Laundry Tips 101

Powerizer all in one detergent eliminates all the extra laundry products from your shopping list. You should not have to acquire a basket full of products to get better laundry results. There are many blogs about mixing home remedy products hoping to obtain the brightest and whitest laundry while saving money using non-toxic laundry detergent ingredients. Some are targeting stain-lifting; others are to neutralize odors, in addition to preventing dye cast-off. 

 

For those extra five (5) to eight (8) laundry products, have you ever considered all the time and energy spent sourcing and manufacturing the individual ingredients, containers, and labels? It doesn't stop there either; the finished product must be transported and marketed to consumers. It's time and energy wasted on fabric softeners, scent boosters, dryer sheets, stain removers, hard water softeners, bleach, and for a machine cleaner. Many of these products have overlapping ingredients and tend to counteract the efficacy of each's intended purpose. But somehow Powerizer delivers precisely what it promises, clean laundry every time with no added additives.

 

Also, the cost associated with tackling laundry can be expensive. Max Appel, our founder, created Powerizer to simplify your start to finish laundry routine while eliminating waste, so you spend less time and money. Laundry Tips 101 is about keeping things simple by controlling the behaviors you can and allowing just ONE detergent to do the rest. Let's make the task of folding clothes be your only deterrent for wanting to start your next load of dirty laundry. 

We suggest never adding anything else to your wash cycle. You won't need to if you follow these dozen laundry tips.

 

1st Tip

Clean your machine first. Included in our detergent is a washing machine cleaner run an empty wash cycle to clean your machine using one (1) scoop. Select the hottest temperature setting. Here are some signs you need to clean your washer.

• You are experiencing mold smelling clothing even after drying.
• White residues remain on your clothing.
• You live in a part of the country (85% of the U.S.) where your water source is hard water.
• The detergent isn't getting your clothes clean.
• The front load washer tends to trap wet garments in the rubber folds.
• Your wash machine has caked-on residue

2nd Tip

Sort your clothes. A top-ranked detergent or not, there still is no way to prevent dye run-off from garments with fabrics that were not dye-set properly by the manufacturer. So, the best line of defense for keeping your whites white and your colors bright is to sort whites from colors. When you have let laundry accumulate, consider washing like items together such as socks and underwear, to make a full load. Sort like-colored T-shirts to create a separate pile after washing it helps to make sorting, folding, and storing faster.

3rd Tip

Wash at the appropriate temperature. Hot water is excellent for washing whites and helping to dissolve oils and buildup from products applied to our skin, such as deodorants, lotions, and sunscreen. They will also help to neutralize odors and sanitize to kill bacteria. However, it can also cause shrinkage and dye cast-off. So read the labels and wash them in cold water when possible. It also saves on your utilities and overall is better for the environment. When laundering with cold water, you may want to take the extra time to dissolve your detergent in a coffee cup of hot water before you pour it into the dispenser or directly into the drum before adding your garments.

4th Tip

 

5th Tip

Pre-treat stains immediately. We suggest carrying Powerizer in the powder form, so you have it when you need it. Stash it in your vehicle glove compartment, carry-on bag when traveling, at your desk or workplace. You never know when a spill will happen and how long it will be before you can make it home. One (1) scoop dissolved in a 16 oz. bottle of water will make a concentrated solution to pre-treat a stain. Never allow the stain to dry and set in. If it does, it will extend the time it takes to remove it from the fibers. Powerizer has stain-lifting ingredients that remain active for eight (8) hours. If you pre-treat a stain and it does not dissolve after the wash, do not dry the garment, instead, pre-treat it again this time consider making a natural cleanser concentrate paste and apply it directly onto the stain. Grease, Grass, and Mustard may take a few times. After each try, gently scrub and absorb the stain with a split fiber microfiber cloth.

6th Tip

Do your research about hard water; it is a big deal. We wrote a blog on how to remove hard water stains in your home. Washing in hard water requires more detergent. Instead of one (1) scoop per load regardless of the soil level, we advise using two (2) scoops instead. Clean your machine often to remove soap scum buildup. Soap scum occurs as your detergent reacts with the minerals found in the water. You will notice a white a greyish residue may linger on our colored garments the first few times you wash with Powerizer. It is more than likely a result of the hard water softener in the detergent working to remove build up in the washer. The detergent effectively removes stains, neutralizes odors, softens your fabrics, which eliminates the need for fabric and hard water softeners. 

 

 

7th Tip

Use the correct dosage. Powerizer can be used to wash delicate fabrics as well as remove tough grease and clean heavily soiled garments. However, the dirt or stain is what is going to determine how concentrated the mixture needs to be. To launder a regular load of clothes, use one (1) scoop. Use two (2) scoops for a heavier soiled or more massive load of laundry or when washing in a hard water environment. When your targeting a tough stain, like grass or grease, mix a paste and apply it directly to the stain. When washing silks, dissolve ¼ scoop in a gallon of cold water. Make sure the detergent is dissolved COMPLETELY before placing the garment inside the soak. Also, add a dye set mixture to the wash to prevent dye cast-off.

Less is more, and if your garment is not dirty, skip washing altogether, touch up dirt spots with a smaller mixture of Powerizer solution, then rinse and spin the garment and dry as recommended.

8th Tip

Reverse mold forever. Powerizer is the best washing powder for front load wash machines. Never use anything but Powerizer. When living in humid climates, forgetting your wet clothes in the washer, not cleaning your machine, undissolved detergent builds up, not drying your clothes completely, are reasons your clothes consistently smell like mold. Towels seem to be the most affected by mold. Bacteria and fungi can breed inside the rubber folds of front load machines as well as in the detergent compartments. To sanitize and kill the bacteria, you must expose them to high heat. Most washing machines are not going to get hot enough. Instead, mix a concentrated solution of Powerizer, then wash all the inner surfaces and allow the detergent to sit there for at least 10 minutes. Powerizer has a oxygen bleach powder (Sodium Percarbonate-which reacts with water to create hydrogen peroxide), which is recognized by the CDC as an effective disinfectant. Finish by rinsing all surfaces with plain water and dry with a cloth and be sure to leave the door open. Next, soak all moldy clothes outside the washing machine first. Then wash them in the washer after performing a machine clean. Be sure to quickly remove all items from the washer and place them in the dryer. Sounds elementary, but make sure the things dry completely. Repeat this soaking process as necessary until all your clothes wash and dry with no moldy smell.

9th Tip

Scents and odors, which are you battling most? It takes extra time to remove sweat, mold, urine, feces, food, and even perfumes from clothes. Before washing, it's essential to separate cloth diapers, items covered with cat pee and throw up. Consider buying a toilet hose. It helps rinse off cloth diapers, urine off soiled diapers. Also, keep a concentrated mixture of detergent in a bottle to apply directly to the stained areas. Next, soak them in a bucket with Powerizer for at least 8 hours then rinse them in the toilet before throwing them in the laundry with other items. This process prevents cross-contamination of the fecal matter, urine, and even throw up. Wash these times using the hottest temperature setting. Powerizer has a color-safe bleach which is less damaging to the fibers and will not fade the colors. 

10th Tip

Dry, Press, and Store appropriately. When it comes to finishing the laundry process, take time to research, which is better, line dry, dry on low or high heat. Here are some basics. Dry towels entirely on high heat, so there is no chance of growing mold. If your garment sits wet touching one another, it's more likely to bleed onto each other, therefore remove them from the washer and dry them immediately.

 

Always line dry silk to prevent dye cast-off from the fabrics touching while wet. Consider rolling silk garments into a burrito using a microfiber cloth and press to absorb as much of the excess water, so they dry faster.

 

Steam delicate garments instead of ironing to remove wrinkles. Line dry jeans if you're worried about shrinkage or pull them out while they are still slightly damp and iron them inside out, so they dry wrinkle-free. Line dry bras, lace garments, or items with lots of straps, strings, or hooks to avoid tangling and snags. Line dry garments with high elastic content such as jog bras and swimsuits. The high heat can break down the structure and weaken the flexible integrity of the garment. Be on the safer side and line dry items with different fabric contents to avoid irregular stretch or shrinkage like a polyester blazer with a separate fabric lining.

 

Dry sweaters flat. If you choose to hang them after they dry, first fold the sweater in half, then lay the underarm of the sweater over the top of the hanger the underarm of hanger hook. Finally, tuck the sleeve and hem of the sweater into the bottom horizontal wire. It prevents the shoulder bump and stretching of the knit.

 

Consider buying folding boxes from the Dollar Store to store undergarments, socks, and t-shirts. They fold flat, so when one is empty place it in the laundry basket, having it close to the laundry room will motivate you to fold them immediately after removing garments from the dryer. It also makes transferring folded clothes to the drawer or shelf easier and filling one container of underwear, one box of socks, and one pack of undershirts, etc.  The boxes help monitor excess, and when you buy new pieces, you should be motivated to donate the old garments while focusing on quality over quantity.

 

11th Tip

Ditch the extras. You do not need them. When using a truly multi purpose detergent and cleaner, it should be able to tackle laundry without all the additives. Powerizer has a plant-based surfactant, color-safe bleach, an odor neutralizer, natural plant-based enzymes, and a natural hard water softener. The fragrance is a partially synthetic formula to disguise the chemical smells of the ingredients. However, the scent rinses clean, making sure to leave no oils or lingering residues. These ingredients are chemically balanced to effectively clean, deodorize, brighten, whiten, and rinse clean. Save your money on all the excess. 

12th Tip

Eliminate skin allergens start by avoiding additives. Skin sensitivity is a growing concern with consumers. Powerizer chose a fragrance ingredient that is NOT an essential oil to eliminate issues with sustainability and to ensure no oils are left behind on your fibers. Also, the primary purpose is to mask the odor of the not so pleasant smells of the ingredients. Instead, it provides a pleasant Sunny Citrus scent; however, it rinses clean every time. Your clothes dry odorless. There is no need to purchase fabric softener (103 fl oz Downy $7.94), or dryer sheets (Bounce 240 Sheets $8.49). The Environmental World Group has tested 29 Downy Products, 21 products scored a "D," and 8 Scored an "F." Fifteen (15) Bounce Products were tested. Six (6) Bounce products scored an "F," while the remaining nine (9) scored a "D." Check out this blog we posted called "Fragrance-Free, Synthetic Fragrance or Essential Oils, Which Is Better?"

 

Hopefully, this blog provides simple tips about tacking laundry chores that you can easily incorporate. When possible, click the links to the additional resources shared in the conversation; they are helpful and relevant and expand more on the topics mentioned above. We encourage you to share your comments and any suggestions that other readers may benefit from as well.