It’s summer, and from what I hear (as I sit a bit cooler near the beach in Southeast Virginia in the US) there have been 30-plus days of 30-plus heat in the Kanto area this past month. My sympathies go out to you — I’m sure that the plants in my apartment are now shriveled, dried-up stalks, even if I’m not yet. Coming back in 10 days is bound to be a shock.
In addition to physical discomfort, the heat also is bound to whip up some mold and other nasties. Summer in Japan is a continual battle against the heat and humidity, not to mention the fungus among us. So today, I thought I’d proffer a few tips to deal with common stinky summer disasters in Japan.
Ever returned from a day trip to open your washer and discover, with disgust, that you’ve left wet clothes in there? The washer, and the clothes, both seem to have an amazing odor. Even airing out the machine for a few weeks doesn’t help much.
My frugal tip: fill the washer with water to its fullest, and add 2 tablespoons of bleach and a generous helping (about 1/4 cup) of detergent. The best kind to use is a strong, generic “alkaline” (arukari) type, but any type will do. Mix this up well and let sit for a five to six hours. Afterwards, drain this mixture and run a full wash cycle without any clothes. After the full wash cycle is complete, let the machine “air dry.” The washer should smell significantly better.
Finally, one frequent spot of mold is the refrigerator. Some classic ways to reduce refrigerator stink are wooden charcoal briquettes, baking soda, and the commercial refrigerator deodorants. However, Mary Hunt’s Cheapskate monthly offers a third, general odor-eater that is bound to smell a little better:
“Here’s how to get the odor out of just about anything. This works on stinky coolers, glass jars and musty drawers. Dampen a paper towel and set it into a small container. Pour two teaspoons of cheap vanilla extract on it. Put the whole thing inside the smelly container and close it. Wait for three days. This really works great, even inside refrigerators.”
Hope your summer starts smelling a bit more pleasant!
© 2004 Wendy J. Imura.