Your closet is not a gym locker.... and other Towel tales

I really wish there were such a thing as Self-Laundering Clothing. I have to say that while I get a positive feeling from having clean clothes, from a fluffy stack of freshly-folded towels, and the colorful swirls of a basketful of clean underwear... I hate laundry. I hate that I have to gather it, carry it, sort it, wash it, dry it, fold it, hang it, carry it upstairs and cram it into drawers and closets. 98% of the time by MYSELF. I hate that I have to buy $14 family sized jugs of laundry detergent and fabric softener and that the lint trap is always being emptied into the garbage that is overflowing with lint. Ugh. We have so much laundry here, we could be FIVE people.

The husband was appalled when we first moved in together 5 years ago, at the thought of using a bath towel more than once before washing it again. Appalled. I tried to explain to him the concept that when you USE a bath towel you are freshly showered and AS CLEAN AS YOU CAN BE so there is not really towel contamination. When he was at home with mom, I know he grabbed a fresh towel from the shelf, and hung it on a towel hook, and the next time he came back, that towel had magically walked down to the washer, laundered itself, dried itself, refolded itself, and added itself to the pile of fresh folded towels on the shelf. So now in my house we go about a week (sometimes shorter, depending) with 1 set of 2 towels. At least I do. Husband isn't so clever- and to think I don't notice that he only uses the same towel twice. I am reminding myself right now that I will teach my sons the proper care of towels.

Firstly, he never excercises the proper hanging of a towel, so that when you return, it is dried and ready for re use. His method involves grasping the towel into a bundle, and lying the entire width of the towel bundled up over the towel hook. He has done this for so long that the paint is has peeled and is completely gone from the area where his towel hangs. Every day when he would leave for work, I would follow behind him, pick up his socks and boxers from theh floor behind the bathroom door, shut the shower curtain that he was trying to grow mold on, and re-hang his towels on the towel hook. After 5 years, I am really not so into that anymore. I figure that anyone should be able to handle their own towel hanging.

Another towel pet peeve- WET TOWELS in the hamper. No no!!! How many clothing items have been ruined by the bleeding of colors due to a wet towel? Not to mention, How wonderfully does a hamper smell when 1 week later, when you take it to the basement to sort laundry... there has been wet towel smooshed in the center all week? Ugh. I also hate the "multi-hang" when he hangs multiple (2-3) towels on the same towel hook. HOW IN THE WORLD do you think that will help?? tell me that. How will they dry sitting on top of each other?

And the other thing- DIRTY CLOTHES being put on the floor of your closet instead of the hamper. I tried and tried to break that habit, and my main explanation is that your closet is not a GYM LOCKER to be smelling like stinky socks and sweaty shorts. Gross! Why would you like your clean clothes and your dress shirts to smell like you just pulled them out of a gym locker? Not attractive! And the husband HAS good hygeine! It's unvbelievable that this could happen! Yet we go over this phenomenon of Closet does not equal locker about a ZILLLLLION times!

Oh, and I ran across this blog posting on the frequency of washing sheets and towels. I would say I wash sheets every two weeks. Sometimes sooner. But usually every other Sunday I strip the bed, and wash and change the quilt to, I have three quilts and a comforter that I cycle between. So that's the DOWN and DIRTY! What's your opinion?