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being the meanie again
Dec. 28th, 2003 03:16 pmI'm going to have to start enforcing the no-stinkiness-rule. I've been letting it slide because I dislike offending friends, but let's face it--I'm too damn sick to be able to afford massive reactions like this. Why should I LET my friends make ME ill? I shouldn't.
If you use scented laundry detergent and fabric softener and I can smell it from two feet away, you will not come in my house. Period. No overnight stays, either.
Some of my reactions are due to chemical toxicity, some of them are allergic in nature.
Some hints about doing laundry:
the less detergent you use, the better off you'll be. Really. a quarter of the recommended amount *WILL* get your clothes clean. what's more, if you don't use as much as the manufacturer recommends, you won't need fabric softener. if you normally use, say, Tide or Cheer, and you normally use the full amount, do an experiment for me--toss some towels (used or clean) into the washer without ANY soap or softener. start your normal wash cycle. open it up about halfway through the agitation cycle. you will see suds. you might see LOTS of suds. that's residual detergent. Ew, right? Sometimes, you'll see this after a SECOND rinse, to boot.
Fabric softener... this stuff is basically just lubricant. it leaves a layer of goo on your clothing so that your stuff *feels* smooth. why do so many people think they need it? well, because residual detergent left in textiles makes them feel stiff. so, instead of suggesting we use *less*, the manufacturers invented more chemicals to use. in reality, dirt and dust stick to this goo, so your clothing looks dirtier more quickly. you see where this is leading, right?
I use All Free&Clear. it's not safe for everyone and I don't use it on all of my stuff. I use about a splash per load. Sometimes I double rinse. Instead of using softener, I fill my fabric softener cup (part of my washing machine) with plain old grain-distilled white vinegar. vinegar helps ensure that all the soap residue is removed from the clothing. as for static--if clothing isn't overdried, it's not terribly staticky.
Other wash aids:
Washing Soda - this can help get gritty dirty stuff out of clothing
Borax - helps get rid of mildew and mustiness--great for loads of towels
Baking Soda - can be used instead of vinegar as a fabric softener
Salt - great for removing sweat smell
Dry milk - I use this to soak clothing or sheets which have been contaminated with fragrances. It works for most things, but not for Walmart Stink, nor for Febreze, which is EVIL. Sometimes I have to soak and rinse things several times before I get the stink of Tide out of sheets someone has used.
You know what else? My methods *work* AND they're far cheaper than buying even walmart brand stinky evil.
I'm willing to work with folks, really. If you absolutely want to come and cannot guarantee unstinkiness, I will provide you with clothing, provided you're close to our size. Or you can bring clothing in a plastic bag and toss it into our washer, where we will do our best to make it stench-less. You, yourself, will go straight to the shower, where you can scrub yourself with stuff we provide. Some of it is subtly fragranced with herbs and spices. Some of it is turpentine. I reserve that for open wounds. I can't be responsible for any aggressive behavior on my part if you enter my house reeking of something which will cause my brain to react in a way that makes me violent.
If you use scented laundry detergent and fabric softener and I can smell it from two feet away, you will not come in my house. Period. No overnight stays, either.
Some of my reactions are due to chemical toxicity, some of them are allergic in nature.
Some hints about doing laundry:
the less detergent you use, the better off you'll be. Really. a quarter of the recommended amount *WILL* get your clothes clean. what's more, if you don't use as much as the manufacturer recommends, you won't need fabric softener. if you normally use, say, Tide or Cheer, and you normally use the full amount, do an experiment for me--toss some towels (used or clean) into the washer without ANY soap or softener. start your normal wash cycle. open it up about halfway through the agitation cycle. you will see suds. you might see LOTS of suds. that's residual detergent. Ew, right? Sometimes, you'll see this after a SECOND rinse, to boot.
Fabric softener... this stuff is basically just lubricant. it leaves a layer of goo on your clothing so that your stuff *feels* smooth. why do so many people think they need it? well, because residual detergent left in textiles makes them feel stiff. so, instead of suggesting we use *less*, the manufacturers invented more chemicals to use. in reality, dirt and dust stick to this goo, so your clothing looks dirtier more quickly. you see where this is leading, right?
I use All Free&Clear. it's not safe for everyone and I don't use it on all of my stuff. I use about a splash per load. Sometimes I double rinse. Instead of using softener, I fill my fabric softener cup (part of my washing machine) with plain old grain-distilled white vinegar. vinegar helps ensure that all the soap residue is removed from the clothing. as for static--if clothing isn't overdried, it's not terribly staticky.
Other wash aids:
Washing Soda - this can help get gritty dirty stuff out of clothing
Borax - helps get rid of mildew and mustiness--great for loads of towels
Baking Soda - can be used instead of vinegar as a fabric softener
Salt - great for removing sweat smell
Dry milk - I use this to soak clothing or sheets which have been contaminated with fragrances. It works for most things, but not for Walmart Stink, nor for Febreze, which is EVIL. Sometimes I have to soak and rinse things several times before I get the stink of Tide out of sheets someone has used.
You know what else? My methods *work* AND they're far cheaper than buying even walmart brand stinky evil.
I'm willing to work with folks, really. If you absolutely want to come and cannot guarantee unstinkiness, I will provide you with clothing, provided you're close to our size. Or you can bring clothing in a plastic bag and toss it into our washer, where we will do our best to make it stench-less. You, yourself, will go straight to the shower, where you can scrub yourself with stuff we provide. Some of it is subtly fragranced with herbs and spices. Some of it is turpentine. I reserve that for open wounds. I can't be responsible for any aggressive behavior on my part if you enter my house reeking of something which will cause my brain to react in a way that makes me violent.
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