Cleaning Is My Focus Right Now

I went on a hunt for a specific neighborhood dry cleaner yesterday as I was going home from work. The location where it used to be was in shreds - apparently the building was sold and is undergoing a major renovation. But Google had led me to believe they were still in business. I was running out of time and just wanted to get home, so I still have a car full of blankets and throws. But after I got home I Googled once more and found out that my cleaner moved up a nearby street to a new location. I'll be dropping by there this morning after breakfast. They open at 7:00 am, so I'll have plenty of time to get everything checked in. 

Grand Cleaners used to have a large building about two 
blocks away from their current location. I guess they moved 
to a smaller footprint. Now that I know exactly where they are 
located, I can drop my cleaning off this morning on the way 
to work. 

Normally I don't do dry cleaning. I live my life with my washer and dryer and I use them a lot (for only two people, I do an average of six loads a week. I'm a bit obsessed with clean clothing and linens). In this case, however, I think dry cleaning is a necessity. These are items that have been on my breezeway for the winter, or for several winters, mainly because I didn't want to introduce bugs or clothes moths into my home. I always get a few, but I'm hoping to eliminate as many as possible. Chemicals can do what a washing machine can't, and sometimes they're necessary. 

I'm not fond of the chemicals needed for true dry cleaning, but
they are pretty firmly regulated now. Do you remember this old
saying by DuPont? It got skewed a bit over time, and now is
more often termed "Better Living Through Chemistry", a bit
of a chance from the original, isn't it? 

I'm going to be hoping that the cleaners don't lose or ruin my blankets. In the past (long past, I fully admit, with a totally different cleaner), I deposited four comforters with a dry cleaner near where I worked at the time, and they "lost" one of them - of course the pattern I loved the most. I raised a serious fuss and they paid me to replace the comforter, but I never went back, and have had hesitations about bringing large loads into dry cleaners ever since. This, unfortunately, is a large load and I don't have much of a choice. I'm crossing my fingers that all will work out well. 

We've finally got the first leaves on many of our trees, and the
very earliest blooming trees are starting to come out in their glory.
Spring may finally have come! I'm so happy! 

So, as I wrap this up, May is staring me in the face. Today is the last day of April, my trees are starting to look fluffy and have the beginnings of leaves, and I just saw my first egret of the season on Monday night as I was driving home from work. I think Spring is finally here in the Frozen Northlands (despite the four-inches of snow the southern part of my state received over the weekend). I'm ready to declare Winter officially over for another year. Huzzah! 

Have a totally fabulous Tuesday and enjoy your day. I'll return tomorrow, at least that's the plan. We're moving full-speed-ahead with cleaning, and working through boxes of paperwork, shredding things right and left. It feels really good to destroy, sometimes - LOL.