Airstream Spring Cleaning & Project Laundry

1n June 2008, slaDE~ and I spontaneously bid and won our Airstream dream trailer off of eBay, about 6 weeks before our wedding. Although we stayed in our trailer during the wedding week whilst home on Dad’s Ontario farm, we really didn’t get a chance to explore it’s nuisances and beauty. Fast forward just over a 14 months. Ontario-bound we returned, leaving our careers and life in Calgary Alberta behind, looking to live full-time in our Airstream trailer. As expected, October in Ontario was quite frigid, and as we readied our Airstream to journey south for the winter, a thorough cleaning in the bitter cold temperatures was the last thing on our minds. So with a brief overall clean, we headed south for 5 months and enjoyed a hectic schedule with varied climates, until our return to Canada last month.

With the breath of Spring in the warm cleansing air, I felt the need to clean and fully aerate our beloved home. It was time to purge the previous owners from our treasured ‘Airabella‘: this meant scrubbing the dirt and grime from every window sill, and eliminating the rug which darkened our trailer floor. Sunday was a hectic day … from dawn to dusk, I had many chores to keep me on the go until my collapse at 9pm. First on my list: cleaning out the pantry and organizing our closets and dressers of clothing and items that I hadn’t a use for over the winter months. With the limited space that we have, I still manage to cram in a ton of clothing and specialized foods along with my aromatherapy oils, books and stuff. However, I’m finding that running out of room for storing our every day needs is becoming an issue; hence, prioritizing, packing away and storing unnecessary artifacts in the cubby hole was top on the list of my agenda.

Next up: removing the navy rug from our trailer, exposing the light-coloured laminate under-flooring. WOW. What a HUGE difference! Although I enjoyed having carpet to warm our feet during the winter months, I found that keeping a rug clean was challenging in such a small area. Little did I realize how much dirt this floor covering harboured. Eek! Having ‘wood’ totally lightened up our living area whilst also creating the illusion of more space. It also allows for a more hygienic space to breath, work and play in. Seems that in my older age, I’m growing more sensitive to chemical smells, cigarette smoke, dust mites and artificial anything. Every little bit helps in keeping a clean home that I can retreat to and hibernate in!

The final item on my list for the day: getting our laundry done. Whilst living on the road, finding a place to wash and dry our clothes in a eco-friendly manner can be a somewhat challenging task. So when an opportunity arises for me to hang out my laundry to line dry, I happily jump at the chance! Both cold water washing and hanging out our clothing provide us with an effective way to save energy, money and time. Small steps, every day in every way possible DO make a difference to our environmental impact on the planet.