What is that SMELL?

My son had just unzipped his gear bag as I was walking past his room. "Ugh, what is that SMELL?" I said, "It's your GEAR! It stinks!"

I've been driving home from football practice with the car windows down, my trunk stinks and I know there's real dirt in the vacuum cleaner. Like real dirt dirt.

When I helped him off with his gear after the game last Saturday, it was easier for me to just go ahead and take a shower instead of sanitizing my hands and arms up past my elbows.

I've bought a laundry booster and I wash stinky clothes every practice day so they won't rot.

It's okay for his gear to smell like flowers right?

But what about that stuff that can't go in the washing machine?

This morning I walked past his room and said I can't take that smell anymore. The Febreeze just wasn't going to cut it this time. There's got to be something growing in the fibers of that stuff I'm sure!

I picked up the gear bag, the pads and decided I would put them both in the washing machine.

Uh huh. Yes I did!

I spied the washing machine controls and pressed Active Gear, Cold and No Spin. I have a front loader. What's the worst that could happen?

Everything came out in one piece, but soaking wet. I dumped the gear into a clothes basket and made it outside before the pool of dripping water spilled from the basket. I pressed on the pads and shook the gear bag to remove as much water as possible then looked to the sun and said, "Please do your job, thank you!"

Then I looked at the forecast. The sun is shining now. In the next hour 30% chance of showers and the percentage goes up each hour. The forecast says, it WILL rain today.

Will this stuff dry before the game tomorrow?

Rut ro!

Now, what should I do about the helmet?