Life Laundry - White Wash

installation by Yoshikazu Yamagato

I just realized this afternoon the great metaphor I put into play a few days ago.  Let me set it up.  I decided to try some "White-Wash" laundry treatment by Rit to see what it could do for those baby clothes from my Mom.  It's some kind of non-bleach alternative whitener. 


THE LOWDOWN:  I got out a plastic bucket, put it in the sink and ran some water from the tap until it got hot.  Filled the bucket half full or so, added a dab of laundry detergent (say, 1T) and stirred it with a wooden spoon.  Added 1/2 of the white-wash powder, stirred.  Got all the items wet first: the yellowed satin & lace baby bonnet, the speckled-stained baby kimono top, and my wedding dress with the big ole' stain on the front bottom.  Then plopped them into the bucket, stirring and poking them to make sure they were all thoroughly soaked in the mixture.  By the way this stuff is toxic - s.m.e.l.l.s. of chemicals.  So wear rubber gloves while working with it.  Anyway, leave it in the bucket for at least an hour and stir once in awhile if/when you remember.  When times up, tip the bucket to drain down the sink and then rinse each garment with warm water first, then cool.  Then wash in the washer.  I used warm water on extra light load, gentle cycle and let them air dry.

The results were absolutely amazing!  The wedding dress stain was totally gone - like never there gone.  And the baby stuff was perfect.  The dif between the Christening bonnet now and its matching dress is a miracle.  You can see the pix.

Okay, enough with my tutorial/commercial.  Here's the deep psychological significance.  I mean come on.  I'm white washing just 2 items that happen to be of all the possible things I could do - my own Christening baby clothes together with my Wedding dress!?  And I'm doing it to get rid of any past stains.  Talk about the life (laundry) cycle.  geez louise.  nuff said.