Tips from the founders of the fabric-care line "The Laundress"

From Domino Magazine, may 2007:

Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Wieber ditched their jobs to launch the fabric-care line, The Laundress. Here, they share genius tips your dry cleaner doesn't want you to know.

Fresh, Long-lasting Linens

• Skip the clorox: "Bleach is evil," Whiting says. "It eats away at fibers, and , ironically, it's what makes fabrics yellow over time. To brighten dingy cotton whites, soak them in hot water for at least half an hour using detergent with a bleach alternative, like sodium perborate or white vinegar."
• Hot washer, cool dryer: "Don't be scared of the hot cycle - it's the best way to keep white linen and cotton really bright," Wieber insists. "If spots don't come out the first time, we pat on a bleach-free stain solution and pour boiling water straight from the kettle on them before washing again." Line-drying à la Downy April Fresh commercials is the gentlest way to go. Barring that, it's best to tumble linens on a cool setting for as long as that might take; baking them in a hot dryer can ruin the elastic in fitted sheets.
• Wrinkle fix: Once they're dry, take out your linens and fold them right away. If you like your sheets hotel-style smooth, iron them while they're damp - it's gentler on the fibers - or put them on the bed and spritz with wrinkle remover.

D.I.Y. Delicates

• Ignore the label (sort of): "That 'dry-clean only' tag in most of your clothes is a way for manufacturers to protect themselves, kind of like 'keep away from children' warnings," Whiting points out. "Unless your piece is padded or lined, like a suit jacket, or made out of rayon, you can pretty much hand-wash anything - silk, cashmere, polyester. If you're not sure, test a corner first."
• Long, lazy soak: Treat stains before soaking the piece in room-temperature water with a squirt of detergent made specifically for delicates. Silks should be soaked no more than 20 minutes; wool and cashmere can hang out longer; swimsuits can go all night. To rinse, fiil and refill the basin with cool water until the suds are gone.
• Squeeze, don't wring: Gently press out water and roll your delicates in a towel, then lay them flat on a clean, dry one. To iron pieces like blouses and pants, place a clean dish towel on top once they're dry, and iron on the steam setting, making sure you use distilled water.

Clean Little Secrets

Tips from Whiting and Wieber on how to wash, dry and store your clothes.

1. Spot-clean: "This minimizes the number of times I have my suits and coats blasted with chemicals," Whiting says. Press a damp towel with a bit of delicates detergent on the spot, then blot with a clean corner.
2. Go halfsies: Dress shirts will last longer if you wash them at home, then have them ironed professionally. "Cleaners often charge full price just to press items, but negotiate an 'iron-only' fee," Wieber says.
3. Sort religiously: "I don't even launder pale or dark pinks together," Whiting says. "If you're vigilant about seperating your colors, you'll e;iminate a lot of nasty surprises."
4. Everything inside out: If you dropped $200 on your dark-rinse jeans, keep them looking like new by turning them inside out when you wash them (cold), and remember machine-drying is wath causes the most fading, so air-dry whenever you can. Ditto for the rest of your clothes.
5. Reconsider fabric softener: Many fabric softeners conatin beef fat to coat your clothes. "Ours has canola oil," Whiting says. Use softener only every other time, so it has a chance to rinse out. This is important with towels, which lose absorbency when treated with softeners.
6. Watch out for beauty products: Benzoyl peroxide, an ingredient in many acne treatments, can bleach fabric, so put a towel on your pillows if you're on Proactiv Solution or something similar. Also, since the whitening ingredients in toothpaste can discolor the fabric, don't brush while wearing your best clothes.
7. Instant stain fix: Here's how to deal with spills until you get home. Push out a fresh red-wine stain by blotting it with a cloth napkin dipped in white wine. Lift greasy stains like salad dressing with table salt, cornstarch or baby powder.
8. Free your clothes: "Take off the plastic covering as soon as you get clothes back from the cleaners, lest you provide a warm, saunalike environment that moths crave," Witing warns. For long-term storage, go for cotton wardrobe bags.
9. Clean the machine: "Lint accumulates in the washer as much as the dryer," Whiting says. "Once a month, run your machine on hot with a cup of white vinegar to clean out fibers that have accumulated."