Sunday, March 17, 2013

Quilting Closet * Fresh and New!

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I’m almost embarrassed to show you this, and I’m really not sure if I should or not, but here goes! Embarrassed smile (Please don’t think less of me!)

A ‘few’ years ago, we added a humidifier to our furnace. Before we got the hang of knowing where the adjustments were to be set, we had to learn a few things….like, don’t make an area have too big of a temperature difference or you will have water running down the wall. Another thing I needed to learn, was to keep my fabric closet doors OPEN. This is probably when I added the sheer curtains.


This is what happens when you don’t realize what is going on…AND this wall, with it’s ugly blemishes, has been DRY for YEARS. I just couldn’t talk myself into doing anything about it sooner. I knew that it would need to be scrubbed and disinfected, and painted with a paint containing kilz. (I think I also had convinced myself that SOME of the dark spots were where there was no paint. It was a basement wall afterall. Embarrassed smile Oh, denial!)

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Sooooo, last Sunday, when Louie took off to go to a meeting, I bit the bullet and pulled half of the fabric bins out of the closet and set to scrubbing. (There was probably an 8” gap of empty space from the right edge of the stack of drawers I removed, to the wall. The back wall was not affected.) I started scrubbing using vinegar and water. This is what my rag looked like after just a few swipes. YUCK, right?!!!

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Next, I added baking soda sprinkled (poured, actually) onto my rag, because, you know, I’m into the ‘cleaning green’ thing now. Smile My water needed to be changed several times. I was moving along pretty good, but there was still black stuck in the crevices of the poured cement wall, so I went upstairs and got some foaming window cleaner (ok, not green) to see if I could get into the crevices, but that really didn’t help much, so I got a brush and dipped it into a bowl of borax (from my laundry detergent making supplies Smile ) I brought down.

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That worked pretty good! I did lose some paint chips in the process, but that’s ok.

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When I was satisfied that I had the wall clean enough, I went upstairs and got my big can of LYSOL spray, which kills mold and mildew and I saturated the wall.

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Then I put the fan on it for a few hours.

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Louie got home early that evening and asked me if I wanted him to paint the walls. Surprised smile ‘What? When?!!!’, I asked. ‘Now’, he said. ‘OKAY! Let’s go!’ I said. (Lord, I love this man!) I pulled the rest of the fabric drawers out of the closet and he went to work. (Yes, we did have the paint, so you see, my earlier intentions WERE good!)

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We put the fan back on the walls and the next evening, after having the fan on it for over 24 hours, I put everything back in the closet. I decided to put the drawers on the short wall, because the two rows fit perfectly, with no ‘propping up’ to keep them from leaning, and I think this will even give me a little more space.

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I wish I had done this a LOT sooner, but I just couldn’t make myself. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, but you know how it is……RIGHT? Be right back

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Have a great Sunday! I’m going to get some ‘put off’ chores done, then be lazy.

I’ll be in my…..

pajamas all day

Smile

With bedhead,

Michelle

18 comments:

  1. It's funny how we put things like that off Michelle but we all do it! Doesn't it feel good to get it done though! I see your folding table there. I have one but I've found it to be rickety. What do you use yours for? Blessings, Marlene

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  2. Oh I have so many "little things" like that to do it is overhwelming at times! :-)

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  3. Bravo Michelle! You did a fantastic job cleaning that black stuff off your walls. It looks great. I loathe jobs like that as well.

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  4. Looks great and yes, we ALL put things off that we just don't want to do. It is a great feeling to get something finished that you have known you needed to do but just kept putting off.

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  5. I think we all projects like that, Michelle, that we keep putting off only to find when we do them, they aren't really that "bad" to get done. Looks like a lot of hard work, but the end result so much better!!!

    you too have a great day!

    betty

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  6. Been there and done that! You go girl! Get ur done! Looks great! I also cleaned out my fabric stuff this weekend too!

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  7. That is how our basement floor was when it was muddy. I wanted it clean but didn't think I could do it. When i actually tried it was easy!! Nice job. One less thing on the list.

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  8. A few years ago, I found a small mildew stain on the wall, behind an end table. A scrapbook had been leaning against the wall, and, somehow, mildew had collected behind it. I've cleaned it best I could, but, I still haven't painted it, since I'd have to paint the whole room and the next room (they are connected). So far, I just have a piece of fabric covering the scrapbook and leaning against the stain to cover it. No fun. Glad you got yours done.

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  9. Nothing to be embarrassed about, girl, you did a great job and got it over with! Good going!
    :-}pokey

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  10. Looks great,Michelle. We had a half wall between our kitchen and dining room that was bare sheet rock for ten years. Steven finally painted it this winter when he retired. I still have to scrape and sand and varnish all of the half round that goes around the baseboard....fifteen years later... I'd rather sew !!!

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  11. Nothing to be embarrassed about. My kitchen has been torn up so long that my 26 year old daughter doesn't remember it being any other way.

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  12. PS: The finished product looks really nice. :)

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  13. oh yes, it is the little things that seem to take the longest. Looks lovely now!

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  14. Looks great! I don't know why we all put off things, and then wish we had done them so much sooner - I wonder if I will ever learn!

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  15. Wow, that was a huge job, but well worth it! I love newly painted walls!

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  16. You are so funny! I think we all put things off. It looks great!! Louie is a keeper! :)

    Have a wonderful and Blessed day
    Kristie

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  17. great job...listen, we all learn from mistakes!!!

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