Carbon Credit Cocktail

It should be no surprise that my DH is of Italian decent (hence our last name).  His package of genes nicely includes dark and lovely toned, olive skin.  What I have come to learn in my 10 years of marriage to this man is that when someone has olive skin it is to mean that they secrete olive oil in their sleep.  Now that the honeymoon is over, I find this little bi-product rather vile, and unfortunately the haz-mat duty of clean up is all on my shoulders.

I am trying to live green over here, I take many steps, recycle and reuse like a champ, re-usable shopping bags, always, and many, many, many, many other laborious and thoughtful endeavors.  When it comes to washing the sheets from our marriage bed, however, I take a few many hits to my carbon footprint.

The sheets are washing right now and well, you kinda need a gas mask on to save yourself from the chemical fumes.  How I love summer when I can air dry the sheets on the line.  It is the most joyous coming of spring event.  If I were to attempt that today - they would freeze so it's inside drying for a few more months.

I have tried and tried enzyme cleaners, green detergents, stain soakers and all other sorts of mixtures - but in the end, my own special cocktail 'tis the only thing that works.  So here I go airing  my dirty laundry . . .

Recipe for the Olive Oil Soaked Bed Sheet Cocktail:

HOT Water (-3 carbon credits) If I had the time I would actually boil the water to get it extra hot . . . but alas water from the hot water heater must do.

Bleach and freaking lots of it (-6 carbon credits)

Biz - the most gruesome washing powder on the market - I use it only for the sheets and so far mixing it with bleach has not caused an explosion (-6 carbon credits)

Tide - Original Scent (-2 carbon credits)

Finally I soak them for at least two hours, mid-cycle once they have had some good time to agitate.  Usually this results in clean sheets.  Of note.  I learned years ago that it's only good quality white sheets for us.  Can't go a-bleaching all of those sweet prints and motifs.  They have to be good quality or else the chemical cocktail will destroy the fabric.  I like these from Garnet Hill - plus they respond fabulously to a good line dry.

So there you have it.  More confessions of naughty behavior and I promise to do my best to make up for it in thoughtful ways today, and tonight plan to have the sweetest dreams between crisp, clean sheets.

Comments

[Ellie]

giggle, giggle, laugh, laugh, GUFAW,GURAW,giggle!
Thank you for making me laugh about the everyday things in life!

[LizInScotland]

haz-mat..LOL
sweet dreams tonight in your fresh sheets :-)