Something old can be new again

KAREN WIGHT

There’s always a home project happening at the Wight house. This

week’s was a combination home and science experiment. It seems as

though appliances collapse in cycles around here.

This week’s casualties: The washing machine died (which was

admittedly on its last legs); the stove top finally shorted out; and

the dishwasher overflowed onto the hardwood floors. But the thing

that bothered me most was the demise of the off-white slipcovers in

the family room.

I expected the washing machine to give out at any moment. It went

through 15 years of kids -- it’s only fair to repair an appliance

about a dozen times before you let it move on to the next life. The

stove has been dying since the day we installed it 15 years ago, but

that’s another story.

I knew that off-white slipcovers were a risky business with the

kids, but I liked the look, I was able to wash them (though that task

was laborious), and they held up well for about five years and dozens

of washings.

The kids did not help the cause. They were not supposed to eat on

the sofas, jump on the sofas or sit in their wet bathing suits on the

sofas. Even though I do a great Wicked Witch of the West imitation,

it appears that I am the only one who took the rules seriously.

So, to breathe new life into some very dingy looking furniture, I

decided to dye them. Radically. These soldiers went from white to

dark gray in one afternoon. Not bad for a major face-lift. First on

the to-do list: get some Rit Dye. I wanted “graphite.”

Right. I settled for black and figured I could calibrate the

intensity of the color. Right. I mixed up the first batch of dye and

knew I was in trouble when the water turned a deep purple. I went

back to Save-On to get tan and dark green to add to my already

purple-black. If that combination wouldn’t cover a few stains,

nothing would.

This is where the science experiment part comes into play. We used

the new washing machine to dye the slipcovers -- a front-loading

machine with a porthole window. It’s like watching the soap scene in

“Stuart Little.” You can see the entire process, from the water going

in, the slow saturation of color and finally (with fingers crossed)

the right color of fabric ... or at least close to it. I wasn’t too

excited about throwing three loads of black dye into my new machine,

but one must make sacrifices in the name of progress, so Mary Rose

and I sat in front of the washing/watching machine and watched the

transformation.

I made sure the water was hot, got the fabric wet by running

through a rinse cycle, added the cup of salt recommended when dying

fabric that is 100% cotton, and then I poured the dye directly into

the drum. Going from white to light gray to dark gray to almost black

was dramatic. To make sure I made the most of my brew, I stopped the

cycle before it rinsed so the fabric could steep a little longer.

The experiment worked, although I hadn’t thought about the white

zippers staying white, which of course they did because they are

metal and plastic. The true test came when I pulled my “new”

slipcovers out of the dryer. They were dark gray: much better than

badly stained white. The science experiment worked.

I figure I can get at least another year before the slipcovers

start fraying at the seams. Not bad for a $20 investment.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.