March 1, 2023
Seniors that are aging at home often have senior home care to help them to keep their homes clean and tidy. Senior home care makes some household chores much easier for seniors who can’t do the kind of physical chores that they used to be able to do. But that doesn’t mean that seniors won’t appreciate the chance to help out with the chores that they can still physically do. While seniors may not be able to carry large baskets of laundry around the house, in most cases they can still help fold and put away clothes and linens. Along with senior home care providers, they can also do these things to make sure their laundry smells fresh all winter:
Ironing clothing and linens really does make a difference in how they wear and feel. Seniors should use scented water to dampen their clothes and linens before ironing them. The heat from the iron will help make the scent more intense and make it last longer. To make scented ironing water, seniors just need to add a few drops of pure essential oils to water in a spray bottle. Light scents like lavender are perfect for iron water because they smell fresh without being overpowering.
By about mid-winter, it’s common for the house to smell a little stale. The high heat from the furnace in combination with keeping the windows shut all winter makes indoor air dry and dusty. Clothes and linens that sit in that air can smell stale and old, too. Placing bunches of dried herbs such as lavender or dried eucalyptus flowers, in the corners of the closet or in hanging bags can make the air in the closet smell much better. That smell will be absorbed into the clothes and linens.
Another way seniors can make sure their clothes and linens smell fresh is to rotate them. It’s relatively easy to rotate clothing on a seasonal basis, but seniors need to remember to rotate their bedding and linens regularly too. Rotating out items such as bedsheets and towels will also keep your senior parent’s favorites from wearing out prematurely because they get used more than the others.
Just like when wearing perfume, the trick to having a lasting scent is to layer it using different products that will all complement each other. When it comes to laundry, this means using detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets or beads that all have the same scent. When you use a range of products that all have the same scent, each product deposits a new layer of fragrance that will last a long time. It’s similar to using body wash, lotion, and perfume or cologne that all has the same scent.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Senior Home Care in South Side, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202
