It’ll all come out in the wash… or it won’t. Or maybe your clothes, especially whites, will end up with spots and stains that weren’t there before you washed them. Keeping one’s clothing in good condition in Costa Rica apparently requires more than just filling the washing machine, spinning the dial, and walking away for 20 minutes.
The basic complaints foreigners living in Costa Rica have in this respect are that white garments turn yellow, solid colors fade rapidly, and pre-spray stain removers often leave rings or discolored patches on clothing. In general, stain removal, especially of oily stains, is more difficult.
The Tico Times consulted Brian Kerr, who responded generously with information about the sources of these problems and solutions for some of them.
Water is the basic tool for laundering your clothes, and it needs to be of a consistent quality to be effective. The water in Costa Rica has high levels of minerals and a lot of sediment, and the chlorine content can vary from hour to hour. A common problem is rusty water because of the corrosion of pipes or water storage tanks. Point-of-use water filtration or purification systems can help a lot.
According to Kerr, 90% of washing here is done in cold water. For this reason, detergents contain inert substances such as ground-up seashells. These detergents have a sandpaper effect on fabrics and also affect colors – staining whites and fading colors.
People often wonder why the detergent they used with excellent results back home doesn’t work as well in Costa Rica. In the United States, for example, it is easy to determine the hardness or softness of the water supply in different geographical areas of the country. Manufacturers alter the formula of their detergent accordingly and add optical brighteners to white fabrics to give them that “sharp white” look.
Even minute amounts of chlorine render these chemicals, added in the last stages of manufacture, completely ineffective. Your bright white skirt or shirt rapidly returns to whatever color it was before. You can buy detergents with optical brighteners and add a teaspoonful of white vinegar to your wash water to neutralize the effect of the chlorine.
Many people use two to three times the recommended amount of detergent, thinking that lots of suds mean cleaner clothing. This habit, combined with incomplete rinsing, is another reason why white fabrics turn yellow. Washing a load of clothes with no detergent will tell you whether this is your problem. Kerr says any soap bubbles that appear should disappear within 15 seconds. He recommends an organic liquid detergent for best results.
Starched items are more prone to yellowing because the starch makes the fabric less porous. In time, the stale air that tends to accumulate around starched items, especially in plastic bags, causes the starch to turn yellow. Polyethylene bags were at one time ideal for storing clothing. Recent changes in their manufacture for environmental reasons, to allow them to degrade over time, mean that this is no longer true. The off-gassing of chemicals that occurs as the plastic bag breaks down damages fabrics. The old-fashioned cedar chest or closet is a much better alternative.
Problems with solid-colored clothing are a little different. They fade or streak. The fact is that many “solid” colors are not. A black, for example, may have a red dye applied at the end to enhance the black color. This comes out in the first few washes, and the black shirt is left with a grayish look. It’s a good idea to dry colored articles in the shade or, if the clothesline is in the sun, to turn garments inside out. Washing by hand can slow the streaking process because the mechanical action of most machines is too strong, and the dye is unevenly removed by centrifugal force.
According to Kerr, dry-cleaning is the best solution. However, if you prefer to wash clothes at home, use a neutral liquid detergent such as Woolite, and do it by hand.
The impoverishment of solid colors is particularly annoying with expensive linen clothing or tablecloths and napkins. A home remedy that restores the color, at least for a while, is to add a tablespoon of Johnson’s Baby Oil to two liters of boiling water. Simmer for five minutes and add to the final rinse water. Stir with a wooden spoon for five minutes.
Kerr regards pre-sprays as a waste of time and money. Although they do work when used correctly, they will discolor your clothing if left on too long. You can obtain the same results by soaking stained items in water and detergent for half an hour before putting them in the washing machine. The secret to really clean clothes is to use just a small amount of Woolite with two tablespoons of all-fabric bleach – no Clorox. Washing for 20 minutes and rinsing well will remove 90% of all stains.
Mold is more common than potholes in the humid areas of Costa Rica. It leaves clothes smelling funky and can ruin certain fabrics in a short time. The solution is to leave on a 15-watt bulb or towel bar in the closet at all times. For safety’s sake, make sure nothing is in contact with the bulb or bar. An ultraviolet air purifier also works well to prevent mold growth.
