I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Spring Cleaning and a Walk on the Beach

Hello, everyone! Hello, March!

some of my Shaker box collection: Blues
 
We only got a dusting of snow this time, the storm missed us. But brrr, it is very cold. And the late winter sun, happy as I am to see it!--is relentless, highlighting every nook and cranny. And each crevice is just filled with sand. It creeps in on our shoes, sneaks in through the old wooden window frames. Marches right in through the front door, oh so bold!



So I began my spring cleaning a few weeks early.



LOL, I flipped up the living room rug and I swear there were sand dunes forming under there. I got out the heavy duty antique TriStar ''motel special'' vacuum cleaner and sucked all the sand away.



Then I washed everything, floors and walls, baseboards, windowsills included. With Clorox [sorry, Mel]. Scrubbed the bathrooms' tiled walls and floors.



I couldn't wash the window frames or screens because it is too cold, but I did sweep and wash the doors' lintels. Then I washed the white slipcovers.  [uh oh].



Just one sofa's covers. IKEA cotton covers.




Man, did they shrink!
I estimate the main cover is at least 12" shorter than it was!
I had to cut the cover to get it back on. And I'll have to replace it soon. I am just glad I didn't wash the other sofa's covers, or the big chair's. But washable slipcovers aren't much good of you can't, uh, wash them. (I even put them back on damp, no dryer time. But---no.] To give IKEA its due, these were ordered online through an outlet, not purchased at the store. Because unlike the rest of the world IKEA does not have a web catalog. [so no returns/ complaints possible.]



I needed a walk afterwards to clear the cobwebs out of my head!



It is cold but here is no wind. You know the summer saying, It's not the heat it's the humidity? Well, here the winter corollary is, It's not the cold, it's the wind! So a calm, still, sunny day with temps in the teens is just delightful. Mmm. Breath of fresh air. Just what I needed.



My little world is sparkling indoors and out. Do you spring clean? Or are you like my mom, whose house was kept so impeccably that there was no need?

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...





5 comments:

  1. I can remember my parents spring cleaning and usually including some room painting. Lots of work but it did feel good.
    Sue McQ in IL

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  2. I've been doing some spring cleaning too!! Trying more white vinegar instead of OTC products.
    LOVE those shakers boxes, fantastic collection.
    Bummer on the slip cover!

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  3. I HATE to clean but oddly I wish I could do spring cleaning this year (but no bleach for me!!). When my mom spring-cleaned, it involved shoving the bed mattresses out the second-story door of our old farmhouse to 'sun' them for the morning/afternoon.....then we'd have to lug them back up all the stairs. They did smell nice after, though, made up with line-dried sheets.

    I'd expect a LITTLE bit of shrinkage if the slipcovers are cotton, but that sounds unreasonable. I checked, IKEA does have an online catalog AND e-mail and phone customer service at http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/customer_service/contact_us/contact.html. If it was me, I'd at least call and tell them how MUCH the covers shrank. Maybe if nothing else they'll offer you a discounted price on a replacement purchase. Worth a try!

    What makes the yellow and blue spots on the shell in the last photo? Is that natural, or paint or something?

    I envy you your nice clean house. Hopefully after my treatment tomorrow and some healing time I'll feel a lot more like doing some cleaning of my own.

    Take care!

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  4. Your place looks so fresh and ready for Spring. I am only motivated to deep clean when I have company coming. Even then, I keep the lights lowered so any crud I missed can't be seen. I'm a shove everything under the bed kind of gal.

    I'm pretty sure you were told to use more mild cleansers, bleach--not so mild. :)

    It's staying lighter much later this week!!!

    Kel

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  5. Yep, I am spring cleaning today in fact. It is 50 degrees but cloudy and rainy but I have just finished washing down my counters and appliances in the kitchen and a bunch of knick knacks. Did the bathroom yesterday. Feels good. I am trying to do a room a weekend. Enjoy your sparkling house! And your lovely sea. :) Kit

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