Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Couple of Things I Didn't Know

       I am in my 75th year and I've had much experience and some of it has stuck to me. Just recently though I was told a couple of things that really surprised me.  Should I have known these two things a long time ago if they are standard practise like forks on the left side of your plate.





       Did you know that clothes were to be placed on a hanger so that the front of the garment faced left? Now for me I thought that was  bit much. My usual procedure is to find a convenient chair , door knob or door to hang my clothes over. I've even been known to use the floor from time to time!

      Now he other thing I was told recently is that the seam on a pillow case should always point to the foot end of the bed! Now to be honest I didn't know there was a seam in a pillow case! I'm doing pretty good if I get the pillows at the top of the bed. I do make the bed from time to time.

     So tell me , are these two  things common practice? Does everybody know these two things except me? Where does this stuff come from? Some book on etiquette?

35 comments:

  1. I didn't know this. And I doubt I'll remember it.

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  2. This is funny! I hang stuff in the closet so the front faces left. Its easier to rip it off the hanger! lol! As for the seam on the pillow case, I know you are suppose to have the seam on the pillowcase on the end of the pillow that the zipper or tag is on, so you don't scratch your face...As far as ettiquit goes I usually don't have that! :)

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    1. There certainly are things that make sense like making it easier to take clothes off the hanger. I think in each area we have etiquette that works. there's no one size fits all.

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  3. i do the hanger one, yes. there's one seam on a pillow case? hadn't really noticed! :)

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  4. I do hang my clothes that way because it's a right handed thing. My left handed husband hangs his the other way. As to pillowcases - there's a seam?

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    1. You're the second one who said," there's a seam?" I guess it doesn't matter much.

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  5. Ha! I didn't know it either, so you're not alone.

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    1. I'm sure there are many people who would comment exactly as you have.

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  6. you have pillow cases? Like royalty you are.

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    1. This is what I would call an Adrianism!

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  7. I've heard of the hanging rules, but not of the pillow seam. But...oh boy...too many rules... Who makes these up? Why do we feel the need to follow them? And what does it matter? It's your clothing. Hang it whichever way you like! :)

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    1. I really like your questions. Sometimes blanket rules go too far.

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  8. Maybe this is called "civilazation" not to drop your clothes everywhere? I noticed that men hang their clothes the otherway around than women too. I think it is the same difference as buttonholes for men and women.

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    1. Putting clothes in a closet where they are supposed to be is just called organization. I like your comparison of the buttons. I think I remember hearing a good reason for this.

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  9. I hang my clothes both ways: most face left, but my blouses face right. Where DO you find these things, Red? And I too never noticed there's a seam on the pillowcase. I'll have to check that out. :-)

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    1. Somebody I know very well hs requested that I use these guidelines.

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  10. I didn't know these things. My mother taught me to put the pillow case on with seam facing the head of the bed, to hide it. So who knows? :-)

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    1. Where you put the seam makes perfect sense to me. As I didn't know there was a seam I had them sometimes both different and sometimes facing one way and then the other way. All the time I didn't know this was happening.

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  11. Like most of the others, I notice that clothes seem to be hanging properly when facing left, though I don't always do that. And I haven't really noticed the pillow case issue. Maybe I will now. ;)

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    1. There has to be a practical reason for hanging the clothes facing left.

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    1. Some of these situations just do not have a place in the male mind

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  13. This is all news to me!!! But none of us are too old to learn something!

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    1. I think people like you who are interested and involved in the world around them have no time for such details.

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  14. I always hang my clothes so they face left..it looks neat. I would put the seam of a pillowcase near the head of the bed. Now another for you when you have two pillowcases on a bed covering pillows of course...which way do the open ends of the pillow face? (Away from the door is the correct answer. I learned that when I had a job as a bathroom cleaner bed maker at a local resort when I was 16. )
    I think maybe your manager needs a day out with the girls for lunch and some shopping whilst you straighten out your side of the closet ...and the pillows:)

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  15. Facing the door??? I had to think about that one for a bit. It does make sense. Rules like this drive me crazy. I'm a random chaotic

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  16. Well the only thing I remember about hanging clothes in the closet was that the hangers should all have their top hooks pointing to the back of the closet. That was so you could easily grab a whole bunch of clothes and lift them off the closet rail in one motion, in order to throw them out the window in the event of a fire. (Do you think you'd have the presence of mind to want to save your clothes in case of a fire? I think I'd be more interested in saving documents or photos - or just saving myself!)
    The other thing my mother was big on was hanging out the wash in the 'right' way: all similar items together and hung in the same way, all socks hung in pairs with the heels facing the same way! Now admittedly, I still tend to do this. I tell myself it's because this makes it easier to sort the items later, when taking in the clothes. And that may be true. But the fact is it's just programmed in me to do it this way. (Incidentally, I grew up in an apartment house in New England, where everyone was expected to do the washing on Monday. And neighbours did actually keep an eye on each other's clothes lines. And I fear that housewives in these upwardly mobile working-class families did actually form opinions about their neighbours based on how the women hung their washing. (We also weren't expected to wear spring clothes or light colours after Labour Day or before Easter! My Australian friends can't really believe that. But it's true. Do you remember rules of that sort?)

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    1. I think some people are super organized and have good reasons for what they do. Not wearing light colors after Labor day doesn't make any sense. I missed out on many customs as we were on a farm and things had to get done. I do remember the washes hung outdoors. No such things as electric dryers.

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  17. What a wonderful post to read on my first day checking out blogs! I always hand my clothing that way, as someone said, mostly for ease of removal. As for the seam in teh pillowcase...who knew?

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  18. Hey, I thought I recognized you...from the Road awaits. It's good to see you back.

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  19. Looks like we all do it and the same.. but the pillow case .. to me its right but thats the way I just thought it was naturally.. Go figure that one.. Learned somethings new today.

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  20. I didn't know that was how you were supposed to hang your clothes but that's the way I do.
    Placing the pillowcase as such makes a neater bed. :) I'll have to check the next hotel I stay in cause I'm thinking I've never seen them face away from the door as Far Side suggests. I place mine to the left and right side of the bed. Hmmm....too many rules and I think I'm a rule breaker!

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  21. I'm with The Far Side of Fifty on pillowcases. When I worked in a hospital for a short while the open end of all pillowcases had to face away from the door to the ward. This causes me a problem as the door in my bedroom is in such a position compared with the bed that there isn't an 'away'. As for clothes on hangers I am right-handed but all my clothes face right on their hangers.

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