Sunday Main Event – Cleaning

On Sunday I awoke with an inner drive of ambition.  I bounded out of bed and realized this was to be the day that we get some stuff accomplished around the house!

I went downstairs and put the fear of God into Mike when I asked what he was doing for the entire day.  You could see the wheels spinning in his head while he tried to come up with an excuse to get out of any work that would be happening so we could just remain in his prone position on the couch watching Veronica Mars.

In the end, I sugarcoated the event in my head and downplayed it enough to convince him to come to Home Depot with me.  We rented a carpet cleaner as well as picked up some grass seed and fertilizer.  I don’t know much about lawn care but I know that my lawn looks horrible!  I don’t know why.  There are patches everywhere!  So I decreed that I would no longer have a lame looking lawn.

I also decreed that I would no longer have a dirty carpet.  There is definitely some wear and tear near the front step when you walk into the house…I’m assuming it is from everyone who likes to put their foot up a step to tie their shoes.  While this irks me because they get their grubby shoes all over the carpet, it is a fact of life and that is why they created the carpet cleaner.

After a few mishaps in putting the solution and water in the wrong area of the carpet cleaner, I finally got it running and it was a breeze to operate.  The entire upstairs was done in an hour and I worked my way down the stairs with the handy hand tool.  It worked surprisingly well considering the amount of dirt that was on the stairs from everyone walking up and down them for the past three years (has it been three years already?!).

I took a break for lunch where Vero had prepared some delicious burgers for us.  I sat outside with a beer and absorbed the beautiful sun before heading back in to get the job done.  The spot at the front step came out well and we ventured into the living room with the carpet cleaner.  Mike took over for this portion and I took over to do the couch cushions.  Unfortunately for me, after I was nearly completed the couch cushions, I noticed that there really wasn’t much soap coming out of the nozzle.  I opened up the bucket (which is usually foamy) and noticed dirty water.  Turns out that Mike had forgot to add the soap on the last fill up!  Oh well.  I was too tired to redo all the couch cushions but at least they got a nice rinse.  I also washed the futon mattress that was upstairs and left all these items outside to dry in the sun.  I had also read on Lifehacker that if you want your couch cushions to get all fluffy again (or was it pillows?), you should just leave them in the sun for the afternoon and gives them new life!  I didn’t notice much difference so maybe I’ll have to leave them out the entire day.

I then ran over to Eric’s place to borrow his seeder.  Let me tell you, that thing comes in handy sometimes!  I definitely owe him a beer for it.  I raked up the yard, spread some seed, spread some fertilizer and watered the lawn.  Hopefully it takes effect but I know it will take a good four weeks to see any results.  I’ll just have to remain dilligent in watering the lawn.

In the end, I got a lot accomplished which impressed me.  Vero and Mike were a great help also in the event and I thank them.  The living room looks never cleaner (although with my unorthodox method of cleaning, all items that were in the living room, are now on the kitchen table.  That is my next target.) and the carpets are spring fresh.