Unanswerable Questions

Does anyone know why laundry and dirty dishes seem to self-generate? Do they breed in the dark? Is there something I should be feeding them or should I walk them every day to keep them trim, wet-nosed and shiny-coated?

And why must my daughter have an urgent need for a bathroom when we're halfway home from school -- every day? Could it be something about passing the bus station? or the Library? Is the Post Office a bladder activator?

Is there a reason my husband invariably chooses as his snack something I've prepared for supper? Does he have supper-preparation mind-reading capabilities I know nothing about? Isn't there some kind of E.S.P. disclosure clause in the marriage contract?

And why do I seem completely incapable of saying 'No' when someone from school approaches me with a project? Why am I not earning a paycheck from there?? I spend more time there than anywhere else I can think of. Even Walmart.

Does everyone think their own kids are the cutest in the world? Even when they're barfing or annoying each other or jockeying to be first in line for something? Even when they say things like "he got a bigger scoop of ice cream than I did! No fair!" Because I think that is just *precious.* Okay, not really.

Did I mention the laundry is piling up? And is there a reason why I repeat myself all the time? Could it have something to do with having to ask my kids to put on their shoes 5 times before school?? Did I mention the laundry is piling up?

-sigh-

I guess there are some answers no Mom is meant to discover. Even me. Or maybe especially me.

But if you have a compelling answer to any of these ridiculous questions, I'd love to hear from you. Truly.

In the meantime... did I mention the laundry is piling -- I did?

Oh.


- Midwest Mom

Laundry on the Line

Drying clothes on the line is one of my favorite things about a return to warmer weather. There is nothing like the look and feel of clothes and linens that have dried in the sunshine. And the smell -- oh, it's wonderful.

Sure, there are drawbacks -- like having to run out and gather in the clothes in a sudden downpour. (But secretly, I enjoy being out in a summer rain, so even that isn't so bad.)

Another drawback is the time it takes. I have a clothes-tree in an unused corner of the yard. It holds two loads, so that's my maximum number of loads in a given day. (Which means no more marathon laundry sessions? Remind me of the downside of that again??)

The positives are easy to list. Pinning up the clothes gives you time outdoors, it keeps you in tune with the sounds of the birds and the feel of the fresh breeze blowing through the trees. Sunshine is free, unlike the gas and electricity it takes to run my clothes dryer. The time it takes to line-dry my clothes gives me time to reflect and think deep thoughts, to watch the children playing in the yard, to be grateful.

Of course, I imagine there are those who prefer the feel of machine-dried clothes and smell of fabric softener to fresh air. If you're concerned that your jeans or towels might not be as soft if they're dried on the line, try tumbling your clothes for 5-10 minutes before hanging them out. They will dry wrinkle-free and gorgeous. Or, you can give them a short tumble in the dryer after you take them down from the line to help the fibers in your towels, for instance, soften up. Either way, you're saving energy and money.

At our place, the return of line-dried laundry is the return of summer simplicity. We bike to the store instead of driving. We spend our days outdoors. We swim at the pool instead of dragging ourselves out the door to school every day. We grill out and visit with our neighbors on the sidewalk as our children ride their bikes up and down the street. We pull fresh produce from the garden. Lazy, simple summer days.

It all starts with the warmer weather and the clothes line. Now I find I'm checking the calendar and starting the end-of-the-school-year countdown.

Those easy summer days can't come soon enough.

- Midwest Mom

Laundry Tip: Keeping White Clothes White

My mother taught me this trick when I was getting ready to have my first child. She used it for the infamous "diaper load". I was under the delusion that I was going to put my newborn in cloth diapers. (ha!)

After changing four outfits a day for the first week, I was blessed with a friend who told me that using cloth was environmentally equivalent to using disposable. (Thank you,
Arun D'Souza!) Did I check the science on that one? No! I just gratefully gave myself permission to switch.

In certain cases, my environmentalism is trumped by practicality.

So, if you are a mom who is using cloth diapers, my hat is off to you. If on the other hand, you have boys to keep track of (I have two) and those boys happen to go to a school that requires uniforms (particularly, white shirts), I have news. The same trick that works for diapers will keep those shirts looking like the day you bought them.

The trick is to use the temperature settings on your washer.
I'll explain.

My boys have found new and exciting ways to stain their clothing. During the first week of school, I have washed out grass stains, blood, mud, chocolate milk, pizza splat, cherry juice, Popsicle drippings, greasy hand-prints and ice cream.

You may wonder how this is possible.
They are boys. Anything is possible.

So, to do battle with their mess (at least the laundry mess) I start by treating their shirts as I sort the laundry. I use Shout Gel. It has a little brush on top to work the stain remover into the stains and it is thick enough to stay on the stain as the clothes get washed. I've tried other brands and even thinner versions of Shout. Trust me, get the gel.

I then put all the whites in the washer and wash them with just detergent (no bleach) in COLD water. Why start with cold? Protein stains, like blood, milk, or grass need cold water to work loose from the fibers of your clothes. If you wash in hot water before these stains are out, the heat will set the stain and make a permanent mark on the shirt.

When you hear your washer spinning out the cold water to start the rinse cycle, switch the heat setting to HOT and reset your washer back to the beginning of the wash cycle. Then pour your bleach into your washer's bleach cup, but use no more detergent. The hot water will get out any grease-based stains (i.e. pizza splat!) and the bleach will whiten the whole load.

I know this method uses an extra tub of water. But, if you're a parent washing school uniforms, it really is the way to go. And, according to my own mom, there's no better way to take care of those nasty cloth diapers, either.

Good luck with it!
Remember, we're in this together!

Midwest Mom