Loaner Cellphone/Housefly Crisis

I work for a small-sized company, about 250 employees. For one of my projects, I was required to have a cellphone with me so that I could be contacted at anytime. I preferred to use my own cellphone and just expense any overage minutes I incurred due to work, but no, that was not an option. They insisted I use their "loaner phone." Aaarrrggghhh! What a nightmare!! Who knows whose bad breath, spit, mucus, sputum, filthy hands, possible fecal material (you never know who doesn't wash their hands after using the bathroom) or GERMS were on it? I was quite upset to have to expose myself to this level of potential bacteria.

I was given the filthy thing in a bag, which was good -- less I'd have to handle the germ-infested thing. I brought it home and got out the Lysol cleaner in the spray bottle and a roll of paper towels. I sprayed and wiped, sprayed and wiped, until the black stopped appearing on the paper towels. I looked at the pile of used paper on the counter and skeeved. UGH! I threw them out -- in the big green can in the garage, no sense in having other peoples' airborne germs in my kitchen -- and even though I'm very careful to close the door immediately upon exiting or entering the house from the garage (I saw a lizard in the garage a few years ago and am terrified I'll let him in the house by accident if I'm not careful) somehow let a fly in! This was getting worse and worse.

It was on the kitchen window defecating on my white plantation blinds (I read that every time a fly lands, it either pukes or defecates). I used to kill flies as a child with my mother's Aqua-Net hairspray and watch their wings get hard before they succombed. Then as I got older, I typically used Windex. There was no need for actual bug killer, we rarely had any bugs. I have no Aqua-Net and did not have the Windex out, but I did have the Lysol -- still handy, still on the counter -- so I grabbed it and sprayed the window where the ugly beast was relieving himself. It dropped. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I tore off another sheet of paper towel (Viva only) and cleaned the window, the blinds, the windowsill, it was great. I was not sure if the fly would require another blast to put it out of its misery, but I was amazed -- it was stone cold dead.

Two with one blow! The phone was clean and disinfected, and one less filthy creature could contaminate someone else's house, picnic or barbeque.

It was a magical day.

Cleaning the microwave

The best way I've found to clean the microwave is also pretty cost effective. I put half a cup of water with a pinch of baking soda and bring it to a boil. Then let it sit for about 30 seconds before opening the door and quickly wiping down the ceiling, walls, bottom and finally the inside of the door. It's cleaned, deodorized, and has no chemical odor. For the outside of the door, wipe it down with a soft cloth with dishwashing soap and water wrung out of it. The handle is a different story, wipe that with a wet paper towel with a little soap and a dab of Clorox. That will disinfect the handle from possible raw meat, etc. that might have been on your hand as you opened or closed the appliance. Now you can nuke to your heart's content in a clean vessel!