Slog - Comments on This Is a Joke, Right? http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right From my new-ish down jacket's washing instructions: MACHINE WASH COLD SEPARATELY WITH MILD DETERGENT LARGE CAPACITY WASHER GENTLE CYCLE.... TUMBLE DRY LOW LARGE CAPACITY DRYER WITH TENNIS BALLS... Copyright 2008 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:39:51 -0800 Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:30:37 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Textile Yes, this is for real. The tennis balls fluff up your goose feathers and prevent them from bunching up in the corners of the quilt. Some instructions also recommend a clean tennis shoe.

]]> Textile http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650105 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650105 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:40:57 -0800 Comment by Textile quilt=quilted areas on your jacket

]]> Textile http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650107 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650107 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:42:00 -0800 Comment by Shaun Yes - that's completely serious. The purpose is to distribute the down evenly throughout the garment. If the Tennis Balls aren't in the dryer, you may end up with a giant wad of down in a pocket or sleeve.

]]> Shaun http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650108 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650108 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:42:28 -0800 Comment by news worthy Wow...that's news. Welcome to the world of washing.

]]> news worthy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650110 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650110 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:43:28 -0800 Comment by asdf #1 is right. REI will tell you exactly that for all down products - sleeping bags, jackets, etc.

REI also sells the special mild detergent - it's a few dollars for a small bottle, but you don't (and shouldn't) launder down goods too often.

]]> asdf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650111 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650111 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:44:13 -0800 Comment by Duh Who grew up in a barn? It works well for washing pillows, too: You can throw several tennis balls in the dryer with them to keep the pillows from becoming lumpy. Don't tell me you don't wash your pillows... 10 percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.

]]> Duh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650113 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650113 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:45:52 -0800 Comment by Paulus One of my fever dreams last night produced the phrase "butterfly balls." I like to think that somehow relates to this. I don't know how, though.

]]> Paulus http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650119 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650119 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:51:15 -0800 Comment by Angela Valdez Wow. Thank you. I do wish it were a joke though. I would make little jokes all the time if I were a washing instruction label writer. Mild detergent, cold water. Tumble dry low. With dead babies.

]]> Angela Valdez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650132 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650132 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:02:54 -0800 Comment by I know one I take offense to the dead babies comment.

]]> I know one http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650136 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650136 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:06:21 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle I like to use ones that Serena Williams has handled, they are the best.

Don't turn the heat up above low or the dead babies will melt.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650161 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650161 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:22:30 -0800 Comment by ky Also, to avoid getting bright green on anything put the tennis balls inside of a white sock.

]]> ky http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650171 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650171 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:31:12 -0800 Comment by cdc I hear golf balls and soccer balls work great too. But don't use footballs. Too pointy.

]]> cdc http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650178 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650178 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:34:13 -0800 Comment by robotslave Kids these days.


Before they started printing crap like this on the care labels, every housewife knew you could keep your down things downy through a machine washing by throwing a pair of sneakers in there with them.

]]> robotslave http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650189 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650189 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:47:19 -0800 Comment by josef I have a briefcase by Tom Bihn which has washing instructions in English and French. The English instructions read:

"HAND WASH WARM WATER
MILD SOAP LINE DRY
DO NOT BLEACH
DO NOT MACHINE DRY
DO NOT IRON"

The French instructions go a little further:

"WE ARE SORRY OUR PRESIDENT IS AN IDIOT. WE DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM."

No shit.

]]> josef http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650195 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650195 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:49:51 -0800 Comment by JC @9:
You’d prefer live babies? You sick bastard.

]]> JC http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650226 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650226 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:16:42 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Oh, and for the white sock, don't use one of those flimsy thin ones, use a real one, or those green threads really will pull a number on it.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650229 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650229 What the Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:18:57 -0800 Comment by Kalakalot "10 percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings." Oh. My. God. My pillows must be, like, 40 percent dead mite + dead mite droppings at this point. That might explain why they smell a little funny.

]]> Kalakalot http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650805 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/this_is_a_joke_right#c650805 What the Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:30:37 -0800