Almanac for Homemakers

What You Should Know about Wash-and-Wear  "Wash-and-wear garments tend to retain their original shape and appearance after repeated wear and laundering, with little or no ironing." If you are like me you are wondering: "Are there garments that are not wash-and-wear?" I had to turn to Google. So here is a term you might recognize. Permanent Press Easy Care, No Iron, Wash and Wear. These are terms used for clothing that have been treated to be wrinkle resistant. In the 1940's, clothing would be treated with urea-formaldehyde. (again with the formaldehyde) However, there tended to be some after effects like yellowing, odors, and complications with bleaching clothing treated this way. Our Almanac actually says that "A fishy odor may indicate a finish which has not been fully cured." EW.   In the 1950's, blended clothing was manufactured to prevent wrinkles and make them easier to care for. This is when we ...

Store Clothing Away Properly to Prevent Mildew "Clothing stored in mothproof containers usually is also safe from mildew" Yesterday was about moths and today is about mildew. I'm getting a little grossed out by my closet right about now. What other hidden dangers is the almanac preparing me for right now? On the plus side, many man made fibers are resilient to mildew growth. What is Mildew? It is mold. Gross gross slimy mold. This usually happens when you have humid areas that just create some moist atmospheres. Since closets are small spaces without air flow, it is a great equation for making mildew. How can you prevent mildew growth? This is the part of my almanac that I love. They suggest using chemicals to protect fabrics while they are stored away. One such is a compound called paradichlorobenzene. You know that when the word is long and hard to pronounce it has to be bad news bears. This compound can help ...

Dry Cleaning: Best Control for Clothes Moths "Clothes moths need not cause any problems for homemakers these days. Dry cleaning gets rid of them." Tineola Bisselliella These guys love clothing. Mainly wool and natural fibers. They can even attack your pantry, eating away at grains. Our Almanac suggests that regular dry cleaning will help keep moths away. There are many ways to keep moths from eating away at your clothes. Dry Cleaning and Laundering Just regular cleaning will do the trick. If you have clothes that you don't wear often then seal them away in a storage bag. Hang, Don't Stack Stacking items like sheets and blankets is a perfect environment for bugs. They like the undisturbed dark areas for eating and mating. Shake it Off If you think you have some buggies in your shirt, just give it a good shake. Any moths or larvae will come right off. Vacuum Like I said above, these guys really like havi...

Check Those Labels When You Buy Clothing "There should be a label on every garment you buy. You may find two or more labels - both important to you and both required by the Federal Trade Commission regulations." The Federal Trade Commission was established in 1914. Our Almanac post today is about those labels on every piece of clothing. As consumers, we have the right to know what our clothing is made of, where it came from, care instructions, and warnings if there are any. This is how we know how best to wash our favorite dress. Is is machine wash or dry clean? Is the fabric safe for high temperature washing? This is how we know what that dress is made of. It is all cotton or wool or a blend? If is is a blend what are all the fabrics? This is useful for anyone who might be allergic to certain textiles. If you ever find a piece of clothing without a label, notify the store. They could be in violation of certain standards. I think tha...