This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Must We Exchange Cleanliness For Dogliness? Methinks Not.


Solace and Solutions for the Cleaning Challenged. –by Anna Cooke


Read about the new STAINMASTER PetProtect carpet on page 58.


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A PERSON’S OWN IDEA OF “CLEAN” changes with the number of beings living within a household at any given time, and the tree rings of age. Translation: The capacity to endure dirt may increase over the advancing years. Add to that a career, the trials and tribulations of daily life, and, well admittedly I, myself, have sometimes turned a blind eye to dirt and dander. Oh, look (or not) is that dust on the bureau in the dining room? Close the blinds, turn off the lights. Voilà. Dust be gone. While vacuuming has been known to provide


an almost euphoric sense of accomplishment, lately just scooping up hairballs provides some semblance of a job well done. Personally, the task of cleaning the home used to


be an all or nothing task, taking upwards of two days to complete. Mind you, I have never lived in a large home. Cleaning was just an obsessive/compulsive thing. If I couldn’t clean the entire house in one


54 THE NEW BARKER


single span of 48 hours straight, well, then it would have to wait until another time when I could devote my full-blown attention. During these all-out clean- ing sessions, not only would the house be tackled, but all of the dog beds would be laundered. And if timed correctly, the dogs themselves would be get- ting groomed concurrently. Perfect. Husband would be relegated (read: run, hide) to


the opposite side of the home that was being cleaned. And at the end of that two-day marathon, my house was so clean, I would insist on going out to dinner, lest we dirty the kitchen. Oh, it was sparkling. It was magnificent. For at least a week afterwards, I was diligent in


wiping the paws and brushing the fur of each dog before allowing them to re-enter the house after having gone outdoors. I was fastidious with making sure that everything was put back in its place after each use. It was exhausting.


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