We have a system
at the herewegoagain house. For everything. Really. Some systems work (buying contractor bags for trash day has been wildly successful, if extremely pricey), and some don't (no one, but no one, really knows what to do about poop patrol). The one I myself am best at is laundry.
If you come to stay with us, and say, you are here about a week and say, you ask very politely if you "might do a load of laundry", you will be met by my gritted-teeth smile, and my many explanations as to why in fact, it might be better for you to travel with dirty clothes and/or visit the local laundramat. I've written about our water before. It's from a well 900 feet deep, which means it is unlikely that we will ever run OUT of it, but then again that is fairly unlikely because we tend to hate to actually USE it for anything. The water tends to be orange (yes, you read that right), stink like rotten eggs (sulfur...very good for you, they say) and be full of other nasty, clinging minerals like limestone deposits. We have spent more money on our "water situation" than other families do on vacations, retirement funds or um, eating. Yet, the fact remains that it is orange. Which is a problem for laundry.
I try to explain to people that I can wash DARK clothes, and I can wash WHITE clothes, but nothing in between. Light pink (Sweet girl's favorite color) along with any pastels (ditto) is a disaster waiting to happen. Unfortunately, the kids' soccer uniforms have really sporty white stripes. These run alongside very bright reds and blues. Yeah, I have to take the uniforms to friends' houses to "run a load while we have our tea". I'm the homeless laundry lady, traveling with my dirty clothes in the car, looking for a washer to throw them into.
But, back to my system. You who live in the modern age, just remember this when you are feeling gripey about your laundry situations. Remember that there are those of us out in the Hill Country of Texas who do the following to wash whites:
1) Run a tub with bleach in it.
2) Soak the whites. They will become orange, but other stains will go away
3) Try not to forget to catch the second rinse cycle (oh-so-easy to do, but then again, you intended to spend all day on one load of laundry, right?)
4) Pour Iron Out into the rinse water.
5) Watch the rust miraculously disappear
6) Shriek in horror as you realize your favorite grey T-shirt was in there. It is now NOT grey.
The Iron Out takes color out of the above-mentioned pinks, pastels, greens, greys and tans...so when they are rust-spotted, there is really nothing to do. It has made for some nice science experiments...for example, dark purple becomes grey-ish lilac when treated with rust-remover. Oh, and ugly.
The kids and I have learned not to become attached to clothes. If they do get attached, they have learned to wear them without washing for as long as humanly possible. This has even happened with Rowdy's favorite soccer shirt. Good thing he's not that stinky yet. Or maybe, EW! but I don't care--as long as I don't have to be the one to pull out the stained shirt from the washer and see his horrified face. Once, there was rust on Sweet Girls striped soccer shorts. I used gallon after gallon of bottled water and teaspoons of carefully applied rust remover to take that look off her face. At least, I have learned to dissuade visiting friends and family from doing laundry. They have learned to believe me after one experience with rust-spotted or completely orange light colored clothes. My cousin tried to put a smile on her face after I ruined her light blue shirt. After all the "treatments", it was now a beige. She said, a bit too brightly, "It's like getting a new shirt!". Only....not.
And I only buy dark green or dark blue towels these days. That, and wearing black, has helped my system. White is highly overrated anyway, and makes me look fat.
There is actually one really great thing about our laundry system out here in the country. We USED to have a system in town whereby I heavily starched mr. herewegoagain's dress shirts. Yes, I could offer a glass of water to someone with impunity, and yes I could soak in a tub and not feel like I was in a vat of orange juice, but I DID have to lead the Chinese laundry life. I actually boiled the starch, added it to the last rinse, pulled the shirts out wet and ironed them till they were stiff.
Now? I take them to the cleaners. See? It's not all bad.
If you come to stay with us, and say, you are here about a week and say, you ask very politely if you "might do a load of laundry", you will be met by my gritted-teeth smile, and my many explanations as to why in fact, it might be better for you to travel with dirty clothes and/or visit the local laundramat. I've written about our water before. It's from a well 900 feet deep, which means it is unlikely that we will ever run OUT of it, but then again that is fairly unlikely because we tend to hate to actually USE it for anything. The water tends to be orange (yes, you read that right), stink like rotten eggs (sulfur...very good for you, they say) and be full of other nasty, clinging minerals like limestone deposits. We have spent more money on our "water situation" than other families do on vacations, retirement funds or um, eating. Yet, the fact remains that it is orange. Which is a problem for laundry.
I try to explain to people that I can wash DARK clothes, and I can wash WHITE clothes, but nothing in between. Light pink (Sweet girl's favorite color) along with any pastels (ditto) is a disaster waiting to happen. Unfortunately, the kids' soccer uniforms have really sporty white stripes. These run alongside very bright reds and blues. Yeah, I have to take the uniforms to friends' houses to "run a load while we have our tea". I'm the homeless laundry lady, traveling with my dirty clothes in the car, looking for a washer to throw them into.
But, back to my system. You who live in the modern age, just remember this when you are feeling gripey about your laundry situations. Remember that there are those of us out in the Hill Country of Texas who do the following to wash whites:
1) Run a tub with bleach in it.
2) Soak the whites. They will become orange, but other stains will go away
3) Try not to forget to catch the second rinse cycle (oh-so-easy to do, but then again, you intended to spend all day on one load of laundry, right?)
4) Pour Iron Out into the rinse water.
5) Watch the rust miraculously disappear
6) Shriek in horror as you realize your favorite grey T-shirt was in there. It is now NOT grey.
The Iron Out takes color out of the above-mentioned pinks, pastels, greens, greys and tans...so when they are rust-spotted, there is really nothing to do. It has made for some nice science experiments...for example, dark purple becomes grey-ish lilac when treated with rust-remover. Oh, and ugly.
The kids and I have learned not to become attached to clothes. If they do get attached, they have learned to wear them without washing for as long as humanly possible. This has even happened with Rowdy's favorite soccer shirt. Good thing he's not that stinky yet. Or maybe, EW! but I don't care--as long as I don't have to be the one to pull out the stained shirt from the washer and see his horrified face. Once, there was rust on Sweet Girls striped soccer shorts. I used gallon after gallon of bottled water and teaspoons of carefully applied rust remover to take that look off her face. At least, I have learned to dissuade visiting friends and family from doing laundry. They have learned to believe me after one experience with rust-spotted or completely orange light colored clothes. My cousin tried to put a smile on her face after I ruined her light blue shirt. After all the "treatments", it was now a beige. She said, a bit too brightly, "It's like getting a new shirt!". Only....not.
And I only buy dark green or dark blue towels these days. That, and wearing black, has helped my system. White is highly overrated anyway, and makes me look fat.
There is actually one really great thing about our laundry system out here in the country. We USED to have a system in town whereby I heavily starched mr. herewegoagain's dress shirts. Yes, I could offer a glass of water to someone with impunity, and yes I could soak in a tub and not feel like I was in a vat of orange juice, but I DID have to lead the Chinese laundry life. I actually boiled the starch, added it to the last rinse, pulled the shirts out wet and ironed them till they were stiff.
Now? I take them to the cleaners. See? It's not all bad.
posted by herewegoagain at
4:31 PM
2 Comments:
But orange is my color! I look great in orange. :)
Funny story...I'm glad to find your blog.
By
Grafted Branch, at 11:09 PM
Well, it's just life in the country stuff. I like yours way more. But thanks! And...I'll get my tech guy to link to you. For ease of perusing and to add some class to my blog!
Thanks for visiting!
By
herewegoagain, at 12:12 AM
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