Washing old bed linens to give away
suburbanmd
7 years ago
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Lotta rain, soil washing away
Comments (9)Well, you can use my suggestion above and bag your grass clippings when you mow. (If you have a bagger) just be sure to dry them out first before putting them on the garden. The reason for this is when the grass clippings decompose, they get HOT. And could potentially harm your plants. I work at the Home Depot garden center and a lot of people use straw. We also sell pine straw, a little pricier, but works well. I would not use landscaping or wood mulch. You could also use leaves. We take the leaves off our neighbors hands in the fall and till them in in the spring, because not only are they a great mulch, but an excellent soil amendment. So. There are lots of options, just depends on what your can get your hands on.... I've also heard ppl using cardboard, newspaper....etc. There are lots of benefits to mulching: less weeding, less washing away of soil, keeps soil cool and moisture in after a rain, less splashing of dirt on leaves of plants which reduce diseases spreading. Hope this helps. Alley...See MoreDid the rain wash away my seeds???
Comments (2)It's possible but not definite unless it is a real incline where they are planted. What is most likely is that it floated many of them into clusters and clumps. Once they sprout you can thin them out or transplant them as needed. Of course you can always over seed the area again to be safe but will likely have to really thin them out then. Dave...See MoreMarket Garden washed away- need your help
Comments (15)Maybe you can divide your garden into 8 more or less equal squares, and start with one, piling whatever OM you can get into it, then, when you get enough that you think it'll last throught he growing season, continue to another section. Depending on the response to your ads to freecycle and craigslist (and I'd try both), you may get enough to do more than one section. Unfortunately, the OM will reduce in volume every year, so you'll need to add more to the sections you've already been able to plant in every year. So, as time goes on, you'll be establishing new areas, but also needing to maintain the existing areas. You mentioned customers who are sheep and horse farmers. I used to work with somebody who had several horses and paid to have his manure hauled away. You should let your customers know that if they have friends who need manure hauled off, you're willing to haul it for free. Freecycle and craigslist may get you some as well. Several people have already mentioned tree trimming companies. I'd second that, and also point you to the utility companies. The utility companies may trim trees themselves around power lines, or they may contract the work done. If they do the work themselves, they'll probably be glad to give you truckloads of chipped wood. If they contract it, they can tell you the companies with which they contract. If you google ramial wood, you'll find that chipped wood is being used to regenerate soil. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your results....See MoreWhat to look for in old bed linens shopping?
Comments (44)Hi Mama! All is well - a little over 3 weeks to go, and definitely ready. I've had a very happy and uneventful pregnancy thus far, but definitely starting to slow down and get a little uncomfortable at this point! And I think it's pretty normal to not know much about bed bugs until you are faced with them. Trust me, I also thought they were something that only happens in slums to people who live in filth! And then we got them from our upstairs neighbors - he is a dentist and she is a professor, so as educated, well-off and white collar of a couple as can be. But their son came back from college in NYC and brought the bugs back in his belongings. They then made the worst mistake one can possibly make: went to Home Depot and bought a "fogger". This device does nothing to eradicate the existing bugs, but does send them scattering to all your neighbors... And then a year later we got them again, this time from the neighbors downstairs who, due to age, did not realize that they got infested (at the time we thought it was only our two units) and let the bugs get way out of hand to the point of coming up two stories again. That's probably way more than anyone ever wanted to know about our bed bug experiences, but figured I'd give some background: we've been through this more than once, have worked with a fantastic and very helpful pest control company and I've done so much research that my husband jokes I should just open my own bed bug eradication service to not let it all go to waste. Here's the thing: bed bugs are a nuisance, but they are definitely not Ebola. Let me calm some of your fears: There is definitely a resurgence of them in our country, and anyone who travels should take reasonable precautions when staying at hotels: keep your suitcase on those folding racks, don't put belongings on the bed, and launder everything shortly after coming home. I personally know the signs to look for, so I will do a quick inspection of the bed frame when we check in, but for most people that's probably not necessary. The whole house will need to be treated only if the infestation gets out of control. In our case both times the only things that needed to be treated were the bed and end tables and mattress (thorough steaming) and all the bed linens/covers/mattress pads were washed and dried after each treatment. So as long as you are vigilant and catch the first signs vs waiting a year to call the exterminators, it will likely be a relatively simple and inexpensive treatment. Signs to look out for: dark brown/black spots, similar to a dot left by a fountain pen. You will see these on the sheets and anywhere where they are hiding (bed frame cracks and slats and underside of box spring is where they will go first). They are very obvious if you know what you're looking for. Bites are actually not a great indicator: our first infestation happened in the summer, we sleep with the windows open and my bites looked just like regular mosquito bites. A good percentage of people also don't react to the bites at all, my husband is one of them, while some will get huge purple welts that last for weeks. And the whole "they bite in threes" thing is not true either. Regarding thrift stores, after this experience I absolutely will not ever consider buying used upholstered furniture or anything that goes in the bedroom. Yes you can give it a good steam before bringing in (we bought the same type of steamer that our pest control company uses), but if it's a nicer piece the steam might damage the finish, and if it's something less expensive at that point it's just not worth it. Washable items I'm perfectly comfortable purchasing, as long as they can be laundered right away. And if you've bought too much for one load, keep what doesn't fit bagged and in the bath tub (bugs can't climb up the slippery sides) till you can get to them. And last but not least, if you notice any signs, DO NOT try DIY treatment. Go to https://www.bedbugcentral.com/bedbugfree and find a certified professional in your area. The BedBugFree certification means that they are up to date on all the most recent research and treatment methods. The last thing you want is to go with the cheapest "spray and pray" exterminator from Craigslist who will use outdated, harmful and ineffective pesticides. Once again, that turned out to be way longer and completely off topic on a laundry forum, but maybe someone will find this helpful! I know that there's a lot of shame and stigma associated with having bed bugs, so most people prefer to keep it a secret, but I feel that raising awareness is very important these days....See More
suburbanmd
7 years agoYeah, clean is the most important thing, especially removing all traces of yellow buildup. A little additional fading, if it occurs, doesn't really matter, since the recipients won't know or likely care what the linens looked like originally...as long as they're clean and odor-free. So I decided to do short washes (i.e. without Intensive) at 95C. Initial program length with cold fill is 1:19, plus 6 minutes for a prewash. Spin balancing adds another couple of minutes. Tide Free & Gentle powder, plus 1/2 tbsp of sodium percarbonate on the two light-colored loads. Everything came out clean and de-yellowed and boil-wash-fresh-smelling, except for a couple of pillowcases which were still yellow. I threw those out. Elastics are ok. Here's everything, showing that colors can survive boil washing:
Another question, for bossyvossy and everyone else with experience in this area: Since donation centers want items appropriate for the season, my wife wants to hold onto the flannel sheets until the fall. My feeling is that this isn't like giving them winter coats in the summer. Someone may want flannel sheets now. We're in the Washington DC region. What do you think?
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