“What made you decide to take on this project today?” asked Mike. Well, I didn’t tell him, but Christmas is coming. (He thinks it’s a long way off.)
Cleaning the kitchen soffits (the tops of the cabinets) is a challenge. First, it requires a plan of attack. Then I need a ladder, a vacuum cleaner, a Swiffer duster, a sink full of hot soapy water, a soft rag, and the discipline to stay on task. It needed to be done, and I just decided that Sunday was the day. Further, I display my Christmas figurines on the soffits, and they have been there for several years. Well, no sense to put them away now, but they must be cleaned anyway. The whole thing is time-consuming – and not very interesting.
I have always found when cleaning that one thing leads to another. I couldn’t find the Swiffer duster, and it was logical to think that it was behind the washing machine. Mike helped me, and we managed to retrieve it, along with a glove and a shoelace. And while I was looking for a flashlight in the utility cabinet, I found Mike’s missing cap. (Mike is part packrat.)
And then I remembered a basket stored in the shed which would be useful to trap random items on the washing machine. (There will always be random items on my washing machine.) I retrieved the basket, but its canvas liner was very dirty, so now I had to do a load of laundry. And what does this have to do with cleaning the soffits? Everything and nothing.
Oh! And while all this was going on, I was also baking the molasses cookies I mixed on Saturday.
Since
the basket has vacated a spot in the shed, I decided it would be a great place
for my rather extensive collection of cookie cutters. (I love cookie cutters.) So,
yes, I moved the cookie cutters from the cabinet above the fridge to the shed
where they are actually more accessible. (I love my shed!)
“Are you finished with the ladder?” calls Mike, and I just can’t help but feel defensive for the fact that, I’ve barely begun. And I’m already tired, and I’d rather do something else, but I promised myself I’d stay on task.
And yes, I did finish before suppertime. It was a good day. I got a lot done. KW
4 comments:
I always feel really good when some obscure place is clean. I guess it's like cleaning your feet. No one sees your feet, but YOU know if they're dirty and it feels really good having clean feet. I want to get Nick to help me pull out the refrigerator so I can vacuum the compressor/fan thingie in the back and wipe off the top. There's only a couple inch gap between the top of the refrigerator and the cabinets, so it's dusty, but very hard to clean.
Yes, it's difficult to clean under and behind appliances. We need to do it, too, as I'm sure you can imagine. It does feel good to know that your house (and your feet) are clean.
Cleaning, especially dusting, as we all know, is not my forte. But I do love it when it's all done! Since my grandsons are so tall, I do clean off the top of my fridge fairly regularly. I have a secret: put a tea towel up there and when it's time to clean, throw the tea towel in the washer and all you have to dust/wash is the edges of the top before putting another towel up there.
I'm proud of you, Kathy, for getting it all done!!!
Chris, the tea towel on the fridge is a wonderful idea. In fact, back in the day, Mother would buy a cloth calendar to hang in the kitchen, and when the year was over, she would give it to me for my hope chest. I wasn't too impressed at the time, but I still have those towels, and they would be perfect as "dust catchers." And we know that doilies and runners were used as dust catchers back in the day. I feel inspiration coming on.
You might be able to see in the photo that I put some Styrofoam under some of my figurines. The main reason was to make them more visible, but I did think that next year I could just toss the Styrofoam.
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