Cleaning in Pandemic Times (Or Not)

Greetings to Followers of all things cleaning related:

SO I've hit the wall, so to speak, during this time of pandemic. Utah or Florida. It doesn't matter where you live.  Cleaning is something we have to do, at least occasionally. Thought I'd share my cleaning (or not) experience from Utah as it does relate to my past obsession with being Tina The Cleanahh.

Here's my last post on a new blog as I live the life of a jewelry artist in the Southwest. 

Even jewelry artists have to clean (or not).  

I hope you enjoy Cleaning in Pandemic Times  and will join me at my new blog thatlevywoman !

Best to all!

Tina the Clean-ahh

Greetings from Tina The Cleanahh

Greetings to Readers of Tina The Cleanahh Blog.
Just a heads up that Nathan's and my journey to the Southwest is continuing to unfold. If you would like to join me there, I have a another new blog!   I am a mobile jewelry artist now.  If you would like to keep up with our life here in Utah, be entertained, and get informed about all manner of things, please come on board and follow me!  I've been addressing lifestyle issues surrounding this ongoing pandemic and looking for new ways to live during this challenging, life altering time.  I have dubbed it 'pandemic living'. I hope you are well and staying safe by wearing a mask!  Here is the first post of my blog as thatlevywoman!

Leaving a Clean House

WOW. It has been many months since my last post and this will likely be my last post. I offer sincere apologies but we are preparing to move away, a decision three years in the making. So in the past six months we've purged and saved our treasures, sold our house and two cars and most of our furniture. Why did we need all that furniture anyway? We also bought a cross country vehicle (not a camper) and we will head out mid-May for the Western USA. Everything we own will be in that car.
Soooo, I'm not cleaning as much as I used to. I mean, we're leaving, right? But I will feel compelled to give it a good going over before we vacate. We actually repaired and painted all the nail holes in the walls. We agreed that it was a ritual of respect we felt honored to do for a home that has kept us centered and happy for over twenty years.
To tell you the truth, the more the house empties and the louder the echoes become, the more pleasure I get in swiffering the spots where furniture once stood. These original wood floors from 1948 are "expanding" and showing more shine than before. Funny how that shine resembles Nathan and I as we too shine with excitement for the journey ahead!
I have no plans to delete this blog as I feel it still has good old-fashioned value and I've received some positive feedback on how it has helped some. Besides, it's a GOOD blog! If you are interested in following our new journey in life, I invite you to visit and subscribe to my new blog called "https://thatlevywoman.blogspot.com/". My new blog will launch in mid-May if not sooner (I am itching to write!) so don't miss this fabulous freeing adventure we have "semi-planned"!
I bid you Adieu!

• Moving Out Cleaning Checklist
• Purge, pack and move
• Emotional Effects of Moving

Rechargeable Scrub Brush

I cannot believe that I did not buy a cordless bathroom scrubber sooner. I have certainly been considering it each time I spot mineral deposits (i.e. hard water stains) on my shower walls that look like dried raindrops.  As I don't use synthetic chemicals for cleaning, I have to depend on natural cleaning products and "elbow grease" to clean bathroom tile. Alas, I have finally tired of cleaning a hard surface with arthritic hands.

My new scrubber has a gentle impact on the tile and it's not too heavy for me to manage.  When running, the tool takes some minor muscle coordination since the head is spinning on a flat surface.  This means you have to push slightly and control it's direction on the surface. It also has an adjustable head, an extender rod which I have not yet needed, and a variety of brush heads to suit your cleaning challenge. I've also noticed that the tile brush head works into the tile grout borders too, by applying a little more pressure.

When I clean tile, I usually spray peroxide and distilled water on the surface and wait about 10 minutes (but don't let it dry) before wiping it off with a cloth  Now using a scrubber, I see a bigger difference with less effort on my part.  When I finish and wipe the surface dry, I may notice some trace of deposit remaining but I know I can leave it for next time. I now have some mechanical muscle to help me!  What I have noticed is that any tile stain from the mineral deposit gets buffed out a bit with cleaning and then shows very slightly. I really have to look for it to find it! The best news of all? The tile FEELS clean and smooth under my hands. With this result, I believe the deposit has been removed.

While doing research for this piece, I came upon the health hazards of pink mold. I suspected there was such a thing because I spotted pink on my shower curtain and I don't use pink soaps. So DO look at the link below for help to get rid of it and keep it away.  The bottom line:  If you really want to prevent mold from forming and deter hard water stains from your tile, do whatever it takes to get your bath area dry after you use it. In Florida, I count on my air conditioner to quickly evaporate any moisture in the shower. I do "shake, rattle and roll" my shower curtain each time.  I dry my towel on a rack in another room.  Seriously, I have virtually NO mold or mildew issues in my bathroom, including my shower curtain anymore. 

I've only used this scrubber once but I believe, over time and with continued use, this rechargeable brush--which runs from 30 to 50 minutes on a single charge-- is going to eventually make all my tile cleaner and look close to perfect. And don't I just LOVE perfection and cleanliness!  You betcha...

• Why it's important to remove pink mold
• Easiest Way to Remove Scale Between Bathroom Tiles
• How to clean a moldy shower curtain without using bleach

Cleaning for Peace of Mind & Weight Loss

There are countless benefits for keeping a clean house which I won't bother to list here. You can Google "benefits of cleaning your house" and find most of them. What surprises me most about my search results is that the leading search results don't even mention the physical workout involved and the impact of that on one's health.  Scrolling down, I eventually found one that mentions surprising benefits of burning calories, controlling anger management, and reducing stress. WOW. That's more than I bargained for!

Having shed almost 25 lbs. two years ago, I maintained my weight until the start of this summer and since then have gained almost 10 pounds. (Who doesn't love pasta?) When I finally weighed myself, my red flag went up quickly and I'm on track to shed that weight which I worked SO hard to lose!  Since the hot Florida summer keeps me from walking in the mornings where, even at 7am it is 80-something degrees, I am grateful that my weekly cleaning schedule keeps me in a good workout mode.  When the weather finally shifts, my aerobic capacity will be ready to easily tackle daily walks.

If weightloss is a goal for you, consider what cleaning house for 2 or 3 hours can do for your body once or twice weekly.  My workout goes for 3 to 4 hours with a 15 minute break. I perspire up a storm and keep the electrolyte water going in to prevent muscle cramping from too much water loss.  When I finish, I lie down flat on my yoga mat and just rest. Then I stretch and wiggle for awhile.  That little interlude on my mat has benefits all its own.

I cannot wait for the summer heat to dissipate so I can return to hoofing the streets!

• Surprising Benefits of Cleaning House
• Yoga Recommended After a Workout
• Housing Cleaning Workout

Using Leather Cleaners

I’ve always been intimidated by the prospect of cleaning my leather furniture. Luckily, our furniture stays pretty clean since it’s just the two of us. But I’ve always known there would come a time...

Everytime I read the label on a leather cleaner I see the suggestion to check for color fastness on a hidden spot. Just where IS that spot? Does damage happen to all grades of leather? They never tell you that on the label.  So I’ve purchased a number of leather cleaners with the best of intentions: “This time, by gosh, I am going to tackle that furniture!” and promptly stored them under the kitchen sink after a few days of deliberation.

My first leather purchase was a sofa and loveseat in a pale rose beige that I purchased new in the early 1990’s. The beige sofa’s only signs of wear are a cat claw scratch suffered when I’d owned it less than one year and, discovered recently, a number of

Cleaning those old verticals

Who has those anymore? We do!  You know the story. They came with the house and, at today's prices, they will be expensive to replace with newer technology. That said, other than being outdated, they don't even look used.  I'd rather buy an airline ticket to Arizona than buy new blinds.  Obviously, I have other priorities. Enough said. 


When I redid our bedroom over a year ago with paint and a window dressing, I cut these vertical blinds from floor length to window sill length.  The room really was too small for a full wall of blinds. When I reassembled the room, I knew the day was coming that they would need a nice soaking in hot soapy water and a clean rinse before drying and rehanging.  TODAY was that day!  

I unhung THIRTY of these vertical slats and put them into some hot water and Dawn detergent in the tub. I got on my (padded) knees and used my hands to bathe them individually. I didn't want to stress out my body in that position so I took breaks between soaking and rinsing and drying and hanging.  In between times, I did other minor chores.  It made a big difference when I broke up the time in that way. Usually, I hunker down for hours and push through the UGHS I HATE DOING THIS. This time was easier. I even stopped for lunch! Plus I got exercise and I'm sure I built up my glutes with all the kneeling and maneuvering activities in the tub.

Well, dry and rehung, they look even better than before! Sometimes we never know how much better something can look until we wash it. Maybe it's just that I KNOW they are clean. My living room blinds are next, but not too soon...  They are going to be easier because I won't have to move any furniture. YAY.  That will be my incentive!

• Ideas for cleaning blinds
• Bring your window treatments up to date