Ace Ultra for Whites - The Review #AceIt

I've been testing the new Ace Ultra for Whites AND I have to be honest, I didn't actually have much faith that it could clean a mucky, smelly 12yr old boy's school shirt (soz Carson!) nor a messy-play covered 6yr old's SEN school polo shirt.  Yeah, sure, brightening up my work blouses or the husbands plain t-shirts but school clothes were a whole new dilemma. 



How to use.


I poured this into the fabric softener drawer instead of softener, as per the instructions. If you are wanting to use softener as well, make sure this goes into the pre-wash area rather than in the detergent compartment. For major stains, you can pre-treat if required which is handy to know.


The Before.


The less said about this mess the better ha!

Finley's polo shirt has felt tip marks, paint, bits of food, you name it. Carson's, I mean really... what on earth is with those cuffs? And it honks! 


The 12 year old boy's shirt 

The 6 year old boy's polo


The Claims.


It promises to be gentle on delicate clothes and is formulated to help brighten dull whites, whilst treating stains. It does contain bleach so literally only use this on whites. You can't say I've not warned you! Containing bleach though also means that your clothes don't only just smell clean, but they actually are clean as bacteria and viruses are specifically targeted.


Initial Reaction


Speaking of smelling clean, I didn't like how it made my house smell when the clothes were drying on the radiators. I couldn't smell the floral scent it claimed to have, rather just bleach. Granted, most people have airers or tumble driers but we don't, and needs must when it comes to getting 4-5 washes worth of clothes and bedding dry quickly in any one given day! So, you might not get that bleach smell when drying your own clothes after being washed in Ace Ultra for Whites. I couldn't not comment on it though considering this is a completely honest review. 


HOWEVER, when my whites had completely dried all I could smell was that fresh crisp clean cotton smell which was such a relief and a real pleasant surprise. To be absolutely honest, considering Finley's ASD and sensory processing disorder along with Carson's new-found obsession with aftershave, we preferred Ace's clean fresh smelling results. It is actually better than clothes being perfumed with softeners for these 2 lads. Winner!  


The Results.


Finley's polo is like new.  I mean literally. It's the brightest its been since taking the labels off in September and where those felt tip and paint marks have gone. Blown away by that result. Remarkable. 

Before and after on a polo top

Carson's no longer smells of BO, old deodorant or aftershave... and check out those cuffs. I would say 95% of that gross grime has been completely eradicated. Seriously like, just look.  And this is after just one, quick, 28 minute wash on a 30C wash. 

Before and after on a shirt


Where to buy.


Morrisons 


Summary.


I give this a 4.5 / 5. The only thing I can find to mark this down on is my inability to fit a dryer in my kitchen, meaning radiator drying have a bleach smell in the house. I'm not even sure if that's fair to mark down on! 

Got kids?  Get this. 

Make-up on your work shirt? Get this. 

Deodorant stains? Get this. 

Dull or greying sheets or delicates? Seriously, get this. 

Big hit for us! 


This post is an entry for the #Aceit Challenge, sponsored by Ace. Get ideas in how to wash whites, treat stains and laundry like a boss with tips from the ACE site


Why You Don't Have To Move When You Want Kids

 

This Image Is From Pexels - CC0 Licence


Soooo you love your home, but you want kids... Unfortunately, it just doesn't feel big enough to raise children in your current flat or house, so you start searching for new places. A big percentage of parents-to-be do this as soon as they find out they're pregnant, which means you're not alone. Although the initial buzz of moving is exciting, it doesn't mean you're doing the right thing. In many ways, you could be rushing into something you assume is the correct move when, in fact, staying put would be beneficial.


How do you tell what the best option is? Check out these reasons not to move when you want children.


House Prices


If you thought the pandemic might have slowed the housing market, you were mistaken. According to forecasts, the market has grown since the end of the summer, even if only by a small amount. Throw into the mix the average cost of having a baby - £74,333 in the UK for a child up to eighteen - and the fact your job could be less secure, and it might not be the smartest time to up sticks and leave to a new property at the moment.


Space Savers


What's the main reason you feel as if you must move? It's the lack of space. Attempting to raise a kid in a property that's barely big enough for two is a daunting task. However, when your resources are limited, moving isn't always an option. Plus, it's amazing how much space you can save if you're creative. There are tonnes of ways to make your home less cluttered, from kids bunk beds to multipurpose furniture. Let's face it - new furniture is cheaper than a new mortgage!


The Stress


Moving is a stressful experience for all the family. Whether it's you or your child, you're bound to suffer from high cortisol levels. For pregnant women, this is incredibly dangerous as you need to be as relaxed and calm as possible to ensure your unborn baby's health. Therefore, moving before giving birth could be an unnecessary gamble. This is particularly true if you can manage to get by until you have the funds to move and the right mindset. There are ways to limit the exposure if you already have children, yet you won't eliminate all the drama.


The Nesting Instinct


The "nesting instinct" is a scientific theory that pregnant women require control over their environment. Without it, it might be harder to get through pregnancy and labour trauma because you don't feel as if you are in charge. Research suggests the behaviour is tough to stop as it's genetic, making it almost impossible to curb. Therefore, it's smarter to be in an environment you understand and trust, such as your current home, since it'll make you feel safer and more secure.


Moving is a necessary evil for many parents. However, there are several reasons to stay put, including not having the money and avoiding needless stress.


This is a collaborative post.

Reorganising Your Household Budget During Difficult Times

A lot of people are struggling at the moment financially, partly because of a period of downturn caused by the fallout from the pandemic. It looks as though things are not going to turn around again for many years to come, so that means that we have a lot of potential uncertainty ahead of us as individuals and as a society. With that in mind, there might be many times when you need to reorganise or reappraise your household budget, to ensure that it is as strong and secure as it should be. When you need to do that, there are a few things you will want to bear in mind.


Image Credit - CCO Licence


When To Change Your Budget


One of the most important things that you need to know is when you should actually change your household budget in the first place, and when you should simply leave it alone. While there is no one rule that applies to everyone at all times, you should be aware of some basic signs that you can look out for. These signs are likely to indicate that you should change your budget as soon as possible, to help avoid getting into any serious trouble financially.


One of the most common signs is that you are starting to eat through your savings. If you are doing this, it can be tempting to think that it will probably be okay for a while yet. But if you act now, before things get worse, you could actually be in a much better position overall, and perhaps even stop things from developing into a much more dire situation. So the moment you notice yourself dipping into savings for things which you would normally have paid for outright, you should ask yourself whether it’s time to look at your budget again.


Alternatively, you might have noticed that you simply have less expendable cash at the end of the month. If this seems to be getting less and less each month, it could indicate that there is a leakage somewhere, and that is something you will want to patch up as soon as possible. Or you might simply be expecting a big change, or had one happen to you recently, in which case you should consider whether you are going to want to make a change now. As long as you keep your wits about you, you are more likely to change your budget at the right time.


Image Credit - CCO Licence


The Number One Concern


As you do start to reorganise your budget, there is one thing in particular that you are going to want to focus on, and that is reducing your spending. Keeping your spending low is the main point of a budget, so as long as you are doing that you should find that you are doing the right thing. Everything that you will change is likely going to be associated in some way, directly or indirectly, to that act of keeping your spending as low as possible.


With that in mind, one of the first steps you should take will be looking into where you are overspending, and what you can do about reducing it as best as you can. How can you tell if something is an overspend? Mostly, this is a matter of instinct, but it is a glaring sign if it happens to be something that is particularly inessential, for instance, or something which has no bearing on your life. Cutting those out first is always a good step to take.


Beyond that, you just need to make sure that the budget makes sense, and that it is operating in the way you need it to.



Getting The Essentials Down


After you have looked into that, you can start thinking about what the essentials are that you simply can’t strip out of your budget. This would generally include items such as housing costs - rent or mortgage, and utilities - and food, as well as educational costs for your children and transport for you to get to work and so on. It is always worth thinking outside of the box when you are looking at your list of essentials - with the right frame of mind, you might be able to determine whether something you considered essential might actually be avoidable, or changeable in some way. Often that can make a profound difference to how much money you can save.


Image Credit - CCO Licence


Bringing In More Money


Of course, the single best way to make a household budget easier is to introduce more money into the equation in the first place. But if everyone could simply increase their income at will, that would make all of this irrelevant. You can’t wave a magic wand, but you should consider whether there might be things you can do to improve your income status. That might include getting homeowner loans, if applicable, or it could simply be a case of working longer hours. In some cases, you might be able to ask for a raise. Whatever options are open to you personally, be sure to exhaust them when you need to look at your budget, as it could make all the difference.



Sticking To The New Budget


Once you have worked out your new family household budget, you then need to make sure that you are actually going to stick to it. If you fail to do that, it’s as good as not having a budget, so that is something that you are going to want to think about. Sticking to your new budget might be easier if you remind yourself about the consequences of not doing so, which in many cases could be quite extreme. Do that, and you should find it much easier to stick to it, and to keep your family from being in financial trouble at any time in the near future.


These tips should enable you to reorganise your household budget in no time, so make sure that you are considering them each in turn. You should have a new budget in no time.


Good luck!


This is a collaborative post 

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