I'm not sure how inspiring a tale about laundry detergent can be, but it was pretty inspiring to me, let me tell you.
This summer when I was thinking about my Fall wardrobe - yes, I think like that, must be the training in Fashion Design - I decided that I was ready to add more classics to my wardrobe. Pieces I could just pull out and throw together and they would always look right. So began the quest for the perfect white shirt. I found it at Brooks Brothers. Actually I found two. And they gave me a deal for buying 2 so I didn't feel all that guilty. Not that I EVER feel all that guilty when I shop.
I wore the button down version a total of two times, but since I only had it on about an hour each time, it still looked so fresh I just hung it back up. I took it out to wear this weekend and thus began the crying and the gnashing of teeth!
There were 5 small blood stains on the back. How did you get blood on the back of your shirt you may ask. Were you involved in a street fight? Is the DC sniper back? (No, he's safely in jail.)Here is the embarassing part of this story. I have had a rash on my arms and back for 5 weeks. Yes, you read that right. FIVE WEEKS! I usually tell people I have hives (this is on a need to know basis) because that seems more socially acceptable. I am so itchy that it is unbearable. And I have scratched my arms so badly they have bled but I didn't know I had done it to my back!
Have you every tried to get a (dried) blood stain out in the laundry? It is not easy. I have 3 kids who all played sports, so I have had a lot of experience. I sprayed the shirt with some kind of Oxy pretreat, then washed it in cold water in Arm & Hammer with Oxy Clean. Boo hoo, stains were still there.
Not one to be outdone by a Brooks Brothers shirt, I took the damp shirt, poured some more of the detergent directly on the stains and left it on top of the washer, where I promptly forgot about it for about 12 hours!
And here is the happy ending: when I washed the shirt the second time, all the stains came out. Not even a ghost of a stain. Not a hint or a whisper. It's a Christmas miracle! I am going to wear my shirt to the dentist today for good luck!
