Are you sick of turning your underwear pink and finding freshly washed tissue bits all over your new jeans? Perhaps it's time to investigate the deeper mysteries of the laundry room. There's more to clean clothes than soap and water, and Linda Cobb is willing to get down to the nitty-gritty in her simple, straightforward
Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean. No question is too small for the Queen--she tackles everything from stinky shoes to starched collars.
Each short chapter concerns a specific topic, starting with the care and cleaning of the washing and drying machines themselves. Who knew the washer needed regular cleaning? A short section on line drying is included here as well; never again will you ponder the proper way to hang hand-washed slacks. Most of the chapters are devoted to various types of special problems, such as colors that ran, stain and odor removal, and cleaning large items like bedspreads and lampshades. Explanations for when to dry-clean and how to make your own spot cleaners using household items like club soda, cream of tartar, and denture-cleaning tablets are also included, alongside ironing techniques and the definitive way of color sorting. Particularly helpful are the A-to-Z guides to fabric care and stain removal at the end of the book. Each type of fabric--from delicates like chiffon and velvet to rugged corduroy and denim--has a preferred treatment and certain chemicals that it just can't handle. Talking Dirty Laundry will give you optimal cleaning results--whether you got chocolate on your khakis or wine on your wool, you'll have the problem solved before you can say, "Shout it out!" --Jill Lightner
