The Cleaning Battle Continues

Mom finished the kitchen cabinets. This dirty water is from cleaning just two:

Yeesh!

I worked on the living room. I started by sweeping and mopping the floor (removing some screwed down pieces of wood that prevented the couch from shifting around), then washing the walls. Step one, swiffer the walls:

Whoa... that dirt was from a tiny section! (Note to self: swiffer walls regularly!)
Step two and three, clean with all-purpose cleaner solution, then rinse with plain water. Here's the wall above the fireplace after I've cleaned two-thirds of it:

Gee... can you see the difference? I sure can! The outline of the deer head is much less visible now too. :)

After I was done with two walls, I re-mopped the floor, since (a) I noticed that the first time (done with a swiffer wet mop) dried streaky, and (b) I was also wearing my (outdoor) shoes while washing the walls, because the stepladder had narrow steps. I decided to try my dry swiffer with a dampened cloth:

Urgh! I believe this calls for a *real* mop! (Third mopping to come tomorrow.)

I also sorted through some old stuff from the "mitten cabinet" in the kitchen (it was close to the back door). I was going to donate everything, but got suckered in by a few things from my past. This hat for one:

(What if a visiting little girl needs a hat to protect her head from the sun?) My grandma made these slippers, and I loved them:

How cute is this set that my grandma made?

(Hat with attached scarf, and critter mittens.)

It was pouring down rain, so I decided to take the ficus outside for a shower. However, taking the ficus outside caused it to pretty much stop raining, and I had to use the hose to finish the job. Oh well. While I was outside, I noticed that the storm windows on some of the original windows seem to be missing much of what holds the panes in:

I should probably do something about that sometime. (Preferably before they fall out in the middle of winter, leaving me with single-pane windows.) Two options: repair the storm windows, or replace the original windows with insulated ones. The second option should really be done eventually (especially since one of the windows is cracked), but the first option is a lot cheaper.

Since I now had a taller borrowed stepladder at the house (so I could wash the walls), I also put up the plant hook and chain outside, so that my dad's wife could have her decorative hook back:


Finally, I brought over the largest piece of art I own to cover the screw holes in the wall above the fireplace:

Not bad, but I think I actually need something bigger. (That painting looks *huge* in my apartment!)