Helpful Hints

I've been working hard the past week to get my life in order before my surgery this Friday- cleaning the house, organizing, making lists, grocery shopping, running errands, doing laundry, finishing schoolwork, etc. I've gotten quite a lot done, but I must confess when I cleaned the downstairs, I didn't do the kitchen floor. This has to be one of my least favorite tasks. I have a Floormate, so it's not the actual labor I dislike. It's the temporariness of it. It only stays clean for 10 minutes.

Anyway, I was putting it off until the end- to fully maximize the 'window of cleanliness'. After we ate dinner. I cleaned up, turned on the dishwasher, and headed upstairs to give the kids a bath. When I came down again, I was greeted with "snow"oozing from every crack in the dishwasher.......

God decided to help me out and wash my floor for me :)

Apparently one of the dishes had gotten dishsoap on it when I was rinsing it in the sink. Dishwashers really don't like dishsoap- even just a tiny little bit. Now what?! The kids thought it was all very exciting and had a hard time staying out of it all. Carter said we should let Daddy fix it.......when he comes home...........on Thursday!! I thought about it, too- but sadly not an option.

Lesson #1: Do not turn your back on the foaming dishwasher, for even a second, or you will get this......


.......and this is after some cleanup (to make my way back in)! There was 1/4 inch of water and soap all over the floor. After 9 beach towels I was able to get to the dishwasher and open it- suds from top to bottom. Now what?! Soap is a fickle thing. Water just makes it grow bigger. How do I get it out? I started scooping it out, tried the rinse cycle again (bad idea- more bubbles). So I called the hubby who googled solutions, took out the racks of hot, wet dishes, and started scooping out as much soap as I could into the sink. (All this from a little dishsoap on a bowl.)

Lesson #2: Bubbles do not like oil and vinegar. So add a 1/4c. of vegetable oil and a little vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher and run the rinse cycle again. Ta Da! No more bubbles.

Now I have 9 sopping wet, soapy towels and 2 rugs to clean. I hauled them into the washing machine with great fear that I was just transferring the bubbles and would soon face the same fate in the laundry room. Please no!

Lesson #3: The oil and vinegar trick works in the washing machine, too. put it right in with the clothes.

I hope you never need these bits of advice, but just in case it ever "snows" in your kitchen or laundry room.......now you know. At least my kitchen floor is clean, for now.