apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You don't think you smell, but you smell.

I'm not accepting any unwashed masses anytime soon.

This will go over well in France, but here... not so much.

What does the vodka trick do? Kill germs? Remove odors? Just curious...

When my kids were small and I needed to work form home, I worked as a 'counselor' to Au Pair families, but mostly the Au Pairs; there was a big issue with especially with the German and French girls; and the less urban the girl, the "worse" the problem was. I had to have quite a few "How American are different from many cultures" talks. But the really ironic thing was that while the whole bathing/clothes washing thing was an issue with Americans, most of the girls from almost anywhere in Europe and Scandinavia had major issues with how messy and sometimes dirty American homes were(and how big); there was more than one girl who requested a "rematch" b/c the American household that they were in was too disorganized and messy for them to bear.

Don't think my co-workers would appreciate me coming into work smelling like Vodka.

It's to cover up the whiskey.

Heehee, KTG :)

Just because your clothes are unwashed doesn't mean you have to be! I support extending the time between doing laundry (and admit it, even those who are pro-wash-everytime don't wash their jeans or sweaters between every wear) but you won't get very many wears out of anything if you don't bathe regularly! Your clothes will smell good if you do!

Of course, everything in moderation. I try to wear some of my shirts and tops at least twice before throwing it in the laundry basket. It helps that I often wear a thin undershirt, esp. on week days. It helps keep me warm (and not so "nipply") in overly air-conditioned offices.
It helps extend the life of my clothing between trips to the laundromat. Furthermore, it helps save water and is therefore better for the environment in the long run.
Of course, if I've spent a day walking around the city in the hot sun, that shirt goes into the wash basket immediately.
This can be easier for women than men who can sweat a lot more.

People are so tied into these hard and fast rules...

Having lived in Europe, I have to agree that on the average, Europeans have tidier, more organized and generally, more aesthetically pleasing homes. Americans tend to be more materialistic and consumerist. They fill their homes with lots of objects and gadgets that are often not used well or at all.

I think thinks are improving though. Must be with the obsession with cleaning, organization, decluttering, and simplifying in the magazines and HGTV shows.

"SHOWER—Green the old college/motel trick works by hanging before everyone in the house showers (and sleep in)."

huh???

Ok, this is a, 'back in the old days,' comment with a point. I grew up on the farm in the 50-60's and we were clean but not obsessed with washing everything that had touch our skin every time it touched. On the farm and today I ALWAYS remove work/good clothes and wear casual clothes at home, I have pets and don't want fur-balls on my professional clothing. Obviously soiled garments are placed in the laundry otherwise re hung to air out. Major sweat out = to the laundry. I don't dry clean often because it is just too hard on the clothing to be repeatedly processed. An accomplished sewer, I make much of my clothing and always pre-launder so I can wash the final garment. Tailored jackets and fully lined trousers are the exception to the prewash it rule but don't need frequent dry cleaning unless I do something stupid like dribble food. I want quality garments and I want them to last for several years so I make the effort to care for them in a way which extends their useful life. I believe my attitude is good for the environment and my pocketbook. We all win.