Wednesday, January 21, 2009

What's lurking under your couch?

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I love my couch, but it's one of those things that I tend to forget about when house cleaning. Weeks will go by before I realize that I haven't really deep cleaned the couch, and that my friends, is when you step into another dimension.

I swear there's like a Twilight Zone of Couches somewhere because the things you find under those pillows will make you scratch your head, cringe, laugh and wonder just how on earth that managed to get under there. Then there's the things that you realize you didn't even know were missing until you see their dog hair covered shapes creeping out. It's like a horror movie, you know those old Mummy ones? Remember? The ones where everyone is running around screaming and you see these nasty hands and body parts coming out from under the ground?

So this morning I decided, it's time for a good cleaning and because I know I'm not the only one out there who is ashamed and embarrassed of how neglected the couches become, I'm going to show you pictures, maybe entice (more like DARE) some of you to grab your cameras and show us What's lurking under your couches.

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Looks clean at first glance doesn't it? But don't let it fool you because the awful things are hiding in the back and the sides....let me show you.....

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See? And look at all that dog hair and dust bunnies....Holy Mackerel, I could make a new little pug, that's ridiculous!

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I'm very confused as to that cherry, look at the size of that thing? There's also a little purple crown in the middle of that mess.

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Now I find tiny sunglasses, I'm beginning to think that The Littles are living in my house. Which is kinda neat though, I used to LOVE watching them on TV. *snicker*

For me the best is that Good Citizenship Award LOL Yeah....right.....how ironic is that? LOL

Don't let all this dirt get you down though, go in there, pick through the things you want to keep, and throw out the rest, then grab the vacuum and suck suck suck LOL That sounds so bad, just grab the vacuum and have fun watching the dirt disappear.

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See how clean it's gotten now? What I like doing is putting down some new Dryer Sheets, it keeps the couch smelling clean and fresh until the next time you get in there and clean....which will be like.....a couple weeks.....a couple months.....you know....

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In the meantime, I like to take all my pillows and throw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet for about 5 minutes or so, just to fluff them up and give them a clean and fresh look.

And THEN to finish it all off, I grab the Febreze and give it a good spray down. Voila!

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Couch is good as new, smells great and feels comfy and is ready for the kids to get home from school, where they will proceed to fill it again with cereal and knick knacks until the next time I clean. Oh well....it's the circle of life isn't it?

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28 comments:

Mari said...

I like your couch and pillows! I need to do that again. It's not as bad as it used to be when i had 3 small kids, but things still do appear under the cushions!
I love Febreeze too!

Anonymous said...

LOL I enjoyed your post and it's a reminder I need to get my couches cleaned.. I know most of whats under the downstairs one is popcorn from the grand boys but upstairs? Hmmm I'm hoping its the missing crochet hooks :)
I get the willies when I have to reach down into the sides and back so I always put rubber gloves on first.. I know it sounds silly because if there was something in there to bite me the gloves wouldn't do any good but its a mental thing anyway and works for me.

Kristen said...

I always enjoy finding money in the couch, my father in law used to be famous for "emptying" his pockets into chairs and couches. Sometimes we find long lost special pencils or cars, but the rest, well, it usually goes in the trash or vacuum and then the trash. By the way, that cherry looks like something out of the game Hi-Ho Cherry-O...do you have that?

Anonymous said...

I remember at university my friend and I rummaged down the sides of the sofas to find money to go out with, lol.

I find all sorts down our sofa, the cushions are fixed on mine so it's really hard to get the stuff out I have to ram the vacuum cleaner nozzle right in. Then I hear a 'clunk' and think, "Hmmm I wonder what that was???".

The Raggedy Girl said...

Sandra:
How funny and cute. I love the things you found. I just adore your blog and blogging in general since I am really a blog baby still.
Roberta Anne

Cheri said...

I love febreeze!
Actually I just cleaned mine last week. It's amazing what all gets under the cushions.

Pamela said...

I'm with Kristen, looks like a Hi-Ho Cherry-O cherry to me!

Pamela

Christy said...

That's funny, I just cleaned my couch last Saturday after, oh, a year? I didn't fluff the pillows or spray with Febreeze though, I'm gonna have to give that a try. I love your cleaning tips, please keep them coming! BTW, the best thing I found was a towel - and I had been wondering what happened to it.

Lulu said...

i use dryer sheets also, in fact i put some under my bed and dresser, to make my room smell a little fresher..
Love your tips Sandra, you always have helful little tidbits...
I'm still trying to declutter my closet, then its under the bed..
hugs,

Bonnie said...

This is a hilarious post ... I just love it. I am scared. Too scared maybe to go lift the cushions of my couches !! We will see ... maybe I'll do it ... MAYBE !!! If I find anything interesting, I'll post photos.

Glenda said...

Hi Sandra, what energy you have...must be the age difference. I really need to do some deep cleaning, but always find a reason to put it off. Thanks for the sweet comment you left on my blog yesterday about saying a prayer for Bill.
Glenda in MS

Cindy said...

Love this post-I love to look into the real life of my fellow bloggers!

I think the cherry belongs to Hi-Ho cherrio (someone may have already mentioned this-I didn't read the comments first, which is unusual!)

Cindy said...

Okay so I went back and read the comments and I'm the third person to comment about the cherry!

Kirstin said...

That is funny....yes, my couches looked like that alot when my girls were smaller. And I wasn't the best at cleaning them either..

Wendi said...

Your couch looks comfy! I cleaned my couch out when I decorated for Christmas. I found lots of nice stuff. He!He!

Our neck of the woods said...

I'm off to throw my couch pillows in the dryer!
I add dryer sheets in the linen closet. Really helps keep the sheets and blankets from smelling stale.

Mississippi Songbird said...

lol.. So cool! I'm grabbing my fabreeze and fabric sheets now..Go Girl!
MMMMMM Smells great!

Michelle said...

Thanks for the reminder to do that this weekend..& I even have febreeze!

Sandy said...

That is exactly what my couch looks like;0)

Anonymous said...

I had to laugh.. I am so relieved that I am not the only one whose couch looks like yours lol.. Makes you wonder how in the world all that stuff gets under there and none of it is missed! I have not pulled up the cushions in a while and I guess it is time!

Lara said...

Very funny post, Sandra. And I like your couch. But I must say that I don't usually have that problem. No, I'm not the perfect homemaker and I'm not at all obsessed with cleaning but cleaning under my couch is one of those things I do once or twice a week. I do it when I vacuum my living-room. But even so, I sometimes find one or two things there.

Sandra said...

I don't clean under the couch for, let's see, 2 months now! I'm always afraid of what I may find in there! Usually is small toys and food, but you never know....

~ Tisha ~ said...

HA HA HA!! Too funny, Yeah I'm like you , I don't clean out my couches unless I'm already there looking for something thats missing... lol... oh and that cherry is missing from the Hi O Cherry Game..lol.. I find them all over my house... funny!!!
well have a great day and enjoy your clean couch...

Sara Strand said...

I'm scared! :) LOL. I'm going to photograph my couch when I get home. I'm sure my kids and hubby will think I've gone of the edge- but I'll do mine and post on my blog either late tonight or tomorrow. FUN!

Tina Leigh said...

LOL!!! Too funny!! Was Jimmy Hoffa in there by any chance...no...he must be in my couch then! I REFUSE TO LOOK!!! LOL!

Anonymous said...

Wow! That looks like my couch under the cushions :)

someone else said...

This is hilarious! I will admit that I've been guilty of "hidden treasures", too. It's only been in recent years that I've begun to look under the cushions regularly and vacuum there.

You could use all those long-forgotten items as stocking stuffers at Christmas. LOL

Jen said...

I dont even want to know what is in my couch. Scott cleans it out every month...I cringe.
Dryer sheets are a good idea though.
I think we used to have your couch...or one similar.