Scarves: Wash, Iron, Mend

Necessary

I was out for dinner last weekend and had chosen to accessorize with a black, yellow, and white scarf. My scarf had twisted and so I gave it a tug and noticed a stain. Embarrassed, I excused myself and, in front of the powder room mirror, tried to position the stain so it would not show. Of course, the lightweight silk curled and curved the stain right back into its full frontal position. I finally tied a knot at the point of the stain and managed to get through the evening with a different look than what I had originally planned. The stain was hidden and that was more important.

This scenario motivated me to go to my closet and do a stain analysis of my scarves. My winter scarves, mittens, gloves, and neck warmers were all in good condition since I washed everything that was worn over the winter as soon as the spring sun started shining. 

Embarrassment revelation number 2: I could not remember the last time I had washed most of my accessorizing scarves. They appeared "clean enough" especially the patterned ones or ones that had no white or pale colours in the pattern. Nonetheless, I gathered them all up, took out my Forever New laundry soap for delicate fabrics, filled the fabric softener dispenser with vinegar and lavender oil, set the machine to delicate wash/gentle spin and set up my ironing board. 

I washed everything, the ones I barely wear along with my favourites. I didn't realize how many scarves I had. They are all now stain-free, ironed, and colour-organized. I need a tool, sort of like a fish counter, for every scarf so that I give them a timely wash. Make-up, natural skin oils, moisturizers, sunscreen, and hairspray all conspire to hold grime and so I'm setting up a routine to wash them, whether they are showing any errant stains or not. I don't think we need to wash accessorizing scarves after each wear as we do with cotton face masks or underwear but they certainly need to be washed more often than I had been previously doing. Jewellery is another accessory that we forget about cleaning, but I've dealt with that in older posts.

Doing this inventory was a good thing, I found one scarf with the hem ravelling and I found several that will be put into the "donate" bin. I don't know about you, but it does feel good to have a "clean slate".

I was inspired to attend to a summer set-up and re-organization of my closet. I colour-coded everything so that I can look at one section and have all my options available. And now my scarves are all organized in the same way providing even more options. Yay!

Buy my Guided Journal 

A Box a Day: A 30 Day Journal to Triumph Over Clutter 

Your Personal De-Cluttering Guide