By brightleaf There’s been a lot of bleach spread around lately to kill the coronavirus. Using bleach in your laundry certainly sanitizes, but it can also damage your garments. Not all fabrics are color-safe, so test an inconspicuous area with chlorine bleach before it’s too late. Always use any type of bleach in a well-ventilated area and protect your skin from direct contact. Bleach performs best with hot water. Some machines have a bleach dispenser, if not add the bleach during the wash cycle. Rinse well and enjoy. …read more From:: Bleach safely.

By brightleaf Anything made of leather needs maintenance, especially if it’s been exposed to winter conditions. Wipe shoes and boots with a damp cloth, especially if salt-stained. Inspect jackets and coats for damage, tears or stains before hanging on a well-padded hanger for storage. Use leather conditioner on dry spots like elbows and seams. Frequently worn items should be professionally cleaned every year to maintain the leather, preserve the color and prevent permanent staining. …read more From:: Stowing winter leathers.

By brightleaf Loved caps carry more than good memories. They’re seldom fresh, always sweat stained with sometimes a touch of mustard on the brim. Really Simple offers a quick way to freshen: Add a drop of mild laundry detergent to a sink or basin filled with cool water. Soak the hat for ten minutes, rinse thoroughly and blot dry with a clean towel. Avoid twisting the brim and hang to dry. See the full article for deep clean tricks, cautions and tips using a dishwasher for baseball caps! …read more From:: Washing a baseball cap.

By brightleaf Summer’s here and white sneakers are a great way to round out a casual look. Fashion site whowhatwear.com suggests gently rubbing the shoe surfaces with a mix of 2 cups warm water and ¼ cup of laundry detergent. Rinse your scrub brush in fresh water often. Wipe down with a clean towel and rescrub remaining stains, or use a stain remover. When you’re satisfied, stuff the clean shoes with wadded newspapers and air dry outdoors. In a rush? Put your sneakers in a mesh bag and wash on gentle cycle, warm water. …read more From:: Keep white shoes white.

By brightleaf Here’s a new tip for a category of cleaning we’ve not known before. Cloth masks are helping slow the spread of Covid-19, and after using may collect virus particles. Just throw preshrunk and washable masks in the washing machine with other outdoor clothes, launder in hot water and dry on high heat. Another option is to seal used masks in a plastic bag and wait a week for possible viral contamination to die. Keep your cleaned masks isolated to keep them uncontaminated. …read more From:: Face mask cleaning.

By brightleaf The COVID-19 pandemic has us all thinking about cleaning, especially where we’re spending most of our time. Like you, we’re wiping often-touched surfaces like door handles, counter tops and even our screens on phones, tablets and computers. Every garment we clean is sanitized, and we keep it sanitized all through the delivery process. To thoroughly clean garments, towels and bed linens at home, launder in water that’s above 80° F to sanitize fabrics — without the need for chlorine bleach. Heat in the dryer helps, too. Stay safe, stay well. Wash your hands often, and we’ll get through this together. …read more From:: Clean, cleaner, cleanest.

By brightleaf Give Mom a break from laundry – let us do the chores with professional wet and dry cleaning, laundry and finishing. She’ll appreciate time away from the washer, dryer and ironing board. Call us for a gift certificate today. …read more From:: Mother’s Day.

By brightleaf “Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?” Yes, keep washing hands. And clothes, household linens, towels and anything else that might have come in contact with the novel coronavirus. Protecting our health by preventing transmission of the virus is the only way we have to slow the pandemic. …read more From:: A funny question:

By brightleaf With lots of time at home, cleaning out the closets is great way to make more space, say farewell to fashions long out of style and to garments no longer fitting so well. (Why do the waistlines seem to shrink but the lengths remain the same?) When charity shops start accepting donations again, vintage and thrift shoppers are going to have an incredible selection. As our operation begins to ramp up again, we’re seeing lots of winter clothing getting cleaned before going into storage. As always, regular cleaning removes spots and stains before they become permanent while freshening and sanitizing your garments. …read more From:: Spring cleaning.

By brightleaf This day has been celebrated for most of recorded time. The Romans celebrated with flowers, farther north Gaelic people jumped over “lucky” fires and Walpurgis night became a major holiday. The springtime customs grew into national holidays with maypole dancing, bunches of lily of the valley, celebrations of love, fertility, and general good health. Today, May Day is celebrated as International Workers Day in communist countries, as Lei Day in Hawaii, as Beltane by Celtic peoples, and with devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Catholics. The charming custom of leaving baskets of flowers on neighbors’ doorsteps has faded, but we still can celebrate the beginning of summer, even at a safe social distance. …read more From:: May Day.