn't mean I'm not striving to be better but I have to recognize my own boundaries and limitations (check out Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud). I have to remember that while other people are great where I am not-so-great, I have my areas of awesomeness too. And I'm reminded every time I'm rewarded with a super smile from one - or both! - of my kids, or I hear Derek sing out the entire Thomas & Friends Roll Call song (every word, although enunciation is a different issue!), or see Kristen reach out to hug her brother (maybe it was an arm spasm, who knows, but in my books it was a hug!).
How about you? What goals and expectations have you had to let go of? What aspects of your home life, couple life and personal life are you prioritizing? What advice would you have for other moms and dads to manage the chaos?
I was never super at laundry. I got it done but when I was growing up, we never really got into the habit of sorting out and putting away our clothes. We washed them, dried them - both in the machines of course! - then left them in the hamper to be folded, or more correctly, to be rifled through. It would sit upstairs between the rooms and be approached in the morning for a socks, underwear, that missing t-shirt or those comfy jeans. Even if they were folded by someone else, we would rarely claim our respective batches and just take what we needed for the day. Horribly lazy, I know!
I'm sure if my mom or dad were reading this, they'd either be laughing at us pretty hard or hitting up another page to avoid painful memories.
Now that I'm a wife and a mom, you'd think I'd get into a better habit of getting it all done. Um, not really! What is really helpful to our household but not so much for me forming a habit is my husband's desire for tidiness and getting things done, so he gets to the laundry before I do.I used to feel really bad about it but we've had a good number of discussions as we keep discovering and re-discovering what our respective strengths are. I am good at cooking, he is good at cleaning. I am good at making sure our clothes don't shrink, he is good with folding and sorting. I am good at keeping the kids happy, he is good at keeping all of us on time. Or at least, less late. =P
I still have to keep fighting that shadow of shame that keeps lurking around my shoulder. Can't I do better? Can't I just get it all together? Well, of course I can! But I have to keep reminding myself that I would sacrifice other things in the process and we have both come to prioritize keeping our emotional and mental health rather than a really tidy home. This doesn't mean I'm not striving to be better but I have to recognize my own boundaries and limitations (check out Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud). I have to remember that while other people are great where I am not-so-great, I have my areas of awesomeness too. And I'm reminded every time I'm rewarded with a super smile from one - or both! - of my kids, or I hear Derek sing out the entire Thomas & Friends Roll Call song (every word, although enunciation is a different issue!), or see Kristen reach out to hug her brother (maybe it was an arm spasm, who knows, but in my books it was a hug!).
How about you? What goals and expectations have you had to let go of? What aspects of your home life, couple life and personal life are you prioritizing? What advice would you have for other moms and dads to manage the chaos?
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