Quick Tip: Simplify Washing to Get Better Looking Towels

Unless you don't mind a bunch of lint balls covering your towels, or if you use your towels until they've gasped their last breath, then you'll like this.

Have you ever noticed that when you wash different colored towels together, even the older ones will transfer little lint balls to towels of other colors? I hate that. I cannot stand seeing all those little lint balls on the towels! The next time you get new towels, buy all the same color. You'll no longer have to wait till there are enough dirty from the same color to make up a load, and no more lint ball transfer!

Also, remember to limit the use of dryer softener sheets when washing towels (or fleece). The softener sheets prevent towels from absorbing as much water as they normally would. (The softener sheets just flat out ruin the appearance of anything fleece, over time, so I wash fleece separately and use no dryer sheets at all.)

If you are asking for towels for Christmas, a house-warming party, or whatever the occassion, make sure to ask for towels that are all the same color to make wash day a little easier.

Diana

Three Sheets to the Wind

OK, so when I say "Three sheets to the wind" I'm not talking about alcohol, but rather, dryer sheets! One way that I've found to save money is to cut dryer sheets into thirds. I find that when cut into thirds, not only is it enough material to impart the anti-static properties of the dryer sheet to the clothes, but it also cuts down on the sometimes overwhelming fragrance.

Now, what to do with those dryer sheets when the load of clothes is done? I think most folks know that the dryer is a lot more efficient when the lint trap is cleaned out regularly. I clean my dryer's lint trap after every load. Yeah, I'm nuts, so sue me. Sometimes, if I have a load of "heavy linters" like newer towels, sweatshirts, or blankets in the dryer, I'll clean the lint trap while checking to see if the towels are done. I find that cleaning the filter with a used dryer sheet really helps to clean out both the lint trap and the area where the lint basket fits into the dryer. It takes just seconds to do, it makes your clothes dryer more efficient (Read Between the Lines: works faster AND saves money on running the dryer!) Also, have you ever heard about a dryer catching on fire because the lint trap hadn't been cleaned in forever and a day? Well, if you start cleaning out your lint trap after each load of laundry passes through, then there's little chance of having a dryer fire due to built up lint, right? Fires and the ensuing water are so messy and bothersome. Just avoid them in the first place!