So Fresh and So Clean Part II

I have a confession to make.  I only just started to use bleach in my wash last May.  I've been out on my own and doing my own laundry since 2005.  That's a long time.  I figure my lack of bleach started with how I learned to laundry.  It was my freshman year at UCSD and I was living it up in the dorms.  Ha, why live at home a mere 20 minutes away when I spend loads and loads of money living on campus.  Here is where I first learned how to do laundry.  It was spring quarter (yes, I was taking home my laundry every other weekend *hangs head in shame).  So my suite mates showed me the ropes of the washing machine and dryer.  I was doing laundry on my own!  Settings were cold/cold or cold/warm, but it was definitely cold.  And everything was washed together.  There would be no segregation in my laundry.  I didn't want bleeding or shrinking (not even sure if this is true or not).  So that's how I did laundry.  Then an much needed shaming by my mom and aunt.

My great grandmother had just passed away in May.  I was to bring white dress shirts (for my mother and me) for the funeral.  I packed 3 shirts with me and when my mom saw them.  She gasped in horror.  Those aren't white.  What have you been doing stupid daughter of mine?  Don't you use bleach, haven't I taught you anything?  So my mom took away the offending shirts and washed them, this time in bleach.  There was a slight improvement.  So one of the lessons I went home with was to start separating my wash.

So when the week after I got home, I set out to my laundry.  I separated our clothes and I was astonished at the small amount of whites we had.  I thought I'm gonna waste a whole load of laundry on this teeny pile.  Pssshhhh. Then my mom's voice popped into my head and I had no choice.  So in went the white, the laundry detergent and the bleach.  The outcome was amazing.  We have 4 huge "white" bath towels we use for showers.  We use two a week and rotate.  I just so happened to put the two washed with bleach and the other two next to each other and what I saw was AH-MAZING.  I was sold on bleach.  This stuff is great.  Why did no one tell me sooner?!?!

I know a fascinating story about laundry and bleach.  Definitely living up to my blog name.