Read How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew Online
Authors: Erin Bried
How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew (10 page)
Step 5:
Lay a quilt, blanket, or down comforter over the top.
Step 6:
Slide your pillows into cases and lay them at the head of the bed.
Flip your mattress each season, and rotate it twice a year, to help prevent sagging.
If you have a feather bed, shake it out before making the bed, to add fluff.
Use sheets that are the same size as your mattress: twin sheets for a twin bed, queen sheets for a queen bed, and so on. If they’re too big or too small, you won’t be comfy. Duh!
To freshen up your sheets, spritz them with lavender linen spray; you’ll drift off to la-la land more quickly. To freshen up your pillows, set them in the sun.
“We had a washtub, a big old yellow bar of soap, and a rub board. So we’d rub our clothes on that board and hang them on the line to dry. We felt proud of our clean clothes, or I wouldn’t have done it.”
—E
LOUISE
B
RUCE
OW TO
H
AND
W
ASH
D
ELICATES
Step 1:
Gather your delicates: silks, lacy numbers, stockings, knits that may shrink, or any items with fancy accoutrement that could get damaged in a spin cycle. Unless the tag says
DRY CLEAN ONLY
, you can hand wash them yourself at home. Sort by color.
Step 2:
Fill a basin with room-temperature water (too hot and your color may bleed; too cold and your clothes may not come
clean). Add just a squirt of mild liquid detergent, like Woolite, and swish.
Step 3:
Submerge your lightest-colored items in the tub and let soak for about 3 minutes. Swirl and dip if you must, but never rub, twist, or wring.
Step 4:
Remove your clothing from the basin and give it a gentle squeeze. (Again, never—snicker, snicker—twist your delicates.) Set it on a clean, light-colored towel. If you have more to wash, proceed from lightest to darkest.
Step 5:
Empty and rinse your wash basin, and refill with it clean water. Swirl each item of clothing to rinse, proceeding again from lightest to darkest. Repeat, if necessary.
Step 6:
Lay each item on a clean, light-colored towel again, restoring each delicate to its original shape. Roll up the towel, from bottom to top, pressing gently to remove any excess water from your delicates.
Step 7:
Hang item to dry, if possible, or lay flat on a towel and turn it over halfway through the process.
Turn a fan on your delicates to speed the drying time.
No gentle detergent? Try a spot of baby shampoo.
“I don’t know why there is such a big satisfaction in drying your clothes in the sun and air. When you gather them in, you’re gathering in freshness.”
—M
ILDRED
K
ALISH
OW TO
I
NSTALL A
C
LOTHESLINE
Step 1:
Find a private spot. No one, especially your neighbor, wants to stare at your undies blowing in the breeze for three seasons out of the year. A location with a mix of sun and shade might work best, because strong rays can bleach whites (yay!) but fade colors (boo!).
Step 2:
Decide how fancy you want to get.
Not at all fancy:
A cotton rope tied between two trees, about three to four inches above your head height, will get the job done.
Sort of fancy:
Tie a rope around a tree, just above head height; screw a heavy-duty metal hook into your porch (or garage or barn) at the same level; and attach a cleat on the wall about 6 inches below. (If you don’t know what a cleat is, stick to the not-at-all-fancy version. It dries your clothes just as well.) To run the line, thread the rope from the tree through the hook and wrap it around the cleat several times to tighten and secure it. When not
in use, simply coil your rope near the base of the tree or hang it on a branch.
Very fancy:
Buy two clothesline poles at your local hardware store, some rope, and a bag of cement. Dig two holes in the ground about 1 foot wide and at least 1 foot deep in your desired location. Prepare your cement according to the instructions on the bag. Spray one hole with water, fill it halfway with cement, plumb your pole, and then top off with cement. Repeat on the other end. Allow your cement to dry for at least 24 hours, and then run your line.
Step 3:
That’s it! As you hang your wet laundry out to dry, feel good knowing that you’re saving money—and the environment.
Run your line north to south for the most rays.
Don’t hang it under a bird’s nest, or your clean clothes may become dirty very quickly.
Snap your clothes after taking them down to soften them (and to look cool).
If your clothesline starts to sag and your wet laundry starts to drag, build a prop: Hammer two nails into the top of an old broom handle and wedge the handle between the line and the ground for a boost.
“Your life depended on how good a housekeeper you were. If you were competent, life was pleasant.”
—R
UTH
R
OWEN
OW TO
C
LEAN AN
O
VEN
Step 1:
Remove your oven racks and let them soak for several hours in hot, soapy water. Scour, rinse, and dry.
Step 2:
Check your oven’s capabilities. If you see a button or dial that says
CLEAN
, you’re in luck! You have a self-cleaning oven, which means all you have to do is set it to
CLEAN
, let it cool, and then use a damp sponge to wipe out any ash that may collect on the bottom. If yours doesn’t have a self-cleaning feature, no pouting. You’ll have it fresh and sparkly in no time.
Step 3:
Scrape out any major spills with a plastic spatula. This part is more fun if you can remember how great whatever it is you’re scraping tasted back when you ate it.
Step 4:
Add 3 tablespoons baking soda to a spray bottle and fill with warm water. Shake to mix, and spritz on all of your oven’s inner surfaces. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 5:
Wipe out with a damp sponge. Repeat as necessary.
Wipe out spills as soon as they happen to make cleaning easier in the future.
Can’t get to them? Sprinkle salt over the mess and wipe clean after the oven cools.
For an especially greasy oven window, wipe it down with a damp and soapy sponge. Then scrape clean with a razor blade. Intense, yes, but very effective!
“We always did the dishes. There were three girls in my family and we traded off every week. One washed, one wiped, one put away. That was a given.”
—A
LICE
L
OFT
OW TO
P
ROPERLY
H
AND
W
ASH
D
ISHES
Step 1:
Scrape excess food off your dishes, rinse with hot water, and stack them next to the sink. Place a drying rack on the other side of the sink. Turn on some music or recruit a chatty friend for company.
Step 2:
Fill your basin with soap and the hottest water you can physically stand.
Step 3:
Squirt a drop of soap onto a rag, and scrub-a-dub-dub dishes according to their grease content: cups and glasses first, silverware second, plates and bowls next, pots and pans last.
Step 4:
Rinse with hot water, set in the rack to dry, and admire your reflection.
Wearing rubber gloves will help keep your skin soft and allow you to wash in hotter water, ensuring cleaner dishes.
When washing china, place a dish towel at the bottom of the sink. If you happen to drop a piece, it’ll be less likely to break.