This past weekend I had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Sacramento Rivercats game. Talk about pressure! More than a dozen of my friends drove up to see if I would choke or throw the ball to the backstop. Being sick last week had kept me from throwing a few practice pitches at the local high school, so I was more than a little anxious. As I went into the wind-up, I thought of my own advice as a Little League coach: focus, throw hard and finish on the glove. While it was a little high and inside, there was a pop in the glove as the ball "exploded." Also I got to meet and get my picture taken with Dinger the mascot. (I’ll try to get some photos up soon!) Great night in a fun ballpark, Raley Field. Get out and try a Minor League game if you haven't had the opportunity. It's a ton of fun and not as slow/stuffy as some Major League games.

I thought this might be a good time to pause and reflect as we near the end of summer. Can you believe it's almost over? So much has happened in this time from June to now. I have had so many great new experiences and the changing season will bring even more. Here's how I have spent some of my summer so far.

First, my Mom just celebrated her 82^nd birthday this week. Congrats to her! This year meant adapting to scooter life as the old legs just wouldn't go as far and fast as they used to run. But she still has her independence and enjoys her retirement community and its activities.

I've also been coast-to-coast to help introduce new Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach. This has included:

• The opportunity to meet with a wide range of magazine, newspaper and website editors


• An opportunity to expand my fashion knowledge by meeting and sharing the introduction with Robert Verdi


• Conducting 14 TV interviews with Robert in LA starting at 4 a.m.


• Meeting wonderful Bliss Spa team members in NY and LA

I helped develop and produce the demonstrations in the Clorox® UltimateCare™ introductory advertising in Alhambra, CA and the Valley.

I also had an opportunity to helped develop and produce the demonstrations for Clorox® Anywhere HardSurface™ spray commercials that we shot in Auckland, New Zealand. Always exciting to return to such a beautiful place even if it is winter and you cross the International Date Line which really messes with your sense of time.

And this weekend, I join thousands of parents sending our "baby" away to college. My daughter Mallory has spent the past three weeks hunting and gathering everything she will need to start her independent living experience in the freshman dorm at SDSU. It all gets loaded into the van tomorrow and away we go. It is so wonderful to see the anxiety and anticipation as she prepares for the next chapter in her life. From discovering her new roommate's name and all the things they have in common, to wondering how she will be able to live with such a small portion of all her clothes/shoes; where do you get those extra long sheets for the dorm bed, why do I need something to carry all those personal care items to the shower and of course, the laundry.

I'll have some great college laundry tips in my post next week.

I've met all sorts of doctors in my life, but never have I met a doctor who practices laundry! Now that is marriage material.

So, it was a no brainer for me when I was asked to speak to magazine editors about the new Clorox Ultimate Care Premium Bleach in New York City a few months ago. It was here that I had the distinct honor of meeting Harold Baker, a.k.a. Dr. Laundry. Ok, I have to tell you, I was totally impressed, since I've always been, and always will be, a true fan of bleach. For those of you who don't know, some very important personal facts:

1. I'm a clothes enthusiast, as in... I love clothes, I love shopping, I love dressing up, I love washing my clothes, I love folding my clothes, I love seeing other people's clothes, I love the designers who design clothes -- You get it now, Right?


2. I look really good in clothes (some people look better naked; I'm not one of them).


3. I grew up in suburban NJ as a first generation American surrounded by women who were skilled dressmakers and homemakers and I learned every trick I could from them. For example, regarding my neurotic laundry behavior -- I have been known to let the washing machine fill up with water, add my detergent, add my bleach (stir it in with a wooden spoon... don't ask) and let the cycle run. Then, when the wash and rinse cycle was complete, I would rerun the rinse cycle and squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon into the washing machine. How does the old saying go... When g-d gives you lemons, do your laundry. It's something like that - right? I like my whites to be very bright and very fresh.

This seemingly crazy ritual is a by product of my passion for fresh, clean bright white garments (there is no place in this world for dingy whites). So, Dr. Laundry asked me to be a guest on his blog.

Now, for all you die hard bleachers or those who are aspiring users, here are a few tips...

White is Wearable, Wonderful and - Even Better - Totally Washable! Make it a personal goal to take care of your favorite white shirts and jeans, that perfect white t-shirt, your best white sheets or those luxurious, fluffy white towels. Let's face it, until this moment, you didn't even know how many whites there were in your closet that you love and want to take care of. Those favorite comfortable things are irreplaceable.

Say goodbye to the little black dress - white is the color to see and be seen in! Trust me, it's not just for the skinny and the tan. And, stop listening to your mother when she tells you it can only be worn between Memorial and Labor Day. White is for everyday and can, and should, be worn by anyone and everyone from California to Maine and everywhere in between (yes, even in Kansas). When thinking about your next white purchase - whether it's a classic white t-shirt or the romantic blouse of the moment - abide by these easy tips and I guarantee you'll be looking and feeling fabulous in no time!

1. Keep whites glowing and sparkling - Dingy, dirty or stained whites will leave you anything but fashionable. Don't be afraid to use bleach where needed. Check out the new Clorox UltimateCare Premium Bleach. Glowing whites are always in style.


2. White is the new black - when purchasing two of a favorite garment, think about brightening up your closet. Instead of buying it in your most loved color and black, resist the urge to go to the dark side and make your wardrobe pop with white. This is what I do for all my clients, including my little doll, Eva Longoria, and she loves it!


3. White is here to stay - So give in and go paint the town white!

I have invited Robert Verdi, celebrity stylist and lifestyle expert, to provide a guest blog today. I've been working with him to launch Clorox UltimateCare Premium Bleach-the new product that hit store shelves last month (see my last two posts for more details on this innovative bleach). Check out Robert's fashion insights on our favorite color -- white! Also check out http://www.robertverdi.com/.

I'm so excited about this product that I had to dedicate two posts to it! Here is some more detail on our newest product.

There is the PACKAGE. We needed something to compliment and show off this special product. Tami and her team pulled out all the stops on this one.

• It starts with the great shaped bottle to hold the 30 or 90oz of Clorox® UltimateCare™. Coming soon, a 168oz size for the club stores.


• Then they added a drain-back feature like most liquid detergents to make it easier to pour or pretreat.


• Finally, a single-dose measuring cap. No more guess work on whether you're adding the correct amount.

Now, hopefully you should better understand why we are so excited and why we call it the UNEXPECTED BLEACH!

Who will be interested in this new product?

We think this product will have a very broad range of customer appeal.

• Current Bleach Users - They will love that we kept the great cleaning, whitening, stain and soil removal benefits and added all the new goodies.


• Busy Moms - Wow, the versatility and time saving potential of this product calls out to her. For her family laundry, it means being able to pour it directly on bleachable fabrics and also is much easier to pretreat when needed. Want to teach teenagers to do their own laundry? Everybody should learn to use bleach and this makes that job a lot easier and less stressful for the teacher.


• Newlyweds - A lot of the same things as busy moms plus an easy way to introduce bleach usage to your new husband.


• Fashion Conscious - White is the newest fashion trend! Just ask my friend Robert Verdi, the official fashion and style expert for E! Networks and host of E! Entertainment's Fashion Police. Working professionals pay top dollar for their wardrobe and keeping those new white office and play clothes looking great is perfect for Clorox® UltimateCare™.

Clorox® UltimateCare™ was made for anyone who wants GREAT laundry results. I think it truly is "The UNEXPECTED BLEACH!"

I'm really looking forward to hearing your experiences after trying this product.

OK—I’m finally letting out the secret about the new Clorox bleach product I’ve been alluding to in my posts for the last several weeks. We’re launching Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach. We call it “The Unexpected Bleach!” Big drum roll and trumpet noises, please!!

There are always projects in the works in our lab; I’m particularly pretty proud of this newest bleach development. It started by listening to consumers tell us how we could improve liquid bleach and what properties/benefits they were seeking in a new bleach. Then, the team set out to build and test a variety of formula and package prototypes. After nearly two years of testing and tweaking this truly innovative product and fine-tuning the whole proposition, I think we’ve nailed it.

Hopefully you are seeing the product already appearing in your grocery store or mass retail store’s laundry aisle. To help spread the word, we have a really neat introductory TV commercial, “Trees”, that I helped shoot and an awesome print ad that will be in several leading magazines starting this month. In addition, a number of you may be in line for a free sample in our door-to-door program. More details on these items in my next post.

So give me the FACTS!!

Our challenge was to make a bleach product that delivered the great bleach benefits (whitening, cleaning, stain and soil removal) while being gentler bleach for white clothes—just goes to show that your comments and feedback really do matter! Tom and his team did an incredible job methodically picking thru the choices and wait until you see what they have done for you.

• So what have we done? By reducing the bleach level, adding buffering agents and other ingredients to stabilize the bleach, we made a THICK, CREAMY liquid. Doesn’t look like any bleach I ever saw. Also, the thicker formula means less splashing, something everyone wants with liquid bleach.
  


• This also makes it gentle enough to POUR DIRECTLY on bleachable fabrics. Wow do you believe that?? A real time saver. If you need to pretreat, pour it right on. In a hurry, pour it over the bleachable whites and away you go.
  


• And we are not thru yet! The SOFT COTTON™ scent completes our aesthetic package. Wait until you smell this on your wet laundry. You can’t tell it has been washed in bleach.
  


• Finally, those new ingredients can leave your laundry with touch of SOFTNESS. Nice little extra for everyone.

How’s that for UNEXPECTED? Ever hear of a liquid bleach that could do all of those things? More soon!

As you may have noticed, I needed to step away for a few days for personal business. While preparing for the introductory event at the Bliss Spa displayed in my last entry, I received an unexpected phone call from my wife that my brother-in-law had taken a sudden turn for the worse. A very quick drive to Orange County allowed my daughter and me the opportunity to see Marshall as he prepared to come home to hospice care on Friday. I left for the New York event on Sunday morning, completed it, and was in the car on my way to the airport Wednesday morning when my wife called to say Marshall had passed away.

The following is a tribute to a wonderful person who left a huge impact on everyone he met.

HEY MrK

Marshall J. Klapman was 43 and died from leukemia. He was the kind of parenting challenge that every parent dreads. After wandering for a number of years, he found his calling/passion: teaching. While usually unorthodox in his approaches, he always took a personal interest in each of his "scholars." He volunteered to teach combination classes that others found too hard/challenging and he always made time for any student. His encouragement led to many kids feeling safe to step out and try the difficult and "impossible' with amazing, confidence building results. Known affectionately as Mr. K, his last 7 years at El Morro Elementary in Laguna Hills were his favorite, as he finally felt he had hit his stride. When the illness struck, he longed for the chance to return to his colleagues and students.

One can gauge the impact of a person by reading the growing stack of personal notes that arrived as word of his passing began to circulate. He had obviously touched an extremely wide circle of people. Current and former students wrote such touching notes that tears streamed down your cheeks and several Kleenex were needed to absorb this outpouring of the impact Marshall had on each and every one of their lives. As touching were the notes from colleagues. There are always people you meet as you go about your daily profession who stand out. Well, Marshall surely had to be one of those people as the lengthy notes kept coming. Then, there were the wide range of friends some who knew the dramatic fatal path that he was traveling and others that were not close by. Whether from his early childhood and those he had collected along the way, all were totally devastated at the news of his passing. Marshall brought such vigor to life. He loved to travel and attend live concerts and theater. But most of all he loved to cook and entertain. Always the life of the party, he was the ultimate host making sure each person felt welcome and comfortable.

From all of this you can tell what a huge hole has been left in his immediate family. His partner and best friend, Tom, had done everything to make Marshall comfortable but had to watch as this vibrant person fought to stave off the leukemia. Tom was just recovering from the loss of his own father within the month. His parents, Norman and Toby, continue to try and put a good spin on the loss of their youngest child but having your youngest pass before is extremely tough on any parent. His sisters, Karen and Meryl, have always counted on Marshall to be the balance in the family and now that is gone. Then there are our children, Brandon and Mallory, who have always used Uncle as their sounding board and outside council when life throws you a curve ball. Always with sage advice and generous heart, he had such a positive impact on helping shape the super young people they are today. Each in their own way now has a huge hole to plug as they go forward in life.

Gone but never to be forgotten..... as the license plate says "HEY MR K" it certainly was a great one!! Miss ya bud....

I’ve been called away on personal matters for a few days, but I’ll be back to blogging next week. In the meantime, here is a picture from Bliss spa in New York. I was hard at work this week hosting an event for a new product I’ve been working on. More on that soon!

Dr. Laundry is away on a special assignment - he asked that I post this response for him today.

CJ wrote in asking about getting lint on black capris and how to avoid it. Thought I would take this time to talk about caring for dark clothes, overall.

Dark clothes certainly are a challenge, especially the black ones. They start out looking so great, but routine washing often leads to a duller, faded look.

The fading/dullness can result from any or all of the following:

• The type of dyes used to provide that great color you liked when originally purchased. This is especially true for cottons. If available, try looking for an item that is a cotton blend. Synthetics (polyester) use different dyes and techniques that tend to lock the color into the fiber. Thus, less color loss and a richer, longer lasting color.


• Color loss with each washing. The amount or rate of dye loss can somewhat be controlled. Definitely use cool/cold wash temperatures and be frugal with the detergent. Also, avoid adding other laundry additives/products since they can accelerate the color loss. And you can turn the item inside out to help reduce the abrasion and beating it takes during washing.


• Using the wrong detergent. Powder detergents tend to be more alkaline and can lead to slightly faster dye loss. Also any undissolved powder can deposit on the item leaving a film or powdery/spotted look. It is best to use a good liquid detergent in combination with that cold wash. Some detergents add different surfactants for gentler cleaning and special ingredients to help control color loss/bleeding.


• Be careful of other items in the wash. As noted above, every time you wash, you are losing dye, also known as bleeding. (Everyone has had a pink underwear experience.) When the dye leaves the clothes it is available to move to a new residence, anything else in that washload. We call this dye transfer and what you have created is a situation similar to how items are commercially dyed. A couple of options here: If possible, try washing separately the first few (1-5) washes when dye loss/bleeding will be the greatest. Or consider doing hand wash which also separates the item from other clothes.


• Be careful who you dry them with. Lint producers, like towels, produce small, fine particles that attach by static charges in the drier. This also can leave your darks looking dull or send you scurrying for that lint roller. Minimize this by separating the lint releasers and other items and/or try a small amount of fabric softener to cut down static in the dryer.

Remember, CJ, these types of clothes are going to lose their dye over time. The good news is you have some new weapons to slow/control the problem.

Good Luck! Let me know if these work out for you.

Dr Laundry

The process of purchasing a new washer/dryer is becoming about as complicated as selecting a new car, given all the various options and upgrades. Front-loading machines or top-loading, high-efficiency or conventional, stackable or side-by-side units - the decisions are many, but each is very important.

Following are a few tips to consider when selecting a new machine to make sure you get just what you need, and nothing that you don't (because believe me, the possibilities are endless). Experts suggest selecting washer/dryer "sets" based on the washer - in most sets, the dryers' performance is right on par with the washers'.

Top Loader vs. Front Loader

High-efficiency machines are all the rage - new high-efficiency front-loaders and top-loading washing machines now account for about 30% of new purchases. Despite both models' claims on efficient performance, experts will tell you to put your money on the front-loader model - it washes better, is more energy-efficient, and uses less water than top-loading machines. Specifically, they use 40-50% less water and 50-65% less energy than conventional top-loaders, which means lower water and electricity bills. The decrease in the operating costs helps balance out the purchase cost - buyers can expect to pay upward of $800 for each the washer and dryer.

Further, high efficiency (HE) top-loaders are hands down better than the conventional models. HE machines will get your clothing cleaner. However, if you anticipate serious problems bending and stooping to remove items from a front-loader, the HE top-loader may be the ideal machine for you. (The front-loaders also have pedestals that can be purchased to help boost the height of the machine.)

Options, Options... and More Options

HE machines do not allow you to interact with the clothes like a conventional machine. All the decisions are made BEFORE you start the machine. This includes product selection and amount. So, a must have for me is the bleach dispenser. Check to be sure the machine is equipped with detergent, bleach and fabric softener dispensers. Equally important, check/ask about the volume each holds. We have seen machines that have bleach dispensers too small for the recommended usage. And what happens when you have that extra-dirty load where you want to add some extra bleach?? The dispenser adds the cleaners at precisely the right time in the cycle. Also, for the dryer, be sure to get a model that continues to periodically tumble your dry clothes after the drying cycle ends. This helps prevent wrinkles, which your resident iron-er will certainly appreciate.

From sanitizing cycles to a delayed start, the options are endless. In the end, try not to get too swooned (or dizzied) by all the choices. Some of the options are just plain unnecessary. For example, sanitizing cycles are usually only needed if you plan on using/washing cloth baby diapers. And even then, liquid bleach can do the same job for less cost. For regular fabrics, such as cotton shirts, towels, and jeans, a near-boiling temperature washload can cook the fibers and thus ruin your clothing. Not a good plan.

Other Tips from the Experts

The experts at ConsumerSearch.com, a Web-based publishing company that helps consumers find answers about what products are top-rated or best bets in their class, also offer the following insights to consider when purchasing a new washer and dryer.

• Always buy the largest washer that your space and budget allow. Doing bigger loads can help reduce your workload.


• Electronic touch-pad controls look sleek, but reviews say they're more delicate than knobs and dials, and more expensive to repair. Technology-challenged individuals, beware. However, this might be a good way to introduce that tech wizard child to the wonderful world of doing laundry.


• A stainless-steel tub is preferable to porcelain because it won't rust or chip.


• Get automatic temperature controls, which automatically select the right water temperature for each selected load.

For additional insights, visit http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/washing-machine-
reviews/index.html