Lesson 68: Cleaning Under the Fridge

Did you read the title of this post?

All I can say is, YUCK!

If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you may remember that cleaning is not my specialty. Not only do I not enjoy doing it, I do not always know what I'm supposed to do. You could say I Don't Have A Clue.

Recently I purchased Mrs. Meyer's  All Purpose Cleaning Supplies and Bathroom Cleaner, Lemon Verbena Scent. I chose this brand, because my mother-in-law uses it. One way to attain wisdom is to imitate others.

It's also made with natural ingredients so hopefully it's safer for babies. Mark, being the amazing husband that is, would bleach our kitchen floors, and I would sit (yes, just sat and watched), fearful that my children were going to keel over at any second from the fumes.
 
Inspired by my friend, Jessica, over at The Abundant Wife, I spent the morning scrubbing my kitchen and bathroom baseboards, really digging out the grime that has built up over, I don't know, the last two years.

I kept returning to the surface under the refridgerator and thinking, "Ugh, I really need to get at that, but not today."

However, eventually the knowledge of the layer of solid crustiness grew to be too much. My mind couldn't take it anymore.

Mark popped in for ten minutes between a meeting at church and heading up to Charlotte, so in that time I put him to work moving the fridge to the side.

I'll be honest. I expected to be grossed out, but nothing could have prepared me for what was living under our food storage unit in actuality. I started to take a picture to provide you with a visual, but Mark expressed great disgust at this idea. He did not see a need for documentation.

I kind of feel like it could have served as a reminder to move the thing more often. Anyway ...

Ever the optimist, I set to work with my Meyer's spray. Naturally, Mark suggested bleach, and I sent him out the door, my mothering protective instinct kicking in.

Y'all. A spray bottle and a rag was not enough. I had to incorporate the use of a tool. A real tool, as in from the tool box, tool. A metal, scrapper, five-in-one thing with a special grip handle. After an incredible amount of spraying and digging, I succeeded at ridding the most inconspicuous place in my house of its long-lingering sludge.

Accomplishment.

Tomorrow's task: Moving the stove. I am not excited.

Lesson Learned: This post may include some slight exaggerations. But not many. Move your fridge.