The Queen provides a complete stain removal guide—and ransacks your cupboard for amazing, inexpensive spot removers including lemon juice, meat tenderizer, WD-40, lubricant, salt, shaving cream...and more! Whether you turn around family-sized wash loads seven days a week, air your dirty laundry at the local laundromat, or are among the seriously “laundry challenged,” consult the Queen for no-nonsense advice—and fabulous results! Down with laundry drudgery! Let the Queen of Clean® make wash day loads of fun! Once upon a time, in a world fraught with shrinking jeans, dry-cleaning debacles, and endangered delicates, laundry was a dreaded chore. Then one happy day, the Queen of Clean® put an end to the vicious washand-dry cycle—with her all-new collection of ingenious tips and natural solutions for stress-free washing, ironing, sorting, and stain-busting! Let the Queen show you how to: -sort laundry like a pro -remove spots, stains, scorch marks, and odors -soften hard water-and save clothes from a dull, gray fate -make your own fabric softener sheets in a snap -say good-bye to pink socks, with a foolproof colorfastness test -line-dry clothes without hanger lumps or clothespin marks -decipher those fabric care symbols on clothing tags -get the scoop on home dry-cleaning kits -discover the secrets to lint-free drying-and quick fixes for when tissues, crayons, and other foreign bodies take a spin in the dryer Are you sick of turning your underwear pink and finding freshly washed tissue bits all over your new jeans? Perhaps it's time to investigate the deeper mysteries of the laundry room. There's more to clean clothes than soap and water, and Linda Cobb is willing to get down to the nitty-gritty in her simple, straightforward Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean . No question is too small for the Queen--she tackles everything from stinky shoes to starched collars. Each short chapter concerns a specific topic, starting with the care and cleaning of the washing and drying machines themselves. Who knew the washer needed regular cleaning? A short section on line drying is included here as well; never again will you ponder the proper way to hang hand-washed slacks. Most of the chapters are devoted to various types of special problems, such as colors that ran, stain and odor removal, and cleaning large items like bedspreads and lampshades. Explanations for when to dry-clean and how to make your own spot cleaners using household items like club soda, cream of tartar, and denture-cleaning tablets are also included, alongside ironing techniques and the definitive way of color sorting. Particularly helpful are the A-to-Z guides to fabric care and stain removal at the end of the book. Each type of fabric--from delicates like chiffon and velvet to rugged corduroy and denim--has a preferred treatment and certain chemicals that it just can't handle. Talking Dirty Laundry will give you optimal cleaning results--whether you got chocolate on your khakis or wine on your wool, you'll have the problem solved before you can say, "Shout it out!" --Jill Lightner People Magazine Linda Cobb, the self-styled Queen of Clean®, sweeps into the big time with spotless timing for a book on dirt.... Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean ®...has certainly cleaned up. New York Post There's no stain Linda Cobb can't tame. The Herald (Seattle) No stain has beaten Cobb yet, and she has tried and tested almost everything...... The Arizona Republic There isn't any stain or cleaning problem for which Cobb doesn't have a solution.... Scott Pasmore News Anchor, Good Morning Arizona Lipstick on my collar, ring around the collar? Are you kidding! Since talking with the Queen of Clean® my life has never been so clean! Cathy Blythe Host, "Problems & Solutions," KFOR Radio, Lincoln, Nebraska I am a huge fan of Linda Cobb, the absolutely undisputed Queen of Clean®. Our listeners love her terrific advice -- and you will too! As a matter of fact, after reading this book, you may even look forward to doing your next load of laundry! Jana Bommersbach author, TV commentator, and Phoenix Magazine columnist It is comforting and refreshing to know that for once -- not in our state capitals nor in Washington, D.C., not in Hollywood, nor in the boardrooms of large corporations -- dirt is being wiped out. Thank you, Queen of Clean®. Previously the owner of a cleaning and disaster-restoration business in Michigan, dealing with the aftermath of fires and floods, Linda Cobb started sharing her cleaning tips in a local newspaper column. After moving to Phoenix she became a weekly guest on Good Morning Arizona —then the product endorsements and requests for appearances started rolling in. A featured guest on radio and television shows across the country, Linda Cobb lives in Phoenix with her husband. Chapter One: Care and Control of the Washing Machine How difficult can it be? You add water and detergent, drop in the clothes,