May 1, 2016
by Laundry Expert
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Unique Laundry Tips Part 1

coin-op laundry Raleigh NCAs we all know laundry is one of those chores that can get out of hand really quickly.  If you have a large family or if there is only two of you in the household we can all use some tips for keeping up with our dirty laundry.  Of course keeping your laundry room or area clean and clutter free is the best way to keep on top of things.  This just makes it easier to not be overwhelmed.  If the laundry room is not organized that is the first place you will want to start.

Unique Laundry Tips! | Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

Choosing a good detergent is a first step in making sure your laundry is clean and fresh smelling.  If you would like to do away with all the chemicals or at least reduce them you can make your own Laundry soap and laundry tablets.  There are many recipes for doing so using natural ingredients.  You can customize yours to your own liking.  For better absorbency with your towels skip the fabric softener sheets.

Using vinegar in the final rinse will help to remove any film on the clothing and will soften naturally.  If you feel your bath towels have seen better days, before you get rid of them give them a good wash.  Washing in really hot water with vinegar once then again with baking soda will renew the absorbency and get rid of the smells that can accumulate over time.

If you need reminders for either yourself or the family of what should be washed together or NOT a dry erase board works great.  Hang one near the washer and add reminders as needed.  This applies to to the dryer also.  Some laundry may need to air dry so a reminder about hanging will be great.

Did you know you can safely dry sneakers without all the noisy banging?  If you place them in the dryer so that the shoe laces knotted together catch at the top of the door this will eliminate the noise.  You can also purchase a sneaker dryer bag that fastens to the dryer door which will allow them to dry with the heat.

If you accidentally shrink one of your favorite articles of clothing you may be able to salvage it.  First soak the clothing in a mixture of lukewarm water and some baby shampoo.  You will want to work this mixture throughout the fibers to relax them then gently squeeze it out.  You will not rinse it.  Take a large towel and lay the clothing on it then roll it up with clothing inside.  This will absorb the moisture leaving it damp and not wet.  Once done place it on another dry towel and stretch it gently. Leave it to dry. If needed this can be repeated.

If you want to preserve the color of your clothing a good tip is to add a teaspoon of salt to the wash to keep brights brighter and colors from bleeding on the first wash. Make sure you are washing your clothes on the right temperature also.  This will help keep them from shrinking and will ensure they stay looking new as long as possible.

Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

We will offer more unique laundry tips on our next blog post.  Be sure to come back and read it!  If you need help with your laundry give us a try at Laundry Express, coin-op laundry in Raleigh NC.  We offer laundry services to include dry cleaning, stain removal, and a state of the art laundromat for all your laundry needs.

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April 25, 2016
by Laundry Expert
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Laundry Tips for Workout Clothes

coin-op laundry Raleigh NCOne of your new years resolutions may have been to start and maintain an exercise routine.  If so by now you are probably figuring out that those cute outfits you bought to keep you motivated are some of the smelliest laundry that you have.  The materials used today to make those workout clothes comfortable for you may be the very reason they are harder to clean.  Having the modern technology to make clothing wick away wetness to keep you drier during heavy exercise sometimes mean these same clothes just don’t want to get as clean as you would like.  Hopefully the following tips will help you get a handle on this type of laundry and keep you exercising for good health.

Tips for Washing Workout Clothing || Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

One of the best ways to help control the smell is that if you are not able to wash your gym clothes immediately then hang them up.  Hanging them to dry will keep mold and mildew from having any chance to breed in your fabric.  If your gym clothes are left in a pile chances are this will happen and you will not be able to get the smell out even after washing them.

Vinegar | Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

A really great trick to help kill any molds and mildew and to help keep your workout stuff fresh is to put them in a mix of water and vinegar.  Soaking them in a four parts water to one part vinegar mixture before washing at least 30 minutes will also remove any residue of bacteria and make clothes fresh.

If there are any stains on the clothing you will want to pre-treat with a detergent that has a stain releasing formula.  To do this simply apply the detergent directly on the stain and rub it in thoroughly.  Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before laundering.  You will then want to wash your gym clothes on the hottest setting allowed by your clothing manufacturer.  Check the label to find this information.  Sweat stains are among the hardest type of stains to remove and adding deodorant to that mix makes it doubly hard.  The good news is being persistent will help you remove them.

Repeat If Needed | Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

Once your laundry is done be certain to check to see if the stain is gone.  If not repeat the process.  Do NOT dry the items in the dryer before the stain is gone because doing so will set the stain and removing it may become next to impossible.    That being said using the hottest settings on both the washer and dryer can be your friend when it comes to laundering your workout clothes.

Be sure you know what your garments are made of.  Some of the newer materials require special laundering and many cannot be dried in a dryer.  These will need to be washed in cooler temperatures and hung to dry.  One of the most effective ways to dry your clothes and to help remove any stains and bacteria is as easy as hanging them in the sun.  This will use nature to brighten and freshen your work out clothes and make them smell fresh!  Many times this type of clothing is not cheap so you will want to use these tips to keep them looking as good as possible for as long as you can.

Coin-op Laundry Raleigh NC

Laundry Express can help you keep all your clothing looking as good as new for many months to come.  We offer a full service, coin-op laundry in Raleigh NC laundromat as well as a wash, dry, fold service to help you with any of your laundry needs.  Come by and give us a try today!

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April 20, 2016
by Laundry Expert
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Teaching your Teenager To Do Laundry Part 2

Raleigh laundromatTeaching our teens the life skills they will need to live on their own is a gift we give them.  We all want them to become independent young adults who can function in the world.  This is a sign of you being a good and loving parent.  One of the first things you must realize is that YES your teen will probably make a few blunders when it comes to their laundry.  This is WHY we tend to do it for them rather than let them learn.  If they ruin a few pieces of their favorite clothing in the process they will quickly LEARN!

Teaching Your Teens to do Laundry | Raleigh Laundromat

Very few kids will actually embrace this life skill.  After all how many of us truly love to do the laundry?  It is one of those dreaded chores that even as adults is not rated as our favorite thing to do.  But trust me…you will do your teen a huge disservice by not allowing for time to develop a good laundry routine before they fly the coop!

One of the first things to do is show your teen how the washer and dryer are to be operated.  Take enough time to explain, as many times as needed, how the various settings work.  Also explain how these settings will vary on other machines they may use when away from home.  Our Raleigh laundromat, for instance, has more commercial machines that will have different type settings.  More than likely when away they will need to remember those machines will also take money to operate so be sure they know to have it.

The next important step is to show them a thing or two about laundry detergent.  You of course have your preferred brand, but explain why and what other brands might work for them also.  The same goes for dryer sheets verses fabric softeners.  Stain removers are also something that needs to be explained.  Why and How to apply them.

Once they have a good understanding of these important steps you can begin to implement a laundry routine for them.  Pick a day of the week that is theirs alone to do their own laundry.  This way they can do their laundry without interference of other family members clothing.  You can also continue to teach and supervise, but as time goes on they will become able to do their laundry alone.  Our previous blog has a really great formula for doing laundry that is easy for teens to use.  Check it out!

Laundry Express can help you keep on top of your family’s laundry needs.  Take advantage of all our laundry services today!  Contact us with all your questions or to learn more about our state of the art Raleigh laundromat!

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April 15, 2016
by Laundry Expert
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Teach Your Teens To Do Laundry, Part One

laundry service Raleigh NCOne of the Life skills our teenagers will need to know if they are going off to college is how to do their laundry.  Up to now he or she has probably relied on Mom to help with this task but learning to do laundry is one of those adult things we all need to learn.  Although it may sound way to simple, writing out the instructions is a great way to start to teach your teens how to manage this all important skill.

Teach Your Teen To Do Landry! | Laundry Service Raleigh NC

You will want to supervise them closely when they first begin washing their clothing.  Teaching them how to measure detergent and where to put it in the washer will of course be very important.  Showing them how to operate the machines and choose the right temperature settings will help avoid shrinking and other problems. The following is a “How To” list of instructions that should work for you.

1.  Begin by gathering all of your dirty clothes into one place.  As you begin to sort them check your pockets for any papers, Kleenex, candy wrappers, used gum, and most importantly ink pens.  If you do not do this you will end up with a mess either in the wash or in the dryer.  You may also ruin clothing items.

2.  If you see any stains you will want to be sure and pre-treat them.

3.  Look at the label inside your clothing to make sure you wash them correctly.  Some items may be delicate requiring a hand-wash separately.  Some items may be dry clean only.

4.  Next you will need to separate your dark and light clothing.  You will wash two separate loads!  If you have your own towels and linens you will wash these in another separate load.  Bedding can also be washed such as sheets and pillowcases but some comforters may need a special larger machine and dryer.

5.  Place one load into the washer and add your detergent.  Use the amount of detergent needed for your type load.  Use the instructions on the package.

6.  You will need to set the water temperature for the type load.  Usually darks need cold water and lights need warm or hot.

7.  Start the washing machine.  You can do some homework or read a book while waiting.  This may take up to 45 minutes.

8.  Once laundry cycle is complete you will move the laundry into the dryer and add a dryer sheet.  Be sure to clean the dryer vent before and after each load.

9.  Once again you will choose a heat setting depending on the type clothing.  Most dryers have good instructions to help.

These basic things will get your teens started.  Watch for future blog posts to help you instruct your teens about doing their laundry.

Laundry Express | Laundry Service Raleigh NC

Laundry Express, laundry service in Raleigh NC, is your go to laundromat for all your laundry needs.  Our state of the art machines will help you get your laundry as clean as can be.  Come by today!

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April 5, 2016
by Laundry Expert
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Family Laundry Routine

coin laundry raleigh ncLaundry!  Enough said right?  Our laundry is a never ending chore that consumes so much of our time.  If you have a family of any size you already know how much laundry can accumulate in a very short amount of time.  One of the best tricks for keeping up with this monumental chore is to teach your family to help with the laundry.

Get Your Family’s Help! | Coin Laundry Raleigh NC

From youngest to oldest this is one of the best things you can do as a parent to teach kids responsibility and how to take care of their own items.  You can carry this over to all sorts of household chores and teach them really good life skills they will need in time to come.  Of course you will have to allow for the age of your children in setting up a laundry routine but a good formula is:

Ages 2 thru 5 can be taught to take off their clothes and immediately put them in whatever basket they are assigned.  They are also able to help carry these to the laundry room and help Mom to load them into the washer.  Let them help boot the laundry from the washer to the dryer .  Yes it will take a few minutes longer but you are teaching them how to do this themselves later on.  Many young children can help with folding and putting away their laundry.

Ages 5 thru 7 can certainly take charge of folding and putting away their own laundry.  They should also begin to load and boot the laundry from washer to dryer if they have been doing so with your help.  If not this is the time to begin teaching them.

Ages 8 and Older should now be able to do their laundry without your supervision from start to finish.  If there are younger children they can also help with their supervision freeing you up for other things.

The first thing you will want to do is to assign each child a laundry basket or hamper.  If they will need to carry their things to a laundry room themselves you will want to look for smaller easier to carry baskets that are kid sized.  Colored ones or at least a color tied on in some way will help you and them to be able to sort and fold laundry more easily.  Place clean folded items back into the baskets for carry back to their room.  Teach them that when the basket is full of dirty clothes its time to bring the basket for laundry.

Teaching children how to fold clothes is a simple matter of watching and learning.  Keep in mind that little hands are not always perfect but in time they will grasp the idea.  Allow then to learn and resist re-doing it for them.  The same with the putting away of clothing.  It might not look perfect but they will eventually catch on with your patience and teaching.

Once they are old enough you can begin to add more routine that will lead to them being able to do all of their laundry from wash to dry, and folding and putting away.  Be sure that by this point each child has their own laundry day and stick with it.  Of course there are linens, bedding, and other things that are not part of the regular routine but having each family member do their own laundry is going to help Mom keep her sanity.

Coin Laundry Raleigh NC

Laundry Express, coin laundry in Raleigh NC, can help you and your family “catch up” on your laundry so that you can start off fresh and able to begin a good laundry routine.  Our Wash-Dry-Fold service will cut your laundry time in half!  Visit us soon!

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