Appreciation--Part III

Twenty-five  years ago, my first rental unit had no shower.  Many people thought this was awful.  Not me.  For five years I lived with taking baths in a cast iron clawfoot tub.  It was deep and comfortable and I would soak and read.  As the water started to cool, I took my toes and turned the hot water on for a few minutes.  I could do that two or three times before the water was too cold to stay in any longer.  I loved bubble baths or scented bath oils.  Shaving my legs was almost a pleasure, it was so easy and convenient.  And the tub was surprisingly easy to clean.

Similar to what I had all those years ago.

At my parents’ house, I still occasionally took baths, although I couldn’t lounge in them like I had in my clawfoot tub.  When I got chicken pox at the ripe old age of 31, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I couldn’t have soaked in a tub of Aveeno Oatmeal Treatment.

When my father decided it was time to get a new tub, my mother and I convinced him to get a deeper tub than standard.  He did, except that it was also narrower.  It wasn’t a problem at first.  But when I moved back in with them after I sold my condo, I discovered it wasn’t comfortable any more.  I can’t imagine why.  I mean I’m pretty certain that tubs don’t shrink.

So for the past 13 years, I’ve mostly taken showers.  I think I took a bath maybe three times during that time.  But the tub was available.  How else do you wash a dog when there is no utility sink or a wash tub?  And I don’t know about you, but I used the edge of the tub for lots of things.  For instance, there has almost always been a cat that liked to sit on the edge of the tub while I showered.  It’s also where I put each foot to shave my legs and then again to dry them when I was done.

Now I have no choice.  Just a shower stall.  And not a good sized stall either.  When I first saw it, I was worried I’d get claustrophobia in there!  I don’t, thank God, but it’s a close thing!  I did, however, bleach it thoroughly before I used it.  I don’t know how many back ends brushed against the sides of the stall!

When the weather started getting warmer, one thing became apparent.  Shaving my legs in that stall was going to be difficult, if not downright impossible.  Even if there was a ledge in there to put my foot on, there wouldn’t be enough room to do so!

First, I tried to shave just putting my back to the water.  No good.  The shave cream was gone before I got more than one stroke done.  Next, I turned the water off.  Okay, that worked—until I turned the water back on to rinse and it came on cold!  Brrrr!  The third time, I turned the shower head until it was mostly off.  With just a trickle coming down, I started shaving.  I didn’t even get one leg done when I realized that the trickle of water was getting hot.  More than hot.  It scalded me!  I have a shower head that I can lift off and rinse everywhere, so the next time, I tried turning the head to the trickle and leave it hanging down.  Nearly scalded my calf and, when I went to grab it to turn the water on full, certain other more sensitive areas were almost burned!

The last few times, I shaved with no shave cream and then slathered really thick body lotion all over my poor abused legs.  My skin is already very dry just from getting older.  *sigh*  Add to that, this hard water is very tough on my skin.  It took me a few showers to figure out that it was the hard water making my knees look like a dried up old creek bed.  Now I’m scraping a razor over them without benefit of a soothing shave cream.  Or even a cheap shave cream.  The lotion I dug out is the thick lotion I usually use on my feet in the winter.  Although nothing with urea in it!

I’m considering getting a good electric razor.  Do they make such a thing?  With technological advances, electric shavers should be better than a razor!

Panasonic Close Curves

But, in the end, anything I do for my legs, isn’t going to give Khai a place to sit while I take a shower.  Sitting on the floor just isn’t the same, I guess.  Poor kitty!

Appreciation—Part II

“The best time to plan a book is while you are doing the dishes.”—Agatha Christie

Ms. Christie did not have dishwashing appliances in her time. I never really minded washing dishes by hand.  But then, for more than 20 years, I had a dishwasher and only had to wash whatever was left when the dishwasher was full or stuff too big for the dishwasher.  You don’t realize how you come to take that for granted.

With my foray into a world where appliances are in short supply, the dishwasher is the second “luxury” item I took for granted.  Item 2a would be soft water.  I have never had to deal with hard water in any home I lived in.  Until now.

The first time I washed dishes, I noticed spots all over the glass and metal items.  Frequently used items, like my glass measuring cups, were cloudy.  So, when I went shopping, I made sure to get a good brand of dish soap.  Spots everywhere.  My flatware looked so bad that I purchased plastic flatware.  Good enough for me!  But then I ran out.  A friend who lives in the area told me that Lockport, while it has city water, does not have good water.  So I blamed the spots on the water.  Then one day I set a glass measuring cup in the sink and turned the hot water on to rinse it.  I got sidetracked wiping the counters and stove so that when I went back to the sink, turned the hot water off and picked up the cup, I was surpised to see it was fairly clear.  So it seems that the hottest water (and in apartments they crank those water heaters high!) leaves less spotting and clouding.

Operative word is “less.”  But it’s enough that I can allow myself to use my stainless steel flatware.  I still keep plastic flatware, however, because I hate washing flatware.  Getting in between fork tines is a pain in the neck.

Then one day I had just finished washing the dishes and wanted to use a measuring cup that was still wet.  So I dried it with one of those superabsorbent microfiber dish towels.  Lo and behold!  Very few spots.  A lot less clouding.  But don’t assume that I am now drying all my dishes right after I wash them.  Nope.  Having to hand wash dishes is enough, I am not standing there drying them, too.  I have one drawer allocated just for plastic flatware and half a cabinet for paper plates of different sizes and paper bowls.  Yes, I use paper bowls. Not the cheap ones and not the Styrofoam.  I get the good, heavy-duty ones.  They’re bigger, too.  Hold more ice cream!

I did some research on products that counteract the effects of hard water on dishes.  I found what seems to be a great product for the dishwasher.  Lemi-Shine.  Google is a wonderful thing!  I also found a question posted on the website of Lemi-Shine's parent company.  Somebody wanted to know if it could be used in handwashing of dishes.  Since the main ingredient is citric acid, the answer was yes, but as they have not tested Lemi-Shine for handwashing, they did not have guidelines.  Their best answer was to experiment!  The stuff won't hurt you.  The worst thing would be that you end up wasting a lot while you're testing it.  I also found a review on Amazon in which the person used a tablespoon or so disolved in warm water to clear the bottoms of vases and a large glass pitcher  She said she's used it to clean her shower, too.  So guess what's on my shopping list for this week?  Lemi-Shine!

There are other drawbacks to not having a dishwasher.  I used to clean my glass menagerie in the dishwasher.  I have a collection of glass and crystal animals.  A run through the dishwasher made them sparkle!

And there’s the sponge issue.  I like a good sponge.  I have tried various brands and always come back to the Scotch-Brite sponges.  Since I change my sponge about every third day, that’s about 10 sponges a month.  Allow a couple of extras for unexpected messes and we’re at 12 a month.  A good price for a 3-pack of Scotch-Brite sponges is around $4.00.  So figure $16 a month for sponges!

I used to put the sponges in the dishwasher and use them again.  Usually only one wash per sponge because the cellulose starts to break down.  Now I see that there’s a “green” sponge that is made to be put in the dishwasher several times.  I’d really like to try that…oh well.

Now I have to buy dishwashing gloves, too, so that I can use the hottest water possible.  Those don’t last forever, especially if you wear them—as you should—to wash with any caustic cleanser.  I don’t wash with bleach very much because it sets off an asthma attack, but I do mix it with water in a spray bottle so I can spray my shower and sink.  I also use Barkeeper’s Friend to clean the stainless steel sink.  That’s a harsh cleanser, but wow, does it get the sink clean!  I found "designer" rubber gloves.  I don't know how expensive they are, but maybe I can at least get any other color than yellow.

I also broke down and bought a drying rack.  I had been using towels or mats, but Tabitha would stroll down the counter and knock stuff off.  (I double-dog dare anyone to convince Tabitha to stay off the counter!  That’s what Clorox wipes are for.)  I store the rack under the sink and bring it out only when needed.  It does not stay on the counter!  When I was a kid, my mom left it out all the time.  It drove my dad crazy, but she just couldn’t be bothered to make room for it under the sink.  I hope I’m not offending anyone who leaves their drying rack out 24/7, but it’s really tacky.  What’s more, it takes up counter space.

I miss having a dishwasher.  And good water.  However, I do find that, like Ms. Christie, I am using that dishwashing time to plan.  Anything from a blog post to posting on eBay.  I work on my book in my head.  I can live with that.  For now.

Appreciation--Part 1

I knew when I moved that I would have to give up a couple of “luxury” items.  The things I thought would be no problem to live without are becoming more important to me:

Washer & Dryer
Dishwasher
Bathtub
Gas Heat
Gas Stove
Spare Room
Level Floors

For so many years I took these things for granted.  The washer & dryer, for instance.  When I lived where I didn’t have one, it was no big deal to haul my laundry to my parents’ house.  Most of the time--I’m talking 90%--I would drop it off and my mother would do it for me!  I rarely asked her to, but she always said she didn’t mind at all.  And when I was working 50 hourse a week with an hour commute each way, I really appreciated her help, but I still didn’t expect it.  I didn’t mind visiting with them and doing my laundry myself.

Now, I have to take my laundry to a laundromat.  That, in and of itself, is not the problem.  I spent years hauling my laundry to my parents’ house or sometimes to a friend’s house.  The problem--or I should say, problems, are: 1. the cost, 2. the ambience (or lack thereof), 3. contending with detergent and softeners, 4. machines out-of-order or banged up, 5. strange people and 6. quarters.

Numbers 1 and 6 are two different things.  The cost of doing laundry like this is astronomical.  Maybe I exaggerate.  But only a little!  The first time I went to the Quick Wash a block away, I had to drive because I had so much laundry to do.  The Max Load washers (which hold roughly 4 times what a regular front-load washer holds) are the most economical way to go.  The first time I went, they were $3.75 a load.  After that, they were $4.00.  The trouble with that, though, is that I don’t care to throw everything I own together.  I have four basic divisions of laundry: lights, colors, denim/towels and delicates.  I have been handwashing some of my delicates, so that leaves the other three.  Well, I don’t want to throw my red, green, blue and purple t-shirts in with my white socks and underwear!  I buy white socks for a reason and I want them to stay white.

So, to wash things separately, I have to use the smaller washers.  There are five types of washers at the laundromat I’ve been using: top-loader, double-load front-loader, triple-load front-loader, max load front-loader and heavy-duty.  Rugs, heavy blankets, bedspreads, comforters, etc. go in the heavy-duty.  I haven’t used those yet.  The triple-load machines are $3.50.  The double-loads are $2.75.  The top-loaders are $1.75.  And this is one of the least expensive laundromats in the area!

Then there is the dryers.  These are a quarter.  For 10 minutes!  My smallest load is usually the lights/whites which I can wash in the double-load washers.  That takes 30 minutes or 75 cents.
My colors are usually a max load wash and take from 50 to 60 minutes.  My jeans/towels load are also a max load wash and take 60 to 80 minutes.

In regards to problem #2, the Quick Wash just opened in January.  Of course, it had been a laundromat before that.  The floor is industrial grade tile and I have yet to see it clean so I’m not certain of the pattern.  If there is a pattern.  The washing machines don’t look too bad, except for the top loaders.  They look like they’re from the 1960’s.  There are newer dryers towards the front, which look good and show the time remaining on a digital timer.  Those are the first to fill up and I half the time I have to use the older dryers.  Not only do they look old, some have broken knobs, and one has a tear in the lining on the inside.  The tables look like they’re pre-war.  WWI, that is.  The walls are an indeterminate color.  In a vain attempt to add a touch of whimsy, the new owner put up cute, laundry-related border paper.

Problem #3 is one of those things that just take time to get the knack of.  I refuse to buy small bottles of laundry detergent.  It’s a consumable good, therefore I will try to get the best deal, which is the larger bottles.  However, when you have two or three huge mesh bags of laundry, trying to carry those heavy bottles is just not feasible.  So I have compromised with myself and now purchase the middle size, but I make sure it’s double or triple concentrated.  I also solved the Oxyclean problem nicely.  Instead of bringing the whole bucket, I fill a little Tupperware container with it, since I only use it for the lights/whites.

 And I now have a reusable bag that I put the detergent, Oxyclean and dryer sheets in.

Problem #4.  Well, I mentioned the dryer with the torn liner.  There are five of the max load washers--which most everyone wants to use--but one has been out of order since I started going there.  The broken knobs on the dryers make it difficult at best to get your quarters in.  I have no control over fixing those, so I deal with it by not going on a weekend or after 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.  Everybody who works is there at those times.

Strange people, my fifth problem, is probably the least, well, problematic.  I try to be friendly when I’m at the laundromat.  I’ve met a couple of really nice people.  Most people, however, won’t look at anyone else, let alone talk to them.  I will smile at other people, but rarely get one back.  No big deal, really.  Keeping to myself is fine with me.  However, some of those people can be rude.  I remember one time I had a load going in one of the new dryers up front.  I was gathering the other loads to dry, when I turned around to move to the dryers, this woman had filled every available new dryer!  Now it’s not that I hate the older dryers, but I already had a load up front and had to put the other loads in the back.  Maybe I’m weird, but I like to keep an eye on my stuff in the machines.  Very hard to do when it’s split up like that.  You might be saying, “well, she wasn’t rude, she just beat you to the new dryers.”  And I might’ve said that was true, except when I looked at her before heading to the back, she had an unmistakable smirk.  And she snorted as I passed her.

No solution for strange people.  I just make sure I’ve taken my meds.

The last problem is something I hadn’t considered until the second time I did laundry.  The first time, I had dollar bills and used the coin changer every time I needed more quarters.  The trouble is, even with two change machines, they jam or run out of quarters.  So the second time I went, I had about $12 in quarters already.  Where do you put them?  Wouldn’t fit in the change compartment of my wallet.  If I put them in a pocket, my pants fell down.  That time, I put them in a Ziploc bag.  The bag tore.  The next time I brought quarters, I dumped them in a pocket of my purse.  Nearly gave me a pinched nerve and then I had a heck of a time getting all the quarters out of the pocket.  There’s probably still a couple in there.  Finally, I remembered a coin purse I have.  I had just emptied a bin of odds and ends at this nice leather coin purse was in there.  I kept it, because, well, you just never know.  And it has worked out beautifully!  Max cap on the coin purse is about $15, but I can fit about $4 in quarters in the change compartment of my wallet.  That’s usually enough.

The next time you want to complain about having to do laundry, consider the alternatives.