Showing posts with label Laundry Room. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laundry Room. Show all posts

Laundry Room Clothespin Decor

Recently I devoted time to deep clean our laundry room (click HERE to read all about it).  Now with the room shiny and fresh, it was time to add a new touch of bling!  





With no spend decor in mind, I "shopped" our home for items on hand.  When I spotted wooden clothespins, I was reminded of all the clothespin repurposing projects and decor that I've seen online over the years.  

The result ... I combined a gold trimmed black picture frame with white mat (glass removed), and three gold spray painted clothespins mounted with hot glue onto black card stock.  



 So sorry that I don't have photos of the "how to" to share but honestly this project went very quickly and is so simple!

First, I removed the glass from the picture frame and added a piece of black card stock, attaching it to the back of the white mat with two rows of double-stick tape on each side.

To spray paint the clothespins, I placed them in a cardboard box, sprayed one side and flipped them until all sides were painted.   

This is the paint I used:


 
Rustoleum Metallic Gold

 It was wonderful and covered the clothespins completely with just one coat.  

 Attached them to the card stock with hot glue and it was complete.

 


And here it is at home on the laundry room wall:



Have you used clothespins in decor or craft projects?  

I'm enjoying the whimsy and simplicity of this project and, you can never go wrong with spray paint - especially blingy gold!  

Thank you to Brenda at Cozy Little House for featuring this post!~



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Laundry Room Clean Day

Everyone enters our home via our garage which takes them through the laundry room.  I jokingly call it our "entry" because I don't recall our front door/foyer ever being used.  




 
Our laundry room contains our washing machine, dryer and an extra fridge (where we store drinks).  Though the room is small, storage space is very adequate thanks to two sets of upper wall cabinets that are ceiling height.    One set of cabinets is located above the washer and dryer (for storing laundry products, extra light bulbs, etc.) and the other is above the fridge.



 Because the space also serves as an entry, I keep the decor simple.  There is limited wall space, so a few small wall art items are all that's needed.  




If you have gas appliances or are unsure how to safely unplug your electric appliances, please consult your utility company before proceeding.

To begin this cleaning project, I unplugged the washing machine and dryer and moved them away from the back wall - sounds difficult but it was easy, thanks to the tile floor.  


PLEASE NOTE:  These recommendations are purely my own - this is not a sponsored post and I am not being compensated in any way by the makers of these products.  

I then vacuumed and mopped the floor.  Actually, I didn't use a mop - a cleaning cloth and Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Multi-Surface Concentrate diluted in a pail of hot water worked great.  

 
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Multi-Surface Concentrate


I didn't take a "before" photo, but, be thankful - it wasn't pretty!   I usually clean under and behind the washer and dryer several times a year and am always surprised by how much lint and debris collect under them.  

 While the appliances were out of the way, I cleaned the baseboards and touched up paint.  I also took the opportunity to give the walls behind and beside the appliances a fresh coat of paint.  The wall paint is Sherwin Williams Macadamia in matte/flat finish.  

Sherwin Williams Macadamia


This time, I tried something new and added scented oil to the paint - Sweet Pea Jasmine scented warming oil.  Not quite sure if the scented oil fragrance is noticeable, but I like the idea of it.  LOL!

Sweet Pea Jasmine Scented Oil

Dryer Cleaning
After the painting was done, it was time to clean the appliances.  I removed the clamps from each end of the dryer vent hose and vacuumed the flexible hose using my vacuum attachment.  



Then, vacuumed all of the openings on the back of the dryer and wiped the back and sides with the damp cloth.  

Next, I removed the lint trap from inside the dryer and cleaned it with hot soapy water, rinsing thoroughly and set aside to air dry.

While the lint trap was removed, I vacuumed the lint trap opening as far as my vacuum attachment would reach.  Specially designed vacuum attachments are available for dryer cleaning, and I've added one to my shopping list.

 Next I wiped the inside of the dryer drum and the external power cord (unplugged!) with a damp cloth.

Washing Machine Cleaning
The washing machine received an exterior cleaning - wiped the outside on all sides, and the exterior hoses and cord (unplugged!) with a damp cloth.  

I already have a habit of wiping the fabric softener dispenser, bleach dispenser and the inside of the lid and rim of the drum with each use, to prevent any build-up.  And, every few months I remove the fabric softener dispenser and clean it and under it - amazing how much fabric softener can build up and under the dispenser.

Did you know that you need to clean your washing machine occasionally?  That sounds odd, but the soaps and softeners can build up inside your washer and can also lead to mold and mildew problems.  

To clean the inside thoroughly, I set my top loading washing machine to run the largest load setting with the hottest water temperature after adding 3 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.  After letting it agitate for a few minutes to dissolve the baking soda, I stopped the washing machine and let it sit for an hour, then resumed the full cycle.

After moving the washing machine and dryer back in place and cleaning the wall cabinet doors, I called this project DONE!  



It was nice to give this much-used room a well deserved touch-up!  Where are your washing machine and dryer located - inside your home, in the basement or in your garage?  Do you have a laundry room or closet?  Is your space a pass-thru as mine is?  So many possibilities!
  
Sending a heartfelt thank you to Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for graciously featuring this post at her No Spend - Clean - Purge October Linky Party.

 Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!


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Coming Clean

Recipes for homemade laundry products have been all over blogland for years, but I thought I'd share my favorites for powdered detergent and liquid fabric softener.

The following powdered detergent ingredients can be found at any grocery store, Walmart or Target, and are often displayed side-by-side on the store shelf.
 


 
Half a 5# container OxiClean
1 box Washing Soda (55 oz.)
1 box Baking Soda (4#)
2 bars Fels-Naptha or Zote bar soap (grated)
Optional: 1 box Borax 

Pour all ingredients slowly into a large container - a clean, dry 5 gallon bucket is the perfect size.  Mix thoroughly. 

It makes a LOT of laundry powder. We use 2 small scoops per load and store it in our laundry room in a 2-gallon lidded glass jar. 
 
 

 

Observations:

Have made it with and without Borax and didn't see a difference in the way it cleans. Tried both Fels-Naptha and Zote bar soaps and, personally, I like the scent of the Fels-Naptha the best - smells really fresh and clean!


HOMEMADE FABRIC SOFTENER

 


For homemade fabric softener, add 1 bottle of Suave hair conditioner (scent of your choice - I use Waterfall scent) to a large container and fill with water. Any container will work well - above is a 5 quart container with a spiggot for easy pouring. But, large, empty fabric softener or laundry detergent containers work great also. Goes a looooong way and so inexpensive - only the cost of the conditioner which is around $2.
 
If you try either of these, would love to hear how you like them!



 
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