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You’ve invested in the clothing that will protect you from the harmful rays of the sun. But are you taking care of those rash guard shirts as well as you are caring for your skin? If you don’t launder them properly, they can lose their effectiveness. So read up!
Rinse it out with fresh water immediately after wearing
Never use hot water, only cool or lukewarm
Turn the garment inside out and hand wash, using a biodegradable soap
Hang dry away from direct…
Some clothes are easier to care for than others. Here are some guides for dealing with tricky fabrics, specific color groups, and links to our supporting topic pages. Explore laundry basics and a how-to list, good detergents, and precautions to take around children on laundry day!
Dark Clothes
Rash Guard…
Choose and properly use the right products to help prevent illness every day!
Keeping your child care facility clean is vital for the health, safety and well-being of children and you. One of the most important steps you can take to reduce the spread of germs (i.e. bacteria, viruses and fungi) is keeping your environment clean throughout the day.
Daily Practices That Matter…
Wash your hands often
Understand the difference between cleaning, sanitizing…
Q: I suspect that our new backyard has some poison ivy. If I wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants to protect me, how do I clean these clothes when I'm finished gardening so I don't spread the poison ivy?
A: You are right to be concerned. Poison ivy produces a resin called urushiol. This resin is the culprit that triggers allergic rash reactions in most people. When it remains on unwashed clothing, it is still active. Avoid touching your clothes with…
Are your black jeans, t-shirt or your little black dress not as black as they used to be? For the most part, it’s pretty inevitable that dark clothes will fade after repeated washings.
There are laundry products that are formulated to lessen the fading. Be sure to read the product label and look for features like color guard or "for black" or "dark clothes". And always follow the product and garment label instructions before using.
If machine washing is recommended, you…
Today is the perfect time to stop and think about your laundry routine. We have tips for how to get clothes clean as well as advice to make sure you’re practicing safe laundry habits, particularly around liquid laundry packets and bleach. If single-load liquid laundry packets are your go-to, always keep them safely away from children, out of reach or locked in cabinets and drawers.
Laundry Safety…
Q: I’ve done a good job keeping my skin protected from the sun, and my kids protected from mosquitoes. But now I have bug spray and sunscreen on my clothes. What do I do?
While that’s definitely good news for you and your kids, it sounds like the family wardrobe didn’t make out as well. But don’t fear; most commercially available bug sprays and sunscreens do wash out relatively easily. First, pretreat the stains with a prewash stain remover, then launder, using the hottest water that’s safe…
How to keep your favorite sweaters in tip-top shape
When it's time to put away sweaters for the season, say goodbye to losing a favorite sweater before its prime with these tips from the American Cleaning Institute:
Shop Talk
When choosing a sweater, price is just one consideration.
Construction. Harder, tighter yarns are more durable than soft, loose ones, which tend to stretch easily. That's why a fisherman's sweater is more suited to rugged, outdoor activity and…
Q: I have a blouse made of 95% cotton that I need to launder. However, the manufacturer’s care label says professional dry clean only. Does the dry clean only tag really mean it? Why can’t I hand wash or put it in the washing machine?
A: There are many reasons why your garment might have a "professional dry clean only" care label. Washing might harm the buttons or the trim. Or the dyes might run if the garment is washed. In addition, some fabrics,…
The majority of laundering questions that arise today have to do with poor cleaning results, poor soil and stain removal, residues of lint and scum, and fabric damage. Here are the typical problems with causes and treatments most likely to solve them. Ways to prevent problems from occurring are also given. Our laundry basics guide has more information on how to do laundry.
Greyness-Overall / Uneven
Yellowing - Body Soil Build up
Fabric Discoloration
Blue Stains…