Customer Reviews

Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Home Comforts" has been so helpful and authoritative that I preordered "Laundry" as soon as it was announced. I was very disappointed to find that it consisted almost entirely of material taken from her previous book. If Cheryl Mendelson feels that she needs to revise "Home Comforts", she should go over the entire book and bring out a second edition.

If you already have "Home Comforts", you don't need to buy "Laundry"; and if you don't have "Home Comforts", you need to buy it. But I see little reason to buy "Laundry". I am returning my copy.

Laundry is simply recycled and slightly refined material from Mendelson's Home Comforts. If you already own Home Comforts, I would skip Laundry (or if you must have it, wait until the paperback comes out, likely some time next year). If, however, you don't care about food storage, bathroom cleaning, domestic employment laws, fireplaces, resilient flooring materials, "other components of household dust," and you just want a well written, thorough, up-to-date guide to clothes and linens, then Laundry is a fine purchase, worth the current price.

Laundry is an expansion of a chapter of Home Comforts, true, but that expansion could be very worthwhile to someone interested in really organizing their home-laundering process (which sounds pompous, but that's what it is when you toss all that stuff in the washer). While it's true this isn't a necessary text it's certainly a noble contribution, and Mendelson's prose is still a delight.

This is an excellent book, that I've been recommending to all my friends. I saw a review of this in the Handwoven Magazine, so I bought it. It not only gives excellent insight to fabric and fibers and their care, but goes in depth on how to do laundry. I never understood the difference between soap and deteregent, color safe bleach and clorox, pre-soaking, enzymes, the different cycles of the wash machine, the impact of temperature, softeners, laundry boosters, etc. This book explains it all. And the section on dealing with stains I've already used multiple times. HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYONE!!

It's surprising to see a book entirely devoted to housekeeping and one might wonder what could be said about laundry which could occupy an entire book on the topic; but LAUNDRY: THE HOME COMFORTS BOOK OF CARING FOR CLOTHES AND LINENS actually holds many surprises. For one thing, it culls from the bestselling HOME COMFORTS newly revised, updated information on caring for cloth, from bedding and baby clothes to vintage linens. Details cover such specifics as when to disregard labels, how to remove stains, and how to properly store fabrics. Chapters also cover all kinds of care: ironing, folding, and washing. Homemakers will find LAUNDRY an invaluable reference.

Like most people growing up I despised laundry growing up, however after starting cloth diapering I began to understand the importance of doing it right even if I didn't enjoy it. After picking up this book I not only learned how to do things right but I've also come to enjoy a task I once loathed. I've noticed an increased softness, colorfastness and durability in my clothes after following the advice, and for a penny pincher like me that's been a major boon. I can also shop smarter for clothing, bedding and such thus getting more for my money.

The only things I'd love to see improved are an improved understanding of all the types of cloth diapers out there and how they can laundered and still remain clean, a more detailed as the typical feel of certain materials particularly as they apply to clothing, a comprehensive section on "green" laundering, and the biggest thing-tips on how to get caught quickly without compromising the quality of the work. Also tips on how to pack clothes to keep them well maintained both for the winter/summer change overs and for moving.

Unlike other reviewers I found this book to be essential in addition to Home Comforts because it does have some more information but more so because it is organized in a way that is quick to go through when I'm right in the middle of sorting or going to head out and pick up some dish towels. Also the science of laundry section really helped bring home the facts of laundry in a way that I felt the Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House didn't have time to get into.

Even if you're not a domestic diva this book is a great way to improve the quality of your clothes, save money by keep what you have in good order, as well helping you make the best purchases when you're out (after all how can you call saving money if you spend $5 on something that will last two years and look bad in one as oppose to spending $20 on something that will last ten years and look good the whole time). Penny pinchers, the fashion divas, and domestic queens will all find this book vital (despite the feminine pronouns it's a must for men too).

I think this book is an especially useful reference for young people living on their own. Just as the other reviewers have noted, this book is a rehashing of "Home Comforts." However, it does contain a lot of highly useful information that I think most people have wondered about in their lives but didn't know where to look to find the answer. How do I prolong the life of my mattress? How do I control the musty odor of a closet? How do I remove a pesky stain? What makes "Pima Cotton" different from Egyptian cotton, and how do I know I'm getting my money's worth when I buy it? Is thread-count all that matters when choosing bed sheets? What is the difference between velour, velvet, and velveteen, and how do I care for them? Is a non-wrinkling fabric necessarily better? When should I not obey the care tags on my clothing? All of these questions are answered in this book, and though the answers seem trivial, I think they are relevant. This book is a nice reference. It might have more details than you care for, but the information comes in handy.

I bought this book in hopes that it would help me figure out laundry. I really enjoyed Ms. Mendelson's book "Home Comforts" and I was certain I would find this as informative as I did the former. It is an extremely informative work! I am now approaching my laundry with a much different view from reading this book.

It is designed to be both an instructional manual and a reference book, and I have often used it to figure out the warnings and options for different articles I have. I highly recommend this book!

Dont get me wrong, this book is PACKED with information. Hundreds of densely printed pages of it, with some black and white drawn illustrations. The enthusiasm for textile, fabrics and the technique and history of it all sparks from all pages. So much so, that I have given up on reading it.
It's my own fault: I was hoping for an concise illustrated guide in Laundry 101; pictures of commonly made errors, that sort of thing. Maybe that info is hidden somewhere in the book, but I'm afraid it will stay there, unread.

If you get pleasure out of well-cared for clothes, then there is no better discourse on how to self manage their cleaning. We seem to have devolved to a country that sends almost everything to the dry cleaner. I don't believe in the necessity for the resultant chemical bath nor do I like the cost.
Ms. Mendelson's book on home laundering is a boon for both novices and experienced washers alike. With her book, an iron and just a travel-sized clothes steamer, you will be thrilled with what you can do intelligently for yourself.
This book is basically an excerpt from Home Comforts, The Art of Keeping House. I swear by that book also. I like having the laundering book as a separate entity because it's more portable size makes it easier to use. On a separate note - I think Mendelson's Home Comforts cleaning book and/or her laundry book are the ultimate wedding shower present(s).