Keeping house: Spring cleaning
By mid-April, the past season's clothes and accessories look limp as day-old baked goods. Though it's tempting to just squish the winter stuff to the back of the closet, the first sunny day often reveals that our mothers' spring cleaning was a good idea.
Some spring products for keeping you and your favourite things beautiful:
Vanquish cashmere-munchers
A spot of food or body residue on a sweater is a siren call for moths. I'm washing mine in baby shampoo, then storing in snap-lid boxes. The latest in spotting and controlling clothes moths is the Pro-Pest Clothes Moth Trap, described here:
"When Moths Make a Home in Yours" by Arienne Cohen, in the New York Times.
They kill webbing cloth moths (the most common diners at your cashmere buffet) and last three months. Non-toxic, too. Available from Amazon and Pestrong.
Fresh scarves
Fine silk scarves (Hermès , Ferragamo, Chanel, etc.) need cleaning after a winter's wear, but many of us pause, unwilling to hand our finery to a cleaner who will mash the hand-rolled hems.
Ever wonder if you should risk hand washing? Online scarf vendor The Perfect Red Box tells how. This method works for silk lingerie, too: Hand Washing Hermes Silk
Shiny happy shoes
I like to put my winter shoes and boots away well-polished, on trees– so much more welcoming to slip on next fall. And I feel better in shined shoes. Here's how to get glossy leather.
The Perfect Shoeshine
Do your blouse in-house
Now that blouses are more visible, not hidden under jackets, here's a terrific product, Stiffen Up by The Laundress. Gentler than starch, it smells divine and imparts a perfect crispness to cottons. I never trust my blouses to laundries, and this product puts them to shame. Price, $16 for 8oz.
The peel deal
I've mentioned Orange A-Peel organic Cleaning Concentrate before, and will again, for my love is boundless. A few drops in the wash and your gym clothes, sheets or towels are cleaner, with a slight trace of natural orange fragrance that's neither fake nor cloying. They now make a pet cleaning product as well.
And sweet spring dreams...
Here in Canada, off with the flannel, on with the percale. Who knew giving your bedding a shot of vodka was good for it? Hmm, perhaps a little nip for the housefrau as well?
How to Keep Your Mattress and Bed Fresh and Inviting
Some spring products for keeping you and your favourite things beautiful:
Vanquish cashmere-munchers
A spot of food or body residue on a sweater is a siren call for moths. I'm washing mine in baby shampoo, then storing in snap-lid boxes. The latest in spotting and controlling clothes moths is the Pro-Pest Clothes Moth Trap, described here:"When Moths Make a Home in Yours" by Arienne Cohen, in the New York Times.
They kill webbing cloth moths (the most common diners at your cashmere buffet) and last three months. Non-toxic, too. Available from Amazon and Pestrong.
Fresh scarves
Fine silk scarves (Hermès , Ferragamo, Chanel, etc.) need cleaning after a winter's wear, but many of us pause, unwilling to hand our finery to a cleaner who will mash the hand-rolled hems.Ever wonder if you should risk hand washing? Online scarf vendor The Perfect Red Box tells how. This method works for silk lingerie, too: Hand Washing Hermes Silk
Shiny happy shoes
I like to put my winter shoes and boots away well-polished, on trees– so much more welcoming to slip on next fall. And I feel better in shined shoes. Here's how to get glossy leather. The Perfect Shoeshine
Do your blouse in-house
Now that blouses are more visible, not hidden under jackets, here's a terrific product, Stiffen Up by The Laundress. Gentler than starch, it smells divine and imparts a perfect crispness to cottons. I never trust my blouses to laundries, and this product puts them to shame. Price, $16 for 8oz.The peel deal
I've mentioned Orange A-Peel organic Cleaning Concentrate before, and will again, for my love is boundless. A few drops in the wash and your gym clothes, sheets or towels are cleaner, with a slight trace of natural orange fragrance that's neither fake nor cloying. They now make a pet cleaning product as well.And sweet spring dreams...
Here in Canada, off with the flannel, on with the percale. Who knew giving your bedding a shot of vodka was good for it? Hmm, perhaps a little nip for the housefrau as well?How to Keep Your Mattress and Bed Fresh and Inviting
Comments
Some great products here -- thanks for the tips.
Here in TO I've had problems with carpet beetles as well as moths. Apparently they can live on the horse hair used in plaster walls in old houses like mine. Nothing beats cleanliness to combat these pests. I also store a lot of my wool and cashmere items in ziplock bags year round now.
I've always hand washed my silks using shampoo or mild soap, but the tip about dish detergent to get rid of oils from makeup etc. makes sense.
I'm all about my home organization and clean up project this month!
materfamilias: Airing is good! But if any soil, moths will return once out of the light.
Chatelaine: A wash, then 72 hrs in chest freezer kills any incubating larvae. The freezer technique is one conservators use so that one customer's wool does not contaminate others'. Congratulations and may you have many more moth free years!
northmoon: Gah! Carpet beetles! Bet that crevice tool on your vac gets good use.
I just happen to say that Stiffen Up by the Laundress is one of my favorite products.
I just washed two heavy Norwegian sweaters today. The humidity must be low, b/c they dried in a few hours!
Thanks esp for the shoe-shining info. I need to polish my Chanel loafers. They are getting scraggly. The leather is soooo soft I am afraid I will ruin them.