Much to my dismay, my title as Queen of Clean has been recently threatened. If you know me, or have read my previous posts like A Breath of Fresh Air or Wash and Dry you know I pride myself on keeping our house in pristine shape. Washing, wiping, scouring, disinfecting, and sanitizing make my heart flutter! Time flies when I’m engaged in purifying every room, every space, and every closet. Every surface, every floor, and every wall. And to get even more specific, my cleansing rituals extend to every piece of furniture, every object, and every appliance, well except for…three of them. Shocked? I know I am.
Why I didn’t consider these three devices before, definitely makes me question my royal status. Afterall, they’ve been my helpers and have never let me down over the years they’ve lived with us. And why did they call attention to themselves? It’s not like I neglected them. Far from it. I see them every day and use them weekly. No, it wasn’t because I paid them no mind. It was because they were in need of just what I was using them for…cleaning!
How ironic, I know.
From my journal: March 14, 2026, Newbury Park, California
“…ugh, I shouldn’t have read the instructions when I got it 4 years ago! Yuck!”
After chastising myself for a good half hour, I had to make amends. Just like anytime you make a mistake, you need to admit it, apologize, and then commit to being aware of the warning signs to keep it from happening again.
So, it started with a strong waft of sweet, savory, fall-off the bone smoky ribs…you know the kind. There’s nothing quite like the smell of them grilling on a backyard smoker, is there? No, but the problem was the aroma was emanating from our dishwasher. After loading it with all the plates, utensils, and glasses from our meal, I ran our Thermador. Afterwards, the kitchen still smelled like Eau De Rib, so we lived with it until the next wash cycle. But, that didn’t do the trick either. Even after three washes, you’d swear our dishwasher was hosting its own barbeque. Not knowing if we had a manual, I googled how to clean a dishwasher. Imagine what I found out? Had I been cleaning its filter (MONTHLY), wiping down the interior seals and hinges, clearing spray arm holes with a toothpick, deodorizing with baking soda, and running a vinegar wash on a regular basis, the 8-day odor would’ve dissipated quicker. But in truth, I got off easy. Not cleaning a dishwasher regularly can be detrimental. It can lead to poor cleaning performance, mechanical issues, and worse, it could’ve caused the growth of mold and bacteria! Yuck!
The next appliance issue I had to contend with made itself known two weeks ago. Crossing paths with our laundry room, I knew something in there had to culprit. But what could produce such a pungent, musty, foul odor? I sniffed around and it seemed to be coming from our washer. In my defense, I do clean it from time to time. I simply press the Clean Washer button and viola! two hours later, the drum sparkles. But, even after cleaning it, the wet dog aroma did not go away. That’s when the “troubleshooting” section of the manual came in handy. We’ve had our Kenmore Elite pair for nine years now, so we do have written care instructions. Perusing them, it came to light that I could be using the wrong kind and incorrect amount of detergent. I do use a High Efficiency detergent, so maybe it was the amount. But when I examined the washer closer, I found all kinds of undesirables. The tub area had a slimy “something” around it, the detergent dispenser was filled with stinky water, and the hinges and rubber seals were lined with a gray substance. Not pretty. After an hour’s scrub, and reducing the detergent amount in the next few washes, the air has finally cleared. Whew!
Maybe you’re like me, and you, too love nothing more than having dust free floors. That means I spend hours with my favorite lean mean cleaning machine, aka my cordless Dyson V15 Detect. But last week, as I was vacuuming I noticed it wasn’t rolling…at all. And its Fluffy Optic head that reveals microscopic particles on our wood floors wasn’t shining a light on anything. That’s when I turned it over and winced. The dirt build up was enough to make me cry. Once I opened the “My Dyson” app I detected the issue. I had not been consistently cleansing all of its parts. With the help of a YouTube video, I took the head apart, soaked the spongy roller in soapy water and rinsed it, then using q-tips I extracted the gunk out of the nooks and crannies, and using scissors – yes, scissors I cut the tangled messes around each wheel, then wiped all remaining parts with a microfiber cloth, and waited 24 hours for the roller to properly dry, before I assembled it and tried it out. Then, and only then, was my world set right again. Yay!
Not wanting to be dethroned, I’ve atoned for my sins and now have scheduled monthly maintenance days for my hard-working assistants. Determined to keep reigning over our domain, I’ve learned my lesson. In order for anything to perform its job, it needs to be properly cared for. Yes, it can be a dirty job, but someone has to do it. And for all they do for me, it’s only right that I return the favor.
A Journal Journey 