- Blinds, window treatments, and windows washed (including the moldings around them)
- Walls washed
- Baseboards and molding around doorways washed
- Removed radiator covers and vacuumed and washed behind there, as well as the covers themselves (EWWW)
- Thorough dusting of every piece of furniture
- Washed slipcovers
- Rugs vacuumed and steam cleaned
- Hardwood floors swept and washed BY HAND (as in on my hands and knees) with Vinegar
And....Rug in Kitchen steamcleaned as well.
Seriously, the amount of grime we had was embarrassing. I dust and vacuum regularly. I am not a dirty person. But when you DEEP clean.....you really get that dirt that you don't get on a regular basis. We were able to sit and watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics in the living room, and it didn't feel like it was dirty anymore.
All of this was a WIN. The kitchen is on the agenda for today.....wish me luck. Kitchen grime is so much worse than regular grime. Now you have greasy grime. Yuck.
One problem emerged. And I have talked about this before: the sofa and loveseat. When we took the slipcovers off to wash them, we got to see how BAD they are. The fabric is so worn that the springs are popping through. Framework is showing. The fabric on the cushions is gone. Bossy has been picking at the stuffing, so huge chunks of foam are gone. Yeah, it really is bad.
So, we have decided that replacements will be needed sooner than later. I REALLY don't want to spend the money, but on the flipside, this set is trashed. Our family uses this room more than any other room, so we need to get something that will stand up to that. We have decided that we don't want to get anything "cheap" that in 2 years will fall apart. We also aren't going to go to Restoration Hardware and spend $10,000. We will find what we want (and will fit in our awkward room), and then watch for sales and such.
Happy and frustrated. I really wish we had planned for this. Nothing lasts forever.
Wow!! Good for you!! :) I did the same yesterday... The girls have been SOO HAPPY in their splotless clean playroom that they've barely been upstairs! lol!
ReplyDeleteTry Craigslist. I was able to get a really nice sofa for daughter for $200.00. Just check regularly.
ReplyDeleteDon't dismiss cheap. Ikea has this couch called the Klippan. The cheapest plain version is $249. They sell covers for $79. When I worked with an event producer, this was his go-to couch for our events. These things could take major beatings. We used them indoors and outdoors, at calm events and rowdy ones. They got shoved in and out of moving trucks constantly. Let's say you get the plain one and a fancy cover-- that's $328 for a couch that could easily last you three to five years if not longer. Let's say you spend $1200 on a couch, you could buy the Klippan three times over. Your kids are getting bigger and the rate of destruction might very well slow down. I don't know, if you guys are really in a tight spot right now and you have other priorities right now, I'd buy the "cheap" stuff and save for the nice stuff-- if you end up needing it.
ReplyDelete