Summer means light-coloured clothing, and light-coloured clothing often means stains! You don’t have to resort to harsh, toxic stain removers to lift the stains out, whether they're grass stains, spilled wine, or coffee. We’ve got the guide to easily removing tough spots on all fabrics, from your favourite jeans to light summer dresses.

Pre-Treat

Made with natural ingredients and free from dyes and synthetic fragrances, the WOW Stick uses the power of nature to lift stains out of all fabrics. The WOW Stick contains lemongrass and sweet orange essential oils, which work in combination with the cleansing ingredients to combat any odours caused by the offending stain.
To use, just wet the stained area of fabric, and then rub the WOW Stick onto the stained area. Agitate the stain under water, and repeat until the stain has begun to fade.

Launder

Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener uses the oxygen to penetrate stains, stripping away dirt, odour, and grime – perfect for getting out these pesky stains! The Oxygen Brightener’s chlorine-free formula is colour-safe, septic safe, hypoallergenic, environmentally-friendly and biodegradable, so you can forget about toxic ingredients! Use the Oxygen Brightener along with the Laundry Soda for the ultimate stain-fighting clean. All you need is a tablespoon for a small-sized load, or 3 tablespoons for a large load. Use 3 tablespoons for super-stained clothing.

Dry

Dry your clothes as you normally do – hang dry on the clothes line, or toss into the dryer with your favourite Lamby Wool Dryerballs! We love to use the Scented Wool Dryerball in Simply Fresh to give a subtle, beautiful scent.
No more stains, without using harsh chemicals. Your skin, your clothes, and the Earth will thank you!

We wash our clothes to keep ourselves, our families, and our favourite items smelling and feeling fresh, but there is actually such a thing as washing too much or too little! There are downsides to both: laundering your clothes more than necessary can shorten their lifespan and ultimately wear them out more quickly, and washing them too infrequently can be unhygienic and lead to bacteria growth. Yuck! Here are our general laundry guides for you and your family:

For your clothes

Bras: After three to four wears

Underwear: After every wear, of course!

Stocks and stockings: After every wear

Sports and swimwear: After every wear

Jeans: five to six wears, although some advocate washing as little as possible

Tops: One to two wears

Dresses: One to two wears

Pants, skirts, and shorts: Three to four wears

Jackets and blazers: Five to six wears

Coats: Once every two months of wear, and before storing away for the season

Pajamas: Three to four wears

Get your clothes fresh and clean, but don't sacrifice your health and the environment! Wash clothes (and towels, bedding, etc.) with Nellie's Laundry Soda, and remove tough stains with the WOW Stick. If your clothes need some extra brightening or whitening, choose Nellie's Oxygen Brightener instead of toxic bleach.

For your kids' clothes

Washing your kids' clothes doesn't need to be a massive chore! Most experts say you can wash their clothing along with yours anytime you see stains or they don't pass the sniff test. The problem is that kids tend to get dirtier more often than adults do, so those stains and smells come up more frequently. Here's a handy guideline: the lighter and softer the fabric, and the closer it hugs the body, the more you need to was it. But as long as you don't notice dirty patches or stains, kids can wear clothes multiple times before they're ready for the laundry pile, just like you.

For your baby's washing

It seems like the hamper is constantly overflowing with onesies, blankets, burp cloths, bibs, rompers, and tiny adorable socks! Unlike grownups, who typically wear one or two outfits per day (not to mention wear an item of clothing more than once before washing), babies are mess machines with their spit up, drool, diaper leaks, or the dreaded blow out. Because of this, it's not uncommon to change their clothes as much as 5 times per day! So when it comes to washing your baby's clothes, there are two schools of thought:

1) Wash one load every day because it can be done quickly and won't pile up

2) Wash everything once each week so that you only have to spend one day dealing with laundry

Whichever one you choose, make sure you're washing with Nellie's All-Natural Baby Laundry Soda, which is formulated with baby's soft skin and messy mishaps in mind. Thanks to a concentration of sodium percarbonate for natural brightening, as well as the addition of pure vegetable soap, there is no need for an additional whiteners or brighteners. The stain-fighting formula is effective on cloth diapers and removes stubborn baby stains such as milk, baby formula, and spit-up. The formula is derived from plant-based and mineral-based ingredients and is non-allergenic, leaves no residue on fabrics, and contains no fragrance.

In the dryer

When drying your laundry, use the Lamby Wool Dryerballs to cut down on drying time, soften fabrics, and reduce wrinkles, naturally! Then, smooth out any remaining wrinkles and creases with the new Wrinkle-B-Gone.

Of course, these guides don't apply when excessive sweating or accidental spills occur, or to those that have different hygiene preferences.

Nellie’s All-Natural products work wonders on your laundry, but did you know they’re ideal for using on tough stains from beauty products? Whether it’s lipstick, foundation, or mascara you can use Nellie's products to get your clothes, linens, and household surfaces looking like new!

Maybe it’s foundation on your white collar, lipstick on your sleeve, or self-tanner on your bed sheets, we've all been there - trying to deal with a very noticeable tough stain that’s difficult to get out! Thankfully, you don’t have to use chemical-based detergents. The power of nature is strong enough to get even the toughest stains out.

Oxygen Brightener

Your sheets can fall victim to a lot of tough stains like blood or self-tanner. A warm, healthy glow on the skin is a classic summer look, but it can be difficult to get an even tan when you’re chasing the kiddos around the yard. Self-tanning products solve that issue, but then there are stains on your sheets and clothes! The Oxygen Brightener works like magic on these tough to remove stains like blood, grass, and self-tanning products. Separate your whites from your colours and add 3 tablespoons of Oxygen Brightener to your load. Wash with the Laundry Soda and watch your linens come out of the washing machine as good as new!

You can also pre-soak your stained linens before the wash by using one tablespoon along with Nellie’s All-Natural Laundry Soda in 10 litres or 2.6 gallons of warm or hot water. Soak for 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and wash with the Laundry Soda.

WOW Stick

The WOW Stick is oil-based, so it’s idea for oil-based makeup products like lipsticks, mascara, concealer, eye shadows, and many liquid and stick foundations. Simply wet the stain, rub the WOW Stick onto the stained area, and then agitate the stain under water. Then launder using Nellie’s All-Natural Laundry Soda. Can’t wash the stained item? No problem! Use the WOW Stick as a spot-treatment for things like your mattress or shoes.

There's More!

Did you get stains on another home surface? Use the Oxygen Brightener on upholstery, fabric, kitchen floors, counters, trash cans, and many more washable surfaces with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Oxygen Brightener per 16oz or 500ml of water.

Carpet stains? Don't worry. You don't have to rent a carpet cleaner or use nasty chemicals! For a naturally-effective spot remover, create a solution using 1 tablespoon per 16oz or 500ml of water. Soak up excess liquid before applying the solution to the stain. Use only enough to cover the stained area, wait 1-5 minutes, and soak up with a white towel. Repeat if necessary. Rinse thoroughly and blot dry. Vacuum when dry.

 
 

Last week, we were all about cleaning your pillows, but this week we’re diving deeper with an easy 5-step guide to deep-cleaning your mattress.

You spend about a third of your life on your mattress – when was the last time you gave it a good, deep clean? Your sofa probably sees the bristles of a vacuum cleaner more often. Besides a more pleasant and productive night’s sleep, a clean and well-cared for mattress can last longer and can help prevent nasty (and costly) pest infestations.

The conventional wisdom, back when most mattresses could be flipped over, was that you’d turn your mattress twice per year, and take that as an opportunity to clean it. These days, most mattresses, including the pillow-top variety, have a proper top and bottom and are unable to be flipped. However, cleaning it twice a year is still a good rule of thumb. Our list of five steps for a deep clean will make you sleep easier and cleaner.

STEP ONE

Start the cleaning process by stripping the bed of all sheets, pillows, and bedding, and toss the appropriate items in the wash. To remove tough stains, use Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener or the WOW Stick. Be sure to wash and dry on high heat if possible to ensure a truly deep clean.

STEP TWO

Vacuum your entire mattress surface with your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment. Pay special attention to seams and crevices where dirt, dust, dead skin, and other gross things can gather.

STEP THREE

When you’re finished vacuuming, check for stains and spot treat them with the Nellie’s WOW Stick.

STEP FOUR

Next, deodorize by sprinkling Nellie’s Laundry Soda over the entire surface of your mattress with a sifter. If this is your first cleaning, sprinkle lots! For best results, leave the Laundry Soda there for 6 or more hours. If you can place the mattress near a window, the sunlight will add to its sanitizing power.

STEP FIVE

After you’ve tackled any odors, go back over the mattress with your vacuum’s upholstery attachment. If you don’t already have a mattress cover, we’d recommend buying one. Adding a mattress pad between the cover and bottom sheet will help absorb any moisture. Along with the periodic deep cleaning, the extra layers of protection will help prevent mites, fleas, and other unwanted bed guests. Now that should really help you sleep tight!

 

They support your head while you sleep, and they’re a key player in a polished-looking bed – but when compared to bigger bedroom pieces, pillows can seem insignificant. So even if you’re the type who regularly deep cleans the house, it’s easy to forget about cleaning your pillows. You’re probably washing your sheets and pillowcases on a regular basis, but let’s face it – those fluffy, feather-filled sacks (which absorb oils from your hair and skin!) also need some TLC. Keep in mind that not all pillows can be cleaned the same way – down and feather-filled ones require different methods than the decorative accent pillows you have around your home. It’s not laborious or time-consuming – just follow our tips and tricks for foolproof pillow cleaning that will leave them looking like new! While we’re at it, we’ll throw in some good tips for cleaning your pillowcases too.

 

USE A WASHER AND DRYER FOR DOWN AND FEATHER-FILLED PILLOWS

Both down and feather-filled pillows can be machine washed on a delicate cycle and then placed in the dryer to tumble dry. However, make sure they’re completely dry to prevent the feathers from producing mildew. We also recommend leaving the pillows out near a window or warm radiator for a few hours before returning them to the bed, just to be certain that the interior filling is completely dried out. This goes for travel pillows too! Their synthetic stuffing tends to create mildew if left damp inside the pillowcase, so only wash the pillow if completely necessary (like you spilled your in-flight drink on it). Otherwise, you should be fine with a simple refresh.

SPRITZ WITH VODKA BETWEEN WASHINGS

Vodka – it's not just for Moscow Mules! You only need to wash your pillows every six months to a year, and vodka is a quick-drying sanitizer so it's perfect for giving your pillows a refresh when you're changing the sheets. Simply fill a spray bottle with vodka, spritz your pillows, and let dry. These will dry faster than when you do a deep clean, so you’re not risking the chance of mildew.

SPOT CLEAN DECORATIVE PILLOWS

For more decorative pillows (like those on your sofa or guest bed), they should be spot cleaned as needed, but the appropriate cleaning technique depends on the type of material each is made of. Since these pillows often have appliques and fabric that should not be machine washed, spot removal is the way to go.

Try using Nellie’s All-Natural WOW Stick to lift stains out of the fabric by rubbing the WOW Stick on the stained area, and then agitate the stain under water. Let air dry.

WASH PILLOWCASES WEEKLY

When it comes to washing pillowcases, we suggest a weekly (and perhaps twice-weekly during the hot summer months) machine wash with Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Soda. If your cases are made of cotton, flannel, synthetic, bamboo, or modal, wash them in hot water. If your pillowcases are linen, silk, or sateen-weave cotton, choose the gentle cycle and a cold-water wash. For both, dry on the low setting with your Nellie's Lamby Wool Dryerballs.