Grandma, a green Crayon and Wet Wipes

A lifetime ago, when I was "little", I used to watch my mom do the laundry. I can still see in my head our little laundry room and the container she kept the laundry soap in. One day, when I was probably about 14 or so, I walked into the laundry room at the sounds of my mom grumbling. I didn't know what was going wrong at first, but then I saw it...

Bright red melted ink pen on ALL of our family's jeans. Someone, not really sure who, left a red ink pen in their pocket and it was on everything. I don't remember ANYTHING after that. I don't know if she ever got those stains out, I don't know if she threw everything away, I don't even remember if I wore red stained jeans around the house. I just don't remember.

Fast forward to my routines as a laundry-doing-mom. I check the pants pockets...ocassionaly. I mean, I should've learned my lesson from the red pen, but I just don't have time.

I should tell myself that I wouldn't have time to fix or buy new jeans because I didn't check, but I don't, I just threaten my children with their total inheritance if they don't check their pockets and the rule is that if I find something I get to keep it. That goes for the husband, too. (He hates this rule.)

But, usually, I don't check, and I don't keep the things I find, because I'm not in the market for 9.2 million Lego pieces or small pieces of paper, or used up chapstick. I hold out for the cash, coins are acceptable.

A few months ago, my mom and step-dad came for a visit and we did a load of jeans in the laundry. I didn't check them.

They all came out with beautifully tie-dyed looking green crayon melted all over them...every single pair.

Well, I set out to do anything I could think of and show my mom that I was a super mom. I was pretty upset and trying to catch my toungue, but ugh. It has to be jeans, too, the most expensive clothing there is in our family.

So, I made a concoction of stain remover spray and rubbed that in. Then I sat on my floor and scrubbed each and every stain with a baking soda mixture. Then we washed again. A little difference, but not much.

So, while I'm trying everything I know, my mom is in the laundry room, looks up to my shelf, whether inspiration or desparation hit her, I don't know, but she grabs the container of Wet Wipes on my shelf and starts rubbing the green crayon lovliness.

CAME RIGHT OFF. Yes, it took some rubbing and a whole can of wet wipes, but the green crayon was GONE. I couldn't believe it. I wish I could say I knew that it worked for ink or anything else, but I don't want to do that experiment.

We saved all the jeans and now...I check the pockets no matter what.

Thank goodness for my mom and wet wipes and this experience for teaching me that I can always take the time to check pockets and I should always take advice from my MOM.