Mar 2, 2011

The (Post) Spring Clean



by Sharon Archer

Reading:
Outside The Ordinary World, Dori Ostermiller

Listening: The Beach Boys

Making me smil
e: The smell of freshly deodorised carpets!


We’ve had the wettest summer since records began here in Victoria. In fact, nearly half our annual rainfall has come in what would normally be our driest months. There have even been days when we’ve had humidity on a par with the tropics.

With all that dampness, summer warmth and probably the ghosts of much-loved pets, our tatty old carpet has developed an unpleasant mustiness.

Something had to be done!

Carpet and furniture cleaning!

I rifled the Yellow Pages and found the perfect answer – drycleaning! Having experienced carpets after a wet-cleaning process many years ago, the last thing I wanted was to introduce more moisture!

I rang, I quizzed, I booked!

Furniture was moved, carpet that hadn’t seen the light of day for years was exposed, dust bunnies were routed.

And finally, the big day arrived.

The technician was right on time. We walked through the house, discussed electrical connections to be worked around and where the cleaning unit would fit and which items of furniture were to be cleaned.

And then he said the fateful words... “Of course, you’ll have to have somewhere to separate the cushions.”

“Separate the cushions?”

“To dry.”

“Dry?”

“The upholstery will be quite wet, because it’s a different process.”

Yikes. “Okay, then let’s not worry about the furniture. Let’s just do the carpets.”





“You do realise the carpet will be slightly damp?” he said.

“Damp?”

“Yes. Didn’t you ask?” the technician said.

Well, actually, no! It said drycleaning! How was I to know it really meant driercleaning!

I cancelled the job, pouted for a while and then hit the supermarket for carpet deodoriser. So now the carpets have been powdered and vacuumed and pampered. The musty smell has gone so my nose is happy.

And I got to pondering about the chicken-and-egg conundrum of asking the right questions... if you don't know the right information in the first place, how do you know what the right questions are? And if you do know the right information... well, surely you don’t need to ask the question...

What do you think? I’m still scratching my head!

Public Domain Pictures from www.wpclipart.com

22 comments:

  1. Sharon I'm with you - dry cleaning should mean just that - dry. Nothing else is reasonable!

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  2. I always thought dry-cleaning was dry, too, Sharon, but I've just looked it up on wikipedia and I now know that it's not! Instead of water a chemical solvent is used, often called dry-cleaning fluid, and guess what -- and it's wet!

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  3. Oh, then I'm lucky...I take out the big pieces of carpet that's spread out and not installed, spread it on my driveway, hose it down with carpet cleaning liquids....and we have sunshine for more than ten hours to dry it off.

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  4. Scarlet! You've put it so well!
    *Dry* - nothing else is reasonable!
    LOL
    :)
    Sharon

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  5. Yes, Emily! The thing with carpet *dry* cleaning is that it's actually a steam process - so the liquid used is water.

    With all our humidity we've got the steam thing kinda happening already. As I said to the technician, if we'd had a normal hot dry summer, I might have been tempted to go ahead. But the day he came it was cold and damp - with a string of cold damp days to follow. So the last thing I wanted was cold damp carpets! UGH!

    :)
    Sharon

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  6. What a very sensible carpet arrangement, Nas! By being able to do all the cleaning outside, you can avoid introducing that dampness into the house! And if you picked a lovely fine day, ten hours would see it well dried.

    :)
    Sharon

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  7. Hi, Sharon! Isn't it satisfying to get at those scary household places you don't often see? 'Dry-cleaning' is definitely misleading. A friend of mine was just telling me about 'anti-rejection medication' and we were hoping it was something aspiring writers like me could obtain. (But it's for transplant recipients, apparently.)

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  8. Oh, Sharon, I hear you on the damp in the house. I had to go around exit moulding the walls yesterday. Even on the dry days, it's wet, if you know what I mean. And having gone through your dry cleaning the carpets experience, you DO know what I mean. Looking forward to autumn hitting properly. It's stinking hot here again today - and there's more rain on the way. I'm getting webbed feet!

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  9. Vanessa, that "deep" household cleaning is satisfying - but you're right about the scary bit, too! Our dust bunnies had been breeding like... well... rabbits! LOL

    Oh, I hear you about the anti-rejection for aspiring writers!
    :)
    Sharon

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  10. Anna, bring your exit moulding self down here, stat! I'm shutting my eyes as I go into the bathroom these days! ;)

    UGH on your heat with rain on the way? You'll need to have webbed feet with the amount of water you've got up there!

    :)
    Sharon

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  11. Sharon, I feel for you. I got sucked into the idea of 'dry' cleaning too! Confusing, isn't it? I must say whenever we've had to purchase a one off item - something we use a lot but rarely buy (fridge, stove, car etc) I hate the way the salesmen (they usually are men) treat my lack of detailed knowledge of every arcane button or valve as if it's risible. Huh! I find myself more likely to deal with someone who understands we don't need to know most of it, but helps us understand as much as we want to know.

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  12. Oh, Annie, you too! It is confusing! And you know, although the technician was perfecting charming, I did have the feeling that he thought I was a chump for not asking when I booked about having to *dry* the *dry*cleaned carpets! :(

    I couldn't agree more about sales staff who treat customers like they're a bit dim. If I get someone helpful who treats me with respect, I want to give them my business!

    :)
    Sharon

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  13. Sharon I know how you feel! The humidity here is terrible right now, and yes, lots of rain on the way! I have a house without any carpets, so no worries there, but the mould, she's creeping into the bathroom and ceilings!

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  14. Well, I'll be.. dry-cleaning isn't dry? I wonder if dry ice is dry. I suppose a wet suit isn't necessarily wet.

    Sharon, I'm glad the carpet deodorizer worked, because I'm with you as far as the humidity goes -- am so over it, and I certainly don't want to do anything to add to it. Hope your part of the world gets drier soon!

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  15. At least we usually only get humidity in short bursts, Mel. This year has been one out of the box! I feel for you lot up north who get the wet season year after year.

    Yes, that creeping mold - a domestic horror story!

    :)
    Sharon

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  16. Michelle, I can tell your just as aghast as I am about the *dry* cleaning! ;)

    Hey, I can tell you about dry ice - it actually is dry - it's solid carbon dioxide. It doesn't "melt" as such but forms vapour straight from the solid state in normal room conditions. You can get "liquid CO2" but it needs to be stored under pressure in cylinders... I think I'm right with all this!
    :)
    Sharon

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  17. You know, I would have assumed it meant dry too. (And honestly, if it has to be wet, I'd rather have steam than chemicals in my house.)

    Yep, lots of mould up here too! And new leaks in the roof. Oliver quite likes the new leaks - when it rains, we put a bucket on the floor in the kitchen, and he can have a drink anytime without having to brave the windy verandah. Most convenient!

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  18. Sharon

    I am with you as well dry should mean dry

    My carpets need cleaning as well and because of all the trouble of moving furniture and then having everything damp I have been putting it off and using the deodoriser as well LOl so much easier and everytime I try and clean it one of the grandchildren come over and spill something more I give up LOL. I think I will keep going as I am and when the grandkids have all grown up a bit more I think new carpet or wooden flooring will be the option.

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  19. A supply of fresh rainwater for the dogs in the middle of the kitchen floor? Rachel, you are a very thoughtful dog owner! LOL

    On a more serious note - UGH on the roof leak! That's some serious house maintenance on the agenda, I'm guessing!
    :)
    Sharon

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  20. Oh, Helen, I can understand you putting off the carpet cleaning because of spills and scuffs from the grandkiddies! I'm loathe to do anything to exciting like re-carpet here. I'd feel as though I should treat a new carpet with care. I'm so much more relaxed with my well-lived-on old, old, old one! Doesn't matter about dirty doggie prints or the odd whoops!

    :)
    Sharon

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  21. I have the solution! Tiles and timber =)

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  22. Robbie, that is a very elegant solution!
    :)
    Sharon

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