I've used Rit black dye successfully to keep my all-black poly-cotton work uniform looking snazzy. I buy the liquid kind, dump it in the washer, let it fill with water and clothes, then turn it off so the clothes can soak. I usually let it stand overnight, then let it finish the cycle.
*Warning* Wash another load of dark clothes, or run an empty cycle after you do this, to make sure all the residual dye is out of the washer.
A note on stains--treat them as soon as they happen! I like the other poster's idea of carrying a second set of clothes. Nothing will ruin your dress shirt (or your day) like leaving a coffee/ketchup/marinara/ink stain all day, then leaving it in the hamper for a week. If you wash the item yourself, check it before you put it in the dryer. You can always run it through another wash if the stain doesn't come completely out. Drying it will set the stain.
P.S. #24 "Rit" IS the brand name of the dye. My local stores stock it on the laundry aisle, usually at the very top or very bottom of the shelf. There are probably other brands out there that work just as well, I've just always used Rit.
@Kav:"I wasn't responding directly to your previous post. The point I was trying to make is that with more government intervention and meddling, the worse it will be."
...because the almost unprecedented lack of regulation the past several years has been so good for the economy and the country? With Wall Street successfully demonstrating that it can handle the lack of regulation responsibly?
I take metforim and my dr. wanted me to take actos
I looked it up and it can cause pain tireness and weight
gain so I wouldn't take it. You may want to ask your dr.
about the actos. What I read about it everybody that was
on it had to go off of it.
Firefox has an add in that tracks woot in your bottom right of the browser...no need to go through all these steps, you just rightclick it to get to the site if it says something that will interest you.
Steep and cheap prob has one too.
I also use the coupon cabin and retailmenot add in to automatically look for coupons when i surf.
I wasn't responding directly to your previous post. The point I was trying to make is that with more government intervention and meddling, the worse it will be.
I go along with your view on the Bush Admin. pushing this through using scare tactics. It was the Republicans, the conservatives, that scuttled the deal and made everyone slow down.
The democrats are true believers in big government as our saviors - not my viewpoint. So, while I don't trust the republicans because they've abandoned their philosophical principles long ago, I feel the democrat rise to power is going to add gasoline to the crisis.
After many years, another lesson I learned regarding business attire was to quit keeping my wallet in my BACK POCKET. Though most common for guys of my generation, long days of sitting at a desk and a fat wallet (lots of cards and junk, not money) will wear a hole right through your pants pocket in no time. This is okay for jeans--not so good for your Dockers. Now I roll with a very small, slim wallet, keeping only what I absolutely need inside...and I keep it in a front pants pocket, where it is more secure anyway.
Another thing I stock up on every Fall are second-hand wool tweed sport jackets, which can be had for $5-$10 each. Pick the best-quality, least worn items in herringbone, houndstooth, plaid...it doesn't matter. I dry clean them and wear them all winter, it's part of my regular evening wear with a black tee and a pair of jeans. When I wear them out (and I do) I give them to a friend who turns them into couch pillows....
Line drying may preserve clothes, but it's an awful ideal for those who have allergies. About 15%-30% of people have allergies, so if you're line drying clothes for a family of 4, you're probably making at least one person's life miserable.
Very nice and intelligent comments. Thank you for helping me better understand this mess we are in.
I do agree overall the true core issue is how we as consumers operate. Buy now and pay later is the culprit.
What happened to the depression era value I was taught by my Grandfather and Dad about save now then buy?
I agree the prices for homes and especially education in our country are ridiculous.
Financial education is so poor in this country it's sickening.
When people think "How much is this going to cost me monthly"? have already failed Financial 101.
I dare you to ask the "normal" citizen to explain future/present value. I'll save you the headache. They can't...
I don't know why the U.S. government feels so compelled to make good an investment where the foreign countries involved should know the risk. Nothing is a "sure thing". If China put's their eggs all into one basket like many others have done in the America sector(retirements, pensions) they too should feel the pain regarding that risk.
Default would be the best way to to start fixing a fundamental problem in the economy; both in the U.S. and worldwide.
I don't think that drying clothes on a line is a good thing - maybe that was a poor choice for a picture? I find that line-dried clothes are stiffer and they lose color faster because they get bleached by the sun. It's fine for sheets, if you use fabric softener.
I had forgotten about how my old anti-perspirant used to eat through my shirts. The kind I wear now is much gentler. I think it's by Dove. Might not work for heavy sweat, though.
I'm sure it would happen. The only question is how long it would take. It's been a couple hundred million years and we still don't have land mammals as big as the biggest dinosaurs. Of course, size is not an absolute good, but certain things are only possible once an entity reaches a certain size.
Another miracle on-the-go stain remover that I've discovered are plain old baby wipes. They will take out blood, spilled food, coffee, you name it, easily, quickly, and much more cheaply than the Tide to go or Shout products. I haven't tried them on grease stains or grass yet.
I heartily agree with the advice to choose a wardrobe that suits your life. I hate to iron, so the only types of clothes I buy are ones that can be worn straight out of the dryer.
Lending money is a buisness, and as you said in your article "This is not necessarily a bad deal for the business, if the enterprise is sized correctly." "Since demand is strong but supply is limited, it's possible to earn a good profit".
I think smaller lending institutions will step up and fill the void left by the death of the behemoth banks/lending institutions. When the dinosaurs bit the big one, a small mammael was given an opportunity....the rest is history.
Probably the biggest problem with businesses keeping large cash reserves (the way a household might) is that many businesses have huge cash flows relative to their profits. For example, they might have expenses of $1 million a month versus revenues of $1.05 million a month. They make a cool $600,000 a year in profits, but you want them to hold $6 million in cash reserves, just in case the money markets seize up? If they had that much money, they could open four or five new stores and multiply their profits.
A related reason that it's different for a household is that revenues aren't so connected to spending. It may be painful for a household to make large cuts in spending, but at least doing so doesn't cut income. Your job continues to pay the same salary even if you start brownbagging your lunch or turn off your cable. But buying less raw materals or laying off employees very quickly results in reduced output for the company--meaning a lower income.
I must be one of your ninjas grown-up (kind of). Almost everything I own is black and mostly contains elastane, which keeps things in shape so they don't need ironing.
Laundry's a breeze - throw it all in together (bras in mesh bags. If stretch jeans go baggy at the knees but don't need washing, a few minutes in the dryer pulls them back into shape.
Wardrobe decisions are easy. Which shirt should I wear with the black suit? Why, the black one. Buying's easy; if it's not black, I don't even look at it. No odd socks, either; I buy identical ones in bulk.
I admit that most of what I know about the current state of the credit markets comes from either the mass media or from Wall Street types, both of whom may be inclined to make things sound worse than they are. (The journalists, because it makes for more interesting news; the Wall Street types, because it really is a crisis for them.)
So I can't swear that the current situation really is a severe credit crunch--I just don't know. But I can say that a severe credit crunch is really, really bad for everybody, not just people who are in debt.
If I lose one too many buttons from a shirt, I will replace the missing button with the top button, which I never use & is usually hidden by the collar.
Doing the laundry means...taking it to the machine, sorting, washing, drying, folding or hanging up, and PUTTING IT AWAY WHERE IT BELONGS! Hang anything that needs to be hung right out of the washer or dryer; saves on the wrinkles. Fold clothes immediately out of the dryer; don’t throw the clothes in a laundry basket and take the basket to another area of the house to be folded!
If you’ve left your wet clothes in the washer and they have a funky smell, or if you’ve added too much soap, white vinegar will do the trick. Just run the clothes through the cycle again after adding a cup or two of vinegar. Removes the smell AND they don’t smell like vinegar either!
Save energy. Don’t over dry your clothes. Helps to use the blue dryer balls (Wal-Mart carries ‘em; 2 for 5 bucks) in your dryer; I use 6. Like the old days when Mom would use tennis shoes in the dryer to puff our down coats. They cut drying time, fluff your towels, puff-up down vests and coats, and make clothes look nicer. Don’t use dryer sheets with them; shouldn’t use them anyway.
Clean the lint from your dryer vent after EVERY load! Never leave with the washer or dryer running when you are not home, it’s not safe. Think fires and floods. Before you leave on vacation, turn off the water valves to the washer. There’s constant pressure on the hoses, which could bust and flood while you’re out of town, ugh!
Also, VERY IMPORTANT…install a smoke detector in your laundry area.
I've used Rit black dye successfully to keep my all-black poly-cotton work uniform looking snazzy. I buy the liquid kind, dump it in the washer, let it fill with water and clothes, then turn it off so the clothes can soak. I usually let it stand overnight, then let it finish the cycle.
*Warning* Wash another load of dark clothes, or run an empty cycle after you do this, to make sure all the residual dye is out of the washer.
A note on stains--treat them as soon as they happen! I like the other poster's idea of carrying a second set of clothes. Nothing will ruin your dress shirt (or your day) like leaving a coffee/ketchup/marinara/ink stain all day, then leaving it in the hamper for a week. If you wash the item yourself, check it before you put it in the dryer. You can always run it through another wash if the stain doesn't come completely out. Drying it will set the stain.
P.S. #24 "Rit" IS the brand name of the dye. My local stores stock it on the laundry aisle, usually at the very top or very bottom of the shelf. There are probably other brands out there that work just as well, I've just always used Rit.
@Kav:"I wasn't responding directly to your previous post. The point I was trying to make is that with more government intervention and meddling, the worse it will be."
...because the almost unprecedented lack of regulation the past several years has been so good for the economy and the country? With Wall Street successfully demonstrating that it can handle the lack of regulation responsibly?
I'll have to try that one out. Sounds like one for the budget books.
@Kelja
yeah, my Ralph looks better every day ;)
Ha! Paul, I love the closing disclaimer. Hilarious. On a more serious note, I think it's great you provided this for people. Thanks.
Be careful about canceling Amazon orders. Often Amazon will immediately list them as "preparing to ship", especially when ordering with Prime.
I take metforim and my dr. wanted me to take actos
I looked it up and it can cause pain tireness and weight
gain so I wouldn't take it. You may want to ask your dr.
about the actos. What I read about it everybody that was
on it had to go off of it.
Firefox has an add in that tracks woot in your bottom right of the browser...no need to go through all these steps, you just rightclick it to get to the site if it says something that will interest you.
Steep and cheap prob has one too.
I also use the coupon cabin and retailmenot add in to automatically look for coupons when i surf.
I wasn't responding directly to your previous post. The point I was trying to make is that with more government intervention and meddling, the worse it will be.
I go along with your view on the Bush Admin. pushing this through using scare tactics. It was the Republicans, the conservatives, that scuttled the deal and made everyone slow down.
The democrats are true believers in big government as our saviors - not my viewpoint. So, while I don't trust the republicans because they've abandoned their philosophical principles long ago, I feel the democrat rise to power is going to add gasoline to the crisis.
After many years, another lesson I learned regarding business attire was to quit keeping my wallet in my BACK POCKET. Though most common for guys of my generation, long days of sitting at a desk and a fat wallet (lots of cards and junk, not money) will wear a hole right through your pants pocket in no time. This is okay for jeans--not so good for your Dockers. Now I roll with a very small, slim wallet, keeping only what I absolutely need inside...and I keep it in a front pants pocket, where it is more secure anyway.
Another thing I stock up on every Fall are second-hand wool tweed sport jackets, which can be had for $5-$10 each. Pick the best-quality, least worn items in herringbone, houndstooth, plaid...it doesn't matter. I dry clean them and wear them all winter, it's part of my regular evening wear with a black tee and a pair of jeans. When I wear them out (and I do) I give them to a friend who turns them into couch pillows....
Can anyone recommend a site like Woot in the UK? The only site I know of is hotukdeals.com which is nothing like the same thing.
Line drying may preserve clothes, but it's an awful ideal for those who have allergies. About 15%-30% of people have allergies, so if you're line drying clothes for a family of 4, you're probably making at least one person's life miserable.
Very nice and intelligent comments. Thank you for helping me better understand this mess we are in.
I do agree overall the true core issue is how we as consumers operate. Buy now and pay later is the culprit.
What happened to the depression era value I was taught by my Grandfather and Dad about save now then buy?
I agree the prices for homes and especially education in our country are ridiculous.
Financial education is so poor in this country it's sickening.
When people think "How much is this going to cost me monthly"? have already failed Financial 101.
I dare you to ask the "normal" citizen to explain future/present value. I'll save you the headache. They can't...
I don't know why the U.S. government feels so compelled to make good an investment where the foreign countries involved should know the risk. Nothing is a "sure thing". If China put's their eggs all into one basket like many others have done in the America sector(retirements, pensions) they too should feel the pain regarding that risk.
Default would be the best way to to start fixing a fundamental problem in the economy; both in the U.S. and worldwide.
Hello, what brand of Rit Dye you use for Dark clothes and Black clothes? -thanks
I don't think that drying clothes on a line is a good thing - maybe that was a poor choice for a picture? I find that line-dried clothes are stiffer and they lose color faster because they get bleached by the sun. It's fine for sheets, if you use fabric softener.
I had forgotten about how my old anti-perspirant used to eat through my shirts. The kind I wear now is much gentler. I think it's by Dove. Might not work for heavy sweat, though.
@ Mad Mike:
I'm sure it would happen. The only question is how long it would take. It's been a couple hundred million years and we still don't have land mammals as big as the biggest dinosaurs. Of course, size is not an absolute good, but certain things are only possible once an entity reaches a certain size.
Another miracle on-the-go stain remover that I've discovered are plain old baby wipes. They will take out blood, spilled food, coffee, you name it, easily, quickly, and much more cheaply than the Tide to go or Shout products. I haven't tried them on grease stains or grass yet.
I heartily agree with the advice to choose a wardrobe that suits your life. I hate to iron, so the only types of clothes I buy are ones that can be worn straight out of the dryer.
Lending money is a buisness, and as you said in your article "This is not necessarily a bad deal for the business, if the enterprise is sized correctly." "Since demand is strong but supply is limited, it's possible to earn a good profit".
I think smaller lending institutions will step up and fill the void left by the death of the behemoth banks/lending institutions. When the dinosaurs bit the big one, a small mammael was given an opportunity....the rest is history.
Don't use fabric conditioner with elastane-added fabrics - especially bras - they'll go out-of-shape fast.
I think that's all. :)
Probably the biggest problem with businesses keeping large cash reserves (the way a household might) is that many businesses have huge cash flows relative to their profits. For example, they might have expenses of $1 million a month versus revenues of $1.05 million a month. They make a cool $600,000 a year in profits, but you want them to hold $6 million in cash reserves, just in case the money markets seize up? If they had that much money, they could open four or five new stores and multiply their profits.
A related reason that it's different for a household is that revenues aren't so connected to spending. It may be painful for a household to make large cuts in spending, but at least doing so doesn't cut income. Your job continues to pay the same salary even if you start brownbagging your lunch or turn off your cable. But buying less raw materals or laying off employees very quickly results in reduced output for the company--meaning a lower income.
I must be one of your ninjas grown-up (kind of). Almost everything I own is black and mostly contains elastane, which keeps things in shape so they don't need ironing.
Laundry's a breeze - throw it all in together (bras in mesh bags. If stretch jeans go baggy at the knees but don't need washing, a few minutes in the dryer pulls them back into shape.
Wardrobe decisions are easy. Which shirt should I wear with the black suit? Why, the black one. Buying's easy; if it's not black, I don't even look at it. No odd socks, either; I buy identical ones in bulk.
"Cold water detergents are designed to remove dirt even without the help of cold water"
shouldn't that be "without the help of hot/warm water" ?
@kav122:
I admit that most of what I know about the current state of the credit markets comes from either the mass media or from Wall Street types, both of whom may be inclined to make things sound worse than they are. (The journalists, because it makes for more interesting news; the Wall Street types, because it really is a crisis for them.)
So I can't swear that the current situation really is a severe credit crunch--I just don't know. But I can say that a severe credit crunch is really, really bad for everybody, not just people who are in debt.
If I lose one too many buttons from a shirt, I will replace the missing button with the top button, which I never use & is usually hidden by the collar.
Laundry…one of my favorite topics!
Doing the laundry means...taking it to the machine, sorting, washing, drying, folding or hanging up, and PUTTING IT AWAY WHERE IT BELONGS! Hang anything that needs to be hung right out of the washer or dryer; saves on the wrinkles. Fold clothes immediately out of the dryer; don’t throw the clothes in a laundry basket and take the basket to another area of the house to be folded!
If you’ve left your wet clothes in the washer and they have a funky smell, or if you’ve added too much soap, white vinegar will do the trick. Just run the clothes through the cycle again after adding a cup or two of vinegar. Removes the smell AND they don’t smell like vinegar either!
Save energy. Don’t over dry your clothes. Helps to use the blue dryer balls (Wal-Mart carries ‘em; 2 for 5 bucks) in your dryer; I use 6. Like the old days when Mom would use tennis shoes in the dryer to puff our down coats. They cut drying time, fluff your towels, puff-up down vests and coats, and make clothes look nicer. Don’t use dryer sheets with them; shouldn’t use them anyway.
Clean the lint from your dryer vent after EVERY load! Never leave with the washer or dryer running when you are not home, it’s not safe. Think fires and floods. Before you leave on vacation, turn off the water valves to the washer. There’s constant pressure on the hoses, which could bust and flood while you’re out of town, ugh!
Also, VERY IMPORTANT…install a smoke detector in your laundry area.