PS Sparks June Designer Drafts Challenge: The Post About Laundry

This is a post about laundry.

After all, it's Monday, a perfect day to tackle those loads of summer beach and pool towels!

I am a nut about laundry. My family knows it. I know it. I just love to clean the family clothes, towels, and linens. Put in something smelly and dirty. Take out something fresh and clean. Magic!

This weekend, we bought a new, slightly used gas dryer from a sweet lady on Craigslist. We had to buy a dryer because at our last house, we had only electric dryer hook up. And at the house before that, we had gas dryer hook up. So yes, we are right back to where we started, and now on our third Whirlpool Cabrio dryer. Sheesh!

I am back in my element, washing clothes and towels like nobody's business. Now, at last, it feels like home!

I made this card for the PS Sparks challenge at Paper Smooches!

www.papersmoochesstamps.com

Here's my card!

{Today's Brew: stamps from Paper Smooches, Versafine Onyx ink, Ranger Distress Spray inks, MME enaml dots, PTI card stock}

Here's the thing about using spray inks on a one-layer card. You will get a little overspray and mess in places you least expect it, like the back of your card. That's okay! We shall call it art.

I'm sending this one to my son, John, who moved into his own apartment this month. John landed a great job straight out of college, and he's beginning his big adult adventure in Fishers, Indiana. New job, swanky new apartment. I'm one proud mama!

Speaking of laundry, I have a really important tip for all of you folks who have HE, or High Efficiency washers and dryers. I was a regular user of liquid detergents and fabric softeners, and I cleaned my machine regularly with products like Affresh. And still, I would end up with gunky deposits on my clean clothes. At first, I thought it was little bits of leaves and yard debris that had not washed off. But no. It was just gunk. Nasty, yucky gunk.

And then we had a house inspection, and the inspector gave me some really important information regarding HE machines. Liquid detergents and fabric softeners will gunk up your machine, and gunk up all the mechanisms that help it run efficiently. Powder, he said. Only powder detergents.

So I went home and gave it a shot. But first, I cleaned my machine with a Tide washing machine cleaner. And then I grabbed paper towels to wipe down every crack and crevice inside the machine. In the detergent and fabric softener and bleach slots. In the basin. Under the lid. It was amazing how disgusting it was. Gunk everywhere! So I ran another cycle of hot water with a few cups of baking soda and white vinegar thrown in. And again, I cleaned and removed more gunk. I did this wiping down process until there was no more gunk to be had anywhere.

And then I switched to this:

Now Tide and the other makers will continue to try to tell us that liquid is the way to go for HE, but do not believe it. I now use powder detergent AND dryer sheets when needed. No more liquid fabric softener.

I cannot begin to tell you how much better my machine runs now! No more gunky deposits, no bad mildew smell. Just clean every time.

My sister, who had the same problems, switched as well. She's getting the same great results every time.

So there you have it! A card AND clean clothes for your Monday! Blessings, cafe friends!