Operation Apartment Storm, Mission Hand-Washing

Sorry to skip a Minute, loyal readers, but I was busy launching my next offensive in the Battle of the Bugs. It seems they did not disappear, but merely retreated to gather their forces.

Since we last convened, I have had another round of bites, possibly two rounds. I itch, but I wonder how much is actually from the bugs and how much is me psyching myself out. It’s getting hard to tell if the red marks on my skin are bites or just where I’ve itched or just normal fair skin irritation. But there were definitely bites on Thursday morning. Definitely, definitely.

So I have come to accept that the bugs will not go easily into that good night and that another round of exterminating may be in my future (but not for another two weeks). Thus, I am leaving things G and I had not unpacked in boxes for now. And any clothes I left in bags are being sealed up so I won’t have to wash everything all over again. (Though there will certainly still be a lot to wash.)

Last night I began to wash all of the hand-wash items I had bagged up. Thank God the hot water is very hot at my apartment. I was able to wash the shag rug in the tub (which it sorely needed anyway). Everything else went into boiling water. This is the recipe, should you ever find yourself in a dogfight with the bugs with delicates on the line:

Boil a large pot of water.
Pour into dishpan.
Add detergent (which dissolves unbelievably fast).
Add garment (the dyes bleed so I can only do one or two things at a time).
Stir with wooden spoon.
Top off with hot water from tap.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Have next pot of water heating on stove.
Rinse, ring, hang on metal drying rack (which the bugs allegedly won’t crawl up).
Repeat.

So I still have about a bag and a half of stuff to go, but it feels good to have a plan and be doing something. It’ll probably take all weekend to finish the hand-washing. I also have a side project for Saturday: spackling each and every crack, crevice and hole in my walls.

Mom keeps telling me what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. The bugs should be careful; they are creating a monster. You won’t like me when I’m angry.

Until Monday: Have putty knife, will spackle…