Love your Laundry Webinar with Shannon Lush Info...

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Love your Laundry Webinar with Shannon LushInfo sheet

Recipes

Author of “Spotless A-Z” Shannon Lush joined Howards Storage World for two Inspirations Member Webinars to explore ways to “Love your Laundry”. Below are the recipes Shannon shared to make laundry time easier and faster. Also included in this info sheet, are answers to the many questions asked.

Remove stain from oil of cloves from a bath tub

Use equal parts of glycerine and talcum powder (consistency of spreadable butter), make into a paste and rub it on with pantyhose and leave on for 15 minutes. Then polish off with pantyhose. You may need to do this more than once. If so, leave the paste of for 24 hours between attempts to allow the charred material to rise to the surface as the oil of cloves has actually burnt the surface.

Remove ink from fabric

Use sour/rotten milk.

Place 300ml full cream milk in an open mouth container in the sun until it goes off and lumpy.

Strain the lumps out with your fingers; it is the lumps that will remove the ink. Place it over the stain; you will see the ink bleed into the milk.

How to make your clothes colour fast

Add 4 cups of salt into a bucket of water and soak your clothes. Hang the items on the line with the salt solution still on it. Once dry, shake the excess salt off and rewash. This will set the colour so the colours won’t run in the future and be classed as colour fast.


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How to remove yellow marks off collars and under arms

Use a paste of Vanish Napisan and place over the stain. Leave for 5 minutes and wash as normal.

Or

Rub with dishwashing liquid and wash as normal.

If it is a manmade poly material, wipe with methylated spirits to open the fibres and allow the sweat to get out. Apply the NapiSan paste then wash as normal.

If the sweat stain and stiffness under the arms is a recurrent problem, change your deodorant as the one you are using may not suit your body chemistry.

How to whiten whites

Use lemon juice in your rinse cycle and hang on the line. The UV light breaks down the lemon juice and gently bleaches the fabric to whiten it. This is fantastic for linen and discoloured pillowcases.

How do you remove the yellow stains on a white plastic toilet seat?

Do not use bleach on plastic toilet seats as the gas from the bleach burns the plastic.

Use equal parts of Glycerine and talcum powder to make a paste. Polish on with some old pantyhose, leave for 15 minutes and polish off.

To clean toilets

Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar.

The Ultimate Stain Removal Kit

Methylated spirits – Used to remove sweat on manmade fibres. Wipe on and then wash as normal.

Cake of bathroom soap

Unprocessed Wheat Bran

Vinegar

Salt

Bicarbonate of Soda

Dishwashing liquid

Lavender oil

Eucalyptus oil

Tea tree oil

Washing your clothes –Tips

More soap does not make clothes cleaner; it just adds extra fat to your clothes. By using less soap your clothes will actually become cleaner; they will dry faster and won’t get dirty so often.

Top loader – Only use a quarter (1/4) of the recommended soap and add 2 teaspoons of Bicarbonate of Soda. Use 2 tablespoons of white vinegar instead of fabric softener.

Front loader – Only use one eighth (1/8) the recommended quantity of soap plus 2 tablespoons of Bicarbonate of Soda and add 2 tablespoons of White Vinegar into your fabric softener slot.

Washing your UGG boots

Place in a pillow case. Wash using a cycle with the water temperature the same for rinse and wash. When drying, place away from the sun and dry slowly to avoid the leather stiffening.


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Washing your pillow cases/doonas

(This includes feather and down, latex or cotton pillows)

Shannon (recommends washing) your pillows every 4 to 6 weeks.

Wash with cheap shampoo or dishwashing liquid (Not eco).

Use sufficient pillows to fill the entire drum.

When drying, place a towel over the line to form a ‘towel table’ and place the pillows on top as it acts like a wick and pulls the moisture from the pillows to help them dry faster. Flip over a couple of times during the day.

Drying TIPS:

Sunlight kills bacteria, so drying on a line and sun is best for regular items.

When using the dryer put a dry tea towel in with a load of washing as it spreads the surface area of the water and speeds up the drying process.

What should you dry out of the sun?

Strong colours

Silk (also out of the wind)

Leather

Ironing Tips

To avoid ironing use mix:

1 teaspoon lavender oil

1 litre water

Mix in a spray bottle and mist over clothes when you get them off the line or before wearing. Lavender is a fabric relaxant.

To make ironing easier, create a reflective surface on your ironing board by adding a layer of aluminium foil under your ironing board cover. This reflects the heat back up and reduces the amount of time ironing. Alternatively invest in the Leifheit Airboard Ironing Board as it is incredibly light weight with a reflective surface making ironing at least 30% faster.

Bonus Recipe

Cough Mixture

2 tsp each of Sage, Thyme, Mint and Rosemary

2 Black Teabags

2 Pinches each of ground Ginger, Cinnamon and Nutmeg

1 Whole clove (add if you have a sore throat)

4 Cups of boiling water

Steep mixture for 15 minutes and then strain. Add honey and lemon to taste.


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Questions to Shannon

Q: Are Shannon books avail as ibooks?

Kristy W

Some of my books are available as iBooks and if you have a look at the HarperCollins website you will find which ones are available.

Q: Is the book available for online purchase or locally in the Philippines?

Stephanie C

Yes to both questions my books are both available locally in the Philippines and online.

Q: How do you remove lead pencil grime from white school shirt cuffs?

Dee N

Take a cake of normal bathroom soap (not laundry soap) and wet it with a little cold water. Scribble on the stains with a cake of soap just like its crayon and then rub the fabric between your hands until the stains are gone and then wash normally.

Q: How can you get nail polish out of clothes?

Jane M

To remove no polish from clothes place a cotton ball behind the stain and stretch the fabric over it, so that it looks sort of like a pom-pom. Get another cotton ball into pure acetone (not nail polish remover) and rub firmly over the stain until it disappears then wash normally.

Q: How do you remove a stain from oil of cloves from a bathtub?

Dale A

Mix equal parts glycerin and talcum powder to create a paste approximately the consistency of spreadable butter. Apply the mixture with a rolled up pair of pantyhose and then leave it for 15 minutes before polishing it off with the same pair of pantyhose. You may need to repeat the process but if you do simply wait 24 hours in between attempts.

Q: How to remove a yellow stain around inside of toilet seat.

Ingrig D

This is the same answer as the previous question.

Q: My grandson sweats a lot and his socks after washing are still really stiff, what can I used to soften them?

Kelly B

As feet sweat they shed a large number of skin cells, creating a protein and fat based soup that stiffens in fabric. Rub them out with a cake of normal bathroom soap and cold water before washing in the washing machine.


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Q: What would remove scratch marks made from the decorative edge of a metal toilet brush when cleaning the base of toilet.

Gayle J

This mark is what is called tile mark where metal contacts the glazed surface of the toilet it leaves strange little grey marks that look like pencil marks. No amount of cleaning product will remove it however a normal pencil eraser will. Use the kind that is grey on one end and white on the other. Eraser in water and rub with the grey end first and follow by using the white end.

Q: I would like to know where I can purchase fullers earth to unshrink a woollen jumper, info from Shannons book, cant find fullers earth anywhere thank you Coleen

Coleen D

Fullers earth is available from pharmacies however not all pharmacies carry it you may need to get your local pharmacist to order it in. They can find it in their Faulding’s list. Alternatively it’s available online from cosmetic manufacturers.

Q: What is the tracking called again? i love it!

Sharon B

This tracking is from our elfa Shelving System and is called a Utility Track. You can attach a number of specialty hooks, holders and brackets for all your storage needs.

Q: Can mildew be removed from the back of block out curtains?

Jen D S

Yes it can be removed the easiest way to do it is to use the oil of cloves spray. That is a quarter of a teaspoon of oil of cloves into a litre of water in a spray bottle. The quantities are important do not be tempted to make it any stronger. Misted over the surface of the mouldy areas and leave it for 24 to 48 hours then wipe off and respray to prevent the mould occurring again.

Q: Where do you put your linen?

Lesley Cohen

I store my linen in a linen press.

Q: Do you have any option for organising clothes or ironing behind the door

Nikhil Y

Howards has an over the door ironing hanger for $9.95 PLT030. Holds up to 8 hangers.

Q: Do you have any makeover for behind the door?

Nikhil Y

There are many over the door and fixed organisers that can give extra storage behind the door. OTD ironing Board, Iron and Ironing Board Holders.

Q later: how/how often to wash shower curtains? (think they’re polyester)

Therese N

Shower curtains should be washed as often as you wash your towels. Once a week if they are kept well aired.


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Q: How do I wash/clean vertical blinds? Thank you, Anita

Anita Y

The easiest way to clean them is with a bran ball. Place one cup of unprocessed wheat bran into a cereal bowl and gradually add drops of white vinegar one at a time while constantly stirring until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs (it should not feel wet). Empty the mixture into the toe of a pair of pantyhose and tie it off tight you will have something that looks about the size of a tennis ball in your hand and can be used as an eraser for upholstery, vertical blinds, wallpaper and lampshades et cetera all of the things that are difficult to wash.

Q: Shannon how do I get blood off a carpet?

Elizabeth B

Blood is a high protein stain and the best way to remove it is with a small amount of normal bathroom soap on a damp cloth. Make sure the cloth is cold not warm as this will set the stain.

Q: How would you wash curtains with block out

Liz C

Place the curtains in the bath tub with blood heat water (test the water on your wrist the same way you would a baby’s bottle) and a little really cheap shampoo. Go for a little walk up and down on the curtains to do the washing and then rinse in the same temperature water and hang on the clothesline out of the sun. If your clothesline is in full sun you can always flip a sheet over it to slow the drying time.

Q: How to remove crayon from a white vinyl chair

Eunice G

Crayon is really easy to remove simply put a couple of drops of tea tree oil into the centre of a slice of brown bread and rub over the surface.

Sorting

Q: My laundry is not big enough, its our back entry, laundry machine on right handside with tub then freezer, with a window over the tub so no room for baskets

Kelly B

Consider having your sorting baskets in another room then like the bathroom or bedrooms. When its full, it’s off to the wash…

Q: What are the categories to presort your laundry into?

Lesley G

Q: Could you please re-cap the 5 baskets it was a bit fast.

Erica S

The 5 sorting baskets are:

Whites

Reds, Browns

Darks

Colourfast

Handwashing


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Q: What is the best way to sort clothing - is it necessary to do it according to fabric type in order to make them last longer?

Alison H N

Most definitely this is part of the sorting process. When I am referring to Whites for instance I am referring to cotton, polyester, elastane, linen, nylon, rayon and viscose et cetera. Delicate fabrics such as silk or wool should definitely be included in the hand washing rather than with the general wash. As a general rule I also wash towels separately to prevent fluff transfer.

Q: What about underwear, towels, sheets?

Lesley G

I tend to wash laundry separately and according to the fabric that it is made from. And as in the previous question I tend wash towels separately.

Q: What is color fast?

Valerie M

Colourfast means those garments which no longer lose colour when they are washed and do not transfer colour two other items.

Q: I rarely have things that are completely white. why don’t you have a lights basket?

Lynette A

I tend to put those things that are light-coloured in with the other colourfast materials.

Q: Why is it important to separate the whites from the colours? Does it make that much of a difference?

Jane L

It’s very important if you want to keep your whites white as a certain amount of colour transfer occurs during washing.

Q: How do you work out what is colourfast? (Sorry if that is an obvious answer….)

Alyson A

Whenever you buy a new garment it is always important to wash it alone and carefully check the colour of the water coming off it to see if it is colourfast.

Q: If I have multi-coloured clothes which hamper would I put them in?

Melissa N

I put multicoloured items into the colourfast collection.

Washing

Q: There are now so many versions of nappysan - nappysan plus, nappysan oxy action etc etc. How do you know which is the best to use?

Jane M

Unless otherwise specified I always mean vanish NapiSan plus.

Q: What are the best 1 ltr spray bottles to use for cleaning mixtures?

Sue-Ann J

Q: How much is this set?

Kelly B

Full Circle Cleaning Kit $37.95 from Howards


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Q: Can’t stand the smell of most shampoos, though, and that’s especially so of cheap shampoos.. Anything else? Dish liquid.. but not eco ones.. Again, I buy eco ones partly bc of the low fragrance.

Amanda C

I make my own shampoo and the recipes for all the different kinds of shampoos are in my book ‘Stainless’ as depending on what kind of hair you have it’s important to use the right one. They are all based on herbal teas and are very efficient.

Q: Use the same shampoo for feather down dooners?

Sue-Ann J

Yes, when I am using shampoo as a washing agent for clothes etcetera I always use the cheapest brand I can find (one of the nonbranded varieties with as little colouring as possible) as it does not contain so many fruit oils and doesn’t leave as much residue behind.

Q: Do you have a favourite brand?

Kelly B

No I don’t.

Q: What about Latex pillows?

Kelly B

They wash exactly the same as the other varieties of pillows they just take a little longer to dry.

Q: What do you use to wash your pillows and how do you dry them so they can be used that night

Leanne M

I fill the washing machine with pillows so that there is little room for agitation and then I use a small amount of really cheap shampoo. To dry them fast place a towel over the top of your clothesline and peg it in place so that it forms a towel table. Place the pillows on top of the towel and the water wicks away quickly. Turn the pillows couple of times during the day and you will find that they are dry by evening. PS I always do this one first thing in the morning.

Q: Can you wash feather and 90% down pillows like that too?

Amanda C

Yes you can they wash like a dream.

Q: Would you do the same for latex pillow and can you suggest the best way to dry because they’re not supposed be in sunlight

Kelly B

Yes you wash them the same way. With anything that has difficulty with sunlight the simple way to dry them outside is to flip a sheet over the on the clothesline to prevent direct sunlight.

Q: How much cheap shampoo for a front-loader of pillows?

Marion R

No more than 1 teaspoon.


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Q: How do you wash memory foam pillows

Lorraine S

The washing technique is done exactly the same way as the rest. However with drying it can be a little more difficult and I find it’s far more efficient to compress them by standing on them on a towel to remove as much moisture as possible before putting them on the towel table (mentioned earlier) on your clothesline.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for oil stains that have been washed many times?

Kia M

Simply place a couple of drops of normal dishwashing liquid on your fingertips and massaged into the stain with your eyes closed so that you can feel when it changes texture. It will suddenly feel like jelly when you have rubbed it enough this means you have emulsifying the oil and it all rinse out in cold water.

Q: How can I remove rust stains from fabric

Robyn H

Place the garments flat on a table in the sunshine and pour a small mountain of un-iodised salt over each rust stain. Squeeze sufficient drops of fresh lemon juice onto the mountains of salt to moisten them without collapsing them and leave them in the sunshine until the rust is gone. The ultraviolet light reacts with the salt and lemon juice and simply pulls the rust out of the fabric.

Q: Do you have any recommendations on how to wash bras in a washing machine without damaging them?

Melissa N

Howards have a number of wash bags to keep delicate items safe. We have a Whitmor Mesh Bra Bag that will protect your bras when you wash them.

Q: hi, thanks for discussion :) if u hv time: any hints on washing dust out of clothes; also dry/dead skin (sorry its gross) eg. socks, stockings? Thx—therese

Therese N

Dust and dead skin should be washing out of your clothes easily in your washing machine if they are not you need to have your washing machine serviced.


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Q: How about texta or paints (even thought they say can be removed easily) that won’t come out of kids uniforms?

Kia M

It really depends on the kind of texta or paints that are used. Each one has its own chemistry for instance the paints that are used in schools tend to be vinyl paints which is water-based acrylics. While this is really easy to remove while it is wet it will rinse out simply with water, once it is dry it forms strong polymer chains that are difficult to break down and you will need to use methylated spirits. Take the stained section of the garment and put forward placing a rubber band around it to isolate the stain from the rest of the garment, it should look like you’re about to start tie dyeing then place the stained section into a glass of methylated spirits and place a saucer on the top of it so that it doesn’t evaporate off. Leave it soaking in the methylated spirits for several hours. Every now and again give it a little wiggle with your fingertips to see if it is ready to move. Once it starts bleeding out into the methylated spirits it will come out easily. As for textas each of those has its own chemistry and I would need to know what kind of textas are being used to give you an answer.

Q: Towels separate?

Kristy W

I do tend to wash my towels separately so that they don’t transfer fluff.

Q: What about tea towels, I hate washing them with my clothes. I keep a bucket & when it’s full I then wash them together

Elizabeth B

Since I prefer to wash tea towels every day it’s fine to wash them with your clothes. But if you don’t like washing them with your clothes that’s fine it’s your washing and you need to enjoy it.

Q: How to remove yellow age stains from white shirt collars

Robyn H

Just rub lemon juice along the collar and leave it in sunshine.

Q: Can you use lemon juice in a bottle? or use actual lemons?

Kristy W

Bottled lemon juice is not the same as juice straight from the lemon and it must be fresh lemon juice.

Q: What about the ready to go pods?

Kia M

I prefer to be able to control the quantity of soap that I am using and pods do not allow this.

Q: Hello, just wondering if you would treat jeans seperately?

Kirstin B

I put jeans in with the dark colours.


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Q: Food grease stains on delicate blouse how to remove

Liz

Place cheap washing liquid on your fingertips and rub into the stain with your eyes closed you feel it change to jelly like substance rinse in cold water. Then wash if necessary.

Q: Do you put the washing machine on gentle cycle for pillows?

Kia M

Yes I do use a gentle cycle and it must be a cycle where the wash water and the rinse water are the same temperature.

Q: I’ve been told to wash some of my pillows and doonas with woolwash. Is there an alternative to that?

Melissa N

Don’t use wool wash instead use a small amount of cheap hair shampoo.

Q: How do you get red dirt stains out of kids clothing? Especially grey/white clothing

Sharon B

Red dirt is high in iron so it is really important to rub over the stain with white vinegar before placing them in the wash.

Q: How do you get silicon out of clothes?

Sam G

There are many different kinds of silicon and I need a little more information to answer this question.

Q: How can I get my husband’s sporting clothes to stop smelling.

Lynette

Wipe over all of the sweat areas with methylated spirits immediately before putting them in the wash don’t leave it to soak.

Q: Can you use methelated spirit on black clothing items?

Antonietta I

Yes you can.

Yellow underarm Sweat stains:

Q: sweat stains underarms of shirts

Robyn H

Q: Can you get rid of underarm stains?

Rita N

If you are removing the stains from polyester wipe with methylated spirits before applying a paste of vanish NapiSan and leave it for five minutes before throwing them in the wash. You needn’t use the methylated spirits if you are washing cotton. This is quite an expensive way to wash shirts it’s better to remove the problem first the person in question needs to exchange their deodorant for another one is the one they are using does not suit their body chemistry it doesn’t mean it is a bad deodorant just it isn’t suitable for them.


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Q: I just want to know the best way to get the underarm sweat and deoderant stains out of my husband’s business shirts, both white and coloured shirts.

Sharon C

Prevention is always better than cure so we will deal with both parts of the question to prevent the problem it is time that your husband changed his deodorant as his does not suit his body chemistry.

To remove existing stains for garments that contain man-made fibres wipes the armpits with a small amount of methylated spirits first and then make a paste of vanish NapiSan with water to the consistency of spreadable butter and it on the armpits stains. Leave it for five minutes before throwing it in the wash. You needn’t use the methylated spirits for 100% cotton shirts.

Q: How do you remove the yellow sweat stains that develop under arms on singlets, shirts etc?

Alison H N

The answer is exactly the same as the previous question.

Q: Can you spray the metho on clothes with a spray bottle or does it have to be wiped?

Valerie M

Spray is fine

Drying

Q: That’s the best way to dry jeans :)

Judy D

Hang your jeans from the waistband across two lines to pegs on each line so that it holds the waistband open forming a final for the air to go down into the legs.

Q: Hi Shannon, how do I prevent lint built up on flannels-be it linen or pj’s? thanks. Christine

Christine L

It is really important to remember to clean the lint filter on your washing machine and dryer every single time you use it. If you have a large number of fluffy items to wash or dry add a couple of pair of pantyhose in with the wash load as they become statically charged and pick up the lint.

Q: Hi, It generally rains most of the time where I live so could you tell me whether there any types of garments that definitely should not be put into a tumble dryer?

Melissa N

That’s easy wool, fine polyester, silk and leather.

Ironing

Q: Do you recommend a thick soft ironing board ie put towels under cover or a hard surface

Leanne M

Most definitely it makes ironing easier.


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Q: Is the lavendar oil spray safe on all clothes

Antonietta I

Anything made from fabric.

Q: What’s the most effective way to get wrinkles out of business shirts and blouses.

Melissa N

If you are having trouble with your ironing simply iron your clothes while they are slightly damp however I use an non-ironing method by placing 1 teaspoon of lavender oil into a litre of water in a spray bottle and mist it over the clothes before putting them on.

Q: I have a built in washing machine in the kitchen and no laundry. Should I be able to get the machine out to do things like change the pipes? It won’t be easy!

Andrew K

It is very easy to change the pipes even on built in washing machines.

Q: What to use to clean wash machine?

Kristy W

If you are using the reduced quantity of soap with bicarb soda and vinegar as suggested you won’t need to clean your washing machine it will clean automatically with each wash.

Q: What about epsom salts does that clean the machine

Elizabeth B

Epsom salts can leave a residue that can stain your clothes so that is not a good idea.

Q:Why do they need to be changed? the pipes

Kristy W

Hard water fur and chemical residue from the water flowing through the pipes can drop lots of dirt and stains on to your clothes if they are not changed on a regular basis.

Q: How to remove lint from cotton knits after washing

Robyn H

Place a pair of disposable rubber gloves on your hands and wash your hands with the gloves on with normal soap and water shakes them dry, to not dry them on a towel. Wipe your hands over the fabric and the mint will simply pull away.


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Q: Loving the webinar and just downloaded the Laundry Label Guide - thank you!

Carolyn S

Q: color fast - I’m doing this, this afternoon.

Kelly B

Q: Longer I can listen to Shannon for hours

Kelly B

Q: Thank you very much. It was really interesting & educational.

Ingrid D

Q: OK, thanks.. Can’t make the evening one. Will have a look on FB. Just looking for the answer to alternatives to smelly (cheap) shampoos.

Amanda C

Q: Thank you

Kelly B

Q: Thank you!

Erica S

Thank you for all of your lovely comments and hopefully we can chat again on the next webinar.

Q: can we get a copy of this recording?

Kelly B

Yes we’ll be sharing a recording of this webinar to members via email in due course.

Q: i have learnt so many things, thank you so much

Leanne

Q: Thank you so much for this webinar - I learnt a lot. Thank you Howards, thank you Shannon - you are amazing :)

Anita Y

My thanks to everyone feel lovely comments

Q: Fantastic webinar thank you!

Elizabeth B


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Q: thank you very much for a wonderful webinar

Melissa S

Q: THAT WAS REALLY SUPER...THANK YOU

Judy D

Q: Thank you ...it was great!!

Robyn H

Q: wonderful webinar thankyou, my husband cannot understand why I would want to listen to a laundry webinar! he is not allowed in the laundry!

Eunice G

Q: thank you :)

Jen D S

Q: Thank you!

Jane L

Q: thankyou

Alyson A

Q: Thanks - great webinar

Jane L

AcknowledgementsMany thanks to Shannon Lush for sharing her wonderful recipes and wisdom with Howards Storage World and our customers. Your ideas are practical and very inspirational. We look forward to inviting Shannon back at a future date to another Member Webinar. To become an Inspirations Member and receive invitations to our webinars, join in your local store or online at hsw.com.au

Love your Laundry Webinar with Shannon Lush Info...

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