Silly Happiness

If you read my previous post, "Silly Sadness" then you probably have an inkling as to where this post is going.

It was with zero expectations that I went to pick up my beautiful, well fitting, twice worn, aqua blue, button up blouse from the cleaners on Thursday. I was not expecting them to get the chocolate stain out of the fabric since I had already washed it three times with two different stain removers. Over and over on the long walk down Beacon Avenue I told myself that the stain would still be there, that there was no way they could get it out.

Gavin and I strolled up to the corner gas station turned dry cleaners and hoisted Gavin's deluxe ride onto the tall sidewalk that surrounded the building, clearly built before anyone considered the physically disabled, and shoved our way through the narrow door and oh-so gently rang the bell for service when it was obvious they didn't hear the bells jingle when I opened the door.

The owner came up to assist me. He took my ticket and returned with my beautiful, well fitting, twice worn, aqua blue, button up blouse from the spinning rack. "Ah," he said, remembering me, the sad lady with the beautiful, well fitting, twice worn, aqua blue, button up blouse, "the chocolate stain. You washed. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The water set the stain." He then proceeded to show me the stain, just as it was when I entrusted my garment to him on Saturday afternoon.
I wasn't upset since they were upfront and told me they probably would not be able to get the stain out.

So why am I so happy? I'm glad you asked!

Oxo Brite (Trader Joe's version of Oxi Bright, I assume) is why. Just last week I was able to restore some of Gavin's clothes that were left at the bottom of the hamper for a week with food on them that ended up growing mildew (gross). I washed them with bleach but the mildew persisted. I soaked them in an obscene amount of Oxo Brite over night and wa-la! Bye bye mildew! The container of Oxo Brite says to start with a small amount and soak for an hour and slowly add more product until the stain comes out but instead of soaking the garments in one scoop, then two scoops, then three scoops, then four scoops I just skipped ahead to the last step and soaked them in five scoops for 8 hours or so.

Yesterday I put my beautiful, well fitting, twice worn, aqua blue, button up blouse in a bucket of warm water that had at least 4 scoops of Oxo Brite. The water turned aqua, as did two white onsies that I had soaking in there as well, with just a hint of chocolate. OK, you couldn't see the chocolate in the water but it had to be there because it wasn't on my beautiful, well fitting, twice worn, aqua blue, button up blouse!

It is in the wash right now and I hope that it fits just as well as it did before since I had to soak the cold water wash only garment in warm water in my last ditch effort to get the chocolate out.

We'll see.