I love Tide

Since my college experiments with cheap laundry detergent made all my white shirts grey, I have used Tide laundry detergent - the powdered kind. I usually buy a huge thing at Sam's Club and it lasts for a few months. I never use the entire amount Tide wanted me to use, but I love the fresh smell of Tide and the clean feeling it gives my clothes. I heart Tide - love, love, love! I am convinced that Tide has gotten out more stains, kept my whites whiter and keeps my blacks blacker than any other detergents.

Last week, we called in the warranty people who built our house (again!) because every time my washing machine drains, the downstairs toilet goes crazy. It makes a blooop-blooooop-bloop noise and splashes toilet water all over the little bathroom downstairs. We had someone come a few months ago and he said there was nothing wrong and nothing to be done about the problem. Fast forward a few months and there isn't just noises and splashing, there is now soap bubbles in my toilet. It was gross - especially thinking of my washing machine and my toilet communicating somehow.

So the warranty plumber comes into my house, looks at my laundry room and the first thing he says "You need to switch laundry detergents." Like it was the easiest thing in the world to switch something that has caused me so little grief, something that I know works well, something that I just bought a huge box of at Sam's.

I guess the problem started with the new washing machine that came with our house - it drains quicker than the sewer lines can carry it away. I guess it's a common problem with these newer machines. That, coupled with our water softening system makes our Tide the awful culprit. They put a video camera all the way down our pipes to the sewer to prove that there were no clogs and nothing wrong with the pipes.

My poor Tide - I'm using smaller and smaller amounts, trying to find the delicate balance between clean clothes and a non blooping toilet. Since I started using a mere 1/4 cup, there has been no blooping, but my clothes just smell like clothes, not fresh Tide smelling clothes. It's still going to take a long time to use up the huge box we JUST bought, so I have a little bit of time to contemplate the options.

I know, I know, my life is boring. Laundry is a big deal - usually part of my daily life. This has thrown me a curve ball. I don't know what to make of it. I may be in the process of using my beloved Tide for the last time - and that makes me a little sad.

In the good news - Annie was at Grandma Stempinski's house today "helping" her water her porch - not the flowers on the porch - the actual porch itself. She's too cute for words. She has so much fun at her Grandma's house - I love being around two of her great-grandmas!