Cleaning and whitening bath and kitchen laundry

There's more to laundry than just keeping your clothes clean. Tea towels, bath towels, table linen and bedding also need regular attention.

Wash bathroom and kitchen towels and linens regularly and, if possible, dry them in the sun to keep them fresh and hygienic.

• Before you use them, soak new towels in a sink of water with a handful of bicarbonate of soda, then wash as usual, adding 250 millilitres (one cup) vinegar to the final rinse. This softens the fabric and removes any chemicals used in manufacturing.
• Machine wash all bath towels frequently. Damp towelling fabric is a breeding ground for bacteria.
• To fluff up and keep the pile soft, shake a washed towel before pegging it out, and again when it's dry.
• Soften scratchy bath and kitchen towels by soaking them overnight in a bucket of warm water with 125 grams (1/2 cup) Epsom salts. Do not rinse.
• Soak dirty tea towels overnight in a solution of 30 grams (two tablespoons) cream of tartar per litre/quart of boiling water, then wash them as usual.
• To disinfect and remove grease from kitchen linen, add 30 grams (two tablespoons) borax to the washing water.
• Keep linen tablecloths white by soaking them overnight in a laundry tub of water with 250 grams (one cup) cream of tartar, then wash as usual.
• To remove candle wax from a tablecloth, harden the wax with an ice cube, then scrape it off. Dab the residue with eucalyptus oil and launder as usual. Alternatively, try placing the cloth in the freezer and then proceed with the eucalyptus oil and washing.

Instead of buying off-the-shelf laundry products with chlorine bleaches and fluorescers, try some of these tips to brighten up your whites.

• Add 250 millilitres (one cup) each methylated spirits and cloudy ammonia to the washing water to help dissolve and lift off settled dirt.
• Add 125 grams (1/2 cup) borax to the machine wash. Borax is active only at temperatures above 60°C (140°F), so it must be used in hot water.
• Use old-fashioned washing blue in the final rinse to whiten your whites. Made from the pigment indigo, washing blue creates an optical illusion that makes white fabric look whiter.
• Washing white bed linen with blue towels has a similar bluing effect.