(Not my chair, but definitely one of my rugs because carpet sucks [pic from esalerugs.com])

Rest assured, I have not suddenly become a Stepford wife or something that’s gone the route of June Cleaver wannabe. I made some plans and finally figured out how to get a good dose of cleaning done today instead of a little here and there. Several months of unpredictable scheduling have resulted in more and more clutter, and some boxes still left unpacked.

Well, I also figured out that getting all linoleum was a damned good idea when I made this place, because after today, just imagining what carpet would look like in five years makes me shudder.

I did my “get your lazy ass to cleaning, no-holds-barred” move whereby I just get stuff off the floor and stack it on my furniture. This way, I can do a thorough vacuuming and sweeping job (in some corners, it’s just easier to use the hose attachment for the dog-hair tumbleweed around here). What really sold me was vacuuming my area rugs and then hanging them on the porch rail to beat and sweep them off. Figured I’d let the fresh air do a number on them, too.

I had to bring ’em in earlier than I planned because of a storm (in the nick of time, too). I still had just enough time to sweep and mop most of the house, a couple rooms at a time.

I noticed there was still plenty of fine dirt coming off the rugs, and dog hair stuck to the backside.

Oh boy, that was annoying. I just finished mopping my living room floor around 11 pm because this became the base of operations. What I did to fine clean my area rugs was a bit weird, but workable.

First, I turned them upside down and used the vacuum cleaner on the backside. Jute covers the back, and I wasn’t sure it would do much, but the full Windtunnel container indicates otherwise. I went slow and even over the backside, carefully picked it up and folded it over a table I have.

Then, I got my broom and dustpan, because I could see streaks of fine dirt left behind by the area rug. And I don’t mean a light dusting, I mean enough sand to use on a shuffleboard table for traction (or to slip on and bust your butt if you’re not careful).

So, after sweeping the hell out of that, I put the rug back on the floor, right side up, and vacuumed that nice and slow. Again, there was some dirt left (not near as much) so I got the broom and dustpan and went to town.

Those steps took most of the day, which also explains why I haven’t put much a dent in my official cleaning as I wanted to. My feet have been throbbing most of the day because I’ve been constantly on my feet (except for a jigsaw puzzle break during lunch).

And with two doorway rugs and five 4 x 6 area rugs…that was a lot of awkward hauling.

Still, it reminds me why carpet sucks and I’ll never go back if I can help it.

I remembered when I was getting out of the old place and just got tired of that ugly, sticky carpet. I peeled it up and there were several dustpans full of dirt on the plywood, underneath that disgusting padding. Who knows how much was stuck in the padding, but enough was flying around me when I tried to haul it all out that I had to wash my hair several times in order to make it feel clean. Each day.

Yeah, it might seem silly to be focused so much on these area rugs (and why go through all the trouble–it’s practically carpet, isn’t it?), but this is something I can just see myself doing this completely maybe every six months. A good vacuuming twice a week should be fine in the meantime. I just hadn’t had a chance to really take care of them lately. One was still rolled up because of all the packing boxes and crap on the floor. As more boxes and totes leave, it’ll be far easier to cut the dust and keep things clean.

Seriously, those fist-sized dog-hair tumbleweed get into some interesting places if the air stirs just right.

But I gotta admit, even though I barely have a place to sit and the laundry’s still going (lots of blankets to wash), I have to say I enjoyed this piece of home ownership. Things are getting cleared up and it’s starting to look like my home.

Still not going to be a candidate for Good Housekeeping, I’m sure, but something I can live with without going “where the hell do I start to clean today?”

My “get your lazy ass cleaning” method means if I want to sit and relax, or go to sleep, then I’d better get cleaning quickly, and get organized so I get all this stuff off the table, or bed, or couch, and into the right room or area. Whatever can wait for tomorrow can go on another piece of furniture, or at least in another room til manana.

Yes, that’s a recipe for keeping the clutter going, but after this crazy strenuous day, I have to dig through some paperwork so I know where to start on finishing said cleaning for tomorrow.

Right now, I’m gonna go put the living room rug back, make me a white sangria, and finish cleaning my bedroom. I’m gonna want to go to sleep eventually, and the dogs are annoyed their favorite rug isn’t back in it’s proper spot yet.

It’s partially their fault–that was a lot of dog hair to remove!