Simple Solutions for Your Semi-Permanent Stain

We've all had the frightful experience of dropping a permanent marker onto the floor or our favorite pair of jeans. The frustration and despair of not being able to remove the permanent stain is awful. However, there are safe ways to use common items around your house to lighten, or even completely remove, the permanent marker stain, depending on what it's on. Here are some tips on removing permanent marker stains from things like your clothes, furniture, and walls, thanks to the help of rubbing alcohol and hairspray.

Linen, Denim, and Silk: Take Care, Extend Your Wear!

Laundry day: the dreaded chore at the end of the week. You have to spend endless hours sorting your clothing into all these different piles, just to make sure that your white socks don't suddenly turn pink two hours later. However, most people don't think about sorting by fabric type. Denim, spandex, cotton, linen, silk, and sisal are all very different fabrics. Surprisingly, each fabric requires different cleaning processes in order to keep their unique texture and shape. It's hard to keep up with each fiber's specific care requirements, so we've put together a quick guide on how to handle your fabrics safely and efficiently.

7 Effective Household Uses for Borax

What is Borax? Officially, it's sodium borate, which is a salt of boric acid. It's soft, white, and a soluble crystal. Common warnings with this compound are skin and eye irritation, redness, and pain. However, a lot of products in your house have these same warnings (i.e. vinegar), but since we know how to handle these correctly, there is no need to worry. Let's take a look at some of our favorite uses for Borax.

Fresh Laundry and a Healthy Home

Laundry detergents are the source of some of our favorite scents. The smell of freshly washed laundry can be an immediate source of comfort. You feel at home when you catch a whiff of your freshly laundered linens, and it's even better when that scent follows your throughout your day. Did you know that some of the perfumes used in major detergent brands are actually composed of harmful ingredients?

An easy way to avoid these intense chemicals is to switch them out entirely. You can use a natural laundry detergent that is free of any scent, and then create your own perfect blend by adding essential oils to it. Read this article out for definitive information on what you should be avoiding, New York Times on Perfume Chemicals. Here at You've Got Maids, we stay far away from toxic chemicals. Even the air freshener that we use in your home is completely eco-friendly. You should choose a Natural Laundry Detergent from this list to take a healthy step towards living a life free of harsh chemicals. Once you have your detergent of choice, let's take a look at some of the essential oils that you can include in your wash cycle. 

Check out the rest of our laundry tips on our Ultimate Guide to an Efficient Laundry Room.

Change Your Laundry's Life 

Your clothes will smell great, they'll feel soft, and you'll no longer have to deal with mysterious chemicals in your laundry. On top of all those great perks, you will be producing less waste throughout your weekly routine. Follow this easy, informative guide that details the correct and effective usage of wool dryer balls to replace your old dryer sheets. You'll be removing part of your personal impact on the environment, which works towards our common goal of incorporating environmentally friendly practices into your daily routines.

Our Ultimate Guide to an Efficient Laundry Room will provide you with similar tips that will make your life easier. We love to help you live an easier, healthier life.

Let Your Dryer Be Hot like It Wants to Be

You already know that it is important to clean your dryer's lint trap after every use. However, there is another commonly forgotten step that routinely needs to take place. Otherwise, you risk the potential of enabling a fire to catch while you're drying your clothes. Every year there are 2,900 home fires that are reported every year due to lint blockages read more about this, through FEMA.The vent that connects your dryer to the outside world regularly needs to be brushed out, and then vacuumed thoroughly. Even if that worst case scenario of losing all of your work pants to a dryer's inferno doesn't take place, the dryer will still run inefficiently if the vent is clogged with excess dryer lint. This clogged vent will lead to a significant a waste of electricity, as well as damp clothes that never seem to dry thoroughly.

If you benefit from reading this post, check out our definitive guide to keeping your laundry room safe, healthy, and free of concern. The Ultimate Guide to an Efficient Laundry Room