As I mentioned in the intro to this new phase of my blog, I’m staking out Poetry, Art, Graphic Novels, Housekeeping and Basic Science here. Housekeeping may seem like an odd addition, but I’m in the process of learning how to keep house. I never learned, and I think it has something to do with being raised by a generation of women that were rebelling against that role for women in our society. I ended up not want to clean, because I thought it was bad for women. I have found that all these strong, successful women already knew all about these mysteries, so that’s why they were able to keep such lovely homes. Needless to say, I am deficient in this area. And I have come to a place in my life where I am nesting. I want to have a comfortable home. I have long had a theory (I have been more than willing to theorize about housekeeping, just not to master it) about places the “chi” gets stuck in the house: overflowing laundry bins or trash cans, piles of anything on the bed, stacks of dishes in the sink, litter boxes, past-due leftovers in the refrigerator, etc. I just never pursued the idea of developing an effective system to keep the chi running smoothly.

I’m realizing I want very much to have these skills…to learn these mysteries about bleach and baking soda and vinegar. To figure out how to sustain a home. Like any good librarian, I began with research. I subscribed to blogs and found books and articles about housekeeping. In applying my research I have learned several things so far about keeping my house (and I do believe there are no absolutes–each home will have to be unique in its needs):

I have to sweep my house twice a day to stay on top of the dog and cat hair, as well as the dirt that gets into my house somehow. It’s only about 900 sq ft, but the floors can get impressively dirty rather quickly. I don’t really cook, but my roommate does (thank goodness), and dishes have to be washed daily in the evenings (I have no dishwasher–or rather, I am the dishwasher). Living areas have to be straightened in the mornings. Floors have to be mopped on the weekends. Window sills and baseboards have to be wiped twice a month. I got scoopable cat litter that can be cleaned out daily…I’m still working on dusting–I haven’t got a rhythm for that yet. The entire business seems to be about building rhythms…rituals. And I love rituals.

Here is the new one I’m working on this weekend:

Sinks and Faucets:
Barkeepers Friend seems to be the winner in the collective wisdom category on cleaning sinks and faucets. A slight twist offered is a vinegar-based approach that involves a toothbrush. In order to make the sinks and faucets gleam, drops of olive or baby oil spread around make them shiny and resist spotting. I think I’m okay with just drying them with a dishcloth after I use the sink. That keeps the spots off nicely. I can only imagine how an oiled up sink would call to any stray dog/cat hairs floating around.

I’ve already started using this practice: from Home Comforts: to keep your drains clean (all of them), periodically pour 1/2 cup of baking soda in and then chase it with 1/2 cup vinegar. Fun foaming action keeps your drains in good shape without the harsh commercial drain cleaning products. I think this one will be a monthly thing for me. Plus it’s like a cool science experiment.

I am going to buy Barkeepers Friend scrubbing powder and a new toothbrush (I needed a new one anyway) today–buying cleaning products is now a favorite past-time. I’ve love to go down that aisle in the grocery store. It turns out there is a world of tubs and tubes and bottles I’d never noticed before.