Looking in the Dryer

For the last 7 years I’ve used an alternative to the fabric softener sheet in my dryer. It was prompted by a desire to eliminate as many chemicals and toxins from everyday living. To that end I purchased a set of “dryer balls”. These looked like puffer fish in white and blue plastic. They supposedly work by “fluffing” fabrics as they tumble in the dryer and also eliminate static electricity. My little fish are no longer white or blue. I now have a mostly charcoal grey one and the other is an odd navy color. My first thought was that they were dirty. So I took them to the sink and gave them a good scrubbing. The color didn’t change. Hmmm, perhaps I needed to run them through a dishwasher cycle. That failed to make them any cleaner. Scratching my noggin, I figured that maybe they required a different approach. I had some alcohol wipes and used one to scrub a small area (just to see if it made a dent in the discoloration). Well, it did take off some of the color but not enough to really make a difference.

That made me think that perhaps the “dirt” was actually some kind of dye. That led to an examination of the dryer interior. Sure enough my efforts to clean blue jeans indigo residue from the dryer (completed sometime before the pandemic) has been undone. In the larger scheme of things this isn’t really a problem. The color is baked on and doesn’t cause any discoloration to the clothes. The same holds true for the little puffer fish. Though they are not pristine, the color doesn’t change performance. Which made me start thinking about appearances and performance.

For a long time the local news had a male anchor. Then they added a female anchor. He was older, a little distinguished looking and presented all the headline news (national and local). The female anchor was young, pretty, and blonde. She was allowed to read all the fluffy stuff. Every couple of years the female anchor would be replaced. It had nothing to do with her ability but everything to do with her appearance. One got married and became pregnant. She gained weight. She was replaced. Another was in a car accident and had to have reconstructive surgery on her face. She was let go. Then in the early 1990s, they hired a beautiful, young ambitious woman. She was determined to be a real journalist. She managed to last beyond the 2 years. She developed a following. She worked hard – she dieted, she exercised, she took pills, she became a functional alcoholic. She had been at the TV station for 10 years. Then she was arrested for a DUI. The station wanted to fire her. But she fought. She apologized to the public. She then did an investigative piece on the pressure to remain young and beautiful in the TV industry. It won awards. And her superiors realized that if they fired her she would sue them. She paved the way for several other local anchors – all women who are now “of a certain age” and truly co-anchors. Although they dress well, they are neither young or thin. They are mature and effective.

I’m not going to replace my puffer fish – they are still effective!