By Trina Machacek
In the family household there are things that are specifically known to be his, hers, the kid’s or the family’s. His chair. Her kitchen. The kid’s swing set. The family dog. Then there are things that no one takes ownership of. Nor do these orphaned things really need to be specifically taken under one person’s wing. Enter, the laundry hamper. A non-owner item.
Trina Machacek
Likened to other stand-alone items, the laundry hamper, or hamper for short, is used by the entire household. But. Yes, a hidden but necessary “but.” Who takes note of, who will stand up and take care of a hamper? Well, in my house, apparently, by the looks of it; nobody. Okay, here’s the story. Sad but true.
When you get married, if you are young, there are things that as a couple you will need. My other have, being older than I and living on his own for a while, had several things already. Like his ironing board turned into our ironing board. Sure he picked it up just before it was to be taken to the curb. By a couple of girls that were moving out of the apartment complex he and his buddies were living in while going to school, in Ontario, California. In the 1960’s! Making it about 60 years old. The legs still hold the board up off the floor. It’s well broken in and I still have and use it to this day.
On the other end of the clothesline of getting from dirty to clean clothes, we didn’t own a clothes hamper. I came from my parent’s house to the marital home, so no hamper came with me. He, well I really don’t know what avenue his dirty clothes took waiting to go from dropping to the floor to the washer. So, we bought one. At that lovely, had everything store at that time, Sprouse Reitz. Pre box stores, Sprouse Reitz was called “The Five and Dime” in some circles. I am sure if we had ventured to the next biggest town, Reno, to shop, some 242 miles away, the assortment at K-Mart would have been nearly overwhelming! At our local buy “nearly anything” you need store, we came home with a lovely, bright white, plastic, sturdy, keep it in the closet, laundry hamper. For the next 50 years it was just that. Kept in the closet. Filled and emptied, filled and emptied. If it was emptied just once a week that would be—carry the five, times 2. Well at least 2600 times!
I recently cleaned out my closet, from the floor to the top shelf. My little hamper was set out in the middle of the room. Where I could see it. It all its glory. Let me just say here. Do. Not. Judge. Me. At least until you go look at your own hamper!
The little, now “off white” hamper has truly seen better days. It still does everything a hamper is designed to do. Catches the wet towels I throw at it. Of course, six out of ten times I have to follow the towel into the closet to put it all the way into the hamper. It has good air flow because I hardly ever sniff dirty clothes. Well until I root around in it as I empty it to wash on Saturdays.
Hey now? Oh my goodness, when did mold start to grow in the corners of its little fake louvers on the front?! And in the bottom in the corners? No, apparently this is something that I have not taken to the shower and given a good going over. EVER!
It really isn’t all that bad for being 50 years old. I mean if you listen to the fashion talking heads, 50 is the new 30. I suppose I could pass my hamper off to be a mere 30 years old. That is still quite a long time. Some people retire after just 20 or 25 years. I’m thinking 50 years of doing the same thing, week after dirty week is probably enough. If we paid more than $5.99 for this thing in 1976, I’m pretty sure we got our money’s worth out of it.
Long story shortened, I found a replacement. A cute round, vinyl lined, canvas bag type with a delightful highland cow munching on grass printed on it. Now I have to take my old friend to the trash. Not sure I can really take it all the way to the throw-away pile. Maybe I’ll re-purpose it as a cat food storage bin. Or maybe a planter. Hey it already has air holes for some delightful strawberry plants!
Trina lives in Diamond Valley, north of Eureka, Nevada. She loves to hear from readers. Email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com
