The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

savingqueen

Have the loveliest time monnagran x

Pooky

Afternoon all

Hugs to all the poorlies.

We had such a heavy frost last night, was so pretty to look at this morning.

Feeling a bit naff today, still on the verge of a cold but it doesn't seem to want to come out. The house is tidy enough, I've sorted the fridge out and all left overs have now been frozen in portions or made into bubble and squeak. A big pile of left over veg has just been whizzed up with the left over stock/gravy and that will do as a soup for tonight. Blanched loads of YS veg that DD got me, 8 x 4 person portion bags of sprouts and the same again of broccoli. Got 5kg of parsnips to sort later but they're still looking nice and fresh so will keep in the fridge for a few days yet.

Started a bit of the "de-christmasing" process, cards have been cut for tags, card holders, advent calendars (home made felt ones) and a couple of ornaments packed away....I like to break it down over a few days as I find the tree takes ages to put away and I run out of steam to do everything in one go.

Have cancelled our plans to go out on NYE, we were just going to a friends for games, nibbles and a drink but she's very poorly with a blood clot on her lung! I'll probably be in bed well before midnight, we really don't fuss about it.

Need to go grab the washing in, bitterly cold here but the sun is shining and it's breezy, the bedding will have dried and smell wonderfully fresh.

jem132

Hi all well iv been for a walk with ds8 he wanted to go to the charity shop to spend his Xmas money .
I bought 2 coats for £2 each lovely 90% wool 10% alpaca how do I wash them please both say dry clean only . But both look brand new .
I was looking at coats in asda yesterday but they didn't have my size good job lol
I also bought a few other clothes not that I need them but iv decided to where nice clothes all the time not just when I go out hopefully it will make me feel a little better .
So cheap things they were selling off £1 each will be fab for the allotment but I'll still feel nice ...
Teas in the oven washers on .
Snuggle down to watch a film and plan my week x
Kids going to my mums NYE we are going out then not back until 4th jan at tea time . So loads I can get done down my little plot of haven xxx

mardatha

I wouldn't attempt to wash that jem, I'd have it cleaned.

ivyleaf

Sorry Jem, I agree with mardatha, it really wouldn't be at all a good idea to wash them!

Thanks folks for worrying about my cold feet, you're lovely. I remembered I had some "thermal socks" tucked away - I bought them either in sainsbugs or M & S last year and they have some angora in them, so they are nice and cosy and not as bulky as the walking socks

monnagran - your poor DS and family :eek: have a lovely time when you visit them.

stiltwalker - Glad DD enjoyed the cinema, bless her My own DD2 has the dvd of Frozen and I asked if I could borrow it; of course she said I could, but then I forgot to bring it home with me. Oh well, next time!

[Deleted User]

Our bestest christmas present by far this year is a voucher to go walking with Alpacas from a place near Winchester, I adore them, they make the most incredible Ooooooo noises to each other and we get to learn how to handle them and then take them for a 2 hour walk and get coffee and cake half way round as well, Life really doesn't get better than that!!!!!

Softstuff

So it seems all votes (including mine) are for me going to Vegas. Thanks for the support. I just always feel like I can't do the right thing by my mum (seeing as the only right thing in her eyes would be moving back to England!).

savingqueen wrote: »

I have no appetite so picking at cookies and chocolate.... definite healthy eating plan needed for next year me thinks.

I had pancake with sour cherries in syrup and brandy cream for breakfast. Getting back to 5:2'ing in the new year

Jem, I'd gently hand wash the coats in warm water with a gentle soap and then reshape them while wet on a towel to dry. But I'm a bit reckless that way. Dry cleaning is definitely going to get a good outcome.

Love the sound of your Christmas pressie MrsLW. We still have fond memories of visiting an Alpaca show over here. They're lovely creatures. They were being led round a ring to be judged, when one decided he'd had enough, so sat down. No amount of cajoling would budge him, he just gave a bad tempered grunt that was very obviously saying "nope, don't feel like it!" :rotfl:

mcculloch29

jem132 wrote: »

Hi all well iv been for a walk with ds8 he wanted to go to the charity shop to spend his Xmas money .
I bought 2 coats for £2 each lovely 90% wool 10% alpaca how do I wash them please both say dry clean only . But both look brand new .
I was looking at coats in asda yesterday but they didn't have my size good job lol
I also bought a few other clothes not that I need them but iv decided to where nice clothes all the time not just when I go out hopefully it will make me feel a little better .
So cheap things they were selling off £1 each will be fab for the allotment but I'll still feel nice ...
Teas in the oven washers on .
Snuggle down to watch a film and plan my week x
Kids going to my mums NYE we are going out then not back until 4th jan at tea time . So loads I can get done down my little plot of haven xxx

Generally I would agree with the dry cleaning of your coats. However it can be very expensive.
I have used the Dr Beckmann dry clean only sachets in the past and they worked very well. You need a tumble dryer for these though. I got my sachets in Mr T's.

If you want to take a chance on washing a coat, Jem, it would be either a hand wash job in the bath, or, if your machine can handle it, wash one on the wool/delicates wash setting on your machine. Don't wash both the coats in case it goes pear-shaped and you wreck it.

I've washed many 'dry clean only' items on the wool wash over the year including a wool coat I'd used the Dr Beckmann sachets on previously. It was, and is fine.

I use Stardrops as it does the job beautifully, I pour it into a liquid or gel dispenser to put on top of the coat in the machine and put it on a 30 degree wool wash.

Don't dry the coat in the tumble drier (despite the fact that they go in one at the dry cleaners). Hang it on a strong, plastic clothes hanger - not metallic or wood, in case of rust or stains. Reshape it on the hanger.

fuddle

Please be careful of putting dry clothes into a tumble drier, even with comercially available dry clean-esk sachets.

A dry cleaning machine gets no hotter than 63 degrees C, despite the appearance of tumble drying. A tumble dryer achieves temperatures much higher than this to reflect the moisture levels in wet clothes. Putting dry clothes in there hightens the risk of fire.

Dry Cleaning is the best option for your wool coat. Washing it in warm water is a recipe for disaster. You could try washing it in cold but it's not guarenteed safe. Personally, however much I dislike the dry cleaning process (PERC is a vicious chemical to be exposing clothes to and your clothes go in with gawd only knows who's clothes... I've seen some sights!) It is the best for maintaining a dry clean only coat.

savingqueen

morning all

re the coats: fuddle is our very own in-house expert here and if you are playing safe, dry cleaning is the only way to go as she says.

Personally I would have a go at handwashing one of the coats in the bath very carefully with the advice from softstuff and mcculloch. The only things I have ever drycleaned are a leather jacket (decades ago) and these days DH's wool blend suit - it is his wedding suit and only suit that he needs for work from time to time. I even handwashed my wedding dress (though it wasn't a traditional heavy white dress) but I wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone else being as mad as me!

Feeling noticeably better today, woke with a desire for some toast and DS10 is coughing less. Looks like we will make it to the cinema. Realised I have been indoors for a whole week, 3 intentional days and the rest being ill.

Everything is covered in a beautiful frost here, looks magical.


edit: nothing I have handwashed that said drycleaning has been a disaster (so far, touch wood) I am too stingy to pay for drycleaning