To prepare delicious dishes in the oven, to dye or straighten hair, to preserve food or wrap up leftover food…
Aluminum foil is an essential tool at home and its uses are multiple. Including a little-known, but very judicious, use that you probably didn’t know about: it protects your clothes each time you wash them and prevents them from becoming electrified. Quickly discover this brilliant tip!
Indeed, when washing clothes in the washing machine, a certain quantity of electrical charges are immediately released. Which can significantly harm laundry by wearing out the textiles, or even tearing fragile fabrics.
This static electricity can come from the washing machine itself or from the friction of clothes while washing. Hence the phenomenon of electrification of tissues, often annoying and unsightly. So why would it be useful to embed 3 balls of aluminum foil in the drum? We will explain everything to you.
Why do you need to integrate balls of aluminum foil into the washing machine?
The washing machine is where the most static electricity builds up, because the more clothes rub against each other when dry, the more electrical charge will be generated.
By introducing balls of foil to each wash, you will notice that they absorb all the static energy, preventing clothes from being damaged or electrified.
The method is very simple to carry out: you just need to insert three balls of aluminum foil, the size of a golf ball, and follow the usual steps for each laundry, with the detergent and the washing program that you usually practice.
NB: if the clothes you are washing tend to drain a lot of electricity, it is essential to use fabric softener during the wash cycle, as well as a short spin program so as not to aggravate this. problem
What is aluminum foil made of?
Aluminum is a chemical element that is extracted from a material called “bauxite”. It is a non-ferromagnetic metal, meaning it does not have the necessary compounds to be easily magnetized.
The aluminum foil is thus obtained thanks to the balance of iron and silicone, as well as 98.5% aluminum. In addition, the sheet of this metal is very flexible and it is an excellent conductor of heat.
Other Unsuspected Uses of Aluminum Foil
In addition to those that we have already mentioned, aluminum foil can help us on a daily basis to simplify certain tasks or solve a lot of small hassles.
Here are some surprising and even unusual uses:
– Cleaning a burnt pan: a simple, well-crumpled piece of aluminum foil can quickly remove burn marks. Just rub well and the residue will come off more easily.
– Move the living room table: dust has accumulated in the living room and you plan to do a big clean? Oops, you’re still having trouble moving the coffee table in the living room, which is a little too heavy for you. No problem: wrap pieces of aluminum foil under the four legs of the table and you will notice that it will slide more quickly.
Give shine to your old, completely rusty silverware: have you just taken out old cutlery from the back of the cupboard as well as old, completely dull and oxidized jewelry? This is a surprising method to make all your silver pieces shine. Simply place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a basin, fill it with a mixture of hot water and coarse salt and immerse all your objects in it. Leave it on for a while before taking them out and drying them properly. The result is stunning: all your pieces have regained their former glory!
– Clean the iron: If it is full of stains and dirt, the iron will immediately be sticky and much slower than usual. Not to mention that it leaves unsightly marks on your clothes. Hop, make a big ball of aluminum foil and vigorously rub the dirtiest areas. Here it is again ready for use!
Additional tips for taking care of your laundry
Fading, shrinking, felting… your clothes don’t deserve this fate! Here’s how to extend their lifespan.
Preserve the original colors:
Tye & dye is pretty, but only when you want it…
White fabrics: to remain white, they must be protected from light, which yellows them. Do not hesitate to store them in dark boxes or opaque drawers, away from direct light.
Colored fabrics: to give your colored clothes a boost, add white vinegar to the last rinse water. Or use the latter as a fabric softener.
Black fabrics: together and inside out, this is the right way to wash them.
Add white vinegar to the rinse water to set the color and never iron them on the right side to avoid polishing them. To return them to an intense black, bathe your dark clothes in cold spinach cooking water (without the spinach) before washing them.
Respect the shapes:
A woolen sweater or cotton are not destined to become deformed…
Before the first wash: go through the (very) salty bath step. Soak your cotton T-shirts (respecting the colors) in a basin of cold water with 4 handfuls of coarse salt.
For wool sweaters: avoid the machine. Proceed by hand in lukewarm water with flakes of Marseille soap. Bathe them without rubbing or wringing them and rinse them thoroughly, finishing with a rinse with diluted white vinegar. Dry your wool sweaters flat, between two terry towels.
Despite these precautions, he has shrunk?
The only solution: relax the fibers. Not just pulling it out, but first submerging it in a solution of cold water and glycerin (or conditioner) gently stretching the sleeves and edges until your sweater returns to its original size initial. Wring it out in a terry towel and dry it flat, stretching it regularly.
Despite all this, he is subdued?
Soak your sweater for an hour in cold or lukewarm vinegar water.
Fix the colors:
No, the fading will not happen to you!
Will fade, will not fade?
To know this, carry out the test with a damp cotton swab rubbed on the garment. Is it tinted? The color of your clothing may bleed when washed and color everything in its path.
To stop the bleeding: wash your clothing in cold water with vinegar and liquid Marseille soap.
The basics: Sort your clothes color by color to prevent them from mixing. Choose the cold wash program or 30°C maximum. If you choose to wash by hand, proceed piece by piece.
Did it rub off? You can repair the damage using soda crystals. Soak your discolored shirt for a day in 1 liter of hot water with a cup of crystals. If the stain is localized, rub with a paste of baking soda and water, then leave to act before rinsing.
Removing imperfections:
Time passing…
Sweating (the marks): bathe your white cotton T-shirt in a mixture of water and lemon juice. You can also immerse it in a basin filled with cold water and white vinegar (1 glass).
Sweating again (the smell): melt several aspirin tablets in a basin and immerse the clothing in it.
Luster (for black fabric): iron it using a cloth soaked in household vinegar.
Pills: shave them with a razor blade. Or catch them on Scotch.
Yellowing: cook your grayish T-shirt in a mixture of water, Marseille soap flakes and lemon juice.
Five techniques for ironing without iron:
Spraying. Place your laundry on a hanger, spray it with lukewarm water, let it dry. You will see that the creases will disappear.
The shower. Take advantage of the hot water vapor to hang your outfit of the day on a hanger and smooth it out as if by magic.
A damp towel. A wrinkled item of clothing can become uncreased if it is “ironed” using a damp sponge, placed flat on the item of clothing.
Above a saucepan. OK, the trick requires a bit of headroom, but you can place your shirt over a pot of boiling water to benefit from the smoothing effects of the hot water steam.
With a hair dryer. Spray with water and dry it. Be careful not to approach the tip so as not to burn the fabric and use gentle heat.
(Her) grandmother’s tip: Washing in a net
My grandmother, who was very chic, collected cashmere cardigans.
She gave me a few, with some very good advice: before putting the vest in the washing machine, wrap the buttons in aluminum foil very tightly. Wash vests very often because the more you wash them, the softer and more beautiful they are. Wash them only in cold or lukewarm water, or at 30°C. And above all, especially place them in a net, like for lingerie.
Did you know ?
The natural or synthetic fibers of a garment do not shrink when washing, but during drying, when the water evaporates from them.
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