I have a saying that my children are very familiar with. It’s this:
“If it can’t survive the washing machine and the dryer, it has no place in this house.”
We’ve all been there. Bought something that is “lay flat to dry” or “turn inside out before washing on delicate” and to those things I say, you will washer, you will dryer, or die in the attempt.
Heaven help anything that makes it into this house that attempts to be “dry clean only.”
The other day I felt myself slipping into old patterns, namely this: I was bending over backwards to impress someone who didn’t seem to care. I was trying to be someone I wasn’t in the name of being cool. I was taking this person to the dry cleaner and paying $50 for the privilege.
But happily I snapped out of it. I’m the washer/dryer around these parts. I’m meant for people who are 100% cotton, who fit my vibe, who are low maintenance. You get the full force of Lynn and you live to tell the tale, or you have no place in this house.
Lately I’ve been wondering if I’m turning into a reclusive grump, a cat-lady-with-no-cats, doomed to sing show tunes in line at the grocery store while everyone gives me the bombastic side-eye and wonders if they should call social services. Should I work a little harder at fitting in? At being someone people like? At being everyone’s idea of friendly and chic and agreeable? Someone who wears dry clean only shirts?
But then I think: I kind of like singing show tunes in line at the grocery store. I like my wash and wear wardrobe. I think I’ll keep it.
TurtleHead 
I heartily support the extreme pragmatism of “If it can’t survive the washing machine and the dryer, it has no place in this house”. I’ve known people with the same extreme positions on the dishwasher. Life is too short to waste it on hand-washing and hanging things up to dry.
And yet – I can’t do it. With maybe one or two brief interludes, I have always been the one who does laundry in our house. Part of the reason for that is that I have laundry demands that I can’t in good conscience burden other people with. I hang a *lot* of stuff to dry – especially T-shirts. Which is why I have T-shirts that are more than 30 years old that are still in great condition (1995 Montreal Jazz festival T-shirts? I have two. Barenaked Ladies T-shirt from a concert at Fed Hall in first year? (Which makes it at least 34 years old.) Just wore it yesterday, and it looks great.)
Mostly that’s just because I become very attached to things, and also in no small part because I hate shopping for things to replace things that have worn out, because *that* wastes too much time.
So I guess I’m flexing my pragmatism too, just in a different way. TBH yours is much more effective – you save nontrivial amounts of time every week. But in spite of my self, I will continue hanging T-shirts to dry.
I really, really think one of the best things we can do for ourselves is understand who we are, what *really* matters to us, and be unashamed about it. It’s taken me a long time to come to that realization, but it’s incredibly liberating.
YES THIS. More than anything, know who you are and then be that. It sounds so simple! But agree – it has taken me YEARS to figure this out.
Also mad respect for your t-shirt saving skills. I think my laundry approach is more about laziness than anything else. I admire your dedication!
Ah, LOVE IT! A woman who knows who she is and makes no apologies. A woman who can catch herself in the act of trying to be something she is not, and then write about it in such a fresh way! Tumble dry to remove the lint of old patterns!
I do believe I have met the full force of Lynn, and I say: MORE OF THIS PLEASE!
XO
Lee Ann