For two summers of my college years I worked as a maid at
the Howard Johnson’s by the Greater Buffalo International Airport. Each morning
I was part of a crew that grabbed a green cotton uniform, loaded up a cart, and
then headed off to our block of rooms for that day. After semesters of sitting
in classes, piano practice and dorm rooms, chapel, and library cubicles, doing
something physical felt good.
As #MeToo stories emerged and maids and housekeepers shared
some of their experiences, I was not surprised, although nothing happened to me
back then. All I had was some audible entertainment from one room as I cleaned
next door, particularly on Tuesdays when a certain couple kept their standing afternoon
appointment.
One can outsource the tasks associated with maintaining a
clean home. Back in my yuppie days, I did that for a while, but for me that was
more about status than it was about being practical. That’s because I enjoy
cleaning, well, except for vacuuming, so I’m grateful for all the places where
I’ve had hardwood floors.
Manufacturers have responded to the increase in our
accumulated stuff by offering a multitude of products designed to make the job of
cleaning them easier. All that has done is add more chemicals to our lives. Lemon
juice, vinegar, linseed oil and borax are probably all that is really needed.
Oh, and elbow grease.
The industry standards for my HoJo job were not that
different from how my mother had kept house for decades. A sibling or roommate
can teach us, however, that there are various levels of comfort regarding dust,
clutter, spills and dirt. What passes my white glove test may not pass yours,
which is what came to mind the other day when I took a picture off the wall to
dust the frame and realized I hadn’t done that since I moved in 18 months ago.
I thought, “Oops, time to get back to some basics around here and do some
spring cleaning.” Luckily, the Lose It app tells me that one hour of housekeeping
burns 203 calories!
Marilyn
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