So you just got back from the thrift store with a bag full of your new treasures, you get them home and, well, quite frankly, they smell like a thrift store. While some things can be washed in the laundry to get the smell out, many of the choice tailored goods require dry cleaning… I don’t do that. How many times have I sent items to the cleaners only to get them back two inches shorter than when I dropped them off? I also have no intention of paying someone to coat my clothes in the toxic chemicals that are used in standard dry cleaning. While new Eco-cleaners keep appearing, I am wary of their “GREEN” techniques. And the expense of those Green Cleaners is astronomical!

So I have devised my own methods of dealing with this dilemma. I like to call it “home dry cleaning”. Here’s how I do it: I make a sprayable solution of strained lemon juice (1 lemon), white vinegar (1/3 cup), and water (1 quart) and put it in a spray bottle. Then, I thoroughly spray down every garment, inside and out, on a hanger in my shower. On stains, I have found sprinkling baking soda on the spot and then spraying it with my cleaning solution will lift the stains; then, I pat the excess off with a cloth.

To finish, I hang it all out on the line to dry in the sun and breeze. All of this seems to remove the funk from the thrift store, and I usually don’t have to iron anything when it’s been drying on the line. Readers, let me know if you have any great tips for home, non-toxic dry cleaning. Enjoy your new-found treasures. I hope they last you all a long time!

Do you have any non-chemical, cheap home laundry tips to share???