Dirty Laundry — by Guest Mom Kacy Faulconer
Monday used to be my laundry day. Even after I had two kids I could still do all the laundry on Monday with maybe one extra day to put it away. When we had Ben I thought the laundry would increase by 1/5, or possibly even 1/3—since we had three kids. I can’t figure out the math exactly but somehow the laundry went up exponentially and now I do laundry—lots—every day.
It’s actually one of my favorite chores. I love the smell of laundry. And I love special laundry products. I have been searching for many years for my signature laundry scent. When I was little I loved the smell of my best friend’s house. Even when they moved to a different house the good smell went with them. I finally asked what it was—Surf. I decided that when I grew up I would use Surf and my house would smell like Jenna’s.
I tried Surf.
It does smell good—but you get sick of it. It starts to sort of make me sick after a while. Jenna obviously kept an essential element of her good-house smell a secret because it was more than just Surf.
I’ve also tried Gain.
We have some friends who use this and their whole house smells like it. It is good-smellin’ and I love it. But I got the flu when I was using Gain and now I associate it with vomit. Plus, it smells kind of mannish.
Our other friends use Cheer.
The thing about Cheer is that it is too good for me. If you think you can pull it off, try it because it smells so good. As for me and my family—we’re a little more proletariat.
That’s why I like Tide. Tide with bleach is my signature laundry scent.
I love how it smells. It works for little boy clothes and little girl clothes AND grown man clothes and grown woman clothes. Keep that in mind when you are choosing a scent. Go ahead and splurge on Downy or Snuggle—just remember that your son in 4th grade has to wear those clothes to school too.
At any rate, I have made a major laundry decision. I have decided not to wash the clothes every time they are worn. You know how parenting magazines always offer tips like, “Don’t wear yourself out doing laundry. Decide what is ‘clean enough’ and let your kids wear their clothes more than one time before you wash them.” And how when you read that you always think, “The person who wrote this must be SUCH a scrounge!” Well, I give up on clean clothes. I’m taking their advice. I told my kids last night to hang up their pants at night if they didn’t look dirty instead of always throwing them into the hamper. They looked at me like I was a scrounge but I don’t care. This summer I’m teaching my 7 and 9 year olds to do their own laundry (as recommended in The Parenting Breakthrough) and they can become as fastidious as they like at that time. Wish me luck in my endeavor to re-define “clean” (as dirty).
It’s actually one of my favorite chores. I love the smell of laundry. And I love special laundry products. I have been searching for many years for my signature laundry scent. When I was little I loved the smell of my best friend’s house. Even when they moved to a different house the good smell went with them. I finally asked what it was—Surf. I decided that when I grew up I would use Surf and my house would smell like Jenna’s.
I tried Surf.
It does smell good—but you get sick of it. It starts to sort of make me sick after a while. Jenna obviously kept an essential element of her good-house smell a secret because it was more than just Surf.
I’ve also tried Gain.
We have some friends who use this and their whole house smells like it. It is good-smellin’ and I love it. But I got the flu when I was using Gain and now I associate it with vomit. Plus, it smells kind of mannish.
Our other friends use Cheer.
The thing about Cheer is that it is too good for me. If you think you can pull it off, try it because it smells so good. As for me and my family—we’re a little more proletariat.
That’s why I like Tide. Tide with bleach is my signature laundry scent.
I love how it smells. It works for little boy clothes and little girl clothes AND grown man clothes and grown woman clothes. Keep that in mind when you are choosing a scent. Go ahead and splurge on Downy or Snuggle—just remember that your son in 4th grade has to wear those clothes to school too.
At any rate, I have made a major laundry decision. I have decided not to wash the clothes every time they are worn. You know how parenting magazines always offer tips like, “Don’t wear yourself out doing laundry. Decide what is ‘clean enough’ and let your kids wear their clothes more than one time before you wash them.” And how when you read that you always think, “The person who wrote this must be SUCH a scrounge!” Well, I give up on clean clothes. I’m taking their advice. I told my kids last night to hang up their pants at night if they didn’t look dirty instead of always throwing them into the hamper. They looked at me like I was a scrounge but I don’t care. This summer I’m teaching my 7 and 9 year olds to do their own laundry (as recommended in The Parenting Breakthrough) and they can become as fastidious as they like at that time. Wish me luck in my endeavor to re-define “clean” (as dirty).
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Wednesday, December 06, 2006
12 Comments:
I love your posts! We are also a Tide family.
Tide must being doing something right, because we use it too. It's funny - I gave my daughter the "don't throw clothes that LOOK clean into the hamper" speech the day before yesterday. Throwing EVERYTHING into the hamper is her method of choice for "cleaning" her room.
I just remembered that in college we used to hang a dryer sheet on an air vent in our dorm room to cover the icky dorm-room smell. Classy.
We're a Tide w/bleach bunch too! Besides the lovely smell, it's also the only brand I've found that gets out all the stains (and boy do we have a lot of stains).
I've also started skipping the every wearing washings as well. I never thought I would be that way, but the 3 kids have pushed me and the laundry over the edge!
Tide Tide Tide. It is my fav! And my children haven't realized yet, that when they "clean" their rooms by throwing EVERYTHING in the hamper, THEY only have MORE to fold and put away when I do the laundry. I have just recently put my foot down on this subject because the hampers are ever overflowing! Honestly, where is this stuff coming from?
I have lost all my love for laundry scents by being pregnant and morning sick too many times. I have run out of options, so now I am a scent-free dye-free laundry soap woman. I know...totally boring!
Washing clothes that aren't really dirty is a waste of detergent, water, time, electricity and mommy energy! I'm glad you came to your senses! :o) And I consider Tide with Bleach upper class soap heehee!
I'm a Surf girl. I never get tired of it.
uh hmm, Kirtland Signature Detergent for me. (I think it smells and works like Tide. . . can I still be in the special club?) Our family's been practising the "clean enough-put-it-back-in-the-drawer-I-have-enough-laundry-and-I-know-you're-just-being-lazy" rule. So far, so slow. I have to tell them to go against their instincts on this one.
I love to mix things up. I am pretty much not loyal to any one brand in any one category of items anywhere in my house. Shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste, peanut butter. You name it. Every package is a new adventure. It keeps me entertained.
I've been doing the "wear it again if it's clean" thing for a couple years now. It must be done with three children! I find that the clothes last longer and the colors stay brighter with fewer trips through the washer. Each child has a top drawer that is set aside specifically for "already worn but look clean" things. That way I know the very clean and sort of clean are easily identifiable. I'm kind of a freak that way!
About the laundry detergent, I adore the smell of it too. I just can't commit to one kind. I'm always changing since after a while with one scent I can't smell it anymore! Currently we're enjoying All Small & Mighty Fresh Rain. LOVE those little bottles... very handy.
We were a Surf family before we moved to New York. But it doesn't seem to be available here (is it a regional thing?). So, like many other choices in my life, I leave it to the buyers at Costco to decide what's best for me and they have decided Tide with Bleach.
May I recommend the new Tide with Febreeze? It is truly delicious to the nose!
I remember when my mom instituted the laundry rule growing up. It was in reaction to the one-use bath towels that would clog up the laundry. We had to use them twice or three times before we were allowed to throw them in the wash. I practice the rule now as well. Clean enough!
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