I’m home, sick

My home seems to be making me sick. I had been away for a month and I came back to a house that smells musty and mouldy, dusty where it’s dry and mildewed where it’s damp.Then I think I saw mites and ticks in the garage, and I can’t discount the chemical fume that I smelled also from the garage.
Yes, I’m home, and I’m sick. I sneezed as soon as I came through the door and into the foyer. I sneezed some more, and my nose felt funny and runny at the same time. Of course, I needed a lot of cleaning. But right that moment, I was just feeling very sick.

I went inside, took my vitamins, zinc, and gulped them down with two glasses of water. I slept the whole night not minding my environment, and hoping that I’d wake up feeling better. I woke up the following morning, a lot sicker. But I couldn’t sleep again so I decided to face the house and all that’s making it sick and me sicker.

I have a long list of allergies. In fact, just the thought of dust tingle my nose and make my eyes bleary red. I went to the coffee shop near my house and had breakfast. Amazingly, my nose cleared. So it had to be the house!

I went back and decided that I needed to clean up. Itook a bath, and donned a mask and a pair of gloves. I started taking anything that hung from the walls and windows – the curtains, the blinds, the drapes. Then I also took out the carpets and anything that was made of textile and was removable. I made a huge pile for the things that will have to go to the laundry shop, those that will be donated, those than can be vacuumed and cleaned, and those that will be thrown away.

Just with those, the house seemed to breathe and lighten up. I vacuumed the place and wiped where the vacuum could not go. I minimized using sprays and disinfectants because I reacted to them, so it was quite arduous using baking soda, vinegar, and salt. The first layers of mildew and moulds were out, and I breathed easier.

It was like that for the whole morning and past midday. I was tired by the end of the afternoon. But the house gleamed and I could smell fresh air. I smiled because it felt so spacious and hygienic. My work was done. Then I stopped smiling, I was puzzled that the house looked like those designed as minimalist houses. Where were all the things? Then I realized my huge pile of blinds to be washed, the rugs and carpets, the sofas and extra chairs that needed brushing and washing, and everything else.

Maybe, I will just donate them all to the Salvation Army. And there’s the untouched garage, with all the ticks and mites, old tools and equipment. They’d have to wait. Meantime, the place looks so good I could live here! Huh?