Piles of Laundry

I just realized I havent purchased laundry detergent in almost 3 years. I bought 2 large things of Gain liquid detergent 3 years ago at the QFC on Rainier Ave S. (it was BOGO with the Q card) and that was the last time I purchased laundry detergent.

I understand how odd that sounds. A) that it's been that long since I bought detergent and b) that I remember the details of my last laundry detergent purchasing experience. But, really, it makes sense when you explain it.

The Tad and my BoyFriend At The Time (BFATT) were roommates who had just moved from Renton to the CD, near Rainier Ave S. and I was helping them unpack and get settled in. (I didnt actually help them MOVE because I was in France on moving day, but I wanted to contribute in some way). I was running errands, picking up stuff for their new place (paper towels, towel racks, cleaning products, etc.) and thought I'd pick up a few things for myself while I was at it. Such as laundry detergent.

So I take the 2 jugs of detergent home. I use them as needed over the next few months. Then I move to a new apartment and take the 2 jugs of detergent with me. I've not purchased laundry detergent the entire time I've been living in my current apartment.

I hate doing laundry. I really do. It's bad enough on its own, but the fact that I have to use a shared laundry room (in my apt building) really makes it worse. So I avoid doing laundry.

Generally underwear is a limiting factor in the length of time one can go without doing laundry. I have overcome this challenge. I have 72 pairs of underwear. Socks are another common limiting factor; I dont really wear socks. My limiting factor is probably sports bras. But if I just don't work out often, I dont have to wash those as often.

Since I frequently head to a friend/neighbor/acquaintance's home to take care of their pets, I use such opportunities to use their laundry facilities. I figure, if I have to schlep my laundry down the hall to the shared laundry room, I might as well schlep it to my car and drive it to a friend's house where I can drink vodka tonics and watch everything in their DVR while my clothes get clean and the cat eats its food. Or whatever. But I don't always schlep my laundry detergent. I wouldnt want to contaminate their machine with my detergent, should my friend have a skin sensitivity. Also, laundry detergent is heavy and a pain to schlep.

Let's recap: I rarely do laundry and when I do, I often do it somewhere else, using someone else's laundry detergent.

But wait! There's more!

I recently discovered that SO many Web sites offer coupons and free samples of their products. Sometimes I troll these sites just to sign up for the free samples. Dove shampoo and conditioner is a good one....so is Tampax....and Tide detergent. I get and use free samples of detergent.

Also, I really do have friends with skin sensitivities, many of whom learn this the hard way after purchasing the wrong kind of detergent (Rosie and KJ). Because I have no such issues, I have inherited a few bottles of detergent from friends.

And then there are the friends who move and don't want to move liquids (like detergent....or tequila for that matter), from whom I've inherited additional bottles of detergent. (Thanks, Conan!)

So......I havent purchased laundry detergent in a few years. And dont see myself purchasing any anytime soon either.

Seventy-two

Seventy-two is the number of pairs of underwear that I own.

Six dozen. That is more days than there are in two months.

I HATE doing laundry, so I put it off as long as possible, oftentimes waiting until I'm pet sitting for someone with fancier laundry room set-ups than I have and then I do laundry at their house.

So last weekend I was cat sitting for Bella and decided to do some laundry, that I'd been putting off for....a while. I think the last MASSIVE laundry undertaking was some time in August, but since then it's just been an emergency load here and there to get by.

But I had finally reached the point of no return: I no longer had clean underwear. Seriously, I was down to a thong and a pair of Spanx. So I did laundry. Washed, dried, folded.

As I began putting my laundry away, I realized that I, indeed, had a lot of underwear. "How much exactly?" I wondered. So I counted.

Seventy-two pairs of underwear.

(Yes, I realize that the internet knows a lot about my underwear and my disdain for other words used to discuss said underwear. It's clearly an important topic in my life.)

Underoos?

Ok, so maybe the interwebs know a little too much about my underwear...but...here goes again.

When I was in college, I worked at Victoria's Secret for a bit and..uh..I exercised my employee discount quite often.

As a result, I own LOTS of underwear. It comes in handy when you share a laundry room with your apartment building, to be able to go a LONG time without doing laundry.

However, because I have lots of underwear, each pair gets worn less often and therefore lasts longer. Which is a good thing....I guess. Except that it means that I have some OLD underwear hanging out in my drawer. But because it's still in good shape, I sorta refuse to throw it away. I mean, it still works; it has no holes, it's not falling apart.

I prioritize my undies: certain styles and colors are strategically chosen to go with certain outfits and the better pairs are in the front of the drawer; the older stuff is relegated to the back of the drawer and saved for laundry day.

But I think I might just need to overhaul the drawer and get rid of the stuff that's older than the boys I baby-sit....