Yesterday was a nice day. I didn't have anything special to do til evening classes. Tetsu and I had both commented about how bad the wood floor looked. BUT... What is the point? Think of all the claw scratch marks it gets. There are 18 claws per cat (I think my cats only have 4 claws on each hind foot... At least that's all I clip) and I have 5 cats. That's 90 claws!!!!! And Chip and Toi think the house is a race course so there is a lot of scrabbling and sharp turns in their daily chase. (But granted, Velvet adds very little to the wear and tear. He tip-toes if he comes downstairs at all). Choco is the worse. She is also a scrabbler and comes bounding into the house scaring cats this way and that, and she will enjoy a race and a slide and then a bump into the wall. Then the same routine in the other direction. Why do we allow it? Because she is such a crazy dog and she looks like she is having fun. But Choco adds the major damage to our floor.
So the floor was looking very bad! But even if I wax it, in a few days it will get the same claw treatment. And I'll just be angry at the animals for messing up a nice floor. Forget it. Resign yourself to a scratched and scuffed floor. Oh, Tanya, you only do this job once a year anyway. Just get down there and wax it!
Gather up all the cats and stick them out on the upstairs veranda. Go right ahead and complain to your hearts' content because you are stuck out there for the next two hours. And of course Choco hearing the cats had to add her noise too.
Here is a picture of my house with some of the furniture out in the driveway. Can you see some cat heads up there on the balcony? And Toi is sitting on the ledge watching the work progress while Cleo is debating jumping onto the car...Open up all the doors and windows, change into shorts and start in! There IS such a thing as a mop in Japan but I've never used one and instead I'm down there on my hands and knees. Maybe this is because I gained any housekeeping skills at all after I came to Japan and Japanese believe getting down on the hands and knees to clean is important. Children wipe their classroom floors and corridors down on their hands and knees. Pregnant women wash the floors on their hands and knees (supposed to strengthen the stomach muscles.) And in many of the churches I've attended, the ladies' group would always be down there on their hands and knees.
So I washed and waxed and now I have a lovely shiny floor.
Chip threw up on it right after I let her come back in the house. Too bad. I'm not doing it again until next year.
9 comments:
Beautiful floor! I am very impressed.
don't you just love it when your floor sparkles like that?
i mop on my hands and knees, too - although my knees are getting crankier and crankier and don't always cooperate when it's time to get back up again ... and i don't wax - the shine on my floor is some kind of polyurethane magic
Your floor looks beautiful, but such a lot of hard work. We had wooden floors in our old house, but I'm afraid we were very lazy and just lived with the scratches and scuffs. Now, we've got fitted carpets in all the rooms except the kitchen (tiles) and bathrooms and hallway (wood). I was fascinated to hear that you clip your cats' claws - is that because they are indoor cats? I'll have to make sure that Rosie starts getting outside more.
Hi Tanya,
I think I know your pain and I laughed when I read the last part. Every time we get our carpet clean, we have to move all the furniture and put it back after the cleaning. And last time after cleaning my cat tiger threw up in my quilt room twice. It is almost feel like they don't like the clean we work so hard. I must admit I like your shiny floors.
oh I SO appreciate a futile attempt at a clean floor! Between three male dogs (one a puppy!), and elderly cat (she is almost 17), and a VERY hot summer (read: shed EVERY hair on their bodies at LEAST once a summer...I bet its twice), I have to vaccuum at least once a day! OH...and the carpet in the living room is rarely clear of dog toy stuffing. I thought they were all FLAT..but somehow every time I come home, one more toy has been de-stuffed..ALLL over the carpet! Such is the life of moms of furry kids...:::SIGH:::::
....it is called the zen of housekeeping.... Your floor looks beautiful.
I love the shiny floor and the different colors of the wood. Thoughtful of Chip to baptise your floor. Great photo of your cats on the balcony. So cute! The cat with the blue collar seems to be very unhappy and loudly protesting being exiled from the house. Poor baby.
Oh yes, the animals always find a way to get even with you. Wait until you're finished and then immediately throw up on the newly waxed floor. I couldn't help but laugh. I have six cats and a dog.
Great work, Tanya. Your floor looks magnificent. I love the picture of the kitties on the balcony :)
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