Reddit mentions of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag . . . and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha

Well, the best I can do is point you to the "Ask a Clean Person" column "My boyfriend barfed in my handbag".

(This ultimately got turned into a book, which lives in my linen closet next to all my cleaning supplies.)

Woah, slow down now.

You want to get that looked at. Happens a lot with childbirth kinds of injuries, only generally that’s an episiotomy. Hurts like a bitch, but it heals. And assumably its a little tear and not like it would be if you were cut with a scalpel.

They’ll patch you up and get on top of pain relief, which you should definitely do. Go. To. The. Doctor.

Gurl, your bed is FINE!! Hydrogen peroxide is fucking AMAZING!! Especially on blood! You just spray it on and it’ll foam up like mad and actually heat up...that’s the chemical reaction happening! Let that settle down and spray again, then wait for the foaming to chill. Repeat until you’re not getting any more chemical reaction. Then wash in the washing machine as normal. DO NOT HEAT DRY THE FABRIC IF ITS STILL STAINED!!! You will only succeed in baking it in if you run it through the dryer. Air drying isn’t half as bad, you may just need to soak it to let the hydrogen peroxide get at it.

Wonderful book on cleaning: My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag...and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha Stewart.
https://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-Barfed-Handbag-Things-Martha/dp/0142196932

Source: middle aged housewife with kids your age.

PS, hydrogen peroxide can be had at Walgreens for like $1.35 a bottle.

Pretty much only my whites (sheets, towels and Hanes undershirts) see hot water and a dryer. Everything else is washed cold and hung to dry on a laundry rack.

I picked up a number of valuable tips from this book. I used to wash my soccer clothes in hot water to get rid of the odor a regular wash in cold water didn't take care of on it's own, but the presoak in a vinegar and water mix recommended in that book does the trick (and hot water isn't great for a lot of the synthetic materials that comprise activewear).

Also learned from that book there are different laundry detergents for hot and cold water, and that powders tend not to dissolve as well in cold water, so pay attention to which soaps you're using with which cycles.

Lurk Pinterest (moderately)

Clean as per UFYH's guidelines: http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/

For more advanced cleaning: http://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-Barfed-Handbag-Things-Martha/dp/0142196932 <-- this author posts stuff on Jezebel / Deadspin every now and then, so you can read some tips for free

Watch Hoarders & do the opposite of what the subjects on the show do (my folks are hoarders & this show helps me recognize that and how to not fall into the same patterns)

We lost a lot of storage space moving into a new place so my boyfriend & I had to buy some new goodies for storage and we're still working out the kinks. Everything we bought came from Ikea, basically, but if Ikea stuff is too pricey you can probably get knock-offs for the most common organizational furniture (specifically the Expedit/Kallax unit. That is particularly useful, and some diverse storage boxes will fit inside. I am particularly fond of the Rubbermaid Bento boxes. http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/SubCategoryLanding.aspx?SubCatId=Bento&CatName=Storage Target sells a couple of knock-off Expedit/Kallax imitators that work just as good although I think they fit smaller sub-containers.)

I keep a lot of small knick-knacks in the expedit units; we have some drawers for them that organize smaller goodies. I get like, little decorative boxes for the coins & our glasses wipes & keys.

Boyfriend found that installing shelves was actually not too hard to do. I didn't expect that!

This can all get very expensive though.

Measure your storage space though - I'd really like to upgrade my clothes storage but I can't right now because I can't seem to find that perfect fit.

not getting mold on damp laundry is location dependent, if its sitting in a pile or your wash.

i live in north east US currently, it's not a concern. when I lived in florida if you left your laundry damp of any length of time you would end up with mildew-y laundry.

But I agree, that I just leave my dirty clothes and blankets in a laundry hamper. I do hang up my wet towels after use to dry a bit, if I remember. This just means throwing it over the door, or on a hook once I'm done using it.

i do sometimes forget to move laundry along and end up rewashing it without soap but add in a cup or two of white vinegar to make sure there is no mildew smell.

also, while i'm rambling, do not use fabric softener on towels, it makes them less absorbent. if you have already done this, no big deal, next load don't use it.

if you use too much detergent your stuff can start to smell musty from buildup of the soap (same for your washing machine). in this case, again, just throw in a cup or two of white vinegar with the wash to remove the extra buildup.

There is a great book about cleaning thats a fun read. - "My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag . . . and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha" by Jolie Kerr. She also had (has?) a podcast for a while which I would listen to as I cleaned, as motivation, learning, and general entertainment.

https://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-Barfed-Handbag-Things-Martha/dp/0142196932

https://play.acast.com/s/askacleanperson