Boil and Bubble, Toil and Trouble
Science happens when I least expect it. When I am at work, which can be for up to 15 hrs or more, the small and senior dogs are in the house during the winter. On arriving home, I greet everyone with a "good morning!" and proceed to dispose of their "presents." The poop can be flushed, the pee is mopped. Normally, I use Nature's Miracle or a similar product. Today, I used bleach. I prefer vinegar but I had bleach. I use it more in washing the dog bedding than on the floors as I usually follow the mopping with the Shark to get it really clean - and I LOVE my Shark.
So, hmmm, how much bleach should I use? I choose about a pint in a half bucket of warm water. Mix 'er up and start mopping - whew, I hate the smell of bleach. Puddles are not too frequent today but there are several. I sop up a couple, rinse the mop in the bleach water and back to the next puddle. I hear a crackling, a bubbling. Hmmm...egads!
My bleach water looks like the witch's cauldron from "MacBeth." Boil and bubble for sure - what is going on?
You know, when you read the warnings on cleaning products, they warn you not to mix bleach and ammonia as the fumes can be powerful and dangerous? What makes up the largest part of dog pee? Ammonia! Ammonia which is now reacting with my bleach to give me a scientific experiment right in the middle of my back room. It is very effective as the fumes do make my eyes sting and water. What do I do? I finish mopping! I am on a mission and claim lack of sleep for temporary stupidity. I then take the horrible mixture out and pitch it in the creek (which is really a ditch with water but I fancy it a creek). Uff da. I have no choice today - I HAVE to Shark to rid our home of the bleach smell and the wafting fumes. I then spray the house with Febreze Linen scent air freshener (thank you, Jen). It helps but the bleach is still in the floors even after Sharking them. Let me tell you - any germs we did not kill with that mixture are wishing they were dead.
We were not overcome because here is a truth about Silverwalk - after I get home, for most of the day, the back door is open to the breezeway which has the dog door. There was plenty of cool, fresh air circulating in the house despite the two space heaters in the breezeway. They do well when it is closed off at night for the larger, younger dogs but not so hot (pun intended) during the day when everyone should (note "should" or "could," not "always do") go outside for their business.
My bucket did not have any mist I could see.Be careful out there - from your native Minnesota friend, enjoy this awesome, very snowman and snowball friendly snow!
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