Madeleine Cookies and Murphy's Oil Soap

The 20th Century French novelist, Marcel Proust dedicated a few pages of his book to the memory of a Madeleine cookie after dunking it into his tea. This Proustian experience did a lot for French literature and Proust became one of the most beloved writers of his day.

As I pulled out a bucket and filled it with hot water and added Murphy’s Oil Soap, the pleasant sudsy smell evoked a Proustian memory of the past for me, just as the Madeleine cookie did for Proust. My memories get triggered from food, life experiences, and now from a golden liquid cleaner, Murphy’s Oil Soap.

I first encountered this cleaner, while going to a Catholic grade school in Cleveland. Our hallways and desks at St. Patrick’s always smelled of that wonderful distinctive odor. In high school, I worked for half of my tuition. My job during the summer was to clean the desks and lockers with that same trusty cleaner.

Murphy’s Oil Soap takes me back to my grade school and high school days. In my home, I always use that cleaner for my walls, woodwork, wood trim, doors and floors. I love it. It has a mild, gentle smell but it cleans everything so well. It is also a comforting smell. It takes me back to my grade school and high school days. Those were the days that connect me to my mother, father, and brother. Days and times were good ones, holding good memories for me. Murphy’s Oil Soap connects me from the present to the past. Murphy’s Oil Soap is a reminder of a job well done.