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| my view from my desk |
Today I cleaned my front window with a bar of homemade soap. I used to use white vinegar and water, but I wasn't really happy with the results. The windows looked far better after using dish soap, which I learned about from the book, How Clean Is Your House. My mother even noticed the difference when she came to visit me. She commented on how much cleaner an antique mirror that I had looked. I told her that I had switched to using dish soap and distilled water. We have hard water where I live. It leaves a film on things, and makes cleaning much more challenging. It creates a smeared look. It's depressing to see after working hard at cleaning your home. It makes the laundry dingy, too. Soft water pumps are illegal here. Still, I try.
Today I discovered my first baby Cinderella pumpkin. Once that flower opens, (which is a female,) I can pollinate it with a male blossom. I am hoping there is enough time for a pumpkin to develop. We shall see. I remember seeing them growing very late in the season at another house, years ago. It was in November.
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| green Algerian tangerines |
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| tangerine turning orange |
I have been making more headway on my deep cleaning. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, so I just do a few hours a day. I am amazed at how fast professional housekeepers work. I may update my windows, as these slats are very hard to clean. I have to remove each one individually. The more I clean, the more I find things that are dirty. (and I live alone.) I can't imagine how I'd feel with a husband and kids. I remember my mother cleaning like a maniac, all day long. Now I see why. It makes me feel kind of sad for her. She tried so hard to be the perfect housekeeper. How exhausting...
The garden is coming along well. When I see the weather in other parts of the world, and in the rest of the USA, I feel very fortunate. Gardening takes a lot of time and energy, but the results are worth it. I love how healthy the stalks of this zucchini plant are.
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Your garden is great. I miss mine already and am now dreaming of what we can plant as soon as it's Spring again!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried soap on windows. We use vinegar and water but have soft water here so it does work well. Thanks for the tip!
Chy
Hi Chy, Yes, with soft water it would be excellent. I have to buy distilled water and mix it with vinegar for cleaning. Enjoy planning and dreaming about your garden!
DeleteOur gardens in the UK are dying back now the colder nights are here. We too have very hard water that leaves lime scale on taps and in kettles. I have tried lots of methods to cleans windows. It's a job I hate!
ReplyDeleteHi Tania, I avoid it, too. They look so pretty and sparkly once the job is done, though.
DeleteYour gardens look beautiful and you are so lucky! Interesting about bar soap...homemade...because I notice when I bathe in it that it doesn't leave the water milky-looking like store soap. I wash my car using liquid dish soap. Andrea
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, Thank you. It takes daily work for the garden to look that way. It makes me happy, though. I have washed my car using liquid dish soap, too. That's an interesting observation about the bath water...
DeleteWhen my sister and I were little and would get into a spat, our mom used to make us clean windows in our very small home. One girl on the outside of a window and the other on the inside. Pretty soon we were laughing at each other....not mad anymore. We had the cleanest windows on the block!
ReplyDeletePeace Thyme, Your mom sounds like a hoot! What a creative solution. Too funny. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteWhat a lovely view from your window. Love the bird bath.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Living Simply. My neighbor gave it to me. I've had it for twenty years, and the sparrows adore it.
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ReplyDeleteI'm going to try soap to clean windows. My bathroom window needs a good cleaning, so I'll put it on this week's to-do list. :) Thanks for the tip, Stephenie.
Sure, Nil. Let me know how you like it. I have been using the homemade soap for lots of cleaning in the home, and I love the vibe. It's pure and old fashioned...
DeleteWe are forecast a day of beautiful warm sunshine... and then the weekend looks to be wet and windy. I think that today I will leave housework till the weekend and enjoy this little bonus day
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great idea, Cherie. It has been very windy here today, too. I hope you enjoyed the sunshine.
DeleteYour citrus and xucchininate looking healthy, Stephenie. I use vinegar and water on mirrors and most windows. On my kiuycen eindoiws, ehi ch csn get a lotbof splayterr from the sink, I use dishsoap and water first and then wipe them over with vinegar. Meg☺
ReplyDeleteThat's how I clean my floors, Meg. It's very effective. Non toxic, too. Thanks for the compliment on the homegrown produce.
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