How Do You Keep Your Clothes in like New Condition?

I've used Tide just about all my life (Mom uses it), and I also use Biz (preferred) or Oxyclean in every wash. I barely seperate colors any more as I'm a single mom to two boys and just don't have time to wash seperate colors like I used to, so it's whites, lights and darks. The stain remover that I use, and will never, ever stray from is a Spray and Wash, but not a spray. It's got two different compartments and when you spray it, the two liquids make a nice bubbly fizz when they mix. Sorry I don't have a more specific name for you, but it's the only one like it and it works wonders for me. I use Bounty drier sheets. I've also used Downy for softness, and noticed a little difference, but my new to me washer doesn't have a dispenser for it so haven't used it. If you know where to get a Downy ball, let me know. LOL. Hope that helps!!

I had carrots (baby food) spill all over my WHITE pants a while back. I tried everything and the only advice that actually worked was to let them air dry in the direct sunlight. Cheap, simple AND it worked :)

I use Spray and Wash on everything that needs stains removed. It works great! Also I think Resolve has one too. It is seldom ever that a stain does not come out. Good luck!

I am so vulnerable to picking up a new shirt or sweater when I run to Target for pull-ups... But honestly, I notice that those cheaper clothes just don't last as long as items I buy from more expensive retailers. There is something to be said about the quality of the fabric and its ability to hold its shape and withstand the washing machine and dryer. Granted, some non-discount stores sell the same quality of clothes at higher prices... But, when I compare tee-shirts I bought from Ann Taylor with the shirts from Target, the Ann Taylor shirts always look better, always last longer. (And if you go to the sales racks, you can find comparably priced clothes on sale at Ann Taylor...)

(Edit: By the way.. I buy cheap clothes for my kid. Heck, she'll only fit in them for a few months. However I thought you were asking about your clothes more than your kid's... and that's why I mentioned my thoughts on non-discount clothes vs cheap clothes.)

Don't know. Mine are worn looking too.

Lestol will remove ANY stain, so I'm sure it'll work on carrot. I do my laundry by what the tag says. My laundry is separated by warm darks, cold darks, cold lights, warm lights and whites (since this is almost all undies and socks it's gets done in HOT water). The label on all clothing tells you what temp. Since I do laundry once a week, there's usually a full load of each - 4 of us in the family. I use Shaklee's fragrance free laundry detergent - it's GREAT and I have clothes I've been wearing for 12 years (so has my hubby)!! I've got bras that are that old too - got them right after I stopped nursing my youngest (16 months)- she'll be 15 in a couple months.

I can't wait to see some of the responses to the question of how to keep your clothes looking newer/brighter/softer. I desperately need that advice too!

With regard to the carrot food stain, I have always been a firm believer in Dreft stain remover. It is made for baby clothes and it is the only thing that has worked for me. If it doesn't come out the first time, I spray and try again and it is gone about 98% of the time (in our experience).
(I use it on all our clothes, not just the baby's.)

all my younger daughter's clothes are hand-me-downs from her big sister (well almost all) and some of her older sister's were hand-me-downs as well! honestly, the only thing I do is use Spray 'n' Wash like crazy! (I keep saying I should buy stock in the company....) even spots that haven't been sitting very long, I spray EVERYTHING. I use cheap detergent (Surf) and I try to use a brightener (Clorox 2 or an off-brand called Vivid, which is cheaper), I wash them in cold water unless it's been peed or pooped on (or towels/sheets), I've always dried all my laundry b/c our first place was an apt. (nowhere to hang stuff) and our 2nd place was in the desert and the clothes would get stiff hanging to dry LOL. Some of my 2nd daughter's clothes still look pretty new once she's outgrown them and I pass them on to someone else =)
PS ALL my kids' clothes come from Wal-Mart, Target, or thrift stores and yard sales!!! I think the "higher quality" clothes are just a rip-off!!! Especially for how short a time little kids wear clothes before they outgrow them!

I love Oxy clean in the wash and also the Oxy Clean Spray pre-treatment. We are an athletic family so we are always dealing with grass and sweat stains. Works great on them. But if I don't catch something in time I've been a fan of the Spray and Wash stain removal gel stuff that has the scrubby lit on it. (Ok, so that's describing it without looking but you'll know what I mean when you see it.) I've always had the best luck with grease stains with this stuff. Even got the grease out of the shirt my husband wore while frying the turkey for Thanksgiving. And I did accidently dry the shirt before I found all the stains. Just treated it again and washed it and it came out great. Anyways, carrots.... UGG! That one has been a mystery to me too. My advice, ALWAYS use a bib, and find the bigger sized ones that cover more. I have two stacks. "Food bibs" and "drool bibs" The food ones are just stained and they will always be that way. The drool bibs I can still take my baby into public. Also, buy cheap, but not too cheap. I don't think you have to buy expensive name brands to get what you're looking for. In my baby's closet I have a nice mix of name brand, Target, and Wal-mart brands. I love to shop at resale shops so I let the other mothers spend the big bucks on the name brand and I pick them up for way cheaper later. I personally have never seen the difference between which lasts longer. I wash AND dry all my baby clothes and still can't notice a difference. And my kiddo looks nice and unstained and clean most of the time. Unless she eats carrots. :-)

Good Luck!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

I think it is the hard water here. Our clothes look old quick and our socks are religious (get holes really easily). LOL. Makes me nuts. I have thougth about fabric softener but i don't like adding chemicals if I do not have to. I buy cheap clothes and replace as needed. Kids clothes, shout. Let it soak and re-wash with stain remover. Maybe oxy clean?

When my kids were babies I once put an outfit through the dryer that had a carrot stain on it that I had missed. I pre-spotted it with ERA laundry detergent and rewashed the garment. I was amazed that it came out and have been using ERA ever since (some 21 years now)to pre-spot all of our clothes. Personally the Spray & Wash and yes, even Oxy Clean haven't really worked well for me. As far as the clothes being soft and newer looking, you might try Clorox 2 for the colors and also use a good fabric softener. You can always put the load through an extra rinse cycle if you are concerned about chemicals. Hope this helps! God bless!

I have used Tide for years and my clothes always look great. I bought another brand, not sure which, but my clothes ended up faded and dingy looking. I was amazed how quickly it was for them to look awful. I will stick with Tide. I have always washed and dried everything. On stains I use Greased Lightning. I have even used it on newborn stuff and never had a problem with the baby having a reaction. At first I was concerned that it may be to "harsh" a chemical...but it has become my favorite "everything" cleaner. I have never had a problem with it discoloring or anything. I just spray the stain and throw in washer. No scrubbing, no fuss. I think I use it more on laundry than anything else. Good luck.

I have been using Melaleuca for quite sometime. The detergent has no phosphates and is eco-friedly (6 x concentrated only use 1/2 ounce). The brightner has NO bleach (very harsh on clothes and watch out if it splatters it will ruin clothing). I keep a prespot in the bathroom & kitchen to spray on stains immediately and small sprayer in my purse. Also, to soften water I have a Nikken magnetic insole (magnets naturally soften water), this way I don't have to use softner sheets or liquid. The great thing about NO Phosphates or chemicals is that it does not ruin our watersystem. Something you to think about for "our" childrens future. If you are interested in Melaleuca products, please let me know. (The test for me was when one of two identical 100% cotton throws ended up at sister-in-laws who uses conventional products, when compared mine was much softer and not coarse or faded). I buy many used clothing items, and they seem to perk up after I wash them. If you don't want to go Mela-route, try 7th generation, or other eco-friendly products without phosphates. C

www.mybiopro.com/claudia13 (learn how to protect your family from cell phone radiation & other EMFs)

I'll have to come back when I have time and read all of your responses. Maybe I can learn something! But I did want to add, that if you live in the San Antonio area, you have very hard water! If you don't have a water softener, or a good working one, or you let the salt run out frequently, that could be part of your problem. Hard water is terrible on clothes! Also one tid bit... I completely ruined a load of white clothes one time because I read on line to add a cup of distilled vinegar to your whites to whiten them, well I don't know if it could have been because I also added bleach ( as I normally would) but that whole load came out looking old! Like the elasticity in the fabric completely broke down, I had to throw several items away, and the rest of the load was never right after that. Good luck, S.

Don't overload the washer!

Tide liquid detergent is the only thing that works for me. I pour it directly on stains (even old ones) and let them sit for a day or so before washing. I really like Method fabric softener from Target and Downy liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets. Hope this helps!

You said that you don't put them in the dryer, which can make them look older faster. But, I agree with the person who said to check your water. Very hard water can definitely make a difference.

Hi R.,
Laundry, especially with kids can really be a challenge. I am sure you have all the basics down and there really is no trick to doing laundry- What I am thinking is that the detergent you are using is so full of chemicals that the clothes get damaged even with the best of care. I may have a solution for you but you will have to PM me for the information. I am not trying to sell you anything, just give you the inforamation about the cleaning items I use that protect our clothing better than anything I have ever used. I raised 12 children and I wish I had found this product before now..
As for carrot stain- if you have used your current detergent and other stain removers and it is not gone- chances are it will stay there- but there are some products that could help reduce the stain.
e mail me with a PM so I can give you the links for the chemical free products.
good luck and blessings

I lived by HEB's Bravo it's like oxiclean but so much better. If you soak it overnight it should take the carrot stains right out. As for the rest of your laundry I would suggest washing what can be on a gentler cycle. I have a friend that hangs a lot of her things up to dry so that the colors don't fade. And I would wash everything in cold except whites- those I would still do in hot. I would also suggest using a laundry soap formulated for cold water. Tide makes some.

You have gotten a lot of good advice, so I won't repeat but I will mention that the age, condition, and type of washing machine make a difference. A few years ago, I felt like all of my clothes were falling apart -- socks, underwear, t-shirts, ect. Only to discover that my washer and dryer were tearing the clothes apart... once a few of my husbands newer/nicer things got "eaten" by the washer -- we were at the store getting a new set and now our clothes last longer!

I have the exact same problem you do.I read somewhere down cheap clothes don't last as long. I agree. Rarely have I bought anything full price from wal-mart until now. Then I found out I was just wasting my money because the clothes weren't the same after the first couple uses. I buy my babies clothes at Target, resale for the name brand, and recently ebay for some name brand. All my baby bibs are stained!!!!!!!!! I can't figure this out either so I started to shop more and wear and rotate the same clothes at home so I can be sure to have a nice bright shirt to wear with bright new looking sweats when I go to the grocery store.

For stains I make a paste out of oxyclean powder and oxyclean spray (or something similar)and let it sit about 30 min or so. If you leave it more than an hour or so it might bleach the clothes. I have a pretty good success rate with this technique. As far as the dryer, from my personal experience I think you should put darks in the dryer. My husband is a big line-dry guy, and when any of the kids dark clothes get in his stuff and are line-dried, I can instantly tell that they look more faded. I put the cloth diapers on the line to keep them looking white, so it only makes sense that the sun is also going to fade the darks. I try to dry the darks in the dryer and put whites on the line. Good Luck!

I use Tide w/ Bleach, powder (this brand, powder formula always gets the highest score in Consumer Reports). Pre-treat stains with Shout(I buy the big one at Sam's Club for about $8). Use bleach EVERY TIME you wash whites. I wash everything on warm. If you are seperating your colors correctly, you shouldn't have to worry about color seepage. Use the Shout color catcher towelette if you're washing something new. I am very attentive when it comes to seperating making sure not to miss anything. The thing that always gets me...a black shirt with white sleeves! YIKES! I usually wash shirts like these with my gray clothes or by themselves.
HTH

I am a huge fan of ERA laundry detergent but it's not so easy to find lately so I have switched to ALL Free & Clear. I wash all of my clothes in cold water - even the whites. My baby clothes always looks great and most of them I wondered if my kids had ever worn! I also used ERA as a spot remover - since it's just a detergent, it can be on the spot for as long as you wan it to sit (whereas some of the special spot removers like Spray & Wash say to wash within a few days.) With ERA, all of my spots came right out. For fabric softener, I would highly recommend Shaklee's "Soft Fabric Concentrate" - no chemicals and my clothes turn out fabulous. Here's the link: http://www.shaklee.com/00075.html Actually, all of their products are good but I just haven't switched over to their other laundry products but I have friends who swear by them. Good luck in your search!