At Mrs. Stewart's Bluing Corp., we value quality of life. We care about what we put into the earth's air and water. It is for this reason that we have continued to ensure that Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is a nontoxic product and is packaged in recyclable plastic. The following list suggests ways in which we can perform the tasks of laundry and at the same time, be conscious of respecting and preserving Earth's natural resources:
- Purchase laundry products packaged in recycled and recyclable materials. When empty - recycle.
- Purchase refill products in cardboard cartons rather than plastic bottles.
- Use products that are free of phosphates or builders.
- For whitening, choose Mrs. Stewart's Bluing rather than bleach.
- To save water, set your washing machine level for the size load you're washing or wait until you have a full load.
- To save electricity & gas, wash with warm and cool water. Always rinse in cold water.
- Use an adequate amount of detergent, but not more than necessary. Too many suds hamper effective washing and require more energy for extra rinsing.
- Keep in mind that a 10-minute cycle is usually enough for even very soiled clothes.
- Use the soak cycle to save time and money.
- Wait for a full load to use your dryer. However, remember that overloading makes your machine less efficient and more costly to operate.
- Use warm to cool settings on your dryer, especially for permanent press clothes.
- Keep the lint filter on your dryer clean.
- Your dryer will run most efficiently if you dry clothes that are of the same thickness.
Young children should be supervised when near the washer or dryer. With good teaching and patience, older children can learn to do laundry. Here are some tips for making laundry easier for kids:
- Since most light and dark fabrics can be washed together in cold water these days, a lot of the sorting we used to think was necessary isn't always, and sorting by color is relatively simple for most children.
- Teach children to check their clothes before tossing them into the hamper making sure they are right-side out, the zippers are zipped and the pockets are empty.
- Post a safe stain removal chart near the laundry area and encourage children to treat stains while they are fresh. If safety is a concern, some stains could say, "See Mom" or "See Dad".
- Teach children to pin socks together before tossing them into the hamper. After laundering, socks can also be put in drawers this way. This avoids unmatched socks. Or, launder each child's socks in a separate hose mesh bag or zippered pillow case. When they are clean and dry, let each child be responsible for sorting her own socks.
To entertain your children using Mrs. Stewart's Bluing, try the Magic Salt Crystal Garden recipe – an excellent science project for grade school children, boy scouts and nursery schools. (close window, click on Salt Crystal Garden)