It's that time again; time for fall cleaning. It's at times like these when I can identify with Lily Munster, mistress of the mansion. Alas, tis no mansion at all, but rather a small, quaint, rickety old mountain home that leaves much to be desired in constant repair and upkeep. These very old homes that were built with whatever was handy at the time back in the days of slavery, have many hidden places where atrocities can settle in and take up housekeeping much easier than a newer home. But mind you, I'm not a total slob and I do dust, mop floors etc. but I'm talking about the big cleaning, the full monty; the dangerous stuff.
Twice a year I do a major cleaning in my house, spring and fall. It's the kind of cleaning that no one really likes to do or even think about, but it's inevitable. If there is any grease, grime, or yukky nasties, they are about to be exposed and meet my wrath. This is the super deep cleaning of all the things that are either let go during the course of regular daily clean ups, or just gone over with a light wipe up. The oven will be taken apart, the refrigerator and the freezer scrubbed out like new. I'll either paint the bathroom or use explosive devices in there, but one way or the other it will be a nice place to seat your tushy when I get done in there.
We all know we have cooties in our homes lurking about and we also know where they are and where the real dirt is hiding. I get in complete denial and choose to avoid this gruesome task for as long as possible, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and face the evils that lie within. If any dust gremlins or creatures have taken up residence inside my piano or under the couch, they are toast. I've been cleaning room by room, moving big furniture like a linebacker for the Rams in record time. I stand back armed with my can of Febreze in one hand, can of Raid in the other, silver bullets strapped to my chest and a vampire stake tucked into my jeans. I'm incognito. They'll never know what hit them. Closets are involved, every closet, and that usually provides for some very scary measures. I have everything pulled out of every closet in the house. Not to worry, I have a cross and an exorcism in place for those closet beasties. Whatever I been hoarding this time in those closets is about to come forward and identify itself or die. My hidden dust bunnies are about to start hopping down the bunny trail to my vacuum. My curtains are down and washing while I am scrubbing windows inside and out. Things that broke will be fixed and things that need mending will be mended. Right now, I'm about half way finished. I have the biggest mess you have ever seen. It never ceases to amaze me that I have to make such a mess just to clean up a mess. Go figure.
Today I decided to wash the living room walls down. You'd be surprised how much yuk and just plain dirt has collected on the walls so that's why I paint with semi-gloss. If you ever tried to wash down walls painted with flat paint you know that's a bummer. I got part way washing around the room and couldn't help but notice my ceilings were also disgusting. It was painted in "buckskin" to match the walls so I decided to re-paint them ceiling white. I bit off more than I can chew as usual so I bribed the resident love child to help. He came through, and brought a friend, and that let me off the hook for that task.
This cleaning ritual is a prelude to welcome fall into our home. Soon, our fall decorations will be coming out of storage and it would be a major sin to decorate a house that has not been properly prepared to receive them. To me, it's kinda like people who put up outdoor Christmas lights when their yard is brimming with junk. A mortal sin. So that's the method to my madness; to start with a really clean pallet.
After the cleaning is done, out will come the fall decorations, Halloween decor, then the Thanksgiving decorations, followed by the big one....Christmas. To me, these decorations are like old friends that I haven't seen in a year's time and I get excited unwrapping them out of tissue and placing them all around. They are more than "things." These decorations are part of our history as a family and hold memories, so they are special. We couldn't hardly do much last year at all, so this year, we are really going to try to enjoy the season as best we can.
The rooms will be warmed up with throw rugs, pillows, scented candles, and afghans draped across the couch to cover up with on a cold winter night. The big crock pot will be plunked on my kitchen counter and the cookie jar filled with seasonal offerings, most likely compliments of Mrs. Pillsbury. An assortment of pies will be baking in the oven daily thanks to Sara Lee. Ok, so I'm a cheater in the cooking department sometimes, but there is no mistaking my home made soups and stews. The music man will come to tune the piano next week which means I had better alot some time for practicing new pieces and brush up on the good old family requests. Come winter, I do play more than any other time of year since I'm stuck inside a lot.
I figure I should be done with all the frazzle by Friday, so on Saturday morning, I can finally go forth and conquer and bring out the fall decorations if there is anything left of me. Then it will be time to shop for pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks. Fun!
UPDATE: It is midnight. I have decided that since the ceiling has been painted that I should paint all the wood work too in every room in the house. I have been at it now for the past 6 hours. Almost done!
UPDATE: #2. It's 6:30 the next day. All closets finished! 4 loads of clothes washed. 2 loads of dishes washed and put up. Mud room totally cleaned from top to bottom. Refridgerator cleaned and freezer defrosted ready to stock for winter. Pantry and kitchen cabinets cleaned. All windows washed. All curtains washed except the ones in the mud room that fell apart in the washer. Cheapos. I'm still painting. I'm really hating this painting stuff. I'm pooped but still more to do. If I can't get done, I won't have time to go get my fall stuff!
UPDATE #3. It's 10:15 PM and I am sooooo done painting. But now I feel the need to paint the entire bathroom. I have washed the walls down in there too twice and they still don't look nice and need to be freshened up. BUTT! Not tonite and I think I'll leave that for next week! I am so going to bed now.
Dan and his friend bailing me out of trouble
Hey Dan, have you seen where I left the dust buster? Can't seem to find it anywhere.......
What about the toilet brush? I can't find that either..........
Happy Falls Yalls, from the Mountain
Twice a year I do a major cleaning in my house, spring and fall. It's the kind of cleaning that no one really likes to do or even think about, but it's inevitable. If there is any grease, grime, or yukky nasties, they are about to be exposed and meet my wrath. This is the super deep cleaning of all the things that are either let go during the course of regular daily clean ups, or just gone over with a light wipe up. The oven will be taken apart, the refrigerator and the freezer scrubbed out like new. I'll either paint the bathroom or use explosive devices in there, but one way or the other it will be a nice place to seat your tushy when I get done in there.
We all know we have cooties in our homes lurking about and we also know where they are and where the real dirt is hiding. I get in complete denial and choose to avoid this gruesome task for as long as possible, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and face the evils that lie within. If any dust gremlins or creatures have taken up residence inside my piano or under the couch, they are toast. I've been cleaning room by room, moving big furniture like a linebacker for the Rams in record time. I stand back armed with my can of Febreze in one hand, can of Raid in the other, silver bullets strapped to my chest and a vampire stake tucked into my jeans. I'm incognito. They'll never know what hit them. Closets are involved, every closet, and that usually provides for some very scary measures. I have everything pulled out of every closet in the house. Not to worry, I have a cross and an exorcism in place for those closet beasties. Whatever I been hoarding this time in those closets is about to come forward and identify itself or die. My hidden dust bunnies are about to start hopping down the bunny trail to my vacuum. My curtains are down and washing while I am scrubbing windows inside and out. Things that broke will be fixed and things that need mending will be mended. Right now, I'm about half way finished. I have the biggest mess you have ever seen. It never ceases to amaze me that I have to make such a mess just to clean up a mess. Go figure.
Today I decided to wash the living room walls down. You'd be surprised how much yuk and just plain dirt has collected on the walls so that's why I paint with semi-gloss. If you ever tried to wash down walls painted with flat paint you know that's a bummer. I got part way washing around the room and couldn't help but notice my ceilings were also disgusting. It was painted in "buckskin" to match the walls so I decided to re-paint them ceiling white. I bit off more than I can chew as usual so I bribed the resident love child to help. He came through, and brought a friend, and that let me off the hook for that task.
This cleaning ritual is a prelude to welcome fall into our home. Soon, our fall decorations will be coming out of storage and it would be a major sin to decorate a house that has not been properly prepared to receive them. To me, it's kinda like people who put up outdoor Christmas lights when their yard is brimming with junk. A mortal sin. So that's the method to my madness; to start with a really clean pallet.
After the cleaning is done, out will come the fall decorations, Halloween decor, then the Thanksgiving decorations, followed by the big one....Christmas. To me, these decorations are like old friends that I haven't seen in a year's time and I get excited unwrapping them out of tissue and placing them all around. They are more than "things." These decorations are part of our history as a family and hold memories, so they are special. We couldn't hardly do much last year at all, so this year, we are really going to try to enjoy the season as best we can.
The rooms will be warmed up with throw rugs, pillows, scented candles, and afghans draped across the couch to cover up with on a cold winter night. The big crock pot will be plunked on my kitchen counter and the cookie jar filled with seasonal offerings, most likely compliments of Mrs. Pillsbury. An assortment of pies will be baking in the oven daily thanks to Sara Lee. Ok, so I'm a cheater in the cooking department sometimes, but there is no mistaking my home made soups and stews. The music man will come to tune the piano next week which means I had better alot some time for practicing new pieces and brush up on the good old family requests. Come winter, I do play more than any other time of year since I'm stuck inside a lot.
I figure I should be done with all the frazzle by Friday, so on Saturday morning, I can finally go forth and conquer and bring out the fall decorations if there is anything left of me. Then it will be time to shop for pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks. Fun!
UPDATE: It is midnight. I have decided that since the ceiling has been painted that I should paint all the wood work too in every room in the house. I have been at it now for the past 6 hours. Almost done!
UPDATE: #2. It's 6:30 the next day. All closets finished! 4 loads of clothes washed. 2 loads of dishes washed and put up. Mud room totally cleaned from top to bottom. Refridgerator cleaned and freezer defrosted ready to stock for winter. Pantry and kitchen cabinets cleaned. All windows washed. All curtains washed except the ones in the mud room that fell apart in the washer. Cheapos. I'm still painting. I'm really hating this painting stuff. I'm pooped but still more to do. If I can't get done, I won't have time to go get my fall stuff!
UPDATE #3. It's 10:15 PM and I am sooooo done painting. But now I feel the need to paint the entire bathroom. I have washed the walls down in there too twice and they still don't look nice and need to be freshened up. BUTT! Not tonite and I think I'll leave that for next week! I am so going to bed now.
Dan and his friend bailing me out of trouble
Hey Dan, have you seen where I left the dust buster? Can't seem to find it anywhere.......
What about the toilet brush? I can't find that either..........
Happy Falls Yalls, from the Mountain
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