A call came through today that is prompting this seasonal word of advice. Long-time lifestinks® user Michelle retrieved a treasured silk blouse from the bottom of the laundry hamper where it had resided unlaundered (or dry cleaned) for many months and her pits were ruined! Of course, in her anger, she lashed out at the Duggan Sisters and while we feel her pain, and the pain of every gal (or guy, for that matter) who has made the same mistake and suffered the same bitter consequences, there ain’t a whole lot we can do. We remain your best chance for stain free clothing; but we cannot stand up to the cavalcade of consequences present in this all too common ocurrence.
Folks, this blouse had clearly been dry-cleaned any number of times. One of the many reasons, and there are many health-based reasons, we can’t stand dry cleaning is that you are never really rid of the chemical residue the dry cleaning process creates. Clothes need to be laundered in a timely fashion, to remove not only sweat and our deodorant, but all the other toxins released, such as: prescription drug reactions, perfumes and body lotions, and environmental pollutants present in the very air we breathe and move around in.
This particularly lovely blouse was made from iridescent silk and I bet it was a showstopper or this lovely lady would not have grieved the loss so deeply. The Duggan Sisters, who publicly appear most commonly in duds of the cotton and dowdy variety, are, in fact, big fans of silk and opt whenever possible for the washable kind. We have successfully laundered our sweat and our deodorant from these silky pits for years. And we could not have said that during our years of using commercial deodorants and losing plenty of clothing to pit stains. However, today when Clare and I were commiserating about Michelle’s unfortunate but avoidable blouse death, Annie came clean to us and admitted to having made a similar mistake with a silk knit tee shirt that she abandoned to the bottom of the laundry basket for some four months last year. Needless to say, one of Annie’s favorite expressions is “Common sense is not common!” Clare and I did our best to NOT repeat Annie’s all-time favorite phrase – in her presence, that is.
Folks, fabric can’t stand up to the ravages of TIME, sweat, deodorant (even ours) and dry cleaning chemical residue in lethal combination. Our little deodorant does a great job keeping you dry and odor free without staining your clothing, but it’s not a miracle worker. Heed the warning now as we change seasons and wardrobe. Moths are not our only enemies. Deep laundry baskets must also remain on the hit list.
