It’s still hot outside 95% of the time but we are getting short breaths of Autumn once in a while. It is September in Aridzona and that means the holidays are approaching.  We will, as usual, be hosting a post-Thanksgiving Feastival for our juggling friends and who ever else would like to turn up. Hopefully, I can get William’s family out here for a nice supper on the patio when the weather is cooler and the patio won’t be an oven. Then, of course, my favorite holiday, Christmas. I’d like to be sans cobwebs so that the pretty lights don’t spotlight that sort of grunge. I don’t decorate for Halloween. I don’t have to.

Today’s task is to clean doors and door frames, see which doors need repainting and wash the walls that are only covered with art or light furniture. What I really need are a magic wand and a fire hose. What I have are rags and Scrubbing Bubbles. I learned long ago that semi-gloss or gloss is the only paint compatible with my lifestyle. Both I can spray with Scrubbing Bubbles that will cut through kitchen grease and grime and wipe right off with a damp rag with no paint damage. If I have to clean I also have to make it as easy as possible.

If I manage my Fall cleaning tasks for this week I am giving myself a new Nook. My old one doesn’t keep a charge for more than a few chapters and has recently become stubborn about releasing books I want to re-read from the “Cloud”. Then, at the end of each week of completed tasks, I will treat myself to a new book.

I will endeavor not to think about the fact that all of this will likely need to be done again in January. Ugh.

My actual working list is broken down room by room, to make me think I’ve actually accomplished something by end of day. For this blog, however, I’m just lumping it all together.  My Fall list of grunge to do something about that needs to be completed by the end of October:

Before anything else can happen, corral the mutts. Less help is a big help in that department.

Move furniture away from walls. ALL of it. Including that damned low set of drawers that weighs about eight billion pounds where the TV and video stuff sit. Ugh.  Then vacuuming, dusting, mopping and washing the walls and cleaning the baseboards behind all that furniture will be a piece of cake comparatively.

Remove and clean art, wall hangings, etc. wash walls.

Wash shower curtains and drapes. (Yes, I said wash drapes. If it needs dry cleaning, it is not welcome in my house.)

Move and Clean all appliances, large and small and clean shelves, walls and floor under and behind them.

Wash and/or repaint door facings.

Track down and murder every last dust bunny.

Clean pot shelf

Clean light fixtures and fans

Clean cabinets

Clean under sinks

Polish mirrors and counters

Thoroughly scrub and clean floors.

Clean leather and pleather furniture

Polish wood furniture and baseboards.

Take clothes I’ll never fit in again to the local charity shop.

Wash windows and screens.

Repair bull nose corners (see a previous post that describes this project) in bedroom and repaint.

Thoroughly clean patio furniture.

Yes, I realize most of these tasks should be done at least weekly. However, if I kept this house the way this house should be kept I’d never be able to do another thing. Ever. I would die smelling like scrubbing bubbles.