No. 3 came back from school with a very muddy t-shirt. And it was a brand new one at that, bought specially for the school sports. His blue team lost the tug-of-war. It’s not fair, he said. The team which chose Heads in the coin toss got to choose where the team would stand and of course, they opted for dry ground. The other team, Blue, had to stand on soggy ground (it had been raining almost every evening of late). Excuses, excuses! Losers always have something to complain about, don’t they.

The dirty tee reminds me of a detergent advertisement that had boys playing football in a muddy field. When they return home dripping with mud, good old mum is unfazed. Not to worry! I have xyz detergent to help me get rid of the dirt. Sprinkle in the magic powder, Abacadabra, give it a wash and a rinse, and the clothes emerge spotlessly clean and white. What a comedic ad! It’s funny as I know it’s make believe, like Santa Claus.

I have yet to come across a detergent that works wonders like how the ads portray them. Whatever the brand, some good old scrubbing is needed. As for no. 3’s muddy t-shirt, after an overnight soak, it was still very dirty. Only 10% of the dirt had been removed. This morning I added more soap powder and scrubbed it till I worked up a good sweat. Fifty percent of mud went down the drain. The rest clung stubbornly to the garment. I decided to give the shirt another soak and tackle it a few hours later.

Never believe those detergent ads!