The Hardware Man - Spring Cleaning

Howdy Folks,

It is the season of rain and mud. I love a good rain day where it’s a good excuse to stay inside and work. Cooler temperatures allow us to open the windows and let the breeze circulate the winter funk out of the home and refresh it with the smells of rural America.

Spring cleaning was an annual ritual growing up. That deep clean that Mom enlisted us boys into doing in the interests of shaping our character and teaching us domestic skills that haunt us to this day. It usually happened on a nice Saturday or a day off school where we could get an early start to accommodate our normal procrastinations while still completing the chore list.

Windows and screens, inside trim and sashes all got wiped. The garage was reorganized as well as our bedroom closets. Beds and furniture were moved and cleaned underneath and a collection for Goodwill was taken up.

We would wash the walls down with Lysol and Murphy’s Oil Soap cleaned the woodwork and trim. Pledge was used religiously on the end tables, but never on the piano. Mom would go to the hardware store and rent the carpet cleaner and get the carpets and rugs cleaned as best she could. Then, when it was all completed, the rooms would get re-arranged and Dad would come home to a fresh and pine-smelling house wondering why his chair was moved.

Today, our spring-cleaning season seems spread out, starting with Christmas break and continuing throughout the year. One room will be attacked at a time and reorganized, repainted and de-cluttered. As our boys get older, their true personalities reveal themselves through their bedrooms, as one tries to go more minimalist while the other collects too much.

Certainly, our cleaning options have changed. There has been a push to go toxin-free by removing the harsh chemicals and solvents we would use in past years. Now, water, vinegar and silver-infused polishing cloths have replaced the Pine-Sol and bleach. The proliferation of viral social media reels showing magical results with special rags or sprays have impacted our opinion on methods and processes. If only what we saw on Tik-Tok was 100% accurate.

In spite of influencers pushing this product or that method, there are certainly real benefits to going clean. We carry a variety of products that fit the bill of “safe and effective”, including Charlie’s Soap, which we have used and approved of for years. Their 1001 Cleaner works for the toughest grease stains and their laundry detergent produces solid consistent results. Enviro-Cloth is a silver infused cleaning rag. Their glass cleaning cloths use only water and leave a streak free window. It beats out Windex and paper towels any day. Simple Green is an environmentally safe cleaning agent for that is toxin-free and will not damage plants or animals. Pink Stuff, which went viral last year, is a cleaning paste that is highly effective.

Notwithstanding, we still carry the heavy hitters, the classics, the tried-and-true legacy products. They have their place and proven track record. Sometimes the gentle, environmentally safe cleaner isn’t the right tool for the job.

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Daniel Karns and his wife own Clintonville Hardware & Rental along with other businesses. Join the discussion by contacting him at info@clintonvillehardware.com.