Tag Archives: washing machine

Washing Machines Pose Dangers to Small Children

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To parents, a washing machine is a necessary tool for keeping their family’s clothing nice and clean. For small children, the washing machine may look like a spaceship to play in or a good place to hide. Parents can take steps to ensure that their toddlers and preschoolers cannot get inside the washing machine. The Washington Post reported a terrifying story about a three-year-old girl who crawled inside the family’s washing machine. The door closed, and water started pouring in. Fortunately, the girl’s four-year-old brother ran to tell their parents what happened. The washing machine was brand new, and the … Continue reading →

Preventing Water Damage in Your Home

Imagine arriving home after a busy day and finding that your carpet is sopping wet or your hardwood floors are ruined under inches or even feet of water. Water damage can be expensive to fix, but yet it can usually be avoided with some preventative maintenance. Here are some steps that you can take to help minimize the risk that you will be faced with water damage in your home. Know the trouble spots If you are aware of the spots in your home where water damage is most likely to emanate from, you can do a lot to prevent … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: October 6th Through October 12th

How has your weather been? Here we are having nice warm weather after a week of colder temperatures. Still, no matter how nice it is outside, I am reminded that winter is not far away. It is time to start thinking about fall maintenance and preparing for winter. Check back daily to learn more about this as well as read about other topics related to your home. October 6th Home Week in Review: September 29th Through October 5th Have you started thinking about preparing for winter? Cool morning and evening temperatures have prompted me to put extra blankets on the … Continue reading →

Front Loading Washing Machines Promote Mold

If you have been considering trading in your existing top loading washing machine for a high efficiency front loading one, you might want to think twice. Mold is becoming a growing problem when it comes to these new washing machines. MSNBC is reporting that consumers are becoming frustrated by the fact that after a while, their washing machines and even their clean clothes start to stink as mold and even slime begins to build up on the rubber gaskets. This can be especially hard to bear for consumers because these machines cost much more than top loading machines. Higher end … Continue reading →

Five Tips for Laundry Bleach

Chlorine bleach can be a lifesaver for your laundry. I can’t count the number of times that it saved a hand-me down dress from being tossed out or rescued dingy socks after being used on the dingy garage floor. How do you use chlorine bleach? Here are five tips that will help you make the most of bleach without weakening or ruining your clothes. 1. Check to make sure that your fabrics can withstand bleach. Just because they are white does not mean that they should be bleached. In general, the following fabrics can often be bleached: acrylic, cotton, linen, … Continue reading →

Cheap Laundry Tricks

There is no need to rely on expensive top-of-the-line washing machines and detergents to get your clothes clean. Not when you have some frugal tricks up your sleeve, um, I mean in your laundry basket. If you watch the television commercials, they seem to imply that you’ll never get your clothes really clean unless your washing machine has enough dials, buttons and levers to launch the space shuttle. the same is true for those “super” detergents that are full of the latest chemicals. One thing they all have in common is that they are expensive. If you don’t want to … Continue reading →

Wringer Washers Save Money

Wringer Washing machines are a favorite choice of homesteaders who want to be “off the grid” and save a bundle on laundry. One reader told me that she started saving $80 a month once she started using a wringer washing machine. But what is a wringer washing machine? How does it work? Where can you get one? Keep reading to find out all about this frugal trend to see if it might be right for you and your family. I learned about wringer washers from some Amish friends. They don’t use electricity, but they can do their wash in a … Continue reading →

The Frugal Washing Machine

The way you load and set your washer can save you at least 50 percent a load. I love writing about ways to save money on laundry, because it is just one of those expenses that can’t be avoided. I do know people who do everything they can to avoid doing laundry, from airing out their clothing instead of washing it between times it is worn (can be frugal) to purchasing more clothing (probably not frugal, although it can be). Although I can do without many things in an effort to be frugal, I just can’t skimp on having clean … Continue reading →

Home and Garden Question: Washing Machine Odor

I recently received the following question: Does your washer ever have an odor? Mine does. The smell isn’t real strong but it is unpleasant and like musty. What can I do to to get rid of it and keep it from smelling? Any ideas? The good news is that this problem is usually easy to resolve. First, try leaving the lid to the washing machine open after washing a load of clothes. Letting the drum air out after each load instead of closing the lid will help prevent odors. Another thing to consider is that washing machines do get dirty. … Continue reading →