5 Favourite Laundry Helpers!

I recently mentioned what was the easiest way to sort your washing and now I want to let you know about some of my favourite 'Laundry Helpers' to make it all a bit easier. Washing the clothes, drying it all AND ironing takes a long time, a lot of effort and isn't that enjoyable but some things can make it easier.

1. Little Feet Sock Pairers
I mentioned this in my article about sorting the wash, but anyone who missed it, these clever Little Feet will ensure your socks stay together when in the wash or tumble dryer. Simply push the socks securely into the Little Feet and place into the washing machine. See one happy customer comment:

I have had little feet sock pairers before and find them excellent. I bought some more for my family. Children's socks (and gloves) can be put 1 pair in each hole, and great for organizing the wash if you can just be bothered to apply yourself. Socks stay paired all the way through. End of sorting headache! No more odd socks!
S Berkovitz - Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

2. Dryer Balls
A re-usable, safe, non-toxic & environmentally friendly way to soften your laundry without using chemicals or fabric conditioners. The pink & blue "Tumble Dryer Balls" soften fabrics the natural way. And they save you money because they reduce drying time. Place both balls in the tumble dryer on the usual setting. As well as retaining heat, the balls lift washing and increase circulation of air within the machine.

The specially designed nodes physically break down hardness in fabrics created by water when drying, leaving your clothes beautifully soft. These clever Dryer Balls even reduce the amount of lint (waste fluff) as well as creases and wrinkles - saving you time at the ironing board!

And they are anti-static too. This amazing environmentally friendly alternative to fabric softener and dryer sheets is reusable so there is no need to ever worry about softening your washing again.

3. Ecoforce Peg Basket with 24 Strong Hurricane Force Grip Clothes Pegs made of Recycled Plastic
Make hanging up the clothes as simple as possible. This strong & durable Peg Basket has 100% more grip than a standard peg, is 100% washable in the dishwasher or washing machine, no broken springs or peg stains and frost proof. Being 93% recycled plastic, 100% metal free and Made in the UK, the only thing you need to feel guilty about is asking someone else to do the hanging up!

4. Ironing Cloth made of a heat resistant polyester fabric
Use an ironing cloth to protect your delicate garments whilst being ironed & prolong the life of your clothes. This one is made of a heat resistant polyester fabric. 45 x 30 cms ( 17 3/4 " x 11 3/4 ") and will help to prevent fabrics looking shiny after ironing as the iron is no longer in direct contact with the material.

5. Net Washing Bags
With many sizes available from a Household Pack to individual Bra Wash Bags (in sizes A to K) they will protect your laundry in the washing machine & tumble dryer. Great for shared washes and great for using when sorting your wash! Plus Shoe and Trainer Wash Bags also available to protect your machine!

For many more ideas on products to make your washing day easier check out our Homecare Range.

Get sorted - How to sort your laundry

We all have household tasks that we hate more than others... for some it's dusting, others vacuuming, for me it's doing the laundry (it was bad enough just doing my own, but now that I'm doing laundry for 2 adults and 2 children it can feel as though it's getting out of hand!) I'm not alone in this, and although I can't make this an enjoyable job, I have reduced the time it takes by following a strict routine and using some products which are proving real helpers.

I now have set days for doing the clothes washing and I stick to this so that it doesn't get out of hand by the weekend. So firstly, sorting the laundry. Is your Washing Basket up to it? You  use it every day yet many of us don't exactly use very useful trolleys to store (and sort) the clothing - see my previous article featuring some great Laundry Trolleys.

Rather than sorting it all when doing the wash you can do it as you go by using a Laundry Hamper with separate compartments, such as the Deluxe Double Chrome & Canvas Laundry Hamper. With removable double canvas laundry bags & chrome folding frame, it's large enough for most and ideal for the family home.

If necessary remove any clothes that need to be presoaked or are particularly stained and do them in a separate wash - you may need to do these with a particular stain remover or at a higher temperature. Obviously separate your colours from your whites (why a Laundry Hamper with compartments is so useful) and then have a scan of the clothes to check whether there is anything that needs to be removed (broaches, tissues in pockets, cufflinks - I even found a belt left on a pair of trousers once!) I also double check that there are no delicates or hand wash items in with the rest of the wash.

The best way to avoid such items getting into a regular wash however is to put any handwash or delicate items in a Wash Bag within the Laundry Trolley - this way not only are you avoiding them getting mixed up into an incorrect wash cycle and possibly being ruined, but you're also saving time because you can then just put the wash bag straight into the wash. (By the way, Wash Bags are also brilliant for sorting your dirty laundry for when you're travelling, enabling you to keep it separate from your clean clothes and then just put it straight into the wash when you return!)

There are now some new additions to the Wash Bag range, with a choice of Lingerie Wash Bags in 3 sizes from A to K (I use the extra large size for several items of lingerie) and don't forget you should always use a wash bag to wash your knitwear, such as the "I Love My Wool" Microfibre Wash Bag which avoids fading, felting, pilling & shrinking. Again you can save time and potential disasters by putting your knitwear straight into the Wash Bag rather than into your Washing Basket.

One final tip on sorting... Little Feet Sock Pairers. How annoying is it when you're folding your dry washing and end up with a pile of unmatched socks. Even if you do find the other sock you can guarantee they will end up separately in your drawer because you don't have time to find the first one! Avoid this problem by using these Little Feet.

I automatically put my used socks into them and then into the Washing Basket. They are very durable, can be used over and over again, are designed for use with both the washing machine & tumble dryer, you simply push the socks into the Little Feet and place into the washing machine. Our customers reviews say it all:

Little Feet are such a brilliant invention - and at just under 60p each they are not exactly over-priced

I have had little feet sock pairers before and find them excellent. I bought some more for my family. Children's socks (and gloves) can be put 1 pair in each hole, and great for organizing the wash if you can just be bothered to apply yourself. Socks stay paired all the way through. End of sorting headache! No more odd socks!

This product ensures no more hunting about to pair up socks after the wash. Robust bits of plastic do the trick

Keep an eye out for more washing tips once you've done the sorting!!

Looking for a Laundry Basket?

Whether you have a family sized wash to do, and individual wash, whether domestic or commercial washing - it needs to be done, and each different requirement requires a different Washing Basket!

If your current Laundry Bin isn't up to the job check out these Laundry Bags and Hampers. To save time and potential disasters with mixed washes, rather than sorting it all when doing the wash you can do it as you go by using a Laundry Hamper with separate compartments, such as the Deluxe Double Chrome & Canvas Laundry Hamper. With removable double canvas laundry bags & chrome folding frame, it's large enough for most and ideal for the family home.

Pop Up Laundry Hampers are great for children, students and tenants. Look for a sturdy one with an all-round zipper which is useful for storing pillows, duvets, blankets etc. The Pop-Up Laundry Hamper comes in Navy and is 58cms high (23") x 45cms diameter (17 3/4"). There is also the option of a  Cream Pop-Up Laundry Hamper which measures 74 cms high ( 29" )  47 cms diameter (18 1/2").

If you're looking for a Laundry Bag the Large Deluxe Laundry Bag from the Filigree Range is made in soft touch fabric ( cotton / polyester ), with a drawstring top and comes packed in a black presentation box. It measures 70 x  53 cms ( 27 1/2" x 21" )

Industrial use bags are also available - made from a patented Microfibre fabric, and ideal for industrial use in Hospitals, Care Homes, Schools etc. This Heavy Duty Zipped Jumbo Laundry Bag has a capacity of up to 5 kilo of laundry. Washable up to 95 degrees. The bag can also be tumble dryed and measures 60cms x 90 cms ( 23 1/2" x 35 1/2" ) with a bottom gusset of 40 cms ( 15 1/2" )

With a wide range of Laundry Hampers and Bags, Net Washing Bags, Stain Removers, Clothes Dryers, Clothes Pegs and Caddies and lots more in our Homecare Range we hope our products cover most aspects of doing the Washing! However, if you have any ideas for other products that you have been searching for let us know!

Haberdashery supplies which you always need (such as hemming tape!)

Finding a local haberdashery isn't always easy and with fewer haberdashery departments in larger stores you may be struggling to find some products that most people need even for basic jobs. Wundaweb is one of these products. This very popular product is a brilliant time-saving item, made of a fine, fusible fleece which bonds fabrics together quickly & easily, providing a natural firmly-joined finish (and saving you a lot of time and effort!)

We now have a new addition to the Wundaweb range with the Jumbo pack of Wundaweb 20m x 20mm (also available in 10 metre strip x 22mm wide size). This provides great value and is also available as a multipack so saving you even more money! Ideal for Dresses, Skirts, Trousers, Curtains and much more, this easy hemming, no sewing is very popular with our customers.

One customer recently wrote about Vilene Extra Strong Wundaweb:

"Excellent product range. easy to use and very effective"

gina roberts - Sunday, 21st February 2010, 3 months ago

This extra strong version is suitable for heavier fabrics & areas that require an extra strong bond. Ideal for hems on Jeans, Workwear Combat & Canvas fabrics, Soft Furnishings, Craft applications & applying trims.

I recently wrote about the ways I was making use of the new Velcro® products (such as the Sew & Stick Tape for attaching a blackout blind), but it’s also really useful to have certain items in your sewing kit for dressmaking and repairs. I’ve already mentioned the Hem Fix Kit, which is ideal for instant repairs, but Sew on Tape (plus Anti Snag Sew On Tape) and Iron on Tape are also great for use at home when you don’t need an instant fix.

The Velcro® Sew on Tape is ideal for many Home Furnishing and Dressmaking tasks. It can be used for hand or machine sewing of soft furnishings, garments and more round the home.  Each pack contains 20 mm x 1 metre and is very long lasting and durable.

For fine and delicate materials prone to snagging use the Velcro® Anti Snag Sew On Tape. Each pack contains 20mm x 3 metres ( 1.5 metres closure ).

Want to make it even easier? For those who don’t want to (or can’t) sew… try the Velcro® Iron on Tape which is great for non-sew applications. Ideal for repairing and making clothes - use it instead of Buttons & Zips. Each pack contains 16mm x 1 metre.

Check back later in the week when I'll run through many household products that are becoming increasingly difficult to find on the high street... why spend all your time looking for these products when you can find them all from the comfort of your own home?

If you have any suggestions of products you too are finding difficult to find please Contact Us and let us know... with customer feedback we can continue to build our range of products and continue to provide our customers with what they want!

Garment Rail Builder Update plus Special Offer on Pink Rail!

I recently mentioned that we now have a brilliant facility enabling you to design your own Clothes Rail. We already have an extensive range of rails and accessories but they can now be easily put together by you in the comfort of your own home using our Garment Rail Builder - you can choose your garment rail by height or colour, add on accessories and more.

Find the perfect colour, size and design of garment rail for you! From simple rails to complex combination rails, we make it as easy as a mouse click!

More great news.... we now have a new 6' wide Brilliant White Garment Rail. This Heavy Duty White Clothes Rail has a strong and sturdy frame but because it comes with castors it's completely portable.

• A White portable clothes rail with strong & sturdy construction


• Modern & contemporary design


• Rail dimensions : W= 183 cm ( 72" ) H = 155 cm ( 61" ) D = 50 cm ( 20" )


• Comes with nylon castors to make it portable & more versatile


• Easy to assemble

With it's modern design it joins our fantastic Shocking Pink Garment Rail - 3ft Bespoke Custom Coated Pink Garment Rail with 3inch heavy duty castors. Now on Special Offer also, with an amazing lower price of £99.99!!

This strong and robust rail has large 3" diameter castors for heavy duty use. It is more sturdy and substantial than many others on the market, and is easy to assemble and long lasting. With an all pink frame and top bar, the dimensions of the rail are W 92 cms H 155cms (36 1/4" x 61") Depth = 50 cms ( 20" ).

Don't forget we also have our own Garment Rail Protective Covers, and a large range of Garment Rail Accessories! Keep an eye out for even more additions to our Garment Rail Range, making it easy for your Garment Rail to grow with your changing needs, or begin creating your own functional, adaptable and great to looking rail with the Garment Rail Builder!!

Going green? Go camping!

In the spirit of my previous ‘green’ articles I wanted to include in this topic one of the most important and enjoyable activities in peoples lives… holidays! The obvious choice would be the camping holiday and with numbers of people camping (and the age dropping) it seems many people have already made this choice.  Apparently the average age of campers has dropped dramatically – averaging previously around 60 and now in the 40s… why? Well partly because more families want to enjoy a ‘green’ holiday and enjoy the benefits of the Countryside right on their doorstep, after all we are known for our Great British Countryside and with so much to enjoy the possibilities are endless for camping destinations in this country!

This growing trend of greener family holidays also has the added benefit of more money being spent in local, rural communities. Check out The Caravan Club website for inspiration and where to go. To kick-start your 2010 adventures check out this article for inspiration of what to take with you to avoid problems with moths, storage and keeping everything clean and tidy!

Moths - they can be a problem when at home, but if you want to avoid them when travelling make sure you protect your clothing with products such as Clothes Moth Traps are designed to be hung in clothing storage areas, are simple to assemble and installed in seconds. Lasting for approximately 6 weeks from activation, they are easy to use and there are no chemicals.

Apart from clothes protection Anti Mosquito Balls provide excellent protection… they generate a one metre protection field which makes them particularly effective in small spaces such as cars, tents, caravans, sleeping bags etc. – also ideal for those barbeques to keep the pests away.

Caravanning4u provides great advice on the problem of moths such as using string bags to place five or six mothballs in four bags and depositing one in each corner of the caravan. Cedar wood is of course the natural moth repellent with a wonderful aromatic fresh fragrance and natural cedarwood balls are ideal for this.

For every new caravan or motorhome owner (and indeed even for the most experienced owner) it can be challenging making the best use of the space available and keeping everything clean. Problems of transporting and storing clothes can all be solved with the right products.

To make the most use of your wardrobe space you should make sure you take a Space Saving Hanger Bar - you can hang six hangers from it either vertically, which is the way it is mostly used for shirts or trousers, or horizontally to hang six pairs of trousers or shirts.

Also really useful are Hotel Security Hangers… often clothes fall off the rail with ordinary hangers but using this type of hanger holds them securely in place – see testimonial from the Caraselle Direct site below for more information:

"Some time ago there was an article in the Club Magazine, about Hotel Type Coat Hangers, which a member had used, and so avoided the problem, so often encounted, where the hangers have bounced off the rail of the wardrobe, and all the clothes are on the bottom of the wardrobe, when you arrive at your destination. I thought this was a brilliant idea, but have had difficulty in tracing this type of hanger. I have now discovered www.caraselledirect.com who sell these hangers, as well as a large number of other items for caravanners. They do wooden or plastic hangers, and metal or plastic hooks. The advantage of the plastic hook is that they can be fitted without removing the hanging rail. Incidentally I have bought a second set of rings, so that the hangers can be taken straight from the House Wardrobe to the caravan."

Keeping a small space clean is essential especially when travelling – roller brushes are ideal for keeping clothing, seats & upholstery clean (fantastic if travelling with pets and to keep your clothes pet hair free!) Mini Pocket Sized Roller Brushes are ideal for travel and can even fit into your handbag – refills are available.

A hand-held carpet cleaner is incredibly effective at removing hairs and dust from rugs or carpets and being so small means you don’t need to worry about losing much space! You should also consider a Mini-Sweeper for sweeping tablecloths and carpets, stylish and effective, this sweeper is long lasting, sweeping crumbs from tablecloths and all surfaces. Ideal because no plugs, no leads, no batteries!

For more useful caravan and motorhome accessories and inspiration visit Caraselle Direct - an online shopping website full of great storage solutions and homecare products. Enjoy your 2010 adventures!

Build Your Own Clothes Rail! We’ve made it easy…

There are certain products that are often quite limited in choice. Let’s take Garment Rails for example. Finding the exact rail to suit you can be hard and judging on comments from customer enquiries many end up making do with the next best thing. Customers have told us they have shopped around for a rail that needs to fit a certain space or be a particular height but also requires a middle rail and so on.

We have a very large and varied range of rails and accessories so that you can easily choose your garment rail by height or colour and then add on accessories, but we have now gone one step further with our Garment Rail Builder. This now makes it even easier to find the perfect colour, size and design of garment rail for you! From simple rails to complex combination rails, we make it as easy as a mouse click!

Remember also that our rails are incredibly adaptable... brilliant news for anyone who wants to increase the size of their Garment Rail! The latest products in our Garment Rail Range will do just that. Our Conversion Kits will convert a standard single top rail garment rail into a double top rail garment rail.

That means you can now easily double the hanging space available to you! This is yet another step in providing you with the most Adaptable Garment Rails possible.

Our double top rail brackets and extra rail package includes the components needed to convert a standard single top rail garment rail into a double top rail garment rail.

Simply remove your current single top rail, attach the 2 new brackets, one on each side and then place your existing top rail and the new top rail in place and you have doubled your hanging space! This package includes one top rail and 2 x end brackets. Check them out and maximize your space!

Not only that, but there are also other options available for increasing the size of your rail. We know you want a rail that will adapt with your changing needs, which is why many of our rails can now be purchased with Height Extension Pieces and adjustable Centre Rail, thus allowing you to double your hanging space - see a snapshot from one of our newsletters:



So loads of choice of rail, incredibly adaptable with many new accessories to maximise the space of your rail and now one easy step to create your custom built rail! It doesn't get easier than this! Check out the Garment Rail Builder now!

Moth Killers – stop the moths

We are getting a lot of enquiries about how to get rid of moths, including how to stop moths eating carpet, what are the most effective moth killers and if it’s possible to get effective protection using cedar liners for drawers. We are still very much in the moth season and one of the biggest mistakes people make when dealing with moths is not replacing their Anti Moth Products. Very effective and long lasting, but you do need to replace them every season. There are several steps to avoiding moths and if you already have them, dealing with them, so to begin with I want to remind you about some of the most effective products for removing them and let you know about some brilliant new products added to the range.

Moth’s hate Cedar and Orphea, so it’s not surprising that the Colibri Cedar Wood Hanging Sachet and Orphea Moth Repellent Strips For Drawers and Wardrobes are some of our most popular Moth Deterrent products. The Cedar Wood Hanging Sachet is an all natural anti moth sachet made with cedar wood.

The fragrance will keep your woollens safe & fresh and it contains 100% pure botanical essences from eucalyptus citriodora, vetiver, peppermint, clove,  lemongrass & with added cedarwood oil in a fine sandalwood powder base. Colibri does not contain animal elements & has not been tested on animals. How many should you use? It is recommended that 1 - 2 sachets are hung for each metre of wardrobe rail.

The Orphea Moth Repellent Strips will protect and freshen your clothes and linen with long lasting moth repellent, which will also give your room a beautiful smell. You should use one strip per drawer – inside the sachet is a moist cloth, and when you break open the sealed sachet, the aroma will then waft out and deter any moth from venturing near and laying its eggs. The strip of cloth has a perforation on it so that you can also hang it on a hanger. It won’t stain and there are 12 strips in each pack.

Our most recent Moth Deterrents include Bouchard Hanging Moth Proofers with Lavender Fragrance that is ideal for wardrobes. Effective for up to 6 months and with a handy renew indicator so you don’t need to remember to change it each season. It will safely protect clothing & textiles against moths in wardrobes & drawers. 

Another addition – Zensect Bouchard Moth Proofer Balls with Lavender Fragrance will protect all fabrics for up to 3 months. This new & improved formula will leave no stains and is safe for all the family. Ideal to use in your drawers.

Finally for protection against food moths, Zensect Anti Food Moth Traps are efficient against: food, flour, & Indian meal moths. There is no odour and they provide protection with peace of mind.

Keep an eye out for ways to avoid the problem of moths and steps you should take to remove them if it’s too late!

Trouser Hangers that work

The best storage products are ones that are often very specific to: the type of items you are storing, where you are storing them, how often you need to access them and so on. I mean you wouldn’t consider using a vacuum bag for clothing that you need to get out every day, or trying to fit a full height clothes rail into an awkward space, or even using a children’s clothes hanger to hang your work shirt!

Yet on this last point it’s true that some people don’t use the correct hanger to fit the correct clothing item. Recent customer enquiries regarding trouser hangers has led me to talk about what is the best way to store your trousers and what problems you may be having. Let’s start with jeans. You use them frequently and they are heavy, but you don’t really need (or want!) to leave them in a pile in the corner of the bedroom until the evening or weekend.

Some trouser hangers will simply bend from the weight, so a hanger designed to take heavy items would be best for this job. The newest addition to the hangers range – the Deluxe Chrome Plated Heavy Duty Hanger is ideal. Built with strength in mind being a specialist kilt hanger it has Large Extra Strong Clips, and although ideal for a kilt is also perfect for hanging your jeans and any other heavy trousers!

It’s 42cms wide with 3.5cms wide clips. It has an extra hanging hook, which is useful for hanging a belt or other accessory (or for any kilt wearers to hang the sporran).

People sometimes find that hanging up their trousers means they end up in a pile on the bottom of the wardrobe, so make sure you choose a hanger that prevents this. They need to be either non-slip, or have a locking bar or clips to stop this happening. With so many varieties available it can be hard to choose. Space can often be the deciding factor however! I’ve recently gone through various space saving options for your wardrobe, and a space saving trouser hanger will keep your wardrobe organised and make the best use of limited space.

The brilliant Huggable Hangers (see recent Huggable Hanger Reviews) has a space saving trouser hanger, which will take up less of the valuable wardrobe space. These 4 Bar Non-Slip Huggable Trouser Hangers are available in Black or Pink and with a swivel chrome hook and special flocked non-slip coating your trousers won’t be going anywhere! They really are ultra-thin being only 45cms wide, 43cm high & only 5mm wide! Other space-saving trouser hangers are also available.

The very popular Deluxe Metallic Silver Non-Slip Trouser Hanger with Chrome Hook is now back in stock – also providing a non-slip solution to your trousers ending up on the floor. They are available in multipacks for even greater savings too.

Of course some of the choices are down to personal taste. If you like your hangers made of wood look no further than the Cedar Wood Trouser Clamp Hanger. These super smooth finish cedar wood hangers are made entirely from moth repelling soft touch cedar and are a real customer favourite:

Good value and an item I thought was no longer available. Speedy delivery - no problems

What more could you ask for? Well they are currently on special offer too!

Also on special offer is the White & Taupe Non Slip Trouser Hanger, so don’t’ miss out on these great deals while they last!

Need a larger wardrobe? Make your stuff smaller!

If you can't make your wardrobe larger, then you can make your stuff smaller!

Introducing a wonderful way to store your jackets, shirts, coats, dresses etc. The Hanging Vacuum Organiser compresses your clothes safely inside a special bag, which has a seal and a valve into which you place your vacuum hose to extract the air from the bag. This protects your clothes from dust, dirt, moisture, moths and insects (the clothes should be clean before sealing the bag).

It can be wiped clean inside and out, and can be used for many years (although it is recommended that stored items are removed every 6 months for airing). When the bag is opened, air immediately circulates through the item and restores it to its former plumpness.

The size of the standard bag is 105 x 70cm approximately and it takes up to 5kg in weight of clothes. The Standard size is suitable for jackets, suits and tops whereas the Large bag is suitable for longer items such as dresses, coats and long jackets.

The bag creates up to three times more hanging space on crowded wardrobe rails and cupboards! That means up to 3 times more storage space!

What can’t you use them for? They are not suitable for leather, fur or silk material, and should not be used with feather and down filled items or perishable foods. They should be stored away from heat sources such as radiators and water tanks or airing cupboards.

When hanging the bag, it would be best to hang it not with a metal hooked hanger but with a plastic hanger (metal hooks may puncture the bag).

It’s so easy. Gather up your cleaned and dry items, max weight 5kg. Place them on plastic hooked hangers

Next, put the clothes in the bag, attach the hanger hooks onto the large hook which comes with the bag.

Use the special glider to seal the bag.

Now unscrew the hanger from the valve. Place the hose from the vacuum cleaner over the valve. Switch on the vacuum cleaner to extract the air from the bag. The bag will compress in seconds.

Replace the main hanger into the valve and now you can hang your clothes up in your wardrobe, or on a clothes rail.  For your convenience we now stock a sturdy chrome 3ft rail and 6ft rail.

Finished!

See my previous article about the brilliant and colourful new Shocking Pink Garment Rails, one of the many sturdy clothes rails available for hanging the bags on! Keep an eye out for future inspiration on how to get more storage in children’s rooms and your room too!