Lavender Dreams for Your Laundry

Lavender. . . it’s know to relax and  drift you off to a peaceful sleep.  It’s scent is soothing and fights fatigue.  So I’d like to propose some lavender dreams for your laundry.  Clothes love lavender.  Lavender is a natural moth repellent and fights static cling.  Here’s how to use it.  You take some dried lavender flowers and place them in a muslin bag.  (Spice bags or reusable tea bags work fine.)  Pull the string tight and tie it, then throw it into the dryer for the drying cycle.  You can use it over and over until you don’t smell the lavender anymore.  This one bag will last for months.  Clothes will come out with a light natural lavender scent and you will rest easier knowing you have not added any harmful chemicals to your clothing.  We grow our own lavender and my little boys help harvest it.  If you are not currently growing your own, it is available loose at most organic markets and at some tea houses.  In my area “The Bamboo Tea House” in Claremont CA is a great place to pick up a bag of food grade lavender.  Trader Joe’s also sells lavender laundry sachets, but I would still recommend putting them in a muslin bag, and the paper they are sold in will break down quicker and you will have a dryer full of petals.  Sweet dreams laundry. . . sweet dreams.

The Symbol of Clean

     It’s that thing you always hoped for, dreamed of.  The symbol that your prince had shown up.  To announce to the world that the one you love the most, also loves you.  And more than that,  had pledged his undying love now, and forever . . . in the form of a ring.  Then you began your life together.  Days filled with cooking and cleaning, and the symbol of forever was taken off and laid down somewhere precariously near the sink.  Why my friends?  Why?  To risk such a precious gem to the drain? How many times has someone you know misplaced their ring because they were afraid they would get dirt, cleansers, or food particles in it?  Today I’m going to try to save you some uncalled for stress and anxiety in your life.  To tell you that there is no need to take that ring off. . . ever.  If your ring has been sized correctly there should be no danger of it slipping off, even if you’re swimming in the ocean.

I understand, as a wife and mom of three, that there is a lot to get done, and that in each day you will encounter a lot of grime.  During my day, my ring usually encounters  dirt from our garden, and three or more cooking sessions in the kitchen.    For the last two years my husband and I have been renovating our 100 year old home.   In that time, my ring has seen grout, stain, mortar, paint, and various other substances.  All which have left my wedding ring unharmed!  My days are full of  dirty jobs and yet my ring always sparkles.

I am going to share with you a little simple, and inexpensive trick to keep your wedding ring sparkling clean, without even having to take it off your finger!  Now, most jewelry stores will try to sell you chemical cleansers for your ring.  Most involve taking off your ring and soaking it in some sort of solution overnight.  Really unnecessary!  This is a trick I learned from my adopted Grandfather, Joe Martin.  He worked as a young man in a jewelry store in Seneca Falls New York.  Guess what it is?   Toothpaste!  It’s that easy.  All you need is a toothbrush that is just for your ring, and a little paste.  I reuse an old toothbrush, and it becomes my ring brush.  You put a little paste on the brush, brush your ring, and voila!   Sparkling clean ring!  I like to brush my ring after I have washed my hands and put on lotion, so that no lotion residue gets back onto the ring.  Since you keep the brush in the bathroom, it will become a habit, like brushing your teeth, and your ring will always look great.  So easy!  So  please, never take that ring off again! (Unless you take it in for 6 month or yearly inspections, in that case I think we can make an exception.)

Happy Cleaning,

Joellanna