Quilting with Eucalan

For many, quilting is a year-round craft, but the cooler temperatures of autumn and the upcoming International Quilt Market have us thinking about wrapping up in cozy handmade quilts this season! Today we’ll share some of our favourite tips for quilting with Eucalan!

Washing Fabric Before you Begin

Before you begin the actual cutting and sewing, you’ll need to pre-wash any fabric that you intend to use in your quilt.

First, check for colour fastness on whatever you plan to clean. How to tell if something is colourfast? Moisten a clean white cloth (100% cotton or other natural fibre). Press firmly on coloured area in an inconspicuous place. If colour is not “fast” it will transfer to cloth, so wash at your own risk or have dry cleaned. Also, use caution and be sure to wash fabric separately from lighter colours to prevent any colour transfer. Be gentle to your fabric – don’t rub too vigorously. Dark colours most prone to bleed into lighter colours are black, navy, dark green, burgundy and red. We’ve got a great video tutorial on how to do this!

Once you have checked for colour fastness, you’re ready to move on to quilting!

During Quilting

Anyone who has ever quilted knows that half of your making time is spent ironing between sewing steps! Eucalan can help here too. Mix your favourite scent of Eucalan and water in a small spray bottle (1 part Eucalan to 12 parts water). Shake to ensure the soap is incorporated into the water. Use a light misting when ironing your fabric and pay special attention to how your seams are laying.

Washing

Once your quilt is finished, it’s time to give it a good wash before using. If you have a washing machine big enough to handle a quilt, the good news is that you can use Eucalan in the washer!

If you have a top loading machine, set your washing machine to the delicate cycle and fill the drum with cool water. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of Eucalan for a large quilt. Then submerge the item in the drum and run through the gentle or handwash cycle.

If you have a front loading machine, place your item in the drum. Set the machine to the delicate cycle and cool water. Add 2 tablespoons of Eucalan to the detergent compartment and run the cycle.

Drying

To dry your quilt, you have two options. First, you can hang it to dry – just make sure it’s away from direct sunlight which can cause whites to yellow or colours to fade. Your second option is to machine dry, provided your materials will stand up to tumble drying. Set the dryer to low or cool air and dry the quilt gently; it’s important to avoid high heat so that your items don’t shrink.

Keeping Your Quilt Clean

Any time you think your quilt needs some freshening up, you can follow the washing instructions above. If you find any problem areas, you can also spot clean with full-strength Eucalan. If you’re looking for more information about how to treat specific stains, sign up for our newsletter and get a free pdf download of our handy Guide to Stain Removal.

If you’re looking for some tips and tutorials on how to get started or some pattern inspiration, we’ve got a Pinterest board full of quilting ideas!

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Crafting and Laundering Baby Items with Eucalan

Did you know that Eucalan is delicate enough for everything your baby touches? Our formula is designed to be gentle on all that’s precious to you, whether that be your hand knit or crocheted items, lingerie, or the most precious: the items that surround your baby! Today we’ve pulled together a few of our favourite knitting and crochet patterns to celebrate your little one and keep them warm. We’ve also added our newest video on how to keep everything your baby touches clean and fresh with Eucalan, even when you’re on the go!

Sweaters

Winter is coming and we know you want to keep your little one warm in chilly temperatures! If you’re looking for something sweet and traditional, try the Norweigian Fir Top Down Cardigan by OGE Knitwear Designs. It doesn’t get cuter than the Teddy Bear Sweater by PetiteKnit for your littlest cub. Add some colourwork to your repertoire with Little Luminosity by Tanis Lavallee. Or gather up all your scraps and make them a fluffy Pengweeno by Stephen West. Check out this great use for all those stripey socks yarns: Little Sock Arms by Stephanie Lotven. And for our crocheters, what’s sweeter than this colourful Child Size Hooded Cardigan by Ashlea Konecny?

Hats

Keep your littlest ones warm with cozy hats! We love the free Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl Soho; perfect for keeping those little ears safe from the cold! Or try your hand at cables with the I Heart Cables by Justyna Lorkowska. If you’ve got colour-changing yarn (or handspun!) check out the adorable Quynn by Woolly Wormhead. Add a little texture to a plain hat with Gather by Tin Can Knits (and check out their other free patterns). If crochet is your craft, we love the Big Heart Slouch Beanie by Phanessa Fong. Or get colourful with the Babala Hat by Mamachee!

Lovies

Are you looking for a lovey for your littlest love? There are some super sweet patterns on Ravelry and these are our favourites! Look how cuddly and soft the Sweetie Bear Lovey by Ariane Gallizzi is! Or check out all the bunnies and their fun outfits like Bunny Girl in a Dotty Dress by Little Cotton Rabbits. Littles love dinosaurs and Little Dino by Susan B. Anderson is sure to please. Or have some monstrous fun with Bonk by Susan Claudino-Aguilar. Who doesn’t need a Ragdoll Unicorn by Spin A Yarn Crochet? Or try a super sweet Little Lamb Baby Lovey by Ashleigh Kiser!

Blankets

Gorgeous baby blankets have so many uses! Not only will they keep your little one warm, but they’re perfect for laying on the floor and creating the perfect place for your little one to play! For a simple pattern with bits of texture check out Little Moments by Fifty-Four Ten Studio (or their other free offerings!) Add some graphic elements with Chevron Blanket by Melissa Clulow. Or create a patchwork of color with Vivid by Tin Can Knits. If you’re looking for more traditional lace, try Baby Chalice Blanket by Karen Lauger. And for our crocheters try adding some colour with Bertie Baby Blanket by Little Dolally or go wild with Little Larksfoot Rainbow Blanket by Kristin Ballering!

Laundering Baby Items with Eucalan

Now that you’ve created some lovely items for baby, how can you keep them clean and germ-free? Check out our latest video on Laundering Baby Items with Eucalan. Whether they’re store-bought or handmade, keep every item that your baby touches fresh and clean with Eucalan!

 

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The Dreaded M-word: Moth

Moths. The dreaded m-word that sends shudders down every crafter’s spine. We get a lot of questions on how to prevent moth damage to your handknits, as well as how to handle damage when it occurs and what to do if you find moths in your home. Today we’ve put together lots of information on how you can prevent and deal with fibre’s ultimate nemesis.

First, let’s talk about moths. A moth infestation can be devastating, yet no one talks about it! But there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Even if you have the cleanest, most organized house in the world, moths can still be a problem.

Moth Prevention

So let’s talk about prevention. Moths love fibre, and particularly fibres that contain oils from your skin, as well as any spills or stains from food or other substances. So the first thing you can do to prevent moths is to wash your knitted items, particularly those worn directly in contact with your skin, fairly frequently. Also, you should always launder all items before packing them away for the season (i.e. wash your hats, mittens and sweaters before packing them away when winter is over). We suggest using Eucalan in either our Lavender or Eucalyptus as both scents are naturally moth repellent.

You can also store both fibres (yarns) and garments in clean, airtight containers. For yarn storage, we really like clear plastic tubs. These allow natural light in (moths love dark places) and keep bugs out. Any time you bring new yarn into the house, be sure that you place it in a clean, airtight container. To prevent any contamination, you may wish to place yarn in ziplock bags before you place them in tubs as an extra layer of protection. We also recommend the use of lavender sachets, cedar or other natural moth-repellents in those bins to stave off unwanted visitors. We NEVER recommend the use of mothballs as they are toxic to both humans and pets.

For garments, again we recommend airtight containers. You can use plastic tubs for garments as well, or many people use dresser drawers. Again, you should add lavender or some other scented sachets, or cedar (try cedar balls or blocks) to make your woollies less appetizing.

Our final recommendation is not strictly preventative, but more of an alarm system in case things go awry. To get some early warning in case you encounter moths, consider purchasing traps for clothes moths and placing them in areas where you store your fibre and garments. Again, the traps won’t prevent moths from entering your home, but these sticky pheromone traps will attract any moths that do. If you’re keeping a diligent eye on your traps, then you’re likely to notice as soon as a moth appears.

Dealing with Moths

Now that you’ve taken the above steps, let’s talk about what happens if moths do get into your fibre or garments. Let’s say you pull out your favourite sweater to find that it has one or two holes left by moths. First – don’t panic. It may be salvageable. The first thing that you want to do is quarantine the garment and make sure you kill the moth eggs that may still be lurking. You’re going to do this with the liberal application of heat or cold.

If you prefer cold, place the item in a ziplock bag and place it in your freezer (turn the temperature way down and try to keep the freezer frost-free) and allow it to remain at temperatures below freezing for 1-2 weeks. Then bring the item out of the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature. Repeat this process a few more times.

If you prefer heat, place the item in bags (dark trash bags work fine) in a car on a sunny day. The item should remain at temperatures above 120F for at least 30 minutes to kill any moth eggs. Note: you can also attempt to heat your yarn in the oven, but this is a little risky and requires constant attention. We prefer heating in a car, or freezing instead.

Once you have completed either of the two methods above, gently shake items and brush away any moth remnants.

Unfortunately, as you complete this process for the moth damaged item, you also need to examine each item stored near the first item, as well as other areas of your household. Any time you encounter moths you need to make a thorough inspection of your fibre and garments to ensure that none of the other items have been affected. Any items that you fear may have been affected should be subjected to all of the procedures we’ve described above. You will also need to do a thorough cleaning of any area affected including vacuuming, steam cleaning or wiping clean any surfaces that you believe moths have come into contact with.

This may take a while, and you will have to be vigilant. It isn’t fun, but it is necessary. There are other steps that you may need to take, up to and including consulting a pest control expert. We really like Haley’s post at Red-Handled Scissors for more tips on how to deal with clothes moths.

Once you have cleared your home of moths, then you can go back to our prevention tips (and monitoring with traps) to hopefully avoid future problems!

Dealing with Moth Damage

Once you have rid your house of moths, it’s time to consider what to do with moth-damaged items. Some may be beyond salvaging and you may need to dispose of these items. However, not all is lost. Last August we explored visible mending in Laundering and Mending Your Woolens. Since then we’ve also seen two wonderful books published: Visible Mending: Artful Stitchery to Repair and Refresh Your Favorite Things by Jenny Wilding Cardon and Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim and More by Katrina Rodabaugh. Both are excellent resources that may help you breathe new life into your affected garments.

Dealing with the M-word is never something we look forward to, but we hope we’ve given you a few tips and tricks on how to make your home less attractive to moths, as well as deal with the problem should it arise!

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Eucalan: An Alternative to Dry Cleaning

Summertime can be hot and sticky, and if you own special items that are dry clean only, then your cleaning bills are probably skyrocketing. But we’ve got great news: you can skip the dry cleaner!

There are plenty of reasons to ditch dry cleaning, but first and foremost, dry cleaning is terrible for the environment. As previously mentioned, it’s also expensive, and that’s not even factoring in the time you spend waiting in line to pick up your items.

The good news is that garments that are labeled “dry clean only” can be laundered quite easily and safely at home for a fraction of the cost and Eucalan can help!

First off, consult our laundry lessons for how to wash specialty items. This will give you the basics of how to launder different kinds of fabrics. We’ve also got a host of videos on our YouTube channel to guide you along the way. From washing silks to wedding dresses we’ve got tons of tips for caring for those delicate garments.

Our blog is also a great resource for specialty items. From coats to shearling to wool blankets to party dresses, our archives are chock full of examples on how Eucalan can be used for everything!

If you’re looking for additional eco-conscious ways to cut down on laundry expenses, we also have a great post on Laundry Tips to Save the Earth and Your Wallet.

We hope we’ve given you some tips to save on those dry cleaning bills and be kinder to the environment!

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Crafting and Caring for Baby Wraps with Eucalan

Although the practice has been around for ages, we have seen a resurgence of babywearing in recent years. Babywearing is the practice of carrying your infant or toddler on your body using a carrier or wrap.

From Babywearing International: [Babywearing] is a traditional practice in many cultures that is not widely used by modern industrialized societies, but it nonetheless has many benefits for both children and caregivers. Babywearing promotes bonding, supports breastfeeding, can help combat postpartum depression, makes caregiving easier, and can be a lifesaver for parents of high-needs children. Carried babies sleep, feed, and grow better. One study found that carried 6-week-olds cried 43% less than other children.

Recently we have seen an interest in hand-making woven or dyed wraps. Whether you purchase or craft your own wrap, keeping it clean and fresh is where Eucalan can help!

Caring for Baby Wraps

Eucalan is gentle enough to use on baby items, and it’s especially great for washing nursing bras, diaper covers, and other baby items, including baby wraps. When considering scents, Eucalan Natural (unscented) and Lavender are great choices for baby things. Not only are both gentle on their delicate skin, but the fragrance of lavender oil promotes relaxation and is very gentle in the Eucalan formula.

To wash your baby wrap we suggest the following steps:

Step 1: Fill your sink or a bowl with cool water and add one capful or one pod of Eucalan in the scent of your choice.

Step 2: Add your baby wrap to the sink or bowl, and let sit for about ten minutes, lightly agitating the water.

Step 3: Drain the water (no need to rinse with our no-rinse formula!) and gently squeeze out extra moisture. Roll the wrap in a towel, and then lay flat to dry away from heat or direct sunlight (which could cause shrinking or discolouration).

Crafting Your Own Baby Wraps

If you are a crafter who’s been contemplating making your own baby wrap, we’ve got some great ideas for you on our Oh Baby! Pinterest board.

For handweavers, there are tons of projects that would make beautiful woven baby wraps. We particularly like How to Weave a Baby Wrap. This comprehensive post covers everything you’ll need to get started as well as some tips and tricks the author uses when weaving. If you’re a weaver and looking for more project ideas Interweave Knits has an ebook: Handwoven Presents: Baby Wrap Ebook.

If you’re itching making your own baby wraps, but don’t have a weaving loom, there are many other crafty ideas for creating baby wraps. We love this post from Mommy and Love, Sew & Hand-dye Your Own Woven Baby Wrap for Cheap. She covers how to select fabric, sew it into a wrap, and then how to dye that fabric to create wonderful colours you’ll love. The No Sew DIY Moby Wrap Carrier over at Rookiemoms is a bit of a misnomer, but only requires a machine for hemming edges!

We hope you enjoy these tips on how to create and care for baby wraps!

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Washing Oversized Items with Eucalan

Christmas is over, the new year is around the corner, and we know you’re breathing a sigh of relief that you’ve survived another holiday season! If your house needs some attention after the holiday festivities, today we’re going to focus on how to clean oversized items such as blankets, quilts, and comforters with Eucalan.

Spot Cleaning

For specific problem areas on oversized items, Eucalan is great for spot cleaning. First, check for colour fastness on whatever you plan to clean. Then, ask yourself if the item has been washed before – if this is its first washing, there is an increased possibility of colours running or bleeding.

To test for colour-fastness, place a swatch of the fabric or yarn in a jar with water and a small amount of Eucalan. Shake the jar and see if the water changes colour and how many suds you get. Alternatively, you can dampen an inside seam, wait a minute or two and blot with a white cotton cloth. If colour appears, use caution. Most dyes used on yarn are reactive dyes and stand up to washing in 120 degree Fahrenheit water; if a yarn was dyed at a high temperature it can stand up to that temperature without shrinking or fading.

For spot cleaning, treat any problem areas with full-strength Eucalan. If you’re looking for more information about how to treat specific stains, sign up for our newsletter and get a free pdf download of our handy new Guide to Stain Removal!

Washing

If you have a washing machine big enough to handle a quilt or comforter, the good news is that you can use Eucalan in the washer!

If you have a top loading machine, set your washing machine to the delicate cycle and fill the drum with cool water. Add approximately 4 tablespoons of Eucalan for a large quilt or comforter. Then submerge the item in the drum and run through the gentle or handwash cycle.

If you have a front loading machine, place your item in the drum. Set the machine to the delicate cycle and cool water. Add 4 tablespoons of Eucalan to the detergent compartment and run the cycle.

Drying

To dry your oversized item, you have two options. First, you can hang it to dry – just make sure it’s away from direct sunlight which can cause whites to yellow or colours to fade. Your second option is to machine dry, provided your materials will stand up to tumble drying. Set the dryer to low or cool air and dry the quilt or comforter gently; it’s important to avoid high heat so that your items don’t shrink.

Extra Care for Woolens

If the item you’re washing is wool, you may need to stick to handwashing to avoid agitating, felting or shrinking. If you’re concerned about using the washing machine, your best bet is to fill a large tub or basin with cool water and add anywhere between a capful to 4 tablespoons of Eucalan, depending on the size of your blanket. Then gently submerge your blanket in the water, pressing gently to ensure that the blanket is completely wet. Avoid agitating the blanket to prevent any felting of the wool fibers. Leave the blanket in the tub or basin for approximately 15-20 minutes. Then drain the water, and press the blanket gently to release excess water. Take care to avoid squeezing and wringing the blanket so as not to cause friction, or to stretch it out of shape. If your washer has the option to do a spin cycle only, you may wish to place your blanket in the washer to spin additional water out. Otherwise, roll the blanket in clean, dry towels to absorb any moisture.

Once you have gotten as much excess water as you can out of your blanket, you can dry it using the instructions above, or gently lay it out on more clean, dry towels, press it into shape, and let it dry.

We hope that we’ve helped you conquer some of the oversized items on your to do list!

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Getting Ready for Fall – Laundering and Mending Your Woolens

Though you may not be feeling the chill in the air just yet, fall and winter are coming. This means it’s time to pull out your cozy woolens and get them ready for wear!

We recommend laundering your sweaters at the end of each spring, before you pack them away for the summer. This cleans them of any oils from your skin and makes them less palatable to moths and other fibre loving insects. However, if you’ve missed that step, there’s no time like the present to launder your woolens.

Fill a basin with tepid water and add a capful of Eucalan or the contents of a single use pod. Add your sweater and let sit for 20 minutes, then remove your sweater, gently squeezing to release excess water. You don’t want to wring your sweater – this will only pull it out of shape.  Wrap it in a clean, dry towel and press gently to release more water. Lay flat to dry on another clean dry towel, gently pressing into shape, and dry away from heat and direct sunlight.

If you washed your sweaters before packing them away for the season, now is the perfect time to pull them out and freshen them up for wear!  To get rid of creases and reblock your sweaters for wearing, you can skip the full wash and just spray block your sweaters by lightly misting them with a spray bottle filled with a dash of Eucalan and cool water. Then press your sweater gently into shape and let dry.

De-Pilling

Given enough use and wear, even the nicest sweaters and woolens will start to have little balls of fiber appear. Pilling occurs when loose fibres push up from the fabric, eventually gathering in small balls – simply washing and wearing can cause this! You can remove these pills using a variety of tools: a Sweater Stone, a Gleener, or a fabric comb. We have a great video that demonstrates how to de-pill a sweater.

Mending

Even with the best care, sweaters and other woolen items may develop holes over time. With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can mend these items and continue wearing them! If you find a defect along a seam, or while you still have some of the original yarn used in the project in reserve, you may be able to mend your item invisibly. If neither of these are an option, however, you may consider visible mending.  

Visible mending is a new hot trend where you repair your garment using bright, fun colours or designs so that the mending itself becomes a feature of the garment. We found this great photo collection of mending for knit sweaters by Collingwood-Norris Design.

Interweave also has a couple of useful posts on visible mending. The first post has some tips and tricks on how to visibly mend your garments, though they focus on a pair of jeans rather than a sweater. The second post focuses on spinning yarn for visible mending. Either way, the steps are fairly similar:

1. Gather your tools. You will need: sharp scissors, a tapestry needle, yarn or thread (various colours and weights depending on the yarn used in the garment), a flat surface for working, DPNs (double pointed needles) in the appropriate size for picking up stitches.  
2. Lay your work out flat. Make sure you’ve got your garment laid out flat on a working surface in front of you. The garment shouldn’t be held taut, but rather laid out how you would block it. Isolate the areas in need of mending.
3. Pick up stitches and trim loose threads. You want your working area to be clean and neat. Where possible, pick up stitches using your DPNs to stabilize the stitches from dropping further and making the hole growing bigger. Trim any long threads that might get in your way while you are working; shorter threads can be trimmed after you mend.        
4. Decide on your mending process and start mending. There are a variety of ways to mend holes in garments. If you are picking up stitches on a fraying edge, you may wish to reknit that section. If you are darning a hole in an elbow, you may wish to weave a patch using needle and thread, much like you would darn a sock. Or you may choose to embroider the edges of the hole, or over the hole completely if it is small. If you’re looking for more resources on visible mending ideas and stitches there are a variety of books on Amazon as well as an article in one of the recent Mason-Dixon Field Guides, and the inspiring Tom of Holland’s The Visible Mending Programme.                                     
5. Weave in and trim your ends. Once you have finished mending, you want to weave in your ends. This includes some of those shorter ends from the beginning, if you haven’t already worked those into your mending. Make sure everything is snug and secure so nothing pulls loose later on.      
6. Launder your garment.  When you’re done, you may wish to launder your garment again. Fill a basin with tepid water and add a capful of Eucalan or the contents of a single use pod. Add your sweater and let sit for 20 minutes, then remove your sweater, gently squeezing to release excess water. You don’t want to wring your sweater – this will only pull it out of shape.  Wrap it in a towel and press gently to release more water. Lay flat to dry, gently pressing into shape, and dry away from heat and direct sunlight.

Photo credit: Interweave Magazine, Mending the Year: 3 Tips for Darning Well

If you’re looking for more details on getting your sweaters ready for fall, you can check out our previous post on Caring for your Handknit Sweater.

We hope this post has helped you get excited for fall and for wearing your warm woolens again!

Keeping your Lingerie Fresh

Each August, we turn our attention to the Curve Expo shows in New York and Las Vegas. Curve is the hottest industry show to see all of the new lingerie and swimwear trends for the coming year. Unfortunately we aren’t able to attend this year’s shows, but we’re eagerly anticipating news and photos from each one. Now seems like a great time to revisit how to keep your lingerie fresh and in good condition with Eucalan.

Summer is hot and sticky and you may find yourself needing to launder your lingerie more frequently – in fact, we recommend hand washing after every couple of wears, especially during this time of year.

First, fill your sink or a basin with cool water adding one capful of Eucalan (or the contents of a single use pod) while the water is running. Put your bra in the sink and lightly agitate, ensuring that the article is totally submerged and wet. Let everything sit for about 10 minutes, then gently remove it from the water. There’s no need to rinse with Eucalan!

Gently squeeze your bra, being careful not to wring it – especially if there is an underwire or padding as this will potentially result in a misshapen bra. Have a clean, fluffy towel handy and gently roll your bra in the towel to absorb excess moisture. Then hang it up to dry; a good method is to fasten the hooks and clasps and hang the bra to dry with both straps on the hanger. Remember to dry away from direct sunlight and heat. Your shower rod is the perfect place to dry your garments.

We even have a great video showing you how easy the process is!

You may wish to machine wash your bras, although we never recommend drying them in the dryer as it will lessen the life of your elastic and result in misshapen padding every time. To machine wash, fasten the hooks and clasps and place your bra into a mesh lingerie bag. Select the delicate cycle of the washer and add a capful of Eucalan, or the contents of a single use pod. Dry your bra using the methods described above.

We recommend the same methods described above for your other undergarments as well.  Underwear, slips and any lingerie, hosiery or loungewear can be washed in Eucalan (we recommend Wrapture, which is lightly scented with jasmine) and then hung up or laid flat on a drying rack to dry away from direct sunlight and heat.  

We hope these tips help keep your undergarments cool and fresh in the summer heat!

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Caring for Summer Beachwear with Eucalan

It’s summertime, and whether you’re heading to the beach or staying poolside, you can keep your swimwear and towels in great shape by keeping them laundered with Eucalan.

Swimsuit Care

To keep your swimsuit looking fresh you should wash it after every use with your favourite scent (try our Lavender, Jasmine and Grapefruit scents for their naturally antiseptic properties).  Whether you stock a bottle at home, or keep our single use pods handy, Eucalan makes it easy to remove oils, lotions and chlorine from your suit at home or on vacation. Follow these easy steps to ensure a clean-smelling suit every time.

Step 1: Fill a sink or basin with tepid water (room temperature).

Step 2: Add either a capful of Eucalan or the contents of a single use pod.

Step 3: Add your swimsuit and soak for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Remove your swimsuit and gently squeeze out water (do not wring). You may also wish to roll in a towel and squeeze again to remove excess water.

Step 5: Hang suit to dry overnight.

For more information on swimsuit care you can also check out this article over at Lingerie Journal.

Towel Care

But what about those sandy or chlorinated towels? Eucalan can also be used in your washing machine to keep fluffy beach towels looking bright and smelling sweet.

Step 1: Add Eucalan to your washing machine (if it’s a front load machine, add it to the fabric softener drawer).

Step 2: Select the Delicate cycle and tepid water.

Step 3: Load your towels into the machine and start cycle.

Step 4: Allow the towels to spin out.

Step 5: Dry your towels in the dryer on low heat.

We hope these tips will keep your trips to the beach, lake or pool carefree and easy.

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Summer Stain Removal Guide

Summer is a fantastic time for getting outside and enjoying all that the season has to offer, but it also means a fresh round of potential stains- grass, dirt, mustard, ketchup- all ready to wreak havoc on your light, bright summer clothes! But don’t worry, we’ve put together a post on the best way to remove the most common summer stains: barbecue sauce, mustard and ketchup, grass, dirt and mud, berries, and chocolate ice cream.

We recommend keeping our stain treating towelettes on hand for just these sort of summertime stains – being able to treat the spot quickly can go a long way to keeping a stain from setting into fabric permanently.

Summer Sauces: Mustard, Ketchup, and Barbecue Sauce

Rinse fabric with cool water immediately, and treat the area with either a Eucalan stain treating towelette, or dab the spot with full strength Eucalan delicate wash. Let the spot sit with the Eucalan on it for about 15 minutes, then rinse well, scrubbing the spot. Repeat as necessary until the spot is removed, then launder item according to its care instructions.

Grass, Dirt and Mud Stains

This one can take time to fix, but is well worth it. Soak the fabric in cool water, and apply full strength Eucalan to the stain. Let sit for 30 minutes, then scrub the spot. Repeat steps as necessary until spot is removed, then launder the item according to care instructions.

Berry Stains

A swift response – and then patience!-  is key when tackling berry stains, although sometimes we don’t see them until the meal is over and the mark has been sitting on the fabric for hours. Don’t panic – place stained area over a bowl and pour boiling water through until stain disappears (use caution on wool). Then launder according to fabric care directions with Eucalan.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Flush with warm water, then apply either a stain treating towelette to the spot or full strength Eucalan. Let sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. Repeat the steps again if necessary, then launder item as usual.

Looking for more stain fighting tips? We have a post all about getting rid of common party stains here.

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