Kenric’s uncle redid the tile countertop in Grandma’s kitchen sometime ago. His aunt and uncle will be visiting soon and Grandma wanted to make sure the tiles are clean, and the grout cleaned and resealed before they arrive.
The instructions on the Comet Cleanser said to sprinkle it on a wet surface, wait 15 seconds and scrub. For tough stains, repeat but wait longer. Knowing that Grandma really wanted to show her son-in-law her appreciation by properly maintaining the countertop, I declared, “OK, I will restore this to its original glory for Uncle Dennis!” After all, I started doing dishes in the market in Malaysia when I was four. Grandma pointed to a small section of the grout and said that’s the original color. “No problem!”
Maestro sealing the grout. We hope Uncle Dennis approves!
This is how Kenric and I leave the glove for each other to find. So far, Grandma hasn’t noticed. ?
I sprinkled, waited and scrubbed and I sprinkled, waited and scrubbed. I used a different cleaner that has bleach, but the grout actually looked more brown than before. Desperately I tried cleaning with a brush, a scouring pad, a sponge and even a toothbrush. Kenric kept telling me, “That’s as good as it gets.”
I gave up after two hours. I rinsed the counter with water and turned around to work on the stove. When I turned back around less than ten minutes later, the grout was white as chalk, and the counter looked new! When the wet brown grout dries up, it turns white. Oh my gosh, how many “Wax on, wax off” have I wasted?
When Grandma walked by later, she said, “Wow! This looks new. You have gone beyond the call of duty!” I didn’t confess that I was just a dumbass who didn’t even know basic housekeeping.
I scrubbed and scrubbed to no avail, but all I had to do was step away. Isn’t that how life is most of the time?
I hope you too have gone beyond the call of duty!
Today, I’ve been refreshing my GoFundMe campaign for the homeless cats in Kotor as obsessively as I was scrubbing the grout. Please check out the link below. Whatever amount you donate, Kenric and I will match it. The kitties will definitely appreciate it too. I’ll go clean the stove now. When I check on the donation amount later, I hope you too have gone beyond the call of duty! Thank you very mačka!
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