SOLUTIONS: Freshening up your black clothes to dye for

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/11/2011 (5443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION: A recent question in your column was where to buy black dye to freshen black clothes. The writer wanted to use it in her washer. A couple of friends also read it and had the same concerns as me, so I have volunteered to contact you with our questions.

1. Will the washer be left with any black dye that would transfer onto the next load of laundry?

2. Would running one hot bleach load (no clothes) get rid of the chance of this happening?

3. Do you have any further advice or any suggestions that will actually give us the nerve to try this?

This sounds like such a good idea, as our blacks do get a bit faded long before they wear out, but we do not want to destroy any other clothing or the washers. Eileen, Winnipeg

ANSWER: I love that you volunteered to submit these fabulous questions, Eileen! If you refer back to the article that you read regarding black dye, you will notice that a reader had offered this tip as a remedy for darkening her black fabrics. She said it worked!

Personally, I would opt to use black dye to darken clothing using the old-fashioned method of water and an old stainless steel pot or bathtub and only dye garments that are not extra-special. In most cases, the machine does not becomes stained, but it’s important to wipe it out with bleach after using it for dyeing purposes.

Thirdly, Rit dye will only dye one garment at a time; you may have to purchase a stronger dye than Rit. Fibre-reactive dyes are designed for dyeing cellulose fabrics such as cotton, linen, hemp and rayon. Acid dyes work well for animal fibres, nylon and wool.

Another risk with dyeing clothes black is that some garments are made up of more than one textile, and dye colour can therefore become inconsistent. Or you may run into a situation where fabrics were treated by the manufacturer with stain-resistant coating and will not accept dye.

QUESTION: Do you have an easy recipe for making my own taco seasoning without me having to buy weird spices that I won’t be able to find and will never use again? Lloyd, Treherne, MB

ANSWER: Stir together one tbsp. chili powder, half tsp. garlic powder, half tsp. dried oregano, half tsp. paprika, one-and-a-half tsp. ground cumin, one tsp. salt and one tsp. black pepper. Store in an airtight container.

QUESTION: We went away in the summer for two months. I left a bag of leftover food and a half-gallon of milk in the fridge for the person who was taking care of the house. They never took the milk. The milk went sour and exploded in the fridge. What a terrible smell. Cleaned the whole fridge out with vinegar, baking soda and water. I cannot get rid of the smell. Do you have any tips? Awaiting your reply. Charlette, Winnipeg

ANSWER: When you say that you cleaned out the fridge, did you allow the vinegar to seep into each corner of the fridge where the milk will have travelled? Any remaining milk will continue to cause an odour, so you may need to rewash.

The easiest way to zap fridge odours is to slice an orange in half and leave it in the fridge for a few days. The most effective long-term solution for getting rid of the smell: Unplug the fridge and stuff the entire unit with crumpled-up newspaper. Leave it for about one week. The more newspaper the better, because the ink in newspaper is great at absorbing odours. After removing the newspaper, leave an open container of coffee grounds in the fridge or activated charcoal to absorb remaining odours.

QUESTION: Some time ago, you gave a solution to get rid of the little flies that seem to take up residence in house plants. I believe it was 2 tbsp. per litre of water and either rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. All I can remember for sure is that it really did the trick! However, they seem to be back. I love your column; have used many of your tips. Thanks in advance. Judy, Winnipeg

ANSWER: In a one-gallon milk jug, combine 2 tbsp. dish soap, 1 tbsp. rubbing alcohol, dash of Tabasco sauce, 1 tbsp. canola oil and enough water to fill the jug. Pour mixture into spray bottle and apply as needed. Taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.

Fabulous tips of the week

— Packing for a trip? Slide shoes into a clean pair of old socks before packing the shoes in your suitcase. Doing this prevents the shoes from coming in contact with other clothes.

— Suitcases will hold more if clothes are rolled rather than folded. If you roll them in tissue paper, the clothes will get less wrinkled.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.