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Use
pure soap powders in your laundry whenever possible. Avoid
phosphate detergents as they pollute water and endanger water plants and
wildlife. It's not THAT important for your clothes to be whiter
than white.
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Pure
soap: Pure soap or soap flakes do just as good a job as
harsh powders or liquid detergents. To make your own washing
powder, combine 1 cup of soap flakes with 1/2 cup of washing soda.
In soft-water areas, use a greater proportion of soap flakes and, in
hard-water areas, use more washing soda.
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Detergent:
To remove detergent residues from clothes, just add 1/2 cup of
washing soda to the machine and prewash. It's important to do
this as detergent film may yellow your clothes when mixed with soap.
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Machine
washing: Dissolve soap flakes in a little hot water before
adding them to the wash.
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Streaking:
To prevent streaking in dark cottons and to prolong the life of
stretch fabrics, add 125ml of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
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Heavily
soiled clothes: Use a solution of 1.5 tablespoons washing
soda in 250ml warm water.
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Soiled
nappies: Pre-soak in a solution of one part washing soda
to four parts water.
Hand
Washing
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Indian
cotton: Wash in cold water. Add a handful of salt or
125ml of vinegar to the water to ensure the colours don't run.
Don't soak. Drip dry.
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Lace:
Wash in warm, soapy water by squeezing and kneading. Rinse in
warm water.
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Linen:
Wash in lukewarm water using pure soap flakes.
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Silk:
Wash in cold water using a mild pure soap or soap flakes.
Rinse well and allow to drip dry. Iron while still slightly
damp. To restore the sheen to silk, add white wine vinegar to
the final rinse.
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Woollens:
Wash in cool or lukewarm water with pure soap or soap flakes.
Squeeze out in a towel and dry flat.
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