Raise your hand if you think I’m obsessive about cleanliness.
(I’ll pause while you do that.)
I’ll admit I’m definitely Type A, but there’s a misconception that our house is always spotless, every faucet shined and every mirror pristine. In reality, we live like most people — clothes on the floor, mail in a pile — and we even made a video to prove it. The truth is, we’re human, and I have a small, sticky confession that proves it.
I’ve owned this lamp from Linens ’n Things for more than four years — over 1,460 days — and I never removed the clearance-price rectangle that was stuck to it. That stubborn bit of adhesive has been there ever since. Call it lazy, call it pragmatic; it’s just stuck on the side of the lamp, quietly aging into a gooey antique.
There’s also a ceramic utensil holder from Target that’s had an adhesive mark on the back for at least two years. The easy solution has been to rotate the container so the sticky side faces the wall and carry on. Out of sight, out of mind — at least until I decide to tackle it.
After confessing, and with my mom occasionally reading the blog (hi, Mom!), I felt compelled to finally clean these sticky spots. I grabbed some soap — Dr. Bronner’s, almond — and warm water and set out to scrub. Ten minutes and a little elbow grease later, my goal was to be singing “ding dong, the goo is gone.” I did worry a bit that years of residue might make the job tougher than expected, but the small victory of removing old adhesive felt oddly satisfying.
Admitting this little habit — rotating items so flaws face the wall — felt strangely liberating. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this. If you’ve ever turned a less-than-perfect side of an object toward the wall or kept a tiny blemish out of view, you’re in good company. It’s a small, human way to keep living spaces functional without stressing over perfection.
So yes, I’m particular about a lot of things, but our home isn’t a showroom. It’s lived-in, imperfect, and occasionally sticky. And occasionally, when I feel like it, I clean those sticky spots — preferably with good soap and a little determination.