Saturday, April 14, 2012

Big Kitchen Clean-Out - Part 1

I've had a roach problem; not a big one, but it's there.  And it's only been around since the 2010 floods.... the little buggers!  So, I decided to make a move on my kitchen today and clean it up to keep those little disgusting, filthy critters away from my kitchen as much as possible.  The first quick clean-up I did, I had to replace my knife block as they were hiding in that... and I thought that was it.

But I was wrong!

Today, as I started on my kitchen, I found I had things I didn't want anymore.  So, this cleaning out of my cupboards had more than two meanings... I was cleaning out the items in them as well!  I washed down the kitchen sink and put away the strainer, the kettle and made room for all of the things that are in the cupboards to be placed while I clean inside; then I was away and cleaning out those dirty areas with hot water, washing up liquid and Dettol.  After I wiped it all down with a towel, I then sprayed the areas with Glen-20.  Okay, that won't kill the roaches, but it'll kill any germs left behind.  Then, there was the organising of the cupboards.  I didn't want to put them back the way they were, I needed order, I needed to be able to find things at a glance... I needed to be able to open the doors and know what was there if the lights were out.  And I found it all very refreshing to be able to throw out things I don't want and don't need and give them away to a charity.
However, I also found another nest of roaches in the most unlikely place.  I have an old set of kitchen scales of Grandma's.  They're white and work well - as they're in pounds and kilograms - and so I kept them to use.  But when I was cleaning up the area where the glasses sat, I saw the evidence of a nest... the massive amount of old roach skins and poop!  It was gut-turning!  I took the scales outside and hit the base of them on the concrete hard and had around half a dozen of the creatures fall out of the bum of the thing!  Yuk!  I ran around squashing them all!  Then, I sprayed Glen-20 up inside that (yes, I know that won't kill them, but it will tick them all off and make the whole thing slippery).  I cleaned up their crap and mess and sprayed the Glen-20 on that surface just to make myself feel better because of how much of their poo was everywhere!  
Before long, and after I had cleaned out all the lower cupboards below the counter and sink and the area where the glasses sit, I looked at my watch and found it was almost 3pm. I had started this at 1pm.  Wow!  Two hours zoom by when you're working hard and playing 'Moonflower' by Santana, doesn't it?  And his music is great to work by; very inspirational.
By the time I put everything back, I found preparing dinner a lot easier.  I wasn't fighting to get dishes out of the cupboards, having problems finding a mixing bowl or trying to work on getting things to rinse properly.  Everything in my kitchen worked, fitted and was organised properly and I wasn't feeling like I was fighting with my kitchen; instead the room and I worked like a well-oiled machine... it was great.  Why hadn't I cleaned this place out before?  I'll never know; and I now wish I had done it earlier.
Well, that's all for now.  It's getting late and I've yet to wash up from dinner.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

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