Sunday, May 13, 2012

Cleaning Out The House

Hey, I remember making this:
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What's it doing in the kitchen? (Uh... 25(?) years later?!?) It's a cute little thing, but since white glue is water soluble, not terribly useful. (White glue is making the seal between the straw and the cup.) Photo for old time's sake, then trash.

Heh... another vintage item:
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I don't know how full it was when it was put in the cupboard, but it had completely evaporated even though fully closed. I didn't try opening it, to see if there were any fumes left. Somehow, I like imagining it being sold as a bottle full of imaginary cleaner with a pouffy brush... I didn't upload the photo of the brush through the jar, because it was a bit hard to make out. Here's a side shot:
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Uh... "non inflammable"? Is that a typo, or intentionally misleading? Hee! A typo on a type cleaner bottle! (Hmmm... turns out *I'm* the one mistaken.) This thing is funny enough (and small enough) that I'm letting it stay for a bit.

Asbestos debate:
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Is this plaster the type that does or does not contain asbestos? It's on the early end of the time range I've been reading about, I think before most of the cited dates.
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How about this stucco ceiling? It's on the late end of the time range for asbestos-containing stucco.

My mom is so awesome, I don't know that I deserve her. Want to know how she spent mother's day?
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Cleaning a soon-to-be-mine kitchen that has been used by two bachelors for 20 years. (And no, she's not the compulsive cleaning type. She did this because she loves me.)
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These are all the cupboards she scrubbed inside and out, plus the fridge (including behind the fridge) and the broom closet (granted the broom closet shelves got a quick wipe, rather than a dousing of Fantastic plus a hearty scrub).

There's more cupboards, but six hours of cleaning on Mother's day is more than enough for even super-moms.

Did you spot that vacuum cleaner in the photo with my mom? See how nice and shiny new it is? The other day I asked if I could borrow mom's for the initial cleaning of the house. (The other option was to use the older-than-me vacuums dad and my brother left behind.) Guess what I got for a housewarming present?!? (Besides the cleaning... and a 100 pack of trash bags, and a combo pack of Fantastic in a spray bottle plus a ginormous jug to refill it.)

Thank you mom. You're the *best*.

(I also got a brand-new wheelbarrow that doubles as a dolly from my grandma!)

What was I doing while my mom was cleaning?
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Marking. (I couldn't decide if I wanted the dust mask for the dust, or the respirator for the Fantastic fumes. I went for the dust mask, although I suspect I would have been better off with the respirator.) Yes, I'm planing on living in a place that currently has me wearing masks.

When I looked up, this is what I saw:
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I'm pretty sure I can see the outline of where the deer's head used to hang above the fireplace. (Soot? grime? Mom's answer was "yes".)

Speaking of old things, remember when phones were just phones?
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(And owned by the phone company? For some reason, though, they didn't want them back when they started allowing people to buy their own.) Yep, this one still works. (I think that clear knob is for selecting which line... we had a dual line phone!) Dad took his more modern phones with him, but left this one behind so that calls could still be made & received here before I move in.

6 comments:

Scunge said...

You'll have to do a LARGE painting to put over the fireplace! Oh and don't forget to get that chimney inspected AND cleaned! Home ownership is great but now YOU are in charge of all the stuff that goes wrong. ;-) Hope you don't have asbestos it's a bugger to get cleaned out,at least here in the States,maybe Canada it's easier? Oh about my name you also know me as Sockmad. :)

noricum said...

I do have a large painting that I can put there, but I'm also hoping to repaint... especially given how the wallpaper is peeling on the other walls. (I'll try to remember to post photos... it's funny how much it's peeling.)

Asbestos is a bugger everywhere there's decent laws. :P Of course, I was around while we were working the the plaster and stucco when I was a kid, so if it does have asbestos, I'm already in trouble.

Getting the chimney inspected and cleaned is on my list. Not high on the list, but before I use it. I don't think dad's ever had it inspected or cleaned. :P

Nicoya said...

The plaster most likely does have asbestos, given that the duct work behind it is wrapped in asbestos.

noricum said...

It is? *crap*. (I didn't see any asbestos wrapped pipes in the basement... I guess I'll have to look some more.)

Vicki Knitorious said...

If I may, "YAY MOM!"

noricum said...

Yeah. My mom is the *awesomest*, and deserves an award!