Spring Cleaning Underway and I’m Still Standing!

When you get to be my age, I view the task of spring cleaning the same way I view climbing Mount Everest–unachievable, a disaster waiting to happen, but not this year. No, I haven’t miraculously gotten taller and grown muscles. What I have done is hire my sixteen-year-old granddaughter to do the job for me.

She’s saving for a car. So why pay someone else when I can contribute to her bank account? I admire kids with a goal, kids who don’t expect the expensive toys of life to drop into their laps.

To be fair, some people feel grandkids and kids should help without being paid, and she does with lots of things, but I believe children should learn that their labor has value. Teaching them life skills like cleaning and home maintenance is important and when they can do it as well as I can, why not let them do it and save my poor old body from pain?

So, what have we done so far? On Saturday, she dusted and mopped every section of the bedrooms, cleaned the screens and the windows, and rotated the mattresses–something I would never have been able to do. Kingsdown mattresses are supper comfortable, but they weigh a ton! She also cleaned out the bathroom cupboard and drawers, tossing items that I’ve had forever and will never use. I’m having my bathroom redone, so that had to be done as soon as it could be. Imagine how much fun she had looking at expiry dates on bath products– 2002 was the oldest. She also dusted behind the living room furniture and did the screens and the windows in that room and the dining room.

She also changed a few light bulbs and looked at a lamp that wasn’t working …. did I mention she wants to be an electrician?

Today, we’ll focus on the kitchen, emptying all the cupboards, getting rid of expired products. Then, we’ll moved to the family room and laundry room and finally the downstairs bathroom. Should be fun, but once it’s done, we’ll be good for another six months!

And, best of all, I’m still standing!

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