All posts tagged: washing

During Pride Month, “Rainbow Washing” Isn’t Enough

During Pride Month, “Rainbow Washing” Isn’t Enough

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s June, and many cafes, bars, shops, restaurants, schools and other businesses, including therapy spaces, are awash with multicoloured flags and banners in overt displays of solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) communities. Or so they claim. June is Pride month, and an important reminder, if one were needed, to acknowledge diversity and celebrate and welcome all members of our communities. But many corporations seem guilty of what has become known as “rainbow-washing” in June when, for the rest of the year, they’re ambivalent at best and un-LGBTQ-friendly at worst. I am a year-round LGBTQ+ and TNBGQ (transgender, nonbinary, gender questioning) ally and advocate. I display Pride and straight ally flags in my therapy room and in the office where I conduct online meetings. There are books on the shelves of my therapy room about gender and sexual diversity suitable for readers of different ages and ethnicities, which are visible to all clients, all the time. I display the straight ally flag in visual marketing on my business cards and website, as well …

Why so many carcasses are washing up on Pacific shores

Why so many carcasses are washing up on Pacific shores

Published by Sam Flores

While they are in the Arctic, the whales typically feed for four to six months, Stewart said. Then, for the next six to eight months, they largely fast. That means the Arctic feeding grounds are their most important source of food. Why food is less available in the region is complex, and scientists are still untangling it. What they know, according to Stewart, is that the system used to work like this: Algae would grow on the bottom of sea ice, then fall to the seafloor as the sea ice melted. The algae would dissolve and fertilize a productive seafloor, feeding amphipods in the sediment. Whales would suck up the dirt and find the nutritious critters inside. Now, researchers think sea ice is melting earlier in the year, allowing sunlight to reach the water column earlier. That promotes the growth of phytoplankton and other species, which take in some of the nutrients that used to reach the seafloor. Scientists think that is reducing the overall amount of prey available to the whales. For gray whales, …

Washing machines ‘sparkle’ and ‘smell fresh’ if you add 2 cheap items

Washing machines ‘sparkle’ and ‘smell fresh’ if you add 2 cheap items

Published by Sam Flores

People say the two-item hack makes their machine smell great (stock image) (Image: Getty) A homeowner has impressed thousands with her straightforward washing-machine-cleaning trick that requires only two items. Lifestyle blogger Kerry, known on TikTok as Kerriemariehome, shared her “quick and easy” technique, which costs ‘very little’. The video commences with Kerry holding two halves of a lemon, onto which she squeezes a dollop of toothpaste. She then tosses them into the washing machine and initiates a rinse cycle. “I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out,” she states in the clip. “For a quick and easy washing machine clean, just cut a lemon in half, add toothpaste, and throw it into your washing machine to eliminate odours and leave your washing machine absolutely sparkling.” In the caption, Kerry added: “Does your washing machine smell? Use this quick hack – toss lemon halves into your empty washer and run the washer on speed wash with very hot water. After the cycle is finished, you have a fresh-smelling washer – and for very little cost.” …

Thousands of dead puffins are washing up on Europe’s beaches – why it’s been such a dangerous winter for seabirds

Thousands of dead puffins are washing up on Europe’s beaches – why it’s been such a dangerous winter for seabirds

Published by skeptic

February 2026 has seen thousands of dead seabirds washing up along the coastlines of the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. There’s evidence that these “wrecks” (where large numbers of seabirds are found along beaches) are becoming increasingly common because of climate change. Worse still, these dead birds – including Atlantic puffins and European shags – only tell a fraction of the story. Many more are likely to have been lost out in the stormy open ocean. Even as someone who has dedicated the last decade of my life to researching seabirds, I have found myself beginning to feel desensitised to the increasingly regular news of these dead birds found in great numbers. Current estimates are high: over 20,000 birds swept up along beaches in France alone since mid January. Seabirds’ bodies are also being found on beaches along the the North Sea, off the southern coast of Ireland and the Bay of Biscay. Although increasing temperatures are perhaps the most well-known consequence of human-induced climate change, increased storm frequencies and intensities are another critical symptom. …

Money Problem: ‘My washing machine has eaten £1,000 of clothes’ | Money News

Money Problem: ‘My washing machine has eaten £1,000 of clothes’ | Money News

Published by Sam Flores

Every week, the Money team answers a reader’s financial problem or consumer dispute – you can email yours to moneyblog@sky.uk. Today’s is… I have a Grundig washer/dryer, which I’ve owned from new. Around two years into its three-year warranty, the machine failed, burning and shrivelling a full load of clothes. This was fixed under warranty. The engineer was advised the fault was with a thermostat and that the machine was tested and all good to use again. To my shock, the machine burnt and shrivelled the next load of clothes too. A second engineer visited and said the fault was due to the fascia sticking, meaning buttons were being pressed during the cycle through vibrations. He said it was fixed, checked for no further faults, tested and good to go. Not long after, you guessed it… the machine burnt and shrivelled a load of clothes again. The engineer took the machine apart and found faulty wiring within the unit, saying it was a miracle the machine hadn’t faulted sooner. Only the third engineer took the …

The best washing machines for fresh, clean clothes

The best washing machines for fresh, clean clothes

Published by Sam Flores

Which is the best washing machine to buy? It’s important to choose well. The right washing machine or washer-dryer will make laundry less of a chore, keep your clothes smelling fresh and help lower your electricity bill, which is more important than ever in the current climate. (For another way to make laundry easier, read our guide to the best heated clothes airers.) But what should you look for? We asked the experts. “The first thing I would say is buy cheap, buy twice,” says washing machine repair engineer Stephen Neale, also known by his moniker the Spin Doctor. “If I go to repair a machine and I can’t fix it for whatever reason, I tell customers to go for a high-end brand but a mid-range model, as the most expensive ones have features you won’t end up using, but you’d be lucky to get five years out of the cheap brands.” Lauren Clark, large appliances expert at AO, agrees that the main advantage of top-of-the-range washing machines is smart tech: “They have Wi-Fi connection …

My washing machine tells me when it’s done — thanks to this sensor

My washing machine tells me when it’s done — thanks to this $20 sensor

Published by skeptic

I bought my first home in 2024, and since that time, my wife and I have spent a lot of time modernizing and refurbishing this 1940s abode. It was a fixer-upper in every regard, and a lot of work was needed. But one particular part of the house has been the bane of our existence — the basement. It’s moderately creepy down there, without a doubt, but something we have little to no control over makes doing laundry more difficult than most would imagine. My wife is only 30, but suffers from something called ankylosing spondylitis, which is an inflammatory arthritis that makes her incredibly stiff and sore. Seeing as our washer and dryer are downstairs, fewer trips up and down the stairs to see if they’re done is a necessity. That’s where these vibration sensors come in clutch. Happy wife, happy life, I suppose! The setup was the hardest part, by far Maybe I should learn how to read before I tackle a project In eager “helpful husband mode,” I decided that I needed …