1. Caring for Clothing

2. Discussion
How can organizing your clothing help make a little space seem like a lot more?
What household items can be used for storage?

3. Routine Care
Open all fasteners ( buttons, zippers, snaps) when dressing to help prevent rips and tears
Take your shoes off before getting in and out of pants
Check for stains right after taking clothes off
Remove stains as soon as possible
Check for needed repairs
Put dirty clothes in a laundry basket away from clean clothes
Hang up or fold clothes that don’t need washing

4. Storing Clothes Drawers Closets Keeps smaller items in place
Clothes will be less likely to wrinkle when you have ample storage space
If you don’t have a lot of drawer space, use plastic containers
Closets
Organize clothes:
Color
Seasonal
Long sleeve/short sleeve/ sweaters

5. Family Activity
What is your family technique for sorting and pretreating clothes?
If you don’t know, watch tonight and ask.

6. Washing Clothes Care Labels
Label will tell you steps to follow to wash and dry clothing
Also tells you what not to do with clothing
Sorting Clothes
Helps to prevent colors from running together
Keeps garments in good condition
Separate clothes into the following piles:
Delicate fabrics that require warm water and a gentle cycle
Sturdy white and light-colored clothing
Permanent press and knit fabrics
Dark-colored clothing
Heavily soiled garments that should be washed separately

7. Washing Clothes Pretreat clothes
Any special attention you give a garment before laundering
Helps to remove stains and heavy soil
Necklines and cuffs need special attention
Follow label directions
Sometimes extra scrubbing with undiluted liquid can help the stained area

8. L.A.
Read laundry-product labels.
What does each term mean?

9. Washing Clothes Choose Laundry Products
Detergents- primary job is to remove dirt
Bleaches-used to remove stains, brighten clothes, and whiten
Fabric softeners – reduce static cling , make fabric softer, and reduce wrinkles

10. Select Cleaning Action
Avoid overloading washer
Hand washing
Use a sink or container large enough for clothes to move freely
Choose a soap or detergent to suit clothes
Put water in the sink, add detergent, mix, and add clothes
Soak clothes 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of dirty clothes
Drain the sink and add fresh water, gently squeeze sudsy water through garments. Use at least two rinses to remove both suds and soil

11. Math Activity Read the Energy Guide label on a dryer.
Find the cost of drying one load of clothes.
How much energy does it use?
What would be the annual cost?
Annual amount of energy used?

12. Drying Clothes Clothes can be air dried or dried in a dryer
Generally, if it can be washed together it can be dried together
Check information on care labels
Shake out clothes before putting in a dryer
Helps to dry faster
Avoid overloading dryer-increases dry time and wrinkles
Avoid over drying clothes- can cause shrinkage
Clean lint filter- improve circulation and avoid a fire
Air drying is an energy saver

13. Pressing and Ironing Clothes
Pressing- process of lifting and lowering the iron onto areas of fabric
Ironing involves moving the iron back and forth over the fabric
Knits and wools should be pressed to avoid stretching
Woven fabrics can be ironed
Temperature depends on the content
Check care labels
If it is a blend, set it on the lowest setting
Press dark and wool fabrics inside-out to keep them from becoming shiny

14. Ironing Discussion Convenient times to iron?
Think of two times where you could be ironing while doing something else.

15. Dry Cleaning
Dry clean- to clean with chemicals rather than with water and detergent
Garment is then cleaned and steamed to remove wrinkles
Not all fabrics can be dry cleaned
Check care labels
Professional dry cleaning
More expensive, but can remove more spots
Coin operated machines
Cost less, but don’t always provide special treatment for spot or stain removal. You must do your own pressing

16. Clothing Repair Rips and Tears
Easy to repair. Use thread that matches the color of the fabric
Make a new line of stitching by hand or with a sewing machine
Begin and end just beyond the ripped section
Iron on mending tape can help repair clothes
Can be repaired with patches
Buttons
Two types of buttons:
Sew-through
Comes up and through the button
Should make a shank when you sew this button on
Shank
Underneath to hold the thread
Snaps, Hooks, and Eyes
Use black snaps for dark fabrics
And silver for light ones
Hooks and eyes- found on necklines, waistbands, or neck edges
Colors for hooks and eyes- same as above