Thursday, June 24, 2010

How Many Washes Does It Take?

Kid C has a thing with my washing machine. He likes to watch it swish and swirl. He likes to watch the bubbles form. He likes to put things in it. What kind of things? Oh, so many kinds of things.

Here's a list of just a few:

Shoes
Socks
DVDs
Phone books
The entire content of the garbage can
Video Games
Toys
Four extra loads of dirty clothes, maybe five, depending on the day. Yes. All crammed in together. Nice huh?
Food, all kinds
Phones
Cat food
Litter
Dirt
Bleach
The cat (This one didn't work so well, and was just a one time thing.)
Manuscript pages
Picture books
Magazines
House plants
Hair accessories
Tools
and
Laundry soap

This post is mostly about the last item on the list. Laundry soap. Do you know how many times you have to rewash a batch of shirts if a small child dumps an entire bottle of liquid laundry soap into the machine? Well, let me tell you. I don't know, but it's a lot. I'm working on ten times right now, and the suds are still billowing out of the clothes like they have rabies. It's not a pretty sight.

Usually, I lock up the washing machine. I know it sounds strange, but hey, you try picking twenty-five pounds of clumping cat litter out of your pants and see if you don't grab the power drill and attach a padlock to your washer and dryer. I'm telling you, it would only take a few times and your house would go into lock down, too.

So what happened today? I thought, What the heck, live a little. Leave it unlocked. What's the worst that could happen? Yup. I'm brilliant and now, I'm paying the price. And what a bubbly price it is.

15 comments:

Jenilyn Collings said...

Wow, Leisha! I am in awe of your patience--I'd probably do something far more drastic than just attaching a lock. And to think that I was whining this morning about having seven loads to wash today. All I have to say it you are one amazing woman!

Hermana Maw said...

Jenilyn, naw, I'm just a little touched in the head. He he.

Stephanie said...

Speaking of touched in the head...I keep meaning to own up to the fact that there are now no less than four dragon picture hung on our walls. Turns out I'm helpless to resist the pull. *sigh* And here I was thinking we'd have boring "grown-up" art. ;) I knew you'd be one of the only ones who could properly "appreciate" my pain. :)

Hermana Maw said...

Stephanie, we can be touched in the head together, besides, dragons are cool. :)

Hermana Maw said...

Melissa, thanks and welcome! I'm glad you stopped by. Thanks for reading and for dropping a comment. I love getting to know everyone. :)

Amie said...

I think bubbly probably beats clumpy.

Anonymous said...

Holy cow! I can only imagine! When I accidentally use the medium-load amount of detergent for a small load, I end up with suds all over the clothes that I have to rinse again. I can only imagine how bad it would be if the kids dumped in the whole bottle! My sympathies, friend.

Heather Dixon said...

Hee hee...clothes with rabies

Mary E Campbell said...

It's funny what will fascinate kids. My son is fascinated with dumping things out. He likes to squeeze things out of bottles onto my living room floor. My carpet is a disgusting catch-all for ketchup, mustard, toothpaste, powder, laundry detergent, etc.

I almost put a padlock on my fridge, but he's growing out of that phase. Now he's fascinated by the computer. Wants to play puter all the time.

Hermana Maw said...

Amie, bubbly does beat clumpy. Any day.

Nikki, at least the basement smells all fresh and clean.

Heather, :) I liked the image, too.

Mary, yup, our fridge is pad locked, too. Such fun.

Pirate Princess said...

Facinating visuals... I'm still in love with the rabies line.

We had to lock down our washing room aka food storage room too - the boys (all 4 of them) destroyed carpet AND a mattress by mashing chocolate pudding and strawberry J-ello into said items. My husband, who according to my mother-in-law was a perfect child, thinks their all going to grow up to be vandals. Thank goodness their mom knows better!

Unknown said...

Leisha, if he does that again, poor some vegetable oil into the tub with the clothes to eat up the soap. The soap needs something to attach and break down to. Oil will do that. I have to put oil in dishwashers all the time to eat up suds. Hopefully you won't need this trick for the future, but you never know.

Hermana Maw said...

Thanks for the tip! I'm sure I'll be using it again. And again. And again.

Anonymous said...

Wow. The cat was in there? Poor kitty. Poor you! I'd do the same thing about padlocking. And then I'd padlock myself into a nice, comfy, padded cell while I was at it because you know it's the only way those kids are surviving. ;)

Hermana Maw said...

L.T., why do you think I was so happy about the lock on my office? LOL

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