Cleaning House

Every Saturday morning of my childhood began with pancakes and a chore list.

This morning, though lacking in pancakes, was filled with chores. Living in a house with seven girls and lots of visitors makes for a pretty dirty living space. Therefore, when all the girls left this morning for grocery shopping, the lake, activities with the kids, etc., I took advantage of the situation and worked on making the house very clean.

Now, cleaning supplies are limited and the way things are done here at NPH took some getting used to. Nevertheless, armed with a 2 brooms, a few towels, vinegar, bleach, scrubbing pads, a bucket, and a squeegee I went to work. Our stove has apparently not been cleaned since it was bought, but after 3 scrubbing pads, two bottles of vinegar, and an hour or so of my time it looks good as new.

To clean the tiled floor, you must throw a mixture of bleach and water on the floor, then use the squeegee to wipe the water out, then finish off with a mop made of a broom covered by a towel. It is a long process, and lots of fun – especially when whisking out the water with the squeegee (the floor becomes like a skating rink!). When the floor is finished it shines and sparkles … if for only a hour or so.

And, after reading an article in Real Simple about using vinegar to clean teapots, I went to work on our shabby little teapot. After only 10 minutes of scrubbing, our beloved teapot is looking almost new! And, as the back of the stove was so gross with years of grease and dirt, I went on to attack it as well. Four hours after I started the house was finally clean.