Tuesday Tip - Laundry Booster

Is it some kind of standard that Monday is laundry day? It seems like a lot of people do their laundry on Mondays. Of course, there are probably a great number of you reading this thinking "You do your laundry on a specific day? I do mine whenever we're out of clothes and I just can't wear that shirt one more time." To each his (or her) own.

So as I was doing my laundry yesterday I ran across a white shirt of Charissa's that was barely white on the front. She wore it to a wedding shower on Saturday and I think she took a taste of all the food back with her on the shirt. I could identify punch, cheese, salsa, and crumbs of what I thought was cake, but who knows for sure. It was at this moment that I was really glad I know of a little laundry secret: powder dish-washing detergent**. On extra dirty or stained loads (like Charissa's) I put in all the clothes, the regular laundry detergent and then I sprinkle in some dish-washing detergent (about 1/4 cup if I'm going to give a measurement) and VOILA! clothes are clean! Her little white shirt is white again and has a hint of a lemony scent.

On a different note, Charissa was extra-helpful to me yesterday as we cleaned up and did laundry. She pushed the laundry sorter from Britt's and my bedroom closet to the washing machine (no small task for a pint sized girl), she helped push clothes into the dryer (including saying "uh-oh" anytime something fell on the floor and then picking it up for me), she pulled clothes out of the dryer, she wiped off the tub with a clean rag (don't worry - no cleaning products for her!), and then she took her daddy's gym shorts to him so that he could put them away (and she did this without unfolding them!). She is really a very helpful little girl. And very observant. She's really starting to understand simple commands so she is able to do little things around the house like putting the shoes in the shoe basket, or shutting a door, or taking something into another room or to someone. I love my little Mama's helper.


** BORAX will also do the same thing and boosts the stain-lifting and cleaning properties of laundry detergent. I just rarely have BORAX in the house. Although I should because it is the "I Can Do Anything" cleaning product.