Gertrude made a major ordeal out of the ritual of cleaning the house in the spring. I remember her washing the walls and everything in between them. The storm windows had to be taken off and stored and the screens had to be scrubbed before being hung. She started at the attic and worked her way to the basement. It was not a fun time for me because if I touched anything I might get it dirty. It was usually cool in Buffalo, so going outside was not always an option. My grandfather traveled for his job and managed to be out of town when the cleaning began and stayed away until it was complete.
For me spring cleaning is less of an ordeal. I live in the south now and have to wait for the pollen to stop (well almost stop) because everything gets nice coat of yellow from all the pine trees. I have to scrub my screen before opening a windows. I do not wash the wall but do give the house a deep cleaning for the summer. I start at the top and work my way down. I’m not sure Gertrude would approve of my efforts but as I get older having a spic and span house is just not that important.
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