Monday, March 19, 2012

Psssssst

My child bride is significantly younger than I, several years at least. That's a lot of time to make up, especially when, like she, you grow up on a distant galaxy. Because Mrs. T kept her head in a book while a youth on whatever galaxy, I am forever having to explain 50's and 60's Planet Earth pop culture icons to her. Take yesterday for example.

While watching the basement carpets dry, she announced that verily she missed "I Love My Carpet" a powered carpet deodorizer that has been around since the invention of wall to wall carpeting.

I was met with a blank stare by Mrs. T and the Fashionista when I said, "you mean Psssssst for rugs?" Surely, you remember Psssssst. Not having sisters I'm playing this hand from secondhand memory, so bear with me.

Once upon a time, (the mid 1960's?) Psssssst was introduced to the world as a spray- on dry shampoo for girls who wanted an extra day between hair washing, after sports (pre-title 9) or while camping. As memory serves, it was an aerosol talc, that worked as long as you didn't comb or brush your hair and you weren't overly concerned that your head suddenly turned ashen. While "fragrance free", the wet dog smell was easily covered with liberal doses of Youth Dew.



I don't know if the product ever went away, but it is still available at Walgreens.

Toad

8 comments:

Kathy said...

Arg-- now the P-S-S-S-S-S-S-T jinglel will be stuck in my head all day!

Suburban Princess said...

Well well well and there I thought dry shampoo was a recent invention!

Toad said...

Kathy you're right. I had forgotten all about that insipid jingle.

Gail, in northern California said...

Is that your lovely house in the new header?

Toad said...

yes Gail and thank you. I'm trying to attract spring.

ms. mindless said...

I am skeeved out by dry shampoo and by carpet "cleaning" powder as well. Neither actually get the intended item clean. It just makes things smell better. I do not like thinking about all the stuff that lives in carpets after we vacuum.

Anonymous said...

The Pssssst girl with the glasses is cute in a Diane Keaton way.

Shelley said...

I must have originated in a galaxy similar to yours, as I do vaguely recall this stuff...talcum powder or bicarb or something.