Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/619995
DearMary:Iloveall of your washing machine tips, but can you guide us on how to use the cor- rect amount of detergent? I know you say small amounts, but can one tell by feel- ing the wa- ter? I hate to do a load with too little or too much, and it feels like a guess- ing game. I tried googling this, but the info was not helpful. You are such an ex- pert on these things that I thought you might have some additional tips — if you can bear the thought of another post about laun- dry, that is. Hugs to you for such fantastic work. — Your Anonymous Fan Dear A.F.: Great ques- tion. And yes, flattery did get your letter to the top of the pile so good job on that. Most of us use way too much laundry deter- gent, which can present all kinds of problems like skin irritation, grayish looking whites and stiff scratchy clothes and linens. What- ever amount of detergent you use, it must be com- pletely rinsed away for the results to be beautifully clean, whiter-than-white, brighter-than-bright colors, soft clothes and linens. Generally, (and I say that word because there are so many variables, which I'll touch on shortly) if you have soft water use 1 ta- blespoon (1/16 cup) of HE (high-efficiency) deter- gent per wash load. If you have hard water, use 2 ta- blespoons (1/8 cup), which begs the question "How do I know if my water is hard or soft?" Call your water company or go to its web- site to learn the grains of hardness per gallon (ex- pressed as "gpg") in your local water supply. Accord- ing to the Water Qual- ity Association, soft wa- ter: 0 — 3.5 grains per gal- lon (gpg); moderate: 3.5-7.0 gpg; hard: 7.0-10.5 gpg, and very hard: over 10.5 gpg. If your water is moderately hard and you want to be very precise, use 1.5 table- spoons of HE detergent per load. Another variable will be washing machine capacity. If it's a super-duper-jumbo size machine, you need to adjust the amount of deter- gent accordingly. Check the owner manual. Also, you may need to use more or less detergent if you're running a heavily soiled load (more) or a very small load (less). Above all, the most im- portant thing to consider when it comes to laundry detergent is whether or not the detergent gets com- pletely rinsed away before that load of laundry is fin- ished. I always add cup of white vinegar to the last rinse (I pour it into the liq- uid softener compartment so it gets released at the proper time). Vinegar helps to get rid of all of the de- tergent, leaving items soft and fluffy without the need of any softening products, which can present allergic- like rashes, skin irritations and even respiratory reac- tions in some people. The next time that you do a load of wash, take a washcloth out of the dryer when finished and put it in a warm dish of water. If the water remains clean, you have not used too much detergent. If water turns even slightly cloudy, it means that all of the de- tergent has not been re- moved; you're using too much detergent, If your whites have turned gray, that's a good indication that your wash- ing method has resulted in a build-up of left-in laun- dry detergent. If your towel comes out stiff and scratchy — you guessed it — too much detergent. Finding the exact amount of laundry deter- gent you need — given the hardness of your water, the size of your washing ma- chine and the size of the laundry load — may take experimentation. But once you discover what's right for you — and you are get- ting all of that detergent out of the clothes, too — I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised by the fantastic results. I don't think you'll find a better (or cheaper) HE laundry detergent than our homemade HE laundry de- tergent. It is concentrated, and 2 tablespoons (or less) per load produces fantas- tic results! Thanks for your kind words. They made my day. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Howtousejustthe right amount of laundry detergent Mary Hunt Beginning in 2016, pro- viders of minimum essen- tial coverage must report certain information to the IRS and to covered individ- uals about the individual's health coverage in 2015. Taxpayers will use this information, which will be provided on Form 1095-B, Health Coverage Informa- tion Return or Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Cover- age, when they file their tax returns to verify the months that they had minimum es- sential coverage and satis- fied the individual shared responsibility provision. The IRS will use the in- formation on the statements to verify the months of the individual's coverage. Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans are subject to infor- mation reporting require- ments, with respect to the self-insured group health plan coverage. This means employers of any workforce size that sponsor a self-in- sured group health plan must comply with these information reporting re- quirements. Anemployerthatisanap- plicablelargeemployermust use Form 1094-C, Transmit- tal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Re- turns, and Form 1095-C to report information for em- ployees who enrolled in the employer-sponsored self-in- sured health coverage. An employer that is not an applicable large employer should not file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C, but should in- stead file Forms 1094-B and 1095-B to report informa- tion for employees who en- rolled in the employer-spon- sored self-insured health coverage. The deadlines for report- ing about 2015 coverage are the same as those provided above: Feb. 29, 2016 for fil- ing this information with the IRS — or March 31, 2016 if filing electronically — and Feb. 1, 2016 for sending the form to the employee. Other providers of mini- mum essential coverage will file Form 1094-B, Transmit- tal of Health Coverage Infor- mation Returns, and Form 1095-B, Health Coverage In- formation Return, with the IRS. For entities that pro- vided minimum essential coverage in 2015, the dead- line is Feb. 29, 2016 — or March 31, 2016 if filing elec- tronically. The Form 1095-B must contain the name and tax- payer identification num- bers for each covered indi- vidual. It must also include the months that each cov- ered individual was enrolled in coverage and entitled to receive benefits for at least one day of that month. Coverage providers also must send the Form 1095-B to the person identified as the responsible individual on the form. The responsi- ble individual generally is the person who enrolls one or more individuals, which may include him or herself, in minimum essential cover- age. For 2015 coverage, the deadline for providing this form to individuals is Feb. 1, 2016. For more about the infor- mation reporting require- ments for coverage provid- ers, including self-insured employers, see our Ques- tions and Answers on IRS. gov/aca. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Providers must report information to the IRS 4-H CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO Donald Conner of Plum Valley 4-H Club learns about the collection of prestigious awards given to our American heroes of our history. Three members of the Tehama County's Univer- sity of California Agri- culture and Natural Re- sources, the 4-H Youth De- velopment Program were provided the opportunity to attend AMVETS Spirit of America Youth Confer- ence in Valley Forge, Penn- sylvania through sponsor- ship of the AMVETS Post 2002 of Corning. Dartagnan Kingwell, of Olive 4-H Club, Donald Conner, of Plum Valley 4-H Club, and Travis Brunelle, of Corning 4-H Club rep- resented Tehama County, learning about American rights and responsibilities and honor acts of civic vir- tue. The group toured Valley Forge where they were able to climb in the chimney of one of the houses and lay on one of the bunks in the barracks. They toured Philadelphia and Indepen- dence Hall, seeing the Lib- erty Bell. The group took part in a mock congress where they had to reword the Amend- ments of the Constitution so that they are better un- derstood in today's lan- guage. They also met a gentle- man whose father received the Medal of Honor and see others who have been awarded. A huge thank you to the AMVETS Post 2002 of Corning, for providing an opportunity for the coun- ty's youth to grow as lead- ers and active citizens in the community. For more than 30 years, AMVETS has worked in partnership with the Free- doms Foundation at Val- ley Forge to deliver qual- ity educational programs to youth and educators. These programs focus on adherence to the nation's founding democratic prin- ciples, building a patriotic citizenry and advancing active civic engagement. The University of Cal- ifornia 4-H Youth Devel- opment Program engages youth in reaching their fullest potential while ad- vancing the field of youth development. For more information, call Allison Tucker at 527- 3101 or write to altucker@ ucanr.edu. Th re e mem be rs a tt en di ng a Freedoms Foundation conference COURTESY PHOTO Dartagnan Kingwell of Olive 4-H Club at the Liberty Bell. A huge thank you to the AMVETS Post 2002 of Corning... 401WalnutSt.,RedBluff• 527-4636 Hours:9amto6pm withanygiftpurchase Christmas Ornaments and Decorations Gifts For Everyone Questions about your medications? Talk to our newest pharmacist - Bianca C hristmas is a time for giving . . . but it is also a time for receiving. There is so much to receive, for our God has graciously opened His heart. God has seen our greatest need and so He gives. The very heart of the Christmas Gospel has to do with the open heart of a generous God, who "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who trusts in Him should not perish but have eternal life." God grant you and your loved ones an unhurried Christmas; one in which you might ponder His Gift of love. From your friends at Mt. Olive Lutheran at 341 Solano St. in Corning and St. Paul Lutheran at 455 Jefferson Ave. Red Bluff!! Please accept our invitation to join us for a service of Christmas Carols and Candlelight on December 24th 7:00 PM at Mt. Olive and 10:00 PM at St. Paul. For info call (530) 527-3414 Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 1/31/16 With coupon Reg. $13.95 645AntelopeBlvd.Su#10 530-330-1096 We've Moved Reformer Pilates and Tabata Bootcamp to frontier village Limitedopeningsin GiveTheGiftOf Hea lth And Fitness (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff Holiday Special $25.00 Come in for details Gift Certificates Available Enrollment, Plan Changes, Income & Subsidy Modifications 805 Walnut Street CornerofWalnut&Jackson Red Bluff 530-840-6611 Lic# OK13422 ENROLLMENT Service Assistance CertifiedInsuranceAgent 413WalnutStreet•530-528-8000 Sat.-Mon. 10am-4pm • Tues-Fri 10am-5:30pm Se Habla Español www.redbluffgoldexchange.com www.angelsamongusall.com ServingOurCommunityForOver21Years TheGoldExchange is your Christmas Gift headquarters LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 24, 2015 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4