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Laundry tips for sensitive skin

When you have sensitive skin, laundry can become ten times harder. Here are ten top laundry tips that will protect your sensitive skin. 

  • Use hypoallergenic products
  • Try liquid detergent 
  • Clean your appliance 
  • Use fabric softener
  • Separate your clothing
  • Follow the instructions
  • Wash new clothes
  • Hot wash your sheets
  • Rinse your washing 
  • Wear gloves

Use hypoallergenic products

Many laundry detergents use bleaches, dyes, and fragrances to make their products more effective. If you have sensitive skin, avoid these detergents as they can cause irritation. Instead, look for products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin. Alternatively, try making your own laundry detergent. 

Image by Mike Mozart

Try liquid detergent 

There isn’t a lot of difference between liquid detergent and powder detergent, however, when it comes to sensitive skin you should always try and buy a liquid detergent. Powder detergents will often leave a soapy residue on your clothing. If not removed, this residue can cause irritation when you wear your freshly washed clothes. Liquid detergent can also leave a residue, however, due to its liquid consistency, does not leave as much, therefore lessening the irritation caused. 

Clean your appliance 

Whether you have sensitive skin or not it is vital to clean out your washing machine after every two to three washes. The detergent draw of your washing machine can easily become clogged with excess laundry detergent that clumps together if not removed. This can encourage mould to grow in the draw. If you suffer with sensitive skin this mould can cause and insufferable amount of irritation. 

Use fabric softener 

Fabric softener works by smoothing the fibres that make up your clothes and making them soft to touch. If you have sensitive skin, specifically eczema, keeping your clothes soft will stop harsher materials from rubbing your skin and causing irritation. When buying a fabric softener, make sure that it is specifically designed for sensitive skin as some softeners can cause irritation by being overly fragrant. 

Separate your clothing 

When you wash your clothing it’s important to separate your clothes by their material. If you wash delicate fabrics, such as silk, with harsher fabrics, such as denim, the harsh fabric can damage the fibres of the more delicate material and make the clothing more abrasive. This can lead to your clothing causing irritation on your next wear. To avoid this, wash all of your delicate fabrics in one load and your harsher fabrics in another. 

Follow the instructions

It’s easy to over-pour your detergent, but when you have sensitive skin it’s best to be more cautious with how much you use. If too much detergent is used it can linger on your clothing and cause irritation. This can also happen when you over-fill your washing machine. To avoid this, try and use the correct amount of detergent and not over-fill your washing machine. 

Wash new clothes

After buying new clothes it’s always best to give them a wash before wearing them. Many stores will use starch or dyes on their clothing to make them last longer on the shop floor. These chemicals can cause irritation if not washed away. Before wearing any new item, put it on a quick wash just to ensure that your skin stays irritant-free. 

Hot wash your sheets 

Dust mites and allergens can cause a great amount of skin irritation, especially when the pollen count is high during the summer months. Avoid being surrounded by these irritants whilst sleeping by hot washing your bed sheets. The heat from the wash will kill any lingering allergens and leave you free to enjoy a dreamy sleep.

Rinse your machine

Regardless of whether you use liquid or powder laundry detergent, there will always be residue left over after a wash. To avoid this residing detergent from causing any irritation to your skin, put your machine on a rinse cycle before beginning your laundry. This will wash away any remaining detergent and leave you with a clean washing machine to wash your clothes in. 

Wear gloves

If you are hand washing your clothing you may want to wear a pair of gloves. Firstly, the gloves will protect your hands from being consistently exposed to your detergent, and therefore protect them from the risk of being irritated. Secondly, leaving your hands in water for a consistent amount of time will dry them out, which can lead to cracks and irritation. Wearing a pair of gloves will protect your hands from the water, therefore leaving them free from any potential irritation.

The best way to prevent your skin from becoming irritated when doing your laundry is by using a professional dry cleaning service. Book your Laundryheap dry cleaning slot by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app. 


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Hacks for drying clothes

The quickest way to dry your clothes is by using a tumble dryer. For those who don’t have a tumble dryer, or are looking to save on their energy bill, these are our top hacks for drying your clothes. 

  • Invest in a clothes horse 
  • Use a fan 
  • Utilise the outdoors
  • Hang your clothing 
  • Use a hairdryer 
  • Don’t use radiators 

Invest in a clothes horse 

A clothes horse is lightweight, foldable and an energy-efficient way to dry your clothes. You can buy heated clothes horses for faster drying, however, the plastic ones work just as well. 

For the best results, hang your clothes neatly on the rungs of your clothes horse, making sure that they don’t bunch up or overlap. Place your smaller clothing, such as underwear, on the lower rungs and your larger items, such as shirts, higher up. When compared to a tumble dryer, it can take a longer time to dry your clothes using a clothes horse, which is why you want to ensure that air can flow efficiently. 

Place your clothes horse either outside or in a sunny, open, space indoors. If you are drying your clothes indoors, try to avoid placing your clothes horse in a living area as the room can become humid and encourage mould spores. To avoid this, invest in a dehumidifier or open a window to let the moisture out. 

Use a fan 

If you have decided to use a non-heated clothes horse but want your clothes to dry at a faster pace, try using a fan. Hang your clothing on your clothes horse and place it in an open and airy space. Position your fan nearby and put it on a high setting- make sure that your fan isn’t on too high a setting as you don’t want your clothes being blown off. Make sure that you rotate your fan every 30 minutes to ensure that all of your clothes are benefiting from the increased airflow the fan produces.

Utilise the outdoors 

Weather permitting, the best way to dry your clothes is by letting them dry naturally outside. Either hang your washing on a washing line or place your clothes horse on some stable ground outside. The natural breeze and fresh air will swiftly dry your clothes, plus, if the sun’s out it will warm your clothes in the same way as a tumble dryer. An added bonus to drying your clothes outside is that you will be left with fresher, cleaner, smelling clothing. 

Try to avoid hanging woolen clothing on washing lines as the weight of the wool, plus the excess water can drag the item downwards, causing it to become misshaped. Rather than drying outside, place your woollen items flat on a surface to dry.

Hang your clothing 

Whether you’re drying your clothes indoors or outdoors it’s always best to hang them at their full length. Hanging your clothes at full length will ensure that air can easily travel through the material, resulting in them drying faster. In addition, hanging your clothes up will prevent wrinkles, meaning less time spent ironing out creases, and stops your clothes from losing their shape. 

Use a hairdryer 

This hack is only useful for your smaller garments, such as underwear, socks, or hand towels. Begin by removing as much excess water as possible. You can do this by using a high spin cycle on your washing machine or by hand wringing your items. For the best result, set your hairdryer on a medium to high speed and medium heat. Remember, the hairdryer is to increase airflow, not temperature- if you use too high a heat setting you will damage the fibres in your clothing. Make sure you distribute the airflow of your hairdryer evenly, turning your items every few minutes until they are dry. 

Don’t use radiators

Using a radiator will dry your clothing in a timely manner, however, will cause damage. Exposing your clothing to the heat of a radiator will damage their fibres and cause them to weaken. In addition, placing your clothes on a radiator blocks the vents, causing the radiator to use more energy to heat your room/clothing, resulting in a higher gas bill.

If you want your clothes laundered, dried and delivered to you within 24 hours, book your slot with us today. Visit the Laundryheap website or download the Laundryheap app. Now servicing Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.


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Cleaning Your Children’s Dirty Sports Kits

Cleaning your little one’s sports uniform is a problem faced by mothers the world over. Whether you are a soccer mom, rugby mum or athletics mother, at one point or another you will find yourself faced with grass stains that seem impossible to tackle. 

Fear not though, this guide will help you regain the joy you first felt watching your children play sport and no longer shudder every time they come home with a dirty kit. 

  1. Act straight away
  2. Know your fabric
  3. Pre-soak
  4. Pre-wash 
  5. Avoid Chlorine Bleach
  6. Removing Grass
  7. Cleaning mud
  8. Cleaning Sweat
  9. Drying
  10. Consult The Professionals 

Act Straight Away

You could be forgiven for wanting to bury your head in the sand when your child first comes home with a fresh bag of wet, muddy and smelly clothes . Especially if it isn’t laundry day. It is important to keep in mind that by doing this you will be making the whole process much harder for yourself in the long run. If you take one thing away from this guide today let it be this. Tackle that kit as soon as it comes through the door.

Know Your Fabric

Standard football kits are made predominantly from a polyester-nylon mesh. School rugby kits are often made from polyester with a lycra blend. Both sets of materials are made for their durability and thankfully are both easier to clean than cotton.

Pre Soak

Once you’ve established the fabric you want to get that kit soaking as quickly as possible. Try to run the tap and get as much mud off as possible. Some parents have even been known to hang the kit on the washing line and rinse with a hose. 

Once you have got as much mud off as possible, fill a bucket with warm water, mix with one cap of laundry detergent and a cup of baking soda. We would advise leaving the kit to sit for at least an hour or more.

Pre Wash

Check to see if your washing machine has a pre-wash option. If so, take advantage of it! Using your pre-wash setting allows the main wash to be as clean as possible. 

We advise using half a cup of standard washing powder and a half a cup of oxidizing stain remover in the pre-wash. Do the same when it comes to the main wash but use a full cup of stain remover this time.

laundry machine

Avoid Chlorine Bleach

Despite how tempting it may seem to use chlorine bleach, don’t! Polyester and chlorine do not see eye to eye. If you feel you have to use bleach try to find an all-fabric bleach. You don’t want to be forking out more money for a new kit because you ruined the last one. 

Removing Grass Stains

The absolute best way to get rid of grass is to use non-chlorine bleach. But as mentioned above make sure this bleach is not chlorine bleach as it won’t end well for anyone involved. Make sure you soak the kit in this for a solid hour before using the heavy-duty detergent to finish the job.

Removing Mud

Mud can be a tricky one. This is because the key to removing it is by letting it completely dry. If your children used their kit at the start of the school day then this shouldn’t be a problem for you. 

If this is not the case and the mud is still wet, do not attempt to wipe it away as it will only rub deeper into the fabric. A good hack is using a toothbrush or plastic cutlery to gently scrape the mud from the kit.

Cleaning Sweat

We seem to never stop mentioning the benefits of baking soda and white vinegar on this blog. Cleaning sweat stains or smells is where this unlikely couple truly show they are a match made in heaven. Simply rub some on the affected area before placing your kit in the wash. The outcome will be a fresh smelling sports kit.

Drying

Always air dry sports kits to make sure no shrinkage occurs. If you have to use a tumble dryer we advise setting it to low heat. 

Consult The Professionals

When in doubt, go to the professionals. Laundryheap will give you a fast and professional service on any dirty sports kits you can’t bare to wash again. We pick up and deliver in 24 hours and charge no delivery fees. 


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Complete Guide To Removing Different Sauce Stains

Is there anything worse than dry food? Sauce, in all its incredible different varieties, has meant we never have to worry about our food being too dry again. These moist and flavoursome little bottles of joy do come with there own problems though.

It doesn’t matter if it is the bright red ketchup, golden yellow mustard, or the infamous brown BBQ sauce that your taste-buds desire most. All of these wonderfully tasty condiments can leave us in a state of panic every time we carelessly spill them onto our new white t-shirt. We are here to try and ease that panic. Next time you find yourself overindulging in a hot dog that is drowning in mustard and ketchup, make sure you know how to remove the stains once the inevitable happens. 

  • Tomato Sauce
  • Mustard
  • BBQ Sauce 
  • Mayonnaise
  • Chilli Sauce 

Tomato Sauce 

 You can find this versatile vegetable (or fruit!?) in cuisine all over the world. Whether its ketchup on your fries, spaghetti sauce or bloody mary’s, sauces that mostly contain tomatoes can make it seem like the end of the world when spilt on our clothes.

The best thing you can do when spilling tomato sauces on your clothes is act as soon as possible. Try to use heavy-duty laundry detergent and make sure you use the hottest water recommended for the fabric on the garment care label. Always ensure you check the laundry symbols before washing the garment. To start with, gently rub the liquid detergent directly on the stain. Next, place the garment into the machine to be washed. Make sure to air dry after, as heat from the dryer can set in any remaining stain particles that have not come off in the wash. 

Mustard

Like ketchup, mustard can cause most people to shriek when it’s spilt on your clothing due to its luminescent colour. Mustard contains a dye called Tumeric to enhance the yellow colour, which means it must be treated differently to other stains on this list. 

If a mustard stain does not get treated quickly, the turmeric dye can remain on your clothing as a permanent reminder of your carelessness. Try to catch the stain while it is still moist and blot immediately. Make sure you do not rub the stain, as you do not want to spread the turmeric onto unstained parts of the garment. 

Finally, mix a solution of three-quarters of dish soap and one quarter rubbing alcohol. Apply the mixture to the stain and allow to soak for 10 minutes, just long enough for it not to dry. The alcohol in the solution should turn the stain a dark colour, but not to worry, it will rinse right out! Rinse the treated area with hot water, and then launder like normal.

BBQ Sauce 

Would a barbecue even be a barbecue if it wasn’t messy to eat? Most people attending a barbecue know the risks going in, but that still doesn’t make the BBQ sauce stains any less harrowing. 

Removing the stain is a two-step process. Soak the affected garment just like you would soak a dirty dish in warm water with dishwashing detergent, this will help loosen the sauce from the fabric and help clean the stain. Once you have left to soak for at least ten minutes, pour some vinegar on the affected area and scrub with a kitchen sponge. After you’ve treated the stain, run the garment through the washing machine like normal. 

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is probably the least threatening colour of all sauces listed in this guide, but do not let its neutral colour fool you. Mayonnaise can leave oily spots on your clothing that are not always easy to remove.

When you spill a blob of mayonnaise on your clothing, use a blunt object like a butter knife or spoon to lift as much of the Mayonnaise off the fabric as you can. Never rub because this will push the stain deeper into the fabric, making it harder to remove. Seeing as the bulk of the issue is an oil-based stain, every Mayonnaise stain should be pre-treated using solvent-based stain removal products. If you don’t have any solvent-based stain remover at hand, apply a bit of heavy-duty liquid detergent instead. Then work it in by delicately rubbing with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Lastly, wash the garment in the washing machine on the highest heat it recommends on the label. 

Chilli Sauce

Need some spice in your life, but don’t like it trickling onto your clothes? A good old fashioned spicy hot sauce is great for adding flavour to your dishes, but not so great for your new white work shirt. Most hot sauce ingredients consist of peppers, spices and vinegar. Assuming your favourite brand of chilli sauce doesn’t add too much artificial food colouring, the stains should be simple to remove. 

Acting immediately is proving to be a common theme in this guide. You guessed it, don’t wait until you’ve finished your food to act on a chilli sauce stain, get on the job straight away! 

First things first, run the stain under the tap for at least a minute. Do not rub the stain here, instead let the water flow do the work. We also recommend turning the item inside out and cleaning from the backside to remove it from within the fabric. After this, place the clothing in a sink filled with cold water, add a tablespoon of liquid detergent and vinegar, then gently scrub the stained area. Lastly, put the item in a washing machine and make sure to use warm water, never hot, as this will set the stain. 

If you don’t have the time or patience to clean a worrying stain out of your clothing, why not let the professionals help you? Laundryheap is here to help by offering same-day laundry & dry cleaning collection with free next day delivery.


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How to Stop Your Raw & Selvedge Denim From Fading

Denim jeans have been an essential item of clothing since the 19th century. Before the 1950s, most denim jeans were crafted from raw and selvedge denim. In the decades since the way jeans were produced changed drastically with the implementation of new cost-cutting technologies and manufacturing in developing countries. 

Raw and Selvedge denim remains available at a slightly higher cost and has recently seen a resurgence in demand. Even though most raw denim enthusiasts are obsessed with achieving fades on their jeans, there are still a small community of people who want to preserve the dark indigo colour their jeans are when they purchase them. There are a few approaches for maintaining that dark colour, much to the dismay of some raw denim devotees. 

  1. Soak in water and white vinegar
  2. Iron sporadically
  3. Wash with specific denim care brands
  4. Refrain from strenuous activity when wearing the jeans
  5. Buy non-fading denim
  6. Have your jeans dry cleaned (professionally)

Soak in water and white vinegar

You may have seen this hack featured on our blog before in the How To Remove Stains With Viniger post. Luckily for you, vinegar has lots of incredible uses that don’t include fish and chips, like being used to set the indigo dye in your jeans. 

Once mixed with water (about half a cup for a tub full), soak the pair of jeans in the mixture to limit any further fades. This is also a good cleaning option for denim heads who don’t want to wash there jeans at all. 

Iron regularly to stop creasing

Parts of your jeans that crease are often the first places that you will find fading; the crotch, knees and the seat are the most prominent areas for fading. 

Ironing out these creases after every wear will help minimize fading in the areas mentioned above. This isn’t the most time-efficient method and will require a high level of dedication from the wearer. So it all depends on how dedicated you are to minimizing those fades.

Wash with specific denim care brands

There are a host of reliable brands that have been tried and tested by the raw denim community to ensure the best care for your jeans. However, it is important to bear in mind if you want to limit fades, avoid the washing machine at all costs.

One common brand used to clean raw denim is Woolite Dark washing detergent. A small amount of Woolite Dark mixed with water provides an excellent soaking environment to soak your denim in. Alternatively, brands like Mr Black Garment Essentials produce ‘Denim Refresh’ products, a biodegradable solution designed to clean, refresh and extend the life of your beloved raw denim jeans. 

Refrain from excessive activity 

Without a doubt, the most depressing option on this list, refraining from wearing your new raw denim is probably the last thing you want to think about right now.

Having several different pairs of selvedge jeans can mean spacing out how much you wear each pair, leading to less fading in the long run. This option is obviously dependant on your budget and how desperate you are to maintain that dark indigo look. 

Buying non-fade denim 

This one has to go down as the easiest tip on this list and that is to just buy jeans that don’t fade. Unfortunately, raw denim that doesn’t fade comes at a hefty price and aren’t commonly found. 

Some traditional denim brands like  Pure Blue Japan have recently started making raw denim that won’t fade. PBJ sells a pair called NC-005. The “NC” stands for ‘No Change’, referring to the fabric holding its colour. These jeans will still show signs of wear, but will not fade to a lighter shade like other raw selvedge denim.

Have your jeans dry cleaned (professionally)

Taking your jeans to specialists like us here at Laundryheap ensures your denim will get the best care possible. Our service is reliable, professional and takes just 24hours. Did we mention that it’s also free next day delivery? What are you waiting for!