Sometimes I feel like the Irish Washerwoman, even though I\’m not Irish; and I certainly don\’t dance while I\’m doing the laundry! My coordination isn\’t up to that task.

I wash my cycling shorts by hand; sometimes jerseys, too. I don\’t have enough pairs of shorts to not wash them every day; and when I have only one pair to wash, why waste gallons of water? If I did have that many pairs of shorts; and washed them in an automatic washing machine; I\’d put them in a mesh bag for protection; especially if I washed them with other things.

\”Fragrances\” bother me big-time, so I use fragrance-free detergent. My shorts always have some Chamois Butt\’r on them; and, after the long Sunday ride, sunblock. I\’ve got to rub the excess sunblock off of my hands after applying it; and shorts and jersey are the only place to do it!

Anyway, I\’ve noticed that Chamois Butt\’r and sunblock break down the suds quickly. This is annoying; but giving those cycling clothes a good rinsing in plain water before using the detergent seems to help. Or maybe I need to use more detergent!

I don\’t have an outdoor clothesline, and have only two places where I can hang my shorts to dry: on the handle of the over-the-sink cabinet; or on the cross-braces of my stepladder. I often have to use the ladder. If I need to wash dishes, or prepare food, I don\’t want a wet chamois in my face. I also don\’t want to splash water on something that I want to get dry. But it\’s also a bit tiring to always have that stepladder set up.

Sometimes I get tired of playing Irish Washerwoman; but I\’ve got to have clean shorts!