For the next several hours Grandmother and Lucie worked side by side,
helped by Momma when she wasn’t
caring for Anna or keeping an eye on
Thomas. Lucie learned how important
it was to get dust and debris removed
from every corner of the room, as the
dust could not only hold bacteria but
also hold on to odors and make a room
smell bad.
There was very little clutter in Grandmother’s room. Her closets and drawers
were all neatly kept. Lucie learned how to
do the work in an organized way in an
easy room before attempting to do so in a
cluttered room. Although Grandmother
was aware of this, Lucie wasn’t. Lucie
wasn’t happy that she hadn’t uncovered
any new and interesting piece of Grandmother’s history hiding in Grandmother’s room either. Lucie thought Grandmother must keep all her special things
solely in her hope chest.
As Grandmother, Momma, and Lucie
sat on the porch later that afternoon with
glasses of pink lemonade and a plate of
pretty sugar cookies, they planned out
how they would tackle the rest of the
bedrooms. Lucie listened with half an
ear; bedrooms weren’t that much fun any
more, but it would be nice to get them
tidy, clean, and smelling nice. When
Grandmother and Momma began to discuss the best way to clean the kitchen,
Lucie was all ears.
“I think we should start from the top
down,” Grandmother was saying. “And
it will probably take a good two or three
days to complete! We’ll need to start
with the ceiling,” Grandmother said,
then stopped as Lucie broke into the
conversation.
“The ceiling!” Lucie cried, trying to remember what they did last year.
“We’re ready now! Let’s go!”
Cleaning Solutions
•;Orange;Oil;&;Beeswax
•;Window;&;Glass;Cleaner
•;Air;Freshener
•;Linen;Spritz
“Yes, the ceiling! In a kitchen, the ceiling
gets slimy and grungy just like the floor or
counters do. Food spills and gets splashed
on the ceiling, oils and steam from cook-
ing float up to the ceiling, and cobwebs and
dust add to the layer of grunge until you
can actually see it. Washing the ceiling can
be harder than washing the floor because
you are reaching above your head and your
muscles are not used to that, but it still
needs doing,” Grandmother explained.
Fresh Berry Topping Recipe
One bag of frozen berries (any variety and can be a mix of berries). Mix sugar in to
taste. Add 2–4 tablespoons of lemon juice, depending on the size of the bag. Bring
to a boil on the stove and allow to simmer for 15–20 minutes. Mix ¼ cup cornstarch with ½ cup of water. Pour into simmering berry mixture and stir well until
thickened. Serve hot or cold. You can store the excess in canning jars in your refrigerator. To make a thicker berry mixture for a quick jam, use more cornstarch!
Linen Spray Recipe
If you can find perfumer’s alcohol, that would be the ideal choice. If not, use the
cheapest Vodka you can find. Vodka is a pure, unscented alcohol similar to perfumer’s alcohol. Mix 1 cup of Vodka with 1–2 teaspoons of the essential oil of your
choice. Pour into a small spritz bottle ( 2–6 oz size)—you can get these at most discount stores. Shake well before each use to mix the essential oil with the alcohol.
“Yes! That’s right, Lucie! You have a good
memory,” Momma said affectionately.
“Go on, Grandmother, what comes after washing the ceiling?” Lucie asked.
“We need to take everything out of
the top cupboards, even those items on
the very tip-top shelves that we never
see and rarely use. And then we have
to make practical decisions on whether
to keep items that aren’t used. What we
don’t need we can donate to someone
else. Then all the cupboards get a good
scrubbing. That means the shelf itself
and also the inside and outside of the
cupboard door. All the items in the cupboard also get cleaned. The lids of all the
spice jars, the pretty bowls and serving
platters that aren’t used all the time—
everything is wiped clean or washed and
put back inside shiny and welcoming to
anyone who opens the cupboard door,”
Grandmother explained.
“And that alone can take an entire day,
Lucie,” Momma said.
“Hmmm . . . and then what?” Lucie
asked.
“With the top parts done, we then
work on the middle and lower areas. We
scrub the walls clean, and we scrub the
counters and refrigerator top. The inside
edges of the dishwasher and oven will
need to be cleaned, and when we’re done
with all that, then we hit the inside of the
bottom cupboards,” Grandmother said,
already tired just thinking about it.
