So Fresh and So Clean

My house is sparkly.  Not as in glitter, the herpes of the craft world sparkly.  But sanitized, scrubbed, wiped clean and nary a germ to be found (at least in the main living areas - don't get me started on the attic).

Why this sudden interest in cleanliness?  A few reasons, actually, most of which have to do with a very interesting marriage dynamic.  See, I'm not the neatest of people.  I pile things, leave shoes wherever the fancy strikes to take them off and absolutely hate dusting.  Hubs on the other hand, prefers order and hates clutter with a burning passion equal only to unnecessary stoplights.  But he's been gone on a mission trip for the past couple of weeks, so my shoes have spread out and it took me 6 days to remember to bring a light bulb upstairs for our bathroom mirror.

But Hubs is coming home on Wednesday, and absence has made my heart grow fonder which has inspired me to clean with abandon this weekend so that he comes home to order, clean clothes and the ability to walk around our bedroom without tripping on my sneakers.  Lest you fear I've gone completely mad, I can assure you that the spare bedroom/office is still a mess and the living room is still very much under construction. 

I used this method with great results for my stove top grates.  Mine needed a little scrub with a rubber scraper, but this house was lived in by a bachelor for many years.

I made this laundry soap (warning: annoying song on the blog) with the addition of some baking soda and have been using it a lot.  Really love the smell!

I dusted, disinfected, put away stray shoes - not because I want to/started to feel like I was in my own episode of Hoarders, but because I want my husband to enjoy the home we have made together.  He loves me no matter what and would be glad to come home no matter the state of the laundry if only because it's about 15-20 degrees cooler than Haiti. 

This is my own way of saying "I love you, I missed you, and I'm glad you're home."  It's been hard to learn that acts of service like scrubbing the tub mean more to him than a love note; but I love him a lot and I want him to know that, so I'm speaking his language.  Plus, there are side benefits to cleaning, like finding money in pockets, having enough underwear to get you through the rest of the week, and not being afraid to take a friend on a house tour.  :)

~JB