Cleaning 'Ring Around The Collar'

I go through a lot of T shirts while gardening, it's a dirty hobby. The shirts collect a lot of dust which is easily washed away. It's the oily grime around the collar that poses a problem.

Remember the old TV commercial about ring around the collar? 'You tried rubbing them out. You tried scrubbing them out'? Then the ad goes on to pitch a product named something stupid like 'Shout', telling you to shout it out.

Well, I'm not buying anything special just for ring around the collar. I keep a spray bottle of ammonia and use it for so many things. Turns out it's perfect for removing collar grime.

Just spray some on before washing the garment. Works instantly and is very effective. And no 'Shout' bottles in the land fill.

Oh! And should you get just a faint whiff of the ammonia while spraying it (I did say 'faint'), don't come unglued, enjoy it. You may not know that ammonia is a CNS, (central nervous system) stimulant. Maybe it should be called the 'quicker picker upper' instead of Dr Pepper.

Yes, the tiny whiff can stimulate you, if only very slightly and for a very brief time. Probably no longer legal, there was a time when you could walk into most any drug store, go to the soda fountain and order a Coke with ammonia.

You read that right. Back then, you could buy medicinal grade ammonia in small, 2oz(?) bottles. The soda jerk kept this handy. A Coke with ammonia was just that, a fountain Coke to which had been added 1-2 drops ammonia.

When a person felt a bit tired, blasé, or whatever, they'd have a Coke with ammonia, and then continue with their shopping or whatever.

And then there was Dope a Coke, the real picker upper! Just anybody couldn't order one of these. And you had to know the soda jerk really well. You paid him under the table for this elixir.

You read right, again. In the 20s and 30s, you could go to the right drug store, speak to the right soda jerk and get a hit of cocaine in your Coke.

Ready for more? The original Coca Cola formula contained cocaine and was peddled around on a horse drawn cart making neighborhood rounds. Lot a happy (laid out) folks back then! The government put a stop to the addition of cocaine to the formula. It still contains a non addictive flavoring agent derived from the coca leaf.

It all started in my grand old state of North Carolina, very near my home town.

Was this supposed to be a cleaning tip or a history lesson? Time to get back to you laundry, Doug.