Traveling in Florida these past two weeks, eating in the car and on benches with views, reminded me of Wash n' Dri towelettes.
Yes, children, there was a time before aloe-infused, baby soft wipes, wipes with lavender scent, wipes with emollients for every skin type. Once there were only lemon-scented finger bowls for the posh, for the unposh, one's water glass and a napkin. A random garden hose? Perhaps our 1950's mothers brought wet rags in the car on picnics, because those deviled eggs were messy--who can remember?
Yet I do recall the sudden appearance of tiny, folded up wet paper, in individual packets. Wash 'n Dris probably first caught my attention on Cape Cod, at fish places our family frequented. The packets were for the lobster-eating grown-ups, in truth, but kids were drawn to them because of their cleverness, their sharp scent--alcohol and water--and their portability. Parents like mine pocketed several at a time, and passed them to me to keep close at hand. My mother likely loathed the cutesy "'n" and the misspelled "Dri," of course, but the product itself was a winner.
The towelettes of ancient history, as well as those that still appear occasionally today, cannot compare to the wipes of the anti-bacterial, allergy-aware 21st century. The WND's were scratchy, too wet, and too small. Still, they were/are ideal for international travelers who like carrying something small for a quick cleanup of Bayonne dark chocolate mouth syndrome, and backpackers who learn to "shower" nicely with one towelette, folded over and over, and then reinserted in its packet, to be carried back out of the wilderness and into a proper receptacle.
"Those were the days my friend, etc etc..."
I also recall waxed paper baggies, disappeared for ever. I would love them back.
Posted by: Foodie | March 24, 2009 at 07:27 PM
Ah yes, Foodie, ven ve vere young!
I remember the first small plastic bag for food-storage. It was transparent,stiff, and we marvelled.
No, I am not 105 years old. We lived in East Germany and I am sure we were told that Russian ingenuity invented it.
Posted by: Rose | March 24, 2009 at 03:19 PM