The Kid left her laundry in my dryer, and I folded it.
This is not a story about laundry.
But I did make the mistake of putting this laundry in her bedroom.
For anyone who is the parent of a teenager, you know exactly what I am talking about. It’s called eau de toilette d'adolescent, which is made up of equal parts hormones, acne, and teenager attitude. And this odor bitch slapped me as soon as I walked in The Kid’s room.
There is nothing quite like this smell except for the smell of other teenagers. When all the children were in school, I used to drive them back and forth between their various activities. I had to do so with the windows down because we might have crashed into a telephone pole while I used my hands to cover my nostrils instead of the steering wheel. Also, I’m not sure how high school teachers can even go to work. They need some hazard pay.
Apparently, once this smell has permeated into the bedroom, it’s impossible to remove.
I should know, because I tried. I installed not one, but two air purifiers. I even opened the window in the middle of the freezing air in November. And put a fan in the window to circulate. Scented candles. And then I got really desperate, and I sprayed Febreze.
All of those things combined could not completely eliminate the smell of teenager, but I did manage to make it not as strong.
That is, until she came back from her grandparents’ house.
I’m seriously considering upgrading the ventilation system in my house.
P.S. In case you are wondering, The Kid’s grandparents decided to have French fries for dinner. Her grandfather went out and bought a deep fryer and a bag of russet potatoes.
