Once more into the bleach

I made it in to work yesterday without a problem. Actually, with the bright sunshine, cool air, clear skies and freedom of the road, it was the nicest commute I've had in a while. It felt good to be driving to work.

On the way home I was in a race with approaching thunderstorms. I wanted to make it to my new house before they hit. All I need is a half hour or maybe forty-five minutes with my reel mower and I can have the whole lawn mowed neat as can be. (The effect you get with a reel mower is not one of a shaved carpet of grass, every blade a uniform height, but rather something that looks more like a lawn that has just naturally grown to exactly the height you want it.) I lost.

I stopped at home to grab something to eat and check the weather radar. The storms looked to be a half-hour or so to our West, but within a few minutes the wind had picked up outside followed by rain. Mowing the lawn was now out of the question at either house. On to Plan C.

I grabbed a broom, a mop, a bucket, and some bleach (actually stuff called Clorox Clean-Up, pre-diluted bleach that probably cost me ten times as much as just diluting some bleach myself.)

Mopping with bleach is always fun and hazardous to your lungs and your clothing. Make sure the area is well-ventilated. Make sure neither the mop nor the bucket have any traces of other chemicals, especially anything with ammonia - mixing ammonia with chlorine bleach, even in small quantities, will produce clouds of toxic gas. Finally, make sure you're not wearing anything that will be ruined by bleach. Either wear junky clothes, or do your mopping in your underwear with sturdy, sacrificial boots, preferably with clean soles. (This works best if you're not expecting company.)

So the major mopping work is done, though I may do a touch-up mopping to remove residue just spread around by the first mopping. And, weather permitting, tonight I will take another stab at mowing my lawn. One of them, at least.