Yesterday I literally cleaned until my fingers bled. This poor old place has not been loved. I hesitated about writing about this for fear of offense, but I don't think it matters anymore.
I cannot describe how much Hill Shadow Farm is run down. Yesterday, as I was scrubbing walls and window sills, it was as if the house was a poor old rescue dog getting a bath and a scratch after years of neglect.
Everywhere there is mould, dog hair, dust, webs, stains, cracks, mud and debris. Everytime I start to clean something, I unearth a can of worms. And what was supposed to take a few minutes, takes hours. Yesterday "I'll just hang these 2 curtains" meant 4 hours of scrubbing mould and nicotine stains off walls, windows and the inside of the front door.
I think I may be cleaning, painting, repairing for weeks to come. That's aside from the unpacking! And cleaning the house we just left for the next tennants there!
Its all overwhelming and just makes me want to stay here in bed. But just look at this view...
An odd thing though: I keep finding money! Not much, 20 cents here, a ten cent piece there. Yesterday Ben found 2 old pennies and a half penny dated from the late '40s! Do you think the house is trying to encourage us?
Do you believe in 'signs'?
Just found you via Foxs Lane.
ReplyDeleteWow you really have a major job ahead of you with all that grime, you will find a good recipe for homemade citrus cleaner at "Down to Earth" blog, quick and easy to make and it will help the house smell wonderful, if you make marmalade or just simmer some citrus peel it will also be a healthy room deodoriser.
With all your citrus harvest, you could make some citrus oil for an oil burner, I am not sure what oil to use or how long you would have to steep it, but I am sure you could find out on "the web".
To start with you could make some pomanders by sticking cloves in some lemons, and placing one in every room, you don't have to cover it, just poke in lots.
Good old fashioned "Gumption" cleaning paste (for the tough bits) will clean just about anything and leaves a lovely clean smell.
hope this helps, we moved into just such a house years ago and it was quite disheartening at first, even dog pee on the wallpaper...yuuuk!
Oh Margaret - so you know my pain! XD I've cleaned parts of this house I didn't even know COULD get dirty! (I've cleaned parts of this house I did'd even know were 'parts'! hahaha) The mould was just appalling, and we found dog faeces and urine stains EVERYWHERE. So sad.
Deleteback again,.... I noticed you have wooden floors, if you think there may be a flea problem or just to be sure there are no eggs hiding,(when the weather warms you will find out) add half a cup of Kerosene to HOT soapy water when you wash the floor, it will sink into the dust between the boards, give the floor a good vacuum first.
ReplyDeleteI would do it for a few weeks at a time, now and anytime you find a problem or see pets scratching .
Margaret!!! You have been sent to me from the Gods, clearly!!! I just picked to fleas off my previously flea-free dogs! D: Im gonna get the kero onto the floor today! Bless you for that tip! THANKYOU xxx
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