Instead of overloading your washing machine with laundry every day, give it a break and let your refrigerator handle some of the work. Don’t just think of your fridge as a food storage unit; it can freshen up your jeans, remove unpleasant odors from your clothes, and more. Read on to discover the surprising abilities of your refrigerator!
The Unexpected Benefits of Refrigeration
1. Prevent Knitwear from Shedding
Even the softest knitwear will start to shed fibers after multiple washes. If you wash your knitwear with other garments, these tiny fibers will cling to your clothes, looking unsightly. To solve this issue, turn to your freezer, or more specifically, your refrigerator’s (or deep freezer’s) freezer compartment. Method: Place your knitwear in a ziplock bag and leave it in the freezer for a few hours. The cold will cause the fibers to “stick” together, preventing them from falling out. This method is particularly effective for woolen and cashmere items.
2. Refresh Your Jeans
If your favorite, comfy navy jeans are fading with each wash, the solution is simple: wash them less. Instead, occasionally pop them into the freezer. You might be wondering why anyone would put their jeans in the freezer?
Well, this trick helps eliminate odors. Every time you wear your jeans, sweat promotes bacterial growth and causes odors. While washing can remove these unpleasant smells, frequent washing can also lead to faster fabric wear and color fading. By placing your jeans in the freezer, the cold temperature kills the odor-causing bacteria, leaving your jeans fresh and ready to wear again.
3. Stretch New Shoes
Sometimes, new shoes can be uncomfortably tight and painful to wear. But with a little help from water and cold temperatures, you can stretch them out. Method: Fill two ziplock bags with water, place them inside the shoes, and put them in the freezer. As the liquid freezes, it expands in volume, stretching the shoes without any hassle.
4. Remove Chewing Gum from Clothes
If your clothes get gummed up, don’t rush to machine wash them. Instead, grab a few ice cubes or pop them in the fridge. The low temperature will weaken the bonds between the molecules, and the gum will harden, making it easy to pick off. You can do the same for gum-stained shoes, easily peeling off the hardened gum.
5. Strengthen Pantyhose
It can be frustrating when pantyhose tears even before you get a chance to wear them. But that’s because you haven’t discovered the secret to strengthening them yet. Try this: Before wearing new pantyhose, wash them under the tap, wring out the excess water, and pop them in the freezer. The next day, simply air-dry them at room temperature, and they’re ready to wear. Doing this once when you buy new pantyhose will make them more durable and resistant to tears.
6. Deodorize Shoes
If you can’t get rid of the stench from your shoes, and they’re stinking up the hallway, pop them in the freezer overnight and check the results in the morning. Just like with jeans, the cold temperature kills odor-causing bacteria, leaving your shoes odor-free, so you can confidently take them off anywhere.
7. Freshen Bed Linen
To eliminate odors from your bedding, you don’t need to wash it thoroughly each time. Instead, place it in a sealed plastic bag and pop it in the freezer overnight. As you’ve seen, the freezer is a great place to kill bacteria and banish odors from various items.
By An Nhien – Vietnamnetp>