Cleaning is the new black

I was 3 years old in 1979 when the lovely Jenny Logan first 'shake-and-vac'ed into my consciousness. The advert was shown for another 10 years, and that persistent delivery of a jingle which is 2 parts ear-worm to 1 part message has finally paid off for Glade. Last week I parted with a whole 68 pence to make my first ever purchase of Glade Shake n Vac Citrus Fresh.

What amazes me is the conviction of my purchase. Having washed our carpets a few weeks ago, I found my bedroom carpet emitting a few strange aromas as it dried very slowly ... nothing requiring gas masks or immediate relocation, just the odd whiff of something ... odd. And before I could even say "cash cow" I was at the supermarket checkouts, confident that in just a matter of hours my carpet, and my room, would smell fresh again. I didn't look on the internet, didn't even google "remove carpet aroma after washing". I didn't wander up and down the household products aisle wondering what to buy, or ask assistance from a friendly shelf-stacking person. I just remembered what to do.

Not only that, but I didn't read the instructions. No no, I recalled the distinctive wrist action, found it to be really quite a satisfying movement (though the hips were beyond me), and I shook, and then vacced. And it worked.

Thank you Jenny Logan.

In other exciting news this week, I have sorted out my tupperware. It was quite out of control, and the trouble with cleaning your house is that as each task is tackled it only serves to hilight the chaos remaining around it. So, the tupperware mountain that threatened to bury myself or Badger in a polyethylene avalanche any time we went for milk from the fridge became a Priority. Yes, I am quite aware that I just used the words tupperware and priority in the same sentence. Oh dear. Well. Anyway ... luckily Badger was on hand to oversee the process, in her own very special blunt way she looked me in the eye and said "You DON'T need THAT", as I nervously dusted my lettuce spinner. "But ... but ... but ... " I blustered, thinking fondly of the two occasions on which I had put it to use in the previous four years. I conceded. I took it to oxfam, which may or may not be a charitable act ... I can't quite decide.

PS - Hello Steve's mum :)