Stain Alert: Its a PIGS world

Seeing as the first lady of laundry in brisbane has moved out to the country trading high heels for gum boots, Sarabah Estate Vineyard is thriving with 21 very happy hens with 1 rooster named Goldsmith, 2 white muscovy ducks Lucy and D'Artagnan and a wessex saddleback pig named Lilly protector from the wedge tail eagle. As much as Lilly is beloved her farm animal odor is not! If your in the same smelly boat, here a simple how to rid your clothing of farm animal odor.

To each load of farm smelling filled clothing add half a cup of household ammonia to heavy-duty detergent such as Eco Store Laundry Powder. Allow clothing to soak in the wash soak for about thirty minutes wash as per usual in warm to hot water.

Got a question? Contact US we love to hear from you! Better yet follow us on Facebook or Twitter for daily home tips!

Washing: The difference between washing feather and foam pillows

Washing is a teadious task especially in winter, however can be somewhat time consuming when unsure about how to clean an item, so heres a how to clean between foam and feather.

Foam Pillows:

Memory and general foam pillows are not washer friendly. Why? Because the agitation will cause the foam to crumble and break. Hence memory and foam pillows are best hand washed. Easily washed in a large sink or even better the bathtub.

Hand wash in lukewarm water with a small squeeze of detergent, buy the best detergent money can buy with EcoStore Concentrated Laundry Liquid.  

Fill the tub or bathtub with enough water to cover the pillow.

Hand wash the pillow and rinse several times to ensure all detergent is released from the pillow. However, try to avoid rinsing the pillow harshly.

Do NOT place your freshly cleaned foam pillow in the dryer it will only shrink and ruin the foam.

Hang the pillow out to air dry.

Feather Pillows:

Check the pillow for any small holes that can turn into one very big mess in a very short amount of time. Easily sow any holes or bring it on into elaundry yes we can fix those pesky holes.

Yes, you can wash your feather pillows in the washing machine. However add some towels into the wash to ensure the wash is a smooth one! Wash in cold water with a dash of detergent, remember a gentle wash is best for feather pillows.

Yes, feather pillows are dryer friendly add a tennis ball in with the pillows to ensure there are no clumps of feathers gathering during the dryer. Dry the pillows on a medium heat.

Confused???? Or just cant be bothered to wash your pillows? Bring them on into elaundry yes we wash pillows!

Daily tips on home making! Yes please follow elaundry on facebook and twitter! X

How to: Remove Cigarette Stains

Nicotine is not one of my favorite stains for several reasons including health, however ensure your clothing if in contact on a regular basis is dry cleaned to avoid yellowing.

Cotton and linens are easily washed with half a table spoon of laundry detergent Murchison and Hume is best for protecting your beloved clothing, add to a soak based water and leave, sponge any residue with rubbing alcohol. Wash as per usual.

When in doubt bring the garment into elaundry where your laundry is our love! If you have a question please email us! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily hints and tips!

 

Busy Birds & Bears in the Laundry

Elaundry has been busy this month with our second hem half price deal many customers taking advantage of this ( t's and c's apply), wedding dress after wedding dress being dropped off, mascot cleaning and new and an improved computer system. Needless to say the list goes on, We have been busy!However never a dull moment at elaundry and I would like to share with you some of the monthly elaundry moments!

Be sure to check out our newest feature! Track your slacks on elaundrys order tracker all you need is your docket number! Click here and test it out! Also check your account, previous orders and a whole lot more!
Share your comments and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for everything from tips to house up keep to laundry!

Product Alert: Bosistos Eucalyptus Spray

Bosisto's Eucalyptus Spray is a 100% pure natural product with many great natural uses. Such as killing 99.99% germs around your home and office, eliminating nasty odours and removing stubborn stains and sticky labels. Keeping in with our flu fighting theme this week bosisto's is a perfect addition to disinfecting bed sheets, linen and house hold appliances that the whole family are exposed to.  Enjoy the clean fragrance - I love this product for after lunch in the office, to deodorize the food smell.

Buy it NOW! Or drop an email to elaundry! The best $13.95 you will spend!

Handy Home Hints: Disinfect sick bed linen

Husband got "man flu"? Kids got the sniffles? Yes its about that time of the year, Flu Season. 

Here's how to disinfect sick bed laundry, in order to decrease the likelihood that your family will get sick this season.

A big part of taking care of someone who is sick is making them feel as comfortable as possible. And, if they have something contagious, it's also important to keep everyone else in the household healthy.

The best sheets for a sick bed are those that can be washed in hot water and disinfected with chlorine bleach. You will probably need to change the sheets everyday, if not more often. Sometimes just changing the pillowcases will make the sick one feel more comfortable.

For your own protection, place the sheets in a laundry basket or hamper to carry them to the washer. If you carry them in your arms near your face, some germs can remain on your clothing or hands and cause problems.

If you have blood, vomit or medicine stains, treat these first. Sheets should then be washed in the hottest water possible with detergent and chlorine bleach to help kill germs, bacteria and head lice. Line-drying sheets in the sun will also help to sanitize them.

Still got a question? Facebook, twitter or email elaundry we would love to hear your feed back!

How to Remove Color Bleeding in Laundry

How to Remove Color Bleeding in Laundry

Ever opened the lid of the washing machine and gazed at your freshly washed clothes with pleasure that quickly turn to horror? If you have ever experienced this then you know the disaster of colors bleeding in the laundry. Dark-colored clothes sometimes transfer colors to lighter-colored clothing if you wash them together by mistake. While this can also happen to some degree with dark clothes, when it happens to your white or light-colored clothing, it can be devastating. When colors bleed in the laundry, take a few quick steps to minimize the permanent damage.

1. Sort through your laundry load and remove all of the clothing that has color stains. Try to find the article of clothing that caused the problem also, and remove it from the laundry load. Place any clothes that do not have color stains into the dryer, and finish drying these clothes.

2. Place the color-stained clothes back into the washing machine. Fill the washing machine with cold water just until the clothes are under the water level. Set the washing machine to an agitate cycle, and agitate them for three to four minutes.

3. Stop the washing machine. If the clothes are all white, add approximately 1/2 cup chlorine bleach. If the clothes are not entirely white, use color-safe bleach instead. Use 1 cup of white vinegar instead of bleach if you prefer.

4. Start the agitate cycle on the washing machine again, and agitate the clothing for five minutes. Turn the washing machine off, and soak the clothes for approximately 15 minutes.

5. Drain the water from the washing machine and add an appropriate amount of laundry detergent to wash the clothing in a regular cold wash cycle. Set the washing machine to a normal wash cycle, and wash the clothing normally.

6. Examine all of the clothing after the wash cycle finishes. If the color stains are gone, dry the clothing in the dryer as you normally would. If the color stains persist, repeat Steps 2 through 5 to try to remove the stains again.

Dye Migration During Dry Cleaning

Problem Garment: Dye Migration During Dry Cleaning

The problem: Colored yarns, trims, panels or printed designs bleed during dry cleaning, causing dye transfer and staining of the lighter areas of the same garment.- UHHHHH is generally the reply to this problem, followed by, "this is an expensive garment"- Read on to be informed!
What does it look like? In most cases, only local areas of the lighter color fabric will show transfer of the fugitive dye. This can be seen in random splotches or streaks or only along the nearby edges where the colour panels or yarn meet. in other cases, the dye bleeding may have discolored the entire lighter areas of the garment.
What Causes it? The dye or pigment used to create the darker coloured fabric, yarn or design print was soluble in dry cleaning solvent. Therefore, during this professional dry cleaning this solvent soluble dye bleeds out and stains lighter areas of the garment.

Can It be Prevented? There is no way the dry cleaner can prevent solvent soluble dyes from bleeding during dry cleaning. Also, since most colors on dry cleanable items are colorfast to dry cleaning, the cleaner would have no cause to suspect that any particular fashion would have a problem with colorfastness.
Who Is Responsible? When fabrics are properly dyed there will be no fading and dye migration during cleaning. The textile manufacturer who applied the original fabric color or design is responsible for its colorfastness, therefore, the manufacturer must be held responsible when such dyes fail in cleaning.
If this happens to you work with your dry cleaner, and generally they will be able to send the garment off to the Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia to follow the case up. We are here to help!

For more information on this topic read more on elaundry!

Still go a question? Comment here we love feed back!

Garment Alert: Keep SATIN looking soft, luxe and FAB!

Satin is a luxurious fabric woven to have a glossy face and a soft, slippery texture. Originally made of silk, it is now available in acetate, rayon, cotton, nylon and polyester. -AMAZING!

We here at elaundry love our clients and love keep our fabrics looking the best they can be! So here are few helpful and handy hints on how to clean satin!
Always read the care labels and know the fiber content. Acetate and silk fiber satins should be dry cleaned. Others can be washed using warm or cool water, regular detergent and a medium cycle.

For washable satins, they can be allowed to drip-dry or dried in the dryer on medium heat. If ironing is needed, use a low setting.

When in question contact elaundry we are always happy to help no matter how big a stain might be!

Elaundry Valentines Day: Perfect Gift

Another weekend has flown by and its Monday! UGH! You turn your daily calendar over and see you have completely forgotten one of the most important days of the year, even with all the advertising in the shops, television and newspapers, you have forgotten. - Or you have just completely been far too busy to even think about Valentines Day.

Now she or he may say that its just another day but secretly they would love something special to show that you care! Seeing as elaundry loves Brisbane and your laundry! We are here to once again help you love you loved one with an elaundry gift voucher.

Best thing about our gift vouchers??? It can be used for not only washing ( yes it is a task that everyone seems to dread) but also embroidery, tailoring, hems and buttons, specialty dry cleaning, and much much more, all you have to do is ask!! If washing isn't your loved ones thing, and coffee is that's OK stop on by one of our two elaundry stores and Suite Commuter Coffee NEXT DOOR will also save your Valentines Day! Buy a coffee voucher and let your loved one enjoy one of Brisbane's best coffees all made within 3minutes while on their way to work! They will be full of amazing coffee and  ready for anything!

Are you single??? HEY no need to feel depressed on Valentines Day! Elaundry and Suit Commuter will take care of you! Spoil yourself! Get a gift card and use it, we have some great deals in store and online! Put your feet up treat yourself because we all deserve a little treat every now and then!

From the elaundry and sister companies we wish you all a very nice Valentines Day- and if you have a special dinner date we would love to make you look sharp and be the best pressed for your romantic dinner date!Contact us now! We will have your clothing ready in 24hrs! Delivered or picked up!   

Elaundry News and Views

We love our clients and over the years our client database just grows and grows. We love to take care of your laundry weather you drop it to us or we pick it up from your home, office or gym, it is a pleasure to look after Brisbane ensuring Brisbane is looking is best dressed and pressed! So I extend an invite to you if you have a laundry emergency or need advice from products to stain removal, we are here for you! I would like to highlight any ones laundry disasters and ensure that we are all aware of them so no one else makes the mistake of washing that one red sock in your whites! It is the ultimate DUH thing to do! So please contact us! Facebook elaundry or tweet us! I am your personal laundry lady!

Penny Pincher: Save Money in your Laundry

Save Money!

Money doesn't grow on trees however we can manage our laundry to save as much money as possible just follow these helpful hints:

Do full loads, back-to-back

Every time the washer runs, it should be full. You'll save time and money. And if you are using the dryer, you'll save money by not having to bring up the heat level for each load. You'll use the residual heat and save money.

Use the right amount of the right detergent

New Addition to Elaundry Shop Keep Clothing Wrinkle free with this Valet!

When purchasing detergent, always look at the number of loads that can be done for that size container. Do a bit of math in your head, and you may find a better bargain. Buying detergent that do not include other additives like bleach or fabric softeners is always more cost effective.

Take time to read the directions on how much detergent to use. The marked levels on the cap or scoop may be confusing. It will help to use a permanent marker to define the level you usually use. Pay attention to whether your detergent is 2X or 3X concentration . You'll need much less than you think. A great detergent Eco Store Laundry Detergent, perfect for 32 loads, and suitable for all washing temperatures.

Use a clothesline

Drying clothing outside not only saves money on your utility bill, it also saves money by being more gentle on your clothing. If you can't dry laundry outside, use an indoor drying rack or clothesline usually can be picked up a a $2 shop!

Use vinegar and baking soda

No need to pay for higher priced additives for the laundry. Vinegar is great for reducing static cling. Just add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse. For softer sheets and towels, add one-fourth cup of baking soda to the wash cycle.

Wear clothing more than once

I'm not disputing your mother's warning to always wear clean underwear, but most of us can wear garments more than once especially in winter. The most effective way to save money in your laundry room is to just do less of it. Wearing your clothes more than once before tossing them in the dirty pile is the first step.

Look items over carefully after wearing. Hang them up carefully or fold and return to a drawer. It takes a moment more in effort but can really save money. Rather than a full laundry or dry cleaning cycle, some garments may just need a light pressing to remove wrinkles or even just a quick steaming in the bathroom.

Handy Home Hints: Monogram Your Life This Winter

Monogramming is the perfect winter pick-me-up. Have your initials, family crest or name monogrammed onto winter goods around the home & office this season to reflect your individual and unique preferences.

Bathroom Monogramming

Personalise dressing gowns and slipper sets, cosmetic bags, silk pyjamas, bath towels and floor mats for elegant wash & wear.

Office Monogramming

Have board room linens such as table cloths and napkins embroidered with your company logo, or shirt cuffs, pockets, collars or ties custom monogrammed with your initials - you will be the envy of the office!

Kitchen Monogramming

Embroider your BBQ aprons, table linen, chair covers and tea towels in style with custom print or typography.

Wedding Monogramming

Make a statement by monogramming wedding gifts as a token of appreciation to members of a wedding party, wedding reception linens, formal suit crevattes or even embroider your gown after the day to remind you of your special occasion.

Baby Monogramming

Have a new born's name, initial or date of birth embroidered onto baby blankets, linens, soft toys, christening dresses, baby rompers and booties.

Travel Monogramming

Fleeing the cold this winter in favour of white stretches of sand? Embroider bags, luggage straps and passport wallets with your name, address and phone number for personalised, and secure travel

elaundry can embroider anything fluid enough to fit into a sewing frame.

Monograms can be custom designed to reflect your preferences, with small to large monogram styles and different fonts, colours and threads available. There is something for everyone!

Click here for more information

Quirky Ideas: The Most Important Thing in Doing Laundry...

Mary Marlowe Leverette from laundry.about.com is often asked the most important tip for someone who is doing laundry, and so are we! Mary recommends that the most important thing in doing laundry is...

Patience! (And we agree!)

"We all expect our detergents and washers to work miracles. We throw in some clothes, drop in some detergent and push a button and that should take care of everything. But, as you know, it doesn't always work that way.

For almost every stain, the best treatment is to allow the clothes to soak in a stain removal solution for several hours, sometimes overnight. No scrubbing, no fuss, no mess; just allow the stain remover and detergent time to work."

Original article

Quirky Ideas: One for the boy's - Shoe Shine Saturday

The Art of Manliness has created the idea of Shoe Shine Saturday and inspired us to think about cleaning and polishing shoes to perfection. Find out how with the Art of Manliness:

How to Shine Men's Dress Shoes

Chances are, unless you join the military, you will never have to face punishment for not having shiny shoes. Nonetheless, it is a great skill to have in your man arsenal. Whether it's an upcoming wedding, graduation or simply another day at the office, a pair of shiny shoes can set you apart as a man that knows how to take care of himself.

Not only does shining your shoes look good, it is a necessary part of properly caring for and maintaining a nice pair of leather shoes or boots. The polish itself helps moisturise and waterproof the leather, lengthening a shoes lifespan.

How to Shine Your Shoes Like a Solider

Step 1: Spread out newspaper or an old towel on the surface you'll be working on.

Step 2: Clean the dust and dirt off your boots with a shine brush or damp rag. If you must get your boots a little wet to clean them off, allow the time to dry before applying the polish.

Step 3: Cover the entire shoe with a generous amount of polish, using your shoe polish brush. Be sure to match the colour of the polish to your shoe as closely as possible. Make sure you get down to the seams of the shoe and cover evenly. Allow 15 minutes for the polish to dry.

Step 4: Brush the entire shoe vigorously using the horsehair shine brush. The point of this is to brush off all the excess polish, leaving only a small film on the outside of the shoe.

Step 5: To give your boots a shinier appearance, dip a cotton ball or pad into some water and squeeze out any excess moisture so it is damp, not dripping. Then get a little polish on the damp cotton. Apply the polish on the toe and heel using small circular motions. Repeat until you are satisfied with the level of shine. Remember to use a new piece of cotton each time and to remove all excess polish before applying a new coating.

If doubt or time constraints mean you can't shine your shoes, bring them to elaundry! We now paint, polish & repair shoes for a bargain basement price. Check it out here

Quirky Ideas: One for the Boys, a Guide to Socks

We subscribe to the Art of Manliness and will be sharing a few of their hilarious tidbits over the next few days!

Men's Socks: A Guide for the Proper Wearing

Socks are an interesting piece of clothing; we pay so little attention to them and yet they're central to our overall comfort in several ways: socks protect our feet from abrasion, wick away our perspiration, and keep our drew beaters snug in our shoes.

Common Rules Concerning Socks

Your socks should match one another not have any holes or visible stains:

Now some of you are thinking this is incredibly obvious; however, I mention this rule for those of you who fail to see the problem here. Failing to heed this rule is going to lead to an embarrassing situation when we unexpectedly have to remove our shoes and conceal our protruding big toe from colleagues.

Your socks should match your trousers:

A man cannot go wrong following this advice, as it serves to create a streamlined look with no unnecessary colour contrast until the eyes meet the shoes. Men also like this rule as its rigidness leaves no room for interpretation and confusion.

Wear knee length vs. ankle length socks:

This rule is based on the belief that a gentleman should not expose his bare leg unintentionally. A bit archaic, I know, but it still holds sway nonetheless as the flash of white hairy skin when wearing a dark suit can be distracting. And that's not what we want.

Sock Fibre Selection

Choose your socks by their fibre construction carefully, as each wool, cotton or cashmere sock has different uses (and cleaning techniques!). Wool socks absorb moisture and have insulating properties to keep feet warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. Cotton socks are inexpensive and durable, holding shape and providing an excellent fit. Cashmere socks are a little bit of luxury for your toes. For washing advice, see our Fabric Care table.

Stay tuned for One for the Boys, Shoe Shine Saturday!

Quirky Ideas: Oscar's Fashion Fix Ups

After the Oscar's fashion showdown on the weekend, we got to wondering what hidden secrets and style solutions were hiding under those fabulous frocks walking the red carpet?

With both gowns pictured designed around the bust line, some sort of breast lift would have been required to give shape without bra straps and backs. Hollywood Fashion Rising Stars or Hollywood Fashion Breast Enhancers are the perfect addition to low cut gowns.

What's more, the celebrities would be stocking up on Hollywood Fashion Tape to keep their gowns from shifting.

Under those fitted gowns would be hiding nude shapewear - either the Hollywood Fashion Shaping Half Pants or the Shaping Bandeau - to help smooth their figure from thighs to waist.

And knowing that they will be on their feet all night long as they skip from the Oscars event to the after parties, the celebs would know that no heels are comfortable without Hollywood's new line - Hollywood Feet, from Gel Cushions to Soothing Spots.

Shop the entire Hollywood Fashion range here.

Quirky Ideas: What to do with Holiday Cards

twiggsinlisbon

Christmas cards. They arrive in the mail during December, are read for a second then often banished to the back of a drawer or thrown away. Here at elaundry, we love getting crafty with our Christmas cards to remind ourselves of the festive season year round. Some invest a lot of time picking out just the right card to express their feelings about the season, so each card represents a piece of their heart. By recycling the card, we are also reminded of the friend or family who sent it.

Here are some great ways to preserve your Christmas cards with craft. Involve the whole family and let everyone get involved.

Frame them
If the picture on the card is a special one, put it in a nice frame and arrange on the wall or on a benchtop. When the next holiday comes along, you can simply replace the card in the frame.

Make a card
Cut the front and glue it to a piece of coloured card to make your own card for someone else. Or, cut out shapes and use them to make your very own original. Get creative and use cutouts from several cards to make your own.

Posters
Take the cutouts and glue them to a poster. Grandparents especially love handmade gifts!

Gift tags
Cut the card into a tag shape, punch a hole through it and tie it to a package with ribbon.

These projects can be used for Valentines Day, Mother's Day and Birthday cards - and helps keep the sentiment year round.

Quick Fixes for Party Fouls

madamelulu

"Pretend Like It Never Happened: Quick Fixes for Party Fouls" by Daily Candy

Make it through that holiday dinner party, family gathering or office party with your dignity (mostly) intact.

Problem: In the midst of an impromptu dance party, you accidentally spill red wine on the carpet.
Solution: Nothing more that booze can't handle. Swipe your neighbour's glass of white and pour a small amount over the affected area. Blot dry with an absorbent towel before sprinkling with a dash of salt to prevent the red stuff from spreading and settling.

Problem: Someone's been stabbed! Okay, fine. They just cut themselves while carving the holiday bird.
Solution: A pal of ours swears that a combo of ice cubes and spit removes blood stains. For some reason, though, the saliva and blood must belong to the same (wounded) individual. We suspect it has something to do with enzymes and witchcraft. Helpful backup: hydrogen peroxide.

Problem: Your heavy-handed hostess has infused nearly ever course with an abundance of garlic.
Solution: The standby tip for close talkers: What garlic giveth, ginger, basil and minth taketh away. If not of these garnishes are handy, swig a bit of whiskey - but not too much or you'll have a whole other odour issue.

Inspiration: Sew Chic - Personalise Your Life with elaundry Monogramming

Monogramming is making a comeback.

From it's humble beginnings as a method of identifying laundry in public washing areas, the monogram is now a chic gift or home idea for those who want to make their items amd keepsakes more memorable and personal

Monograms can be made to reflect the individual and their unique preferences, ranging from small to large monogram styles, fonts, colours and threads - there is something for everyone. Here are some great monogramming ideas:

Bathroom Monogramming

Personalise dressing gowns & slipper sets, cosmetic bags, bath towels & and floor mats for elegant wash & wear.

Summer Monogramming

Have your name or initials embroidered onto a beach towel & canvas beach bag for a chic summer ensemble.

Kitchen Monogramming

Embroider your BBQ aprons, table linen, chair covers and tea towels in style with custom print or typography.

Wedding Monogramming

Make a statement by monogramming wedding gifts as a token of appreciation to members of a wedding party, wedding reception linens, formal suit crevattes or even embroider your gown after the day to remind you of your special occasion.

Baby Monogramming

Have a new born's name, initial or date of birth embroidered onto baby blankets, linens, soft toys, christening dresses, baby rompers and booties.

The opportunities are endless! elaundry is unique in that we provide a bespoke embroidery and monogramming service for our most discerning clientele. We can embroider anything fluid enough to fit into a sewing frame

Click here for design options including picture, font & colour. Prices range from $4.95 to $19.95 depending on dimensions and complexity of design.