Psychology of Clean
When I was a kid I went back and forth between my parents houses because they were divorced. I had gone every other day (I usually get a pitiful look from people when I say that, but it was awesome, what kid doesn't want to see both parents everyday?) And, I don't remember feeling disconnected with my space until I was 8 and started going every other week. Every week I would get home and even if my room wasn't dirty I would clean. I was reacquainting myself with the space. In a big world where still many things are out of my control; cleaning, is a simple task where I can feel satisfied and some what accomplished. Here's a link to an article about sanity and cleanliness. (I'm still on the hunt for a better one out there which I will share with you when I find one, but when I google psychology and cleanliness I get the biblical verse about cleanliness and godliness, which isn't what I was trying to share with my readers). In my new home, though it has been a slow process, I feel like I am doing the same thing. Trying out different products, to see what works best in the space and with the material I am forced to live with until we can afford to replace it with what we would prefer.
Last week my husband and I disassembled the dishwasher and cleaned (I don't know how many years of build up) hard water and soap grime and food out of there. Talk about gross, we even found broken bits of glass. The project this week is grout. I have never had tile flooring. I heard on the Today Show one morning last week when they were reviewing houses on the market all over the country, that tile is outdated, and no one wants to move into a house with your old carpet, everyone wants wood floors. Wood flooring is timeless, never looks outdated and cleans easily. Wood floors can be refinished and last the whole life of the house. That being said, real hardwood is expensive and can scratch easily (varies on the type of wood) and with the many flooring options some wood flooring isn't that thick so you can't refinish them unless you buy solid wood. And if you are really dedicated to green living, you can get recycled flooring (but this can be expensive too). I know many people who have gone the laminate wood route due to high traffic, pets, kids and do not want to be heart broken with a scratched expensive wood floor. In my life, this is the route I would go. I have a big dog, two cats, two kids and a husband. We Perry's love company and therefore a lot of guests (and in the mountains they bring their pets too) and movement on an ongoing basis throughout the house.
This tile floor shows every speck of dirt. At first, I was mortified by the dirt that got tracked in, but now I am loving that I know where the dirt is. I use my cordless dyson vacuum everyday (often more than once) to pick up food, dirt clods and pet hair and whatever else gets dragged in. I use a swiffer type and a Shark steam mop for the wet cleaning, but within hours it is full on dirty again! I realized a few weeks ago that the grout was terrible. I was much more type A before I had kids. Now, I don't always have the time to notice all the things that used to drive me crazy or the time to fix them all. Ask any of my neighbors that have dropped by, they probably wouldn't classify my house as being spotless by any means, maybe even the opposite.
What really grossed me out this week was that after this house has been vacant for who knows how long before we moved in, was that who knows how old the tile is and the grout is absolutely filthy. How clean is it going to have to be before the dirt that is there will not gross me out because I will think that it is my dirt and not a previous tenant, contractor, bank employee, realtor or owner? When will I feel like it is only the dirt from the Perry's? And, how often will I have to clean it?
Last week I tried my bathroom solution that I use on the tile in the shower and tub which is a mixture of vinegar and Dawn Ultra. It left a soapy mess that I had to mop up afterwards to get rid of the residue, but it did help. So that is one I will reserve for the bathroom where rinsing it down the drain is the only way to go. This week I noticed my Borax box and canister of Barkeepers' Friend said it could be used on grout. Yay! I don't have to go out and buy something specific for grout, I already have something. The Borax was much better. I was using the powder directly on the grout with a toothbrush, it was abrasive and was doing well until my cat started chasing the toothbrush and I started dissolving the Borax in the water before applying it to the grout and wiping it up with a towel as I went, which didn't leave any residue behind so I felt better about that. There are areas that almost seem like someone used caulking in them or a different kind of grout, the texture is way different than other areas.
My only complaint and maybe appreciation was that I am on my hands and knees for the whole thing, who has time for this? I think you probably get the complaint portion of scrubbing on your hands and knees, but the appreciation is that I am making a difference in my surrounding that I am going to appreciate (even if the rest of the family doesn't notice). I can see the difference immediately and I am connecting and owning the space one square tile at a time. I am doing a small area at a time, so if you have any suggestions to try I will take them! I know there are carpet companies that offer steam grout cleaning, but I don't currently have the money for that, and I would miss the connection that I am getting doing it on my own, which I know to some of you sounds crazy, but actually means something to me.
In conclusion, I hope to not be grossed out by any build up of dirt here soon! I will claim ownership of this house and it's entirety and all the dirt in it without wondering where it came from. At some point in the future, hopefully I will have flooring that doesn't require this step of cleaning. The wood or laminate flooring will only require the first two steps of vacuuming/or sweeping and mopping. And, for the psychology part of it all, I am sure I will find another project to help me own it, which I am sure to post and share with you all. Thanks for reading!
~Perry Mama
Last week my husband and I disassembled the dishwasher and cleaned (I don't know how many years of build up) hard water and soap grime and food out of there. Talk about gross, we even found broken bits of glass. The project this week is grout. I have never had tile flooring. I heard on the Today Show one morning last week when they were reviewing houses on the market all over the country, that tile is outdated, and no one wants to move into a house with your old carpet, everyone wants wood floors. Wood flooring is timeless, never looks outdated and cleans easily. Wood floors can be refinished and last the whole life of the house. That being said, real hardwood is expensive and can scratch easily (varies on the type of wood) and with the many flooring options some wood flooring isn't that thick so you can't refinish them unless you buy solid wood. And if you are really dedicated to green living, you can get recycled flooring (but this can be expensive too). I know many people who have gone the laminate wood route due to high traffic, pets, kids and do not want to be heart broken with a scratched expensive wood floor. In my life, this is the route I would go. I have a big dog, two cats, two kids and a husband. We Perry's love company and therefore a lot of guests (and in the mountains they bring their pets too) and movement on an ongoing basis throughout the house.
This tile floor shows every speck of dirt. At first, I was mortified by the dirt that got tracked in, but now I am loving that I know where the dirt is. I use my cordless dyson vacuum everyday (often more than once) to pick up food, dirt clods and pet hair and whatever else gets dragged in. I use a swiffer type and a Shark steam mop for the wet cleaning, but within hours it is full on dirty again! I realized a few weeks ago that the grout was terrible. I was much more type A before I had kids. Now, I don't always have the time to notice all the things that used to drive me crazy or the time to fix them all. Ask any of my neighbors that have dropped by, they probably wouldn't classify my house as being spotless by any means, maybe even the opposite.
What really grossed me out this week was that after this house has been vacant for who knows how long before we moved in, was that who knows how old the tile is and the grout is absolutely filthy. How clean is it going to have to be before the dirt that is there will not gross me out because I will think that it is my dirt and not a previous tenant, contractor, bank employee, realtor or owner? When will I feel like it is only the dirt from the Perry's? And, how often will I have to clean it?
Last week I tried my bathroom solution that I use on the tile in the shower and tub which is a mixture of vinegar and Dawn Ultra. It left a soapy mess that I had to mop up afterwards to get rid of the residue, but it did help. So that is one I will reserve for the bathroom where rinsing it down the drain is the only way to go. This week I noticed my Borax box and canister of Barkeepers' Friend said it could be used on grout. Yay! I don't have to go out and buy something specific for grout, I already have something. The Borax was much better. I was using the powder directly on the grout with a toothbrush, it was abrasive and was doing well until my cat started chasing the toothbrush and I started dissolving the Borax in the water before applying it to the grout and wiping it up with a towel as I went, which didn't leave any residue behind so I felt better about that. There are areas that almost seem like someone used caulking in them or a different kind of grout, the texture is way different than other areas.
My only complaint and maybe appreciation was that I am on my hands and knees for the whole thing, who has time for this? I think you probably get the complaint portion of scrubbing on your hands and knees, but the appreciation is that I am making a difference in my surrounding that I am going to appreciate (even if the rest of the family doesn't notice). I can see the difference immediately and I am connecting and owning the space one square tile at a time. I am doing a small area at a time, so if you have any suggestions to try I will take them! I know there are carpet companies that offer steam grout cleaning, but I don't currently have the money for that, and I would miss the connection that I am getting doing it on my own, which I know to some of you sounds crazy, but actually means something to me.
In conclusion, I hope to not be grossed out by any build up of dirt here soon! I will claim ownership of this house and it's entirety and all the dirt in it without wondering where it came from. At some point in the future, hopefully I will have flooring that doesn't require this step of cleaning. The wood or laminate flooring will only require the first two steps of vacuuming/or sweeping and mopping. And, for the psychology part of it all, I am sure I will find another project to help me own it, which I am sure to post and share with you all. Thanks for reading!
~Perry Mama
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