Clothing Concerns

What is hard water and why do we care?
Hard water interferes with almost every cleaning task, from laundering and dishwashing to bathing and personal grooming. Clothes laundered in hard water may look dingy and feel harsh and scratchy. Dishes and glasses may be spotted with dry. Hard water may cause a film on glass shower doors, shower walls, sinks, etc. Hair washed in hard water may feel sticky and dull. This is caused by the fact that soap doesn’t really dissolve in hard water....more

Flammability Standards for Children's Sleepwear
The following guidelines for sleepwear will help reduce he risk of child-related burn injuries...more

What works for odor removal?
Three major home-cure products for odor removal are activated charcoal, calcium carbonate (chalk), and baking soda...more

Fabric Insect Pests- Moths & Carpet Beetles
Clothes moths are usually blamed for insect damage on fabrics, but other insect pests, most notably carpet beetles, are also able to cause serious damage...more

High Efficiency (HE) Washers and Detergents
The Soap and Detergent Association recommends that the new High Efficiency detergents be used with the new HE washers. Many new washing machines load from the front, rather than the top, and utilize a tumbler system rather than an agitator system. The laundry sits in shallow pool of water and the washtub rotates clockwise, then counter clockwise. This tumbles the load back and forth so that the water moves through each item, removing the soil...more

Stain Removal from Washable Fabrics
Link to On-line stain removal guide at MU Extension publications

Stain Removal Products
In spite of claims made by some commercial products, there is no such thing as an all-purpose stain remover. The proper stain removal product to use is determined by the type of stain being treated. Products used for stain removal can usually be found ...more

Better Buying

A Short Course on Serger Buying
With prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars and the number of threads ranging from three to ten or twelve, how do you decide what serger to buy? ...more

What is THREAD COUNT and why does it matter? Or, Hints for buying sheets
Thread count is the number of horizontal and vertical threads woven in one square inch of fabric. Thread count can range from 80 to 1000. In general, the higher the thread count, the softer the fabric feels and the more pill-resistant it is. But, when buying sheets, there are things to consider besides the number of threads...more

Wedding Gown Labels–They're Required!
Today's bride to be wants to know about the manufacturer, fiber content, country of origin, and care instructions when she is shopping for her wedding gown. Luckily for her, Federal Trade Commission requires that that information be printed on the label...more

Preservation of the Precious

How do You Preserve a Wedding Gown?

Fabric Facts

How can you tell if a fabric is "flame resistant"?
You cannot judge whether a fabric is flame resistant or flame retardant by looking at it, so you must look for a label. If there is no label claiming flame resistance, you must assume the textile will burn rapidly...more

Burning Characteristics of Fibers
The way a fabric burns depends partly on its fiber content. The Table below describes typical burning characteristics of fibers, ranking them from the most to least hazardous...more

On-line Sewing Tips

What is the Body Scanning Study About?
Anyone who has ever been frustrated by trying to determine which size shirt, jeans, or other clothing item will fit best will benefit from a new technology developed by [TC]² and from the Body Scanning Study being conducted all across the country...more

Textile Recycling

Don’t trash old clothes, recycle
Recycling can give old clothes, linens and other textiles a second life and reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. ...more