I just moved into a new apartment (yes, mid-pandemic, yes it was stressful) and I’m very lucky to have a new space that I love so much. It has 10-foot high ceilings, original hardwood floors, and even a little bit of outdoor space to live out my herb garden fantasy. But when it comes to real estate, you can never have it all.
While there are plenty of charming details, there is not a lot of storage. I can get creative with my closet, but it’s hard to find a cute way to stash cleaning supplies. Or at least, it used to be. Now I just keep all of my Murchison-Hume products in the matching bamboo caddy. It looks beautiful, and that kind of thing matters to me. I blame my mother, who has a talent for making everything look like the set of a Nancy Meyers movie. But the caddy tucks away evenly and keeps me organized. No more thrusting an arm in the back of the dark, damp under-sink storage, and hoping I find a half-full bottle of something blue.
The perks of the new place more than makeup for the lack of storage, though. Like a real bathtub. This is thrilling for me, as a person who is obsessed with baths but hasn’t had one for about three years. Bathing has its own culture that I love. Dry brushing, body oils, soaking in detoxifying salts - these are all things I get to do any night of the week now.
Do you know what’s not so thrilling? The nonstop assault of the day’s dirt accumulating in my once-pristine white enamel tub. And I’m home most of the time, so I shudder to think about how much dirt would be in the tub if I ever got out of the house. So along with my weekly, luxurious baths, I’m doing weekly, if not exactly as luxurious bathtub cleaning sessions. Our Murchison-Hume Bathroom Cleaner is more than up to the job. Which is perfect, because the last thing I want to do when I’m scrubbing on my hands and knees is to also be inhaling toxic or dangerous chemicals.
The All-Purpose Cleaner is also one of my heavy hitters right now. Between new appliances I want to keep sparkling clean, the amount of cooking/coffee/cocktails that I’m making and consuming in my kitchen, and the new marble coffee table I got on Facebook Marketplace, I’m going through my bottle fast. It works on anything not harmed by water, and I’ve also been wiping down all my doorknobs with it regularly. Because of the pandemic.
I’m staring at screens non-stop right now. Working from home on my computer and then watching TV at night when I’m done, means the least I can do is have squeaky clean screens. Our Glass Cleaner works on the new big French windows that I dramatically swing open every morning so I have an excuse to wear a sweater, but it also works just as well on my screens to leave them streak-free.
Another thing I have in my new place? A washer/dryer in-unit. Amazing how much more laundry you do when you’re not hauling it outside, around the back, and up a flight of stairs. The Everything Laundry Soap smells amazing and adds another layer to the laundry experience I didn’t have before. Especially when I throw in a few drops of Laundry Fragrance when I feel like my clothes need real VIP treatment. Garment Groom is also a godsend here - not just for my clothes that I don’t want to take to the dry cleaner, but as a stain remover for my recently reupholstered sofa.
Looking around at my shiny new place, it’s never been more apparent that cleaning doesn’t have to be ugly. It can be just as pretty as the finished product. And now, I wait for the time to come when I can safely have a housewarming party. Until then, I’ll light a candle, open a bottle of wine, and toast myself.
xx
BP
