Spring Cleaning

A very odd thing is happening around this house.

It all started a few weeks ago when a dear friend of ours, who just so happens to be a realtor, called us and said, "So, I know your house isn't for sale, but can I show it to a couple moving to town?"

Real Gil and I talked and talked and talked. Then, when all that talking didn't get us anywhere, we just shrugged our shoulders and said, "Sure, you can show them our house."

Funny thing though. It's not for sale.

But I have told Real Gil a few times in the past two weeks, if he wants true spring cleaning, all he has to do is tell me that our not-for-sale house is being walked through by a couple of retiring Californians who probably don't have little fingerprints all over their coffee table (we don't even have a coffee table).

Nothing gets you in the mood to clean your house more than imagining some other woman peeking in my spice cabinet, or looking in our attic.

Call me domestic. Because, dear sisters, this house is spot.less. Or, it will be come Friday morning right around 10 a.m.

Now, I know this is a works-for-me post. But it's really a WHO works-for-me.

That would be my amazing mother-in-law. Last Friday night, she marched into my house to help me with this spring cleaning insanity. She carried a bucket, a bottle, and a razor blade. And rubber gloves. Obviously, she meant business.

And her business was my shower. I wish I had a "before" picture to show you the nasty water and soap stains. A non-busy person must have designed this shower. Or a man. Don't they know that you have to actually CLEAN these panes? Well, after three years of agonizing over my inability to clean them, I have learned the secret to cleaning those water stains.


1. Zap! which is expensive soap you can only buy online. It used to be at Costco but someone up in Kirkland, Washington must have decided to let someone else have the Zap monopoly. Get yourself some of this liquid soap goodness.

2. A really good rubber squeegee.

3. A razor blade

So, like any good daughter-in-law, I watched and noted how she worked her magic. Dear mother-in-law just rubbed some of that Zap on the window pane with a sponge. Then, she used a razor blade and just slid it down the surface of the pane. Afterwards, she did a few water rinses and then finished with a window squeegee of the entire surface.



Wow, I feel so practical with this post. Yes, that's me. Miss Practical. But check that shower out. It's now a matter of pride for me, perhaps even a sin.

But this works for me this week.

And if you don't have Zap, I have one other secret weapon for your spring cleaning.


My windows are clean. Bring on the realtors!