EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a sponsored post on behalf of Clorox® and Cotton Incorporated, however, the washing, drying, folding and hanging up are all mine!
If there’s one thing that I’ve noticed thus far after having a daughter and two sons, it’s that my daughter, Ava, tends to be more emotionally complex, while my boys, Charlie and Mason seem to be quantum more physically demanding.
Even though Mason is only 3½, he follows in his 5½-year old brother’s footsteps to a tee. They often come off as two pint-size rowdy thugs – swinging a Jake the Neverland Pirate sword or light saber at the UPS guy (dropping off my monthly stash of Clorox swag) as he approaches the front porch or emulating Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka by launching themselves into the air off the back of my leather sofa, only to land on the top of the adjacent club chair, flipping it over on its backside, nearly knocking over the 30-gallon fish tank.
Thankfully, my daughter isn’t in early training for ‘American Ninja Warrior’, however, she’s not without her adorable quirks.
Evidently, ‘emotionally complex’ covers a range of behaviors – including an aversion to any clothing that might be deemed as ‘too tight’, ‘too loose’ or ‘too itchy’.
Every Sunday night, my wife and I (with the kids help) lay out their clothes for the week in our little labeled, galvanized bins – a move which saves us a massive amount of time and stress when we’re struggling to get everyone out the door at 8am.
And even with the preparation, and the help of the kids having a say in the outfits they’d like to wear each week – we inevitably run into problems with Ava.
Almost every single day, we have a ‘smooth morning’ within arm’s reach, but have it thwarted with a mini-tantrum, with my daughter writhing around on the bed or floor whining about why we won’t let her wear leggings with the cats on them (she wore them yesterday) or a Christmas-themed snowman shirt (it’s May).
My wife and I don’t fight EVERY single battle with our kids, but the apparel they wear to school is one in which we’ve held our ground.
With Ava, we did make somewhat of a compromise recently, and it was that she could wear two specific items once each week and we wouldn’t fight her on them.
Normally (even with a 7-year old) I shudder at the idea of having my kid’s wear ANYTHING white, but knowing the full power of Clorox® Regular-Bleach, I obliged.
Two weeks in, her favorite white, cotton dress suffered a major setback during a play date with a friend. We’ve since been calling this ‘The Spaghetti Incident’. You can probably use your imagination to figure out what happened.
I was considering the experience a total loss, but by using Clorox®, my wife was able to get this train wreck back to retail rack condition.
NOTE: As a quick reference, here’s how to use bleach in the laundry on cotton or bleachable fabrics (avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, spandex and non-fast colors), for whitening and/or stain removal:
- Sort laundry by color
- Add detergent
- Fill Clorox® Regular-Bleach to maximum line or level in dispenser OR add measured amount of bleach to dispenser or wash water – ½ cup/4oz for standard machine – double that for an extra-large washer.
- Add clothes and start wash
And the dress. The dress takes up so much real estate as she twirls to and from, that’s it’s almost a given that it’s always rubbing up against the dirty truck or playground equipment.
But Clorox® and Cotton Inc. have a special relationship. Not only is Cotton soft and durable, it plays well with Clorox® and despite the unimaginable trouble it get’s itself into – we’re always there to save it.
Instead of fighting it (and everything else, like my son), embrace the consistency! With Clorox® and Cotton, you can keep you and your family’s favorite white clothes (yes, even the snowman) fresh and clean, even when your kids are wearing theirs ON REPEAT.
Another thing to keep in mind, is that while your kids continue to drive these favorite outfits into the ground – odors are more effectively removed from cotton than polyester fibers during washing. Non-synthetic fibers tend to produce and trap fewer odors in the first place – and they also release more odors during washing. Cotton FTW!
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about Clorox® and how to treat YOUR clothes – check them out here, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information about Cotton Incorporated, please check them out here, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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