I'm glad I found this forum. This is literally the only thing I found that directly addresses this problem. I knew I couldn't be the only one. Since I switched to using shea body butters, I've been having this issue. After some research, I think I found a solution that has been working so far: Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy 10x Duty Liquid Laundry Detergent & Nature's Miracle Laundry Boost. I chose these two based on reviews that stated how well they work on oil stains. So, I put my clothes on the soak cycle in the washer (using these two products) and let it sit for most of the day (about 6-8 hours) in hot water. Then I wash on the longest cycle in hot water. So far, I have not been getting the white residue after several days like before. I also tried this method with Oxiclean (swapped it for the Nature's Miracle), and it worked pretty well too. A couple of shirts had a small dusting of white residue after a few days that I could easily brush off. Also, I make sure to loosely load my washer; I use around a medium load for a large wash cycle. I'm going to experiment with warm water to see if I can save some energy and help decrease the fading over time. And possibly see if it works without soaking.

During the summer, tennis rackets and a couple of tubes of balls stay in the van(you never know when you might have a spare hour.) In the winter they are in the garage tucked away in an old dresser. Basketball and soccer balls stay in a large metal locker in the garage. Baseball bats, mitts, and baseballs stay in that old dresser. Skis and poles have wall storage in the garage. Skates are kept in the other side of that metal locker. Golf clubs stay in DH's SUV during the summer and the garage in the winter. Life vests and wet suits are kept in a canoe which is hoisted to the ceiling of the garage. Oars are also kept there. One football stays in the minivan all the time. The rest stay in DS1 & DS2's bedrooms. Flags and cones for flag football stay in the van from August - Thanksgiving. After they're used for Turkey Bowl, they're put away in the aforementioned sports dresser in the garage. Football pads are kept in DS1's closet. DS2 isn't yet old enough for contact football. Lacrosse gear is everywhere. The foyer, LR, FR, BRs, cars, yard, everywhere.

Maybe we need a support group for parents of 6th grade boys. ;o) I have one, too. Also a smart kid with organizational challenges. ;o) It would take a lot to get me to take away his sport. He plays roller hockey (the current sport, he likes to try new things). The NHL isn't going to knock down his door, but that's not what it's about. As an adolescent boy, he needs the physical release of energy. It would take a lot to get me take away sports from my other sons or DD, too, though. It is such a part of who they are that taking it away is more than a punishment, it's almost an attack on who they are. For all of them, it's the thing that can turn a bad day around and make them feel like themselves again, capable of meeting goals. It's not about training for a profession. My kids would be different people without their sports (one per kid). So far, the people in their lives b/c of the sports (teammates, coaches, other parents) are also positive parts of my kids' lives. For me to take it away would take repeated failure with no attempt to improve or a problem that took so much focus to correct that there was really no time for the sport (OK, like drugs). I would take sports away IF I truly believed the sport had become part of the problem, not as a punishment intende to motivate. I honestly don't think it would motivate my kids. I think it would increase anxiety and mood swings to lose the activity and self-esteem that comes from that outlet. It is their down time most days. So, my 6th grader. He has more potential than he uses and it frustrates me and his teachers every year. He is a goofball. He is not typically motivated by grades, either. He is not a kid who gets proud of an A. A or B, occassional C, doesn't matter to him. Actually, once when he had all As, he didn't want me to tell a friend of mine who would tell her 6th grader. He didn't want others to know ("I have a reputation to keep" he joked to me. Yeah, goofball.) But, he will feel bad about an F. Last fall he goofed his way to an F in math, a subject that he excells at and teachers have always called him a "math whiz." That crushed him. He goofed his way into, all on his own, didn't turn in assignments, refused to show his work no matter how many times the teacher told him one-on-one she would take off points for not showing work. He was disorganized, got 0s on "notebook checks" b/c he couldn't/wouldn't keep papers in a notebook the way the teacher wanted (she was trying to teach them organizational skills they need!). He had it in his head he could do it "his way," tried to reinvent the wheel, just b/c he didn't want accept the method given to him. In the end, he really had no method. Or he'd try something and not maintain it, we went through a dozen "systems" devised by him that didn't work. I sub in his school, in November I subbed for one of his teachers. If I hadn't, I would not have known he had science fair project due in 10 days (he'd known for a month) and that he hadn't done any of the planning assignments. That day, I went to every teacher and said "What does this kid owe you?" It was mostly math (one teacher had no idea what I was talking about, he had a high A with her, it's just too many balls to juggle sometimes). I sat him down at home and told him how I really feel. Disappointed. I said if I thought this was all you are capable of, I would be fine. But I know you can do great things, you are smart and I'm upset b/c you are letting yourself down. We both cried. ;o) He said "I just want the world to stop so I can catch up." Once he got a little behind and disorganized, he had no idea how to get back on top of it. I made him go to his teacher and ask what was missing and could he still turn it in (she let him for partial credit), I made *him* talk to her. I did send an email to her saying he wanted to talk to her about his grade, in case he got cold feet she could kind of create a "right time" for him. But I wanted him to learn from the experience that he CAN do something about it, that he can be the one to communicate with his teachers, to be his own voice. She didn't have to take the lead, he went to her and started the conversation. I was proud of him for that, I know it was hard. The teacher was more impressed and willing to work with him b/c he showed that initiative and concern for his own grade. So she let him do the make-up work and she and I stayed in contact. But he really turned around after sort of "hitting bottom" so to speak. He knows how bad that feels and doesn't want to go there again. It's also cute, the teacher intentionally assigned him a seat next to a very organized girl that DS will listen to without getting all... oh, junior high-ish. LOL. So she will remind him "put that paper away now before you lose it." I've seen her in the classroom with DS and other kids, too. She rolls her eyes and says "Oh, like this!" She's cracks me up. I don't think DS quite has crush on her, but he does not seem to mind her telling him what to do. He will put a paper away so that girl doesn't get on him for it. LOL Gook luck talking with the teacher. If you don't already plan to, make your DS sit in on that conference and take an active role in it.

Alison, I'm in the same boat as you. We just sold our 105 year old house that of course had no coat closet, no mud room, no storage, etc. Having a home for everything and fixing each of our clutter or mess problems in the old house became one of my biggest goals for the new house. So we have a large mud room with builtins (or will soon), including many hooks. But I see this as a) just for our family and b) only for coats that we are using right now. We have a good sized double-door coat closet near the foyer that in my head is half for off-season costs and half for guest coats. The thought of having this beautiful new super-panned house and welcoming guests who hang their coats on hooks in the middle of foyer, or worse throw their costs over furniture, just destroys all of my clean, neat, and organized visions I have in my head :-) (I would hate to recreate the messy overflowing coat racks look from our old house when you first walk in) But obviously different people have different ideas about this!