Bedbug Nightmare

This is the crap we had to deal with last week after discovering a bedbug in our apartment (once again). We had to have every item of of clothing and fabric in our apartment laundered or drycleaned, vacuum virtually every possession we own and then pack everything in plastic bags so that the exterminator could come in and douse everything with chemicals. It was as grueling as having to move, but much more aggravating because it was certainly not by choice. Coincidentally, around this time last year, I also found a bed bug. I informed the so-called "resident manager" who only asked me if I’d been travelling but basically shrugged it off. I hired a pest control company which charged me a large sum to come and spread chemicals in my apartment three times. I threw out a bunch of my possessions, including a semi-antique couch that I purchased on Ebay because I thought that maybe it could be the source, and had to dry clean almost every article of clothing that I own. A huge expense and ordeal as you can imagine. A few weeks after that nightmare, I found out from one of the other employees of this venerable, luxury building that another apartment on my floor had had a major infestation. I only ever found two bedbugs back then and the pest control company confirmed when they were done that there appeared to be no infestation in my apartment – the logical conclusion being that they came from outside the apartment. Now, almost a year later, I’ve found another one! There is no reason I should have bedbugs – I haven’t been travelling or staying in hotels, I’ve brought no new or old furniture into my apartment and I vacuum religiously because I have terrible allergies. This time, I wrote an angry e-mail to the management company, and they at least got an exterminator in here; he came and sprayed everything last week and we're now in the process of unpacking and putting everything back. He'll have to come back and spray again in a couple of weeks but we won't have to repackage everything for the second treatment. I've sent my drycleaning receipts to the management company asking for reimbursement and also asked what they've done to ensure this never happens again. They have not responded. As far as I know, they have not inspected any other apartments on this or adjoining floors or even bothered to alert people so that they can be vigilant. I've at least alerted my neighbors on my floor and actually stuck underneath their doors copies of the correspondence between myself and the management company, including the management company's feeble attempts to cover their asses at my expenses (such as by suggesting that I was taking my sweet time preparing the apartment for extermination, even though the exterminator told me right in front of the "resident manager" that he was booked for a week). Anyway, this is a video of the preparations we made for the exterminator to come in, which is admittedly goofy, but now, that (hopefully) the worst is over, I can talk about it . . . and let the healing begin.

Shout it Out!

Whoa, this product really works! I cannot keep my shirts clean while at work, but our darling receptionist turned me on to these wonderful wipes that work miracles. Just today, I rubbed off a couple of ink marks and some salad dressing from a new shirt saving me from embarrassment (as well as a few bucks). Yes, I'm a little piggy, but you'd never be able to tell from looking at my crisp white shirt.

Cleaning Wood Floors?

Murphy's Oil Soap is simply the best product out there (that I've tried) for cleaning wood floors safely.

Did You Know?: Combine Baking Soda & Vinegar to Clear Drain

I read about this trick in a couple of different places: If you pour a cup of baking soda into your sink and follow up with a cup of vinegar it forms an effective clog remover. You're combining an acid and base, which forms a powerful reaction as well as makes a cool fizzy sound. I do it occasionally as a preventative measure. Baking soda also helps keep drains deodorized. I've never had this problem, but I've come across a few smelly sinks in my day.

Prevent Perspiration Stains On White Shirts With Baby Powder

The August 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine contains this tip: "Sprinkle a little powder on the underarms and the collar of a shirt, then iron. The powder forms a barrier that prevents oil and grime from seeping into the threads. " I assume you have to iron the powder into the inside of the shirt in order for this to be effective. At any rate, I haven't tried it yet, but if this tip works, then I will have recouped the magazine's subscription price ten-fold. Woohoo! Here's the link to the feature (hope it works): http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,1642864,00.html

My Hero: My Miele Vacuum Cleaner

Since purchasing my Miele vacuum cleaner, I have become a vacuuming fiend. The vacuum has a HEPA filter, an absolute requirement given my allergies, six power levels, a silence setting, an extending wand so that I don't have to bend down unnecessarily and a number of attachments. It is so powerful and easy to use that I almost relish vacuuming every nook and cranny in my home. Lest people think that I am a cleaning fanatic, I'll just say that I was a slob for a good part of my life. But as I've gotten older, I've become more organized and developed routines that I can manage. I try to vacuum at least twice a week (I have two cats). Sometimes, I break it up by doing the floor one day and getting at upholstery, furniture and moldings another day. Some weeks, I just do the floors, doing the main living areas one day and the bedroom the other day.

While I'm on the subject of cleaning tools, one heavy hitter that I cannot do without:

Lint rollers keep me sane between vacuuming sessions. I find them indispensable for keeping upholstered furniture free of hair, etc. (I have two cats - sometimes I "lint roll" them) as well as de-linting my clothes.

It's all about maintenance after all . . . .

Must Have Book: Home Comforts - The Art & Science of Keeping House

Speaking of keeping things clean, Cheryl Mendelson is a Harvard-educated lawyer who woke up one day and decided she was going to write a book (a tome, really) on keeping house. In it, she explains how to one should properly perform such seemingly mundane tasks as vacuuming, dusting, sweeping and sorting laundry. She also covers more involved topics such as dust mites, food safety, care for different types of fabrics and a LOT more. She even discusses the laws relating to domestic employees and potential liability for mishaps occurring on your property. This is not the kind of book you have to read from cover to cover (although I find it engaging), but it is an invaluable resource. More than a reference book, I think the book is a work of art. It reads like a conversation one might have over coffee, but is clearly the outgrowth of the author's passion for her subject: in her words, "the art of making a home a small living society with the capacity to make meet the needs of people in their private life." Thanks to this book, I have learned that keeping house can be a joyous effort. The book is a well-established classic and to "recommend" it feels presumptuous. I therefore simply pass this information along to those who are not yet in the know.