When Lloyd and I had our mini-vacation to the Arbor Lodge, I bought a pashmina-scarf-thing that I absolutely adore. It’s nearly blanket-like when completely spread out – around 2 feet by 8 feet – but thin enough so you can bunch it up and wear it like a regular scarf. If I were brave, I’d even try some fancy knots, but I’m just too pedestrian for those.
I wear it every single day. It’s green, and I am drawn to green clothing. (Brown, too. Green and brown – I think I subconsciously want to be a tree.) I wear it with my coat but keep it on for the first hour or so of my morning. It keeps the chill away and it’s so cozy it makes me feel almost like I’m still in bed.
After months of wearing it daily, however, it was starting to smell like neck.
“Neck?” you ask?
Yes, neck. Slightly ‘maybe-I-should-have-washed-my-hair-yesterday-or-today’ smelling. I’ve thought about washing it for a while, but I took the tag off of it when I bought it so I didn’t know if it needed some sort of special care. Hand-wash only in the tears of a sainted grandmother who bakes pies for the poor or some such nonsense.
After a while, the neck smell was getting to me and I just threw it in some water with some soap. “What’s the worst that could happen?” I thought. “The colors run or it shrinks up.”
Then I thought, “No. The worst that could happen is that the colors completely fade.”
“No. The worst that could happen is that the fibers disintegrate and it completely falls apart.”
“No. The worst that could happen is that it completely falls apart and the lady from wherever this was made has magical powers and senses that I’ve neglected the grandmother tears and she uses her magic portal to step into my kitchen and beats the living tar out of me.”
Maybe I should just buy a new scarf.
Or go see a psychiatrist.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Ribs says
I’ll bet it’s handwash in cool water -- that’s what most of the scarves in my shop are (kind of a hobby -- scarfenvy.com). Looks like a lovely scarf btw. I too am drawn to earthy colours. My husband says I dress in old lady colours, but I don’t care. Bring on the brown! Grab that green! Make mustard your friend! OK, I’ll stop now.
Lauren says
I love your website! (Especially the ‘About Us’ page -- that’s comedy gold. 🙂 )
Ribs says
Hey thanks Lauren! You join the elite few that have actually read that page 😉
Brad says
I got one of those “dry clean in your dryer” kits once. I don’t remember why. You’re supposed to treat spots with some kind of liquid, then throw a sheet full of nice-smelling chemicals in the dryer with your article of clothing and run it for a while. I don’t remember how well it worked.
Beth says
I was just about everything in the washer. With water. And detergent. Labels be darned!
I’ve even washed leather purses. And every dry-clean-able garment ever.
The worst that has happened is once the leather trim of a purse seeped its color onto the canvas fabric. And once I dried something with wool in it, but that clearly was not a washing problem.
If that was the worst, you’re golden.
Kristi says
Do you wear the scarf with your lovely green coat from yesterday’s post? I’d like to see the whole ensemble, please.
Peggy says
HAHAHA! This whole post made me laugh! Smell like neck….tears of a sainted grandmother… HA! Sorry for your mishap though. I say wear it anyway….it’s probably in vogue to wear a scarf that is dethreading.
As for me, I dont’ wear scarves, unless the temperature is in single digits. Then I’ve been known to wrap one around my face.
Lauren says
I should update that it all turned out just fine. No color seepage, disintegrating, or paranormal visits.