Wash anything which you would rather minimize it's fading, in cool water. If you have hard water, washing in
rainwater does amazingly better for wool, silk, cotton, linen, dishes, pots, and hair. Our well water is very hard, so it messes with many things, laundry just being one of those.
rainwater does amazingly better for wool, silk, cotton, linen, dishes, pots, and hair. Our well water is very hard, so it messes with many things, laundry just being one of those.
Pre-wash everything in as hot a water as you would ever possibly wash the garment. Then wash as usual after making the garment. Dress clothes fade much slower, and remain intact longer, with 'cold' water washing. In my experience. Besides, if you unknowingly got blood on the clothes, tepid water won't set it as a stain. Actual cold water will, as well as hot.
If you have a lot of blood on everything, soaking in a tub of tepid water with about 1 cup salt helps soak the blood out. Just a simple soak works reasonably well, if the blood is fresh. Rinse well before running the items through a machine, because the salt isn't good for it. Also, don't use a dryer on those items, until you have inspected them for cleanliness.
(Obviously town folk and such shouldn't be getting massive amounts of blood too often on clothes, but life sometimes happens in a messy bloody way, even in tidy towns. Two simple skinned shins produce a good bit of unexpected blood, just for starters.)
If you have a lot of blood on everything, soaking in a tub of tepid water with about 1 cup salt helps soak the blood out. Just a simple soak works reasonably well, if the blood is fresh. Rinse well before running the items through a machine, because the salt isn't good for it. Also, don't use a dryer on those items, until you have inspected them for cleanliness.
(Obviously town folk and such shouldn't be getting massive amounts of blood too often on clothes, but life sometimes happens in a messy bloody way, even in tidy towns. Two simple skinned shins produce a good bit of unexpected blood, just for starters.)
Mother of pearl buttons (from the inside shell of pearl oysters) wash just fine. However, I don't tend to put buttons on clothes meant for working. In general, my dress clothes only need a cold water wash. I know I've had to go up to warm washes (those unplanned for dirty emergencies), and the buttons all came out fine.
Far as I know, they went through much harsher washing conditions with the relatives whose clothes they previously graced. Or, perhaps we all saved them for dress clothes, and were kinder, in general, to those? Ha. Never really had a 'button usage' conversation with anyone in my family.
Far as I know, they went through much harsher washing conditions with the relatives whose clothes they previously graced. Or, perhaps we all saved them for dress clothes, and were kinder, in general, to those? Ha. Never really had a 'button usage' conversation with anyone in my family.
Buttons on work clothes are a fussy mess. They will catch on wires, as you are leaping over a fence, when you really needed to be at your destination two minutes ago. They can get a goat entirely too interested in munching you clothes. Or do unexpected things when you leave them on a garment during an unintended, but really needed, hot water wash. You know, the kind where you are not touching your clothing with anything other than the two sticks you grabbed, and you're making a beeline for the house... Handy to have chosen to wear some underclothes that day too, despite the heat. ;)