Keep a bulletin board near your washer and pin tags, labels and receipts from clothing purchases to it. Then, if a garment does not wash according to directions on the label, you can return it to the store for a refund.

Winter Energy Saver

Rather than use the fryer to dry clothes in the winter months, hang them in the basement to both humidify your house and save on utility bills.

Washer Advice

Button all buttons on clothing and turn inside out before putting into the washer. Fewer buttons will fall off and garments will fade less if turned inside out.

Sweater Dryer

Use an old window screen (with fiberglass screening) to dry sweaters.

Dirty Snowsuits

Don't wash children's snowsuits in the winter months-simply allow the dirty, wet and muddy outfits to dry and use a vacuum cleaner with attachments to remove dirt.

Dry Mittens

Wet mittens can be dried quickly by pulling them over the bottom of a small jar and setting the open end of the jar atop a radiator.

Lint Remover

Add a yard of nylon netting to your dryer with the wet clothes--it will catch most of the lint.

Whiter Fabric

Linen or cotton can be whitened by boiling in a mixture of one part cream of tarter to three parts of water.

Whitest Socks

Boil cotton socks in water to which a lemon slice has been added.

Long Wearing Pantyhose

Pantyhose will go on more smoothly and resist runs better if they are lightly starched

Clean Work Clothes

To your wash water, add 1/2 cup of household ammonia when washing your work cloths.

Feather Pillows

Put feather pillows in the dryer and tumble. Then air outside to completely freshen.

Scorched Woolens

Wet the scorched spot on woolens, then rub cornstarch over it. Brush when dry.

Scorched White Fabrics

Soak a piece of cotton in peroxide and sponge fabric.

Hand-Washed Sweaters

Add a capful of hair cream rinse to the final rinse water when washing sweaters

Clean Machine

Fill your washer with warm water and add a gallon of distilled vinegar. Run the machine through the entire cycle to unclog and clean soap scum from hoses.

Lint-less Corduroy

While corduroy is still damp, brush with a clothes brush to remove all lint.

Too Sudsy

When your washer overflows with too many suds, sprinkle salt in the water--the suds will disappear

Final Rinse

Add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse when washing clothes to make sure the alkaline in the soap are dissolved.

Removing Sweater Balls

Small knots and balls can be removed sweaters by shaving with a razor or rubbing gently with sandpaper.

Accidentally Washed Woolens

Soak washed woolens in lukewarm water and add some good hair shampoo, which may soften wool fibers enough to allow reshaping of the sweater.

Keeping Tennis Shoes White

Spray heavily with starch when tennis shoes are new to maintain whiteness.

Ironing Tip

When pressing pants, iron the top part on the wrong side. Iron the legs on the right side. This gives the pockets and waistband a smooth look.

Sit on It

Rather than iron blue jeans, pillowcases, sheets, towels, etc., just fold neatly and sit on them while ironing other things.

Creaseless Garments

Take an empty cardboard paper towel roll and cut through it lengthwise. Slip it over a wire hanger to prevent a crease from forming in the garment to be hung on the hanger.

Remove Creases From Hems

Sponge material with a white vinegar solution and press flat to remove creases in hems.

Bedroom Ironing

A good place to iron is in the bedroom. Closets are nearby to hang clothes up immediately, and the bed makes a good surface on which to fold clothes and separate into piles.

Ironing Board Cover

When washing your ironing board cover, attached it to the board while it is still damp. When it dries, the surface will be completely smooth.

Trimming Threads

Loose threads or ravels can easily be snipped if you tie a small pair of scissors to the end of the ironing board.