The lost art of spot-cleaning
Save your laundry energy
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Because we have abundance in the laundry department, we often overdo it.
Sometimes you can spot-clean a garment and take the pressure off your system.
As someone who is always elbow-deep in dough, I often end up with spots on my clothes — usually my sleeves, because of course I’m wearing that most marvelous of items in the housewife’s wardrobe, the apron, but I’m also always pulling or pushing my sleeves as I’m getting my baking done. Everything in my life has bits of dough on it…
But it is easily removed. No need to throw the whole thing in the wash!
A clean washcloth with a little bit of dish soap does the trick. Make sure to wet the dough enough so you aren’t rubbing dry bits into your fabric.
If it’s salad dressing or ketchup, use a bit more dish soap. Use another part of the dishcloth to rinse away any soap. You can then blot the area with a clean dish towel.
Soon it will dry and you’ll be back in business!
Wool is particularly easy to spot clean.
Spot cleaning and every other kind of cleaning in the kitchen is made more doable if you have a nice supply of clean dishcloths. Go ahead and treat yourself to a new package every once in a while.
This is the sort of thing I mean (affiliate link), but I usually pick some up at the dollar store. Rotate them through the laundry (hot water and bleach) frequently, and eventually, demote them and get new ones.
Teach your children to spot-clean their clothes too, especially sweaters, to overcome this idea that everything automatically has to be put in the hamper.
As with everything here at the SFH, the best thing is for you to take my ideas, coming from my experience of 45 years of marriage and raising seven children, and apply them to your situation with discernment, prudence, and confidence — and a sense of humor!
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My book on how to live with the Liturgical Year: The Little Oratory