To Launder

No, I’m not coming clean with a new “Dear Dick Launders” column.

Launder verb \’lön-der, ‘län-\
1: to wash in water
2: to make ready for use by washing
3: to sanitize

Related words include cleanse, purge, purify; bleep, blip, cut (out), delete, excise, expunge, gut, x (out); black out, repress, silence, suppress; censure, condemn, denounce; examine, review, screen, and scrutinize, none of which have anything to do with this topic.

Seems a lot to do for a towel and washcloth.

Did you ever wonder why you need to wash (launder) a washcloth? Or a dishrag?

Happy Washing MachineConsider how you use that wash cloth or dish rag. First you submerge it in water to thoroughly wet it. Perhaps simultaneously, you pour on or rub in some soap.

“A soap micelle has a hydrophilic head that is in contact with the water and a center of hydrophobic tails, which can be used to isolate grime.”

Bang the cloth around on bones or dishes for a while. Rinse it out. Maybe lather and repeat. Rinse again. And then wring it dry before hanging it up.

Where have I done that before?

Just exactly what happens when you launder that wash cloth? First you submerge it in water to thoroughly wet it. Perhaps simultaneously, you add soap to the mix. Bang the cloth around on rocks for a while, rinse, and wring dry.

Wait. I did that before you snatched it for the happy washing machine. And yet we need to do it every day?

Really? Every day? Twice?


Next week, we’ll take on towels which spend their entire lives shuttling between mopping up clean water from squeaky bodies and getting beaten on rocks.

 

2 thoughts on “To Launder

  1. You have raised a good point, Herr Blogmeister. Likewise, why do we bother to vacuum the carpet? If dirt can be tracked in, why can it not be tracked out?

    I can understand this twice weekly chore with households who have cats, but otherwise, it makes no sense.

    For example: this is the time of year when cats shed. I vacuumed the carpet this morning and put the bag on the curb for Juan the trashman. He is an uneducated and unskilled illegal immigrant, and he inadvertently dropped and burst the bag before it went into his truck.

    Fortunately Mrs George was standing by with a portable ventilator because he and his helper were overcome with hair.

    — George

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