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What odd or unusual cleaning projects to you find yourself performing?

I took up Mah Jongg a year or so ago and bought myself a set ($75). since I love the tiles I take it to play with the 2X a week our group meets.

Each session between 4 to 8 people could many times be handling the tiles. Last week a woman blew her nose in the middle of playing and of course there is just the usual whatever on people's hands.

Today I washed all 156 tiles (1/2" X 1" X 1 1/2" each) in a solution of dw det and bleach, rubbing each tile on its 6 sides, rinsed and set out to dry.

We each must do odd jobs like this. What are yours?

Hello LoS,I do think of all the unclean germy areas.Especially the grocery cart handles.Gross!!I do wipe them down if the store has the wipes.If not I wash my hands ASAP when I get home.I have a thing about people coming by to visit & they are sick(cold).I know they have touched the light switch in the bath,comode handle,ect.,also a few other areas.I will spray Lysol on the areas.

When ever I take my DM out shopping or to the Dr.she will leave her dirty tissues in my car...gross.Then I have to remove it and scrub my hands.Spray the car down too.
Mothers.Know I know how she felt when we was kids.LOL
So I do understand you washing the tiles.But I think just putting them in a sink of bleach water would work.Without physially hand washing them.Then let them air dry on a towel.Or spraying them with Lysol spray.

Wondering something:
Who washes their new clothes after buying them.I do,I will not wear clothes new.They got to be washed first.Just think of other people trying them on or them touching them when walking by the clothes on the racks.(Shrivers).I want them to be free of starch,dyes and germs.Am I weird or whose with me on this.

Wow.
Other than washing my hands before preparing meals/food or eating...I just don't worry much about surface germs on items.
And it seems I NEVER get sick or have colds either?
But if you are concerned, it certainly does no real harm to take precautions.

Not only do I wash new clothes before wearing them, but back when I made most of my own clothes I washed the fabric before making the garment! No telling what's in the mills overseas not to mention the time spent in warehouses and onboard ship.

I wash dominoes. They get dirty when you "shake" them across the table. During my high school subbing days, I took a set of "spots" to school for the kids to play with. When I incorporated them back with my games, they were washed. (I also took a couple of decks of cards - gave them away to the kids the last week I subbed.)

I can't think of any unusual object...I'll have to think about it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

I'm with Conrad, don't get too hung up over germs and do wash hands regularly. Do keep Purrell In purse and car if I feel grimy after something. Haven't had a cold/ flu in over 5 yrs and I am careful about touching/ rubbing my eyes.

A first for me... I just cleaned my 2-week pill organizer box. The compartments had schmutz in them... How the heck did that get there? Didn't want to risk melting it in the dishwasher, so I took a Q-tip and soapy water to clean all the crevices.

I have some shelves in my family room, and every morning there is a spider's web in the toe kick area. Every day, for the last few months, I wipe it off and look for the spider. Every morning it is back. Sometimes I feel like my mission in life is to win this wa.r. I would spray for the spider except that I have little grandchildren that come around, and I don't want to have a problem there.

quote:

Who washes their new clothes after buying them.I do,I will not wear clothes new

I do too, generally speaking. Back when I was still a teenager I worked with a woman who had once worked in an underwear factory. She told me if the general public had seen those conditions they would always wash their underwear before wearing it. . . and I always have.

In general I am not too cautious, like Jackie says she is. I'm very clean around food and heavy use of items like my tiles.

Wiping down several dozen wine and liquor bottles behind the bar. I don't really worry about it until we have company. They get dusty fast, even under the bar top.

I keep my tools really, really clean. I put putty knives in the dishwasher. I aways use my compressor to blow off my tools before I put them away. I just like having them cleam for the next time. The craziest thing I did recently was wash a broken window (hey, it was dirty). It needs a new double pane unit and I have not gotten around to ordering it, (please send roundtuits) yet.

I wash everything before it is worn or used for the first time, not only to remove germs and insect larvae but also excess dyes and coatings.

The hardest thing for me to keep clean are electric fans. The ones on the ceiling can be dusted easily, but the portable ones are almost impossible to keep dust free. I used to be able to take them apart and wash them, but some of the newer molded plastic ones don't seem to be able to be disassembled. Trying to dust the grills with a cotton swab is onerous.

I wash my hands before preparing food and after I've done work outside, but otherwise seldom worry about much. We don't get that many colds or other things. If we do get sick, then I spray door handles & toilet handles so we don't spread it back/forth.

My oddest cleaning jobs???...maybe pressure washing rain barrels & bird baths?

Sometimes I think my strongest motivation in taking things from our town's swap shop is so that I can wash or otherwise clean them!

Even if eventually I find I don't need or want the item it makes me feel good that I have treated it well and made it once more serviceable.

This rug really,really smelled bad when I "rescued" it. Placed it on the hammock and hosed it thoroughly back and front with cold water. Let it lay in the sun for several days and it is sweet smelling now!

Okay...I have actually pulled boots out of the trash.
Pair #1 was a pair of steel-toe boots DH wore out. The steel toe was showing through a cut in the leather on one of the boots. Since he is retired, he replaced them with a pair of Wellingtons. I turned on the outside faucet, wet the boots, gave them a good scrub, let them dry. Then I donated them to a local clothing charity. Yes, DH made fun of me. YES! The local charity was glad to receive them. We had the same "logic." That pair of wore-out boots could mean the difference in a man getting a job while waiting on the first paycheck to replace the boots.

Pair #2...I have no idea why I pulled them out of the trash. The sole was loose, heels were run over, tops scuffed really bad. Legitimate reasons to throw them away. I saved them. DH looked at me as if I'd lost my marbles. I threw up my hand in "talk to the hand" mode and told him I didn't want to hear it. I put them on the screen porch behind the potted plants. A YEAR LATER!! I walked into the library which was decorated for the summer reading program with cowgirl and cowboy posters. Rope lariats hung around the checkout table. I washed the boots, gave them a good scrubbing to get rid of a year's worth of grit and spider webs. Then bought a couple of bunches of silk Texas wildflowers. Took them to the library and set them on the counter.

After summer was over, I went back to get them out of her way. Nope...they are still there. She just changes the silk flowers from season to season. Well...we are in Texas!

LOS, your example of washing game pieces brought back memories of taking my young DS to the pedietrician and watching sick children play with the same toys. I often wondered if these toys (mostly plastic) were washed. BTW, I have washed my DS's Lego blocks after decades of storage and before our young granddaughters came to visit.

Re. odd things I wash, these may be more practical than odd tho they might suggest I'm a germaphobe. I periodically take a Q tip and rubbing alcohol to clean phones and electrical switches that are frequently used and often with grimy hands. I have also fashioned washable covers for our eliptical machine made from old washcloths that can be laundered when needed. I also use round toothpicks to clean the SS rim around my cooktop which tends to collect food debri from time to time. A similar gunk can collect where kitchen faucet and handles meet the countertop. These are a few things at the top of my head.

BTW, I too am a firm believer in washing new clothing before wearing. I also use the disinfectant wipes on grocery cart handles as often as possible and always wash my hands when I've come back from using a shopping cart, a gas pump or handling used shoes (part of my volunteer job when dressing clients for interviews) and other dirty jobs. I also wipe down my car's steering wheel after it's been in the shop knowing mechanics hands are typically grimmy. Ok...before I sound like Howard Huges, I'd better sign off.


Pssst...our mouse and our tv remote are encased in plastic. DH's inventions. Haaaaa!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,

Washing new clothes before wearing them is a very good idea. I work at Kohl's and can tell you that not only do other people touch them and try them on........they walk over them they spill things on them and other things you would not believe. It is appalling what people do with the items instead of putting them on the return rake!

I sanitize nail clippers/nail file/nail scissors after ever use w/hot water & soap then alcohol.

The previous owner of my house put textured wallpaper in one bathroom. I have 3 cats. They shed.

I have to sweep the bathroom walls once or twice each year to get rid of the dust and cat hair.