Operation Greased Lightning

Gradually the dense smell of chlorine is fading from my nostrils. And my eyes are not watering as much.

Barbara and Jeremiah came over this afternoon to assist in getting this house cleaned up.

I assigned Jeremiah dumpster duty. He had to break down stuff and toss the stuff into the dumpster.

As for Barbara and me, I decided to tackle the bathrooms ~ Barbara getting the upstairs bathroom and me getting the downstairs bathroom. Ariana was going to assist Barbara.

Well, first order of things was for Barbara and Ariana to make a run to Benny's to pick up some cleaning supplies, especially since I did not have any heavy-duty cleaners.

Barbara had strongly recommended this all-purpose cleaner called Greased Lightning, which is supposed to cut through soap scum and the worst kind of dirt.

And it was a good thing that Barbara got a couple of bottles and a gallon refill of the stuff. My earth-friendly vinegar solution simply was not doing the trick when it came to removing built-up soap scum in the downstairs shower.

Before actually starting to clean the shower, I first removed the shower curtain, liner, and bath mat, and threw them all into the washer with a shot of bleach. The liner and the bath mat were especially nasty with them being covered in soap scum and black mildew.

Everything was taken out of the tub. And the entire bathroom was cleared out. All that remained were the toilet and the shower.

I decided to remove the hideous blue and brown floral wallpaper that was peeling off the walls. It was a good thing that I did, for behind the wallpaper, especially above the shower, was a thick black coat of mildew.

Once the wallpaper was removed and tossed into a garbage bag, I began my methodical attack on the bathroom.

That Greased Lightning stuff was working really good. In fact I used nearly an entire bottle to clean the whole bathroom.

When I was done with the actual scrubbing, I sprayed down the ceiling, walls, and woodwork with a diluted bleach solution in order to bleach the black mildew into oblivion.

While I was plodding away in the bathroom, Jeremiah was on his mission to take apart the very long bookcase, the light table, and the metal shelving units, and then toss all the remnants into the dumpster. This massive destruction suited a big and beefy guy like Jeremiah very well.

He also assisted Barbara upstairs by doing the vacuuming.

Ariana actually scrubbed the upstairs toilet! From what I heard, she was really getting into cleaning.

Anyhow, while I focused on just that one bathroom downstairs, Barbara blitzed through the bathroom upstairs, the room at the top of the stairs, and the bedroom that was formerly Neil's and then Ryan's.

But then, Barbara had 2 helpers while I was working all by my lonesome.

I cannot help but feel extreme gratitude for all the help Barbara had given me. She is a pro and a dynamo when it comes to cleaning. And I am afraid that I am as far from being a domestic goddess as possible.

Barbara was my hero today.

She and Jeremiah will return tomorrow to continue w/the cleaning blitz and Operation Greased Lightning.

When I return from church and grocery shopping shopping, I expect that I'll find Barbara, Jeremiah, and Ariana well in the midst of another cleaning blitz.

These wonderful people are helping me realize my goal in having this house listed no later than January.

What would I have done without them and their generous help?