Monday, July 28, 2008

Mopping, a Full-Time Job


When you first enter my home and look the right, you see into my piano room. Then, looking straight ahead, you see this:

The little door on the right is a powder room. If you walk through the arch, you see my dining room table on the left and kitchen on the right:



In my old home, I had a housekeeper 2 hours a week to help me with all 1800 square feet of mess. Now just the area I'm showing you is 1500 square feet and I have no housekeeper. So, I make up interesting ways to convince my kids to help me. Usually cash works! But last week, we decided to try a new game:

SKATE MOPPING!!

We take our inspiration from Pippi Longstockings. She cleaned her floors the same way, although involving a pet monkey and horse wasn't our style. We had so much fun and the sticky spots came up easily.

Unfortunately, so did the finish on my floors!!

I didn't read the sponge packages. Apparently, they were abrasive and they buffed off the previously applied finish. This proves I should have have a housekeeper. I will damage this home, in my stupidity!


As you look the opposite way, in the room, you see our computer area. The family room is through the other arch (also accessible off the entry, if you turn to the left.)

Usually I have those benches at either end of my table, so I can fit 16 people at the table. Tha's pretty handy, considering there are 22 Idiarts that live nearby, and one more due next month!

I took all these photos of my house, a year ago, before a dinner party. Back when my house was REALLY clean. Right now, just the floor is clean!!

We spent all morning "skate mopping" and then realized we'd basically made the floor look worse!! We went to buy some waxy polish to hide all the buff marks left by the "skates." So, ultimately, I went over all 1500 square feet of these rooms 3x. I had to apply 2 coats of polish to really hide the buff marks!!


It was fun and took 8 hours to finish. The house smells REALLY nice (and I smell sweaty!) My floors are as shiny as the day I moved in. I'm thrilled. Now, if I can keep the kids from LIVING here, the floors will look nice for a week!

7 comments:

Anna said...

LOL! Me and Val used to soap skate while we took a bath, but skate mopping looks way funner!

Kristy Swenson said...

Your house looks nice!! Rob and I have to come visit one of these days. You should post more pics of your house or just email them to me, so that I can see it. :)

Paul Levie said...

or you can have more fun skate mopping next time just remember your eight hour ordeal and don't buy abrasive skates next time.

would love to see your home someday I will have to make a trip out maybe when the price of gas is less than 4 dollars a gallon

Elaine Goold said...

Oh my! I'm so sorry about your floors! That must have made you cry! When did you do it - Saturday? Well, I'm glad you got them all rewaxed. So are the floors okay now? or do you have to put the finish back on somehow?

Lana said...

your house is so pretty!
Maybe some day I'll come visit and see it in person :)

I vote for a housekeeper, that would be SO lovely!

Leslie said...

Your kitchen / Dining area looks like a pottery barn catalog! Love it!

Andrea said...

Your home is beautiful (And HUGE). You need to team up the non-abrasive mop pads with the microfiber sweeping socks!