Thanks to the miracles of facebook and blogging, I no longer have to talk about what is going with people in person! I see people and they automatically already know what is going on with me and what I've been up to. I really need to get out more.So here is the story. Well actually, I'd say it's pretty much self-explanatory. The paint was a FULL gallon of white which I was taking to the patio to paint a dresser (my latest little "project"). Clearly, I didn't make it all the way. I kind of have a hard time holding stuff lately. Like... I drop everything. And turns out, if you drop an entire gallon of paint from a height, it will mercilessly burst open.
The question I've been getting is: Did we get it out???
I'm proud to report that YES! Yes we did.
And here's how.
(You never know when you might need this information!)
Step 1: I grabbed a dustpan (pictured above) and scooped up as much of the paint as I could. (I grabbed the dustpan first and THEN the camera, so what you see is already about 50% of the mess cleaned up!)
Step 2: I grabbed a wet towel. Luckily I had one lying around from cleaning up after the sanding (of the dresser). I tried to sop up some paint and also soak the area with water to dilute it and keep it from drying out.
Step 3: Wet/dry shop vac. This was already out too, since I used it to blow the sawdust off the sanded surfaces. I sucked up as much of the paint & water as I could.
Step 4: My beloved Hoover Steam Vac. I was scared to possibly sacrifice this practical family member in the name of cleaning that awful carpet, but I finally decided I needed the scrubbing-action/water-diluting/vacuuming effects all in one.
I worked with this for nearly an hour when to my amazement and delight, Travis came home early! He gallantly took over for me and worked on that carpet for another THREE HOURS! Okay, so he's kind of a perfectionist and I would've stopped two hours ago and gone out to buy a nice throw rug. He even insists that you can still see where the paint was, but I don't see it. He was quite the hero of the day! PS He did this all with water only - no detergent! I'll probably go over it again with cleaner in a few days when the carpet has some time to recover.
Kate and Brooklyn were both standing there to witness the disaster. They urged me to "hurry and clean it up before Daddy gets mad!" Then Kate casually asked a little later, "It wasn't our fault, right, Mommy?" I think she was maybe a little worried I might somehow try to pin it on them.
This is the part where I have some blessings to count. Ready? Okay, go:
1. It was white paint and not red. Which, knowing me, it might very well have been dangerously red.
2. It was flat paint and not the sturdier semi-gloss. Everyone who has ever scrubbed an apartment wall knows that flat paint totally washes right off with water.
3. When the bucket landed, the splattering paint miraculously missed all the nearby furniture, walls, and clothing of those of us standing nearby.
4. I have a fantastic husband who is quick on his feet to respond to the sighs and groans of an achy (and seriously clumsy) pregnant wife who doesn't want to take the punishment of her own actions! Thanks Trav for cleaning up after me!
I'm proud to report that YES! Yes we did.
And here's how.
(You never know when you might need this information!)
Step 1: I grabbed a dustpan (pictured above) and scooped up as much of the paint as I could. (I grabbed the dustpan first and THEN the camera, so what you see is already about 50% of the mess cleaned up!)
Step 2: I grabbed a wet towel. Luckily I had one lying around from cleaning up after the sanding (of the dresser). I tried to sop up some paint and also soak the area with water to dilute it and keep it from drying out.
Step 3: Wet/dry shop vac. This was already out too, since I used it to blow the sawdust off the sanded surfaces. I sucked up as much of the paint & water as I could.
Step 4: My beloved Hoover Steam Vac. I was scared to possibly sacrifice this practical family member in the name of cleaning that awful carpet, but I finally decided I needed the scrubbing-action/water-diluting/vacuuming effects all in one.
I worked with this for nearly an hour when to my amazement and delight, Travis came home early! He gallantly took over for me and worked on that carpet for another THREE HOURS! Okay, so he's kind of a perfectionist and I would've stopped two hours ago and gone out to buy a nice throw rug. He even insists that you can still see where the paint was, but I don't see it. He was quite the hero of the day! PS He did this all with water only - no detergent! I'll probably go over it again with cleaner in a few days when the carpet has some time to recover.
Kate and Brooklyn were both standing there to witness the disaster. They urged me to "hurry and clean it up before Daddy gets mad!" Then Kate casually asked a little later, "It wasn't our fault, right, Mommy?" I think she was maybe a little worried I might somehow try to pin it on them.
This is the part where I have some blessings to count. Ready? Okay, go:
1. It was white paint and not red. Which, knowing me, it might very well have been dangerously red.
2. It was flat paint and not the sturdier semi-gloss. Everyone who has ever scrubbed an apartment wall knows that flat paint totally washes right off with water.
3. When the bucket landed, the splattering paint miraculously missed all the nearby furniture, walls, and clothing of those of us standing nearby.
4. I have a fantastic husband who is quick on his feet to respond to the sighs and groans of an achy (and seriously clumsy) pregnant wife who doesn't want to take the punishment of her own actions! Thanks Trav for cleaning up after me!
And now you know the rest of the story.
4 sweet nothings:
That's AWFUL Krista!! What a nightmare. I am amazed you had all the tools you needed at hand... I would be in serious trouble without a wet/dry shop vac or steam vac. Kudos to both of you for all that hard work.
Wow. I am truly impressed it came out!
Is clumbsiness a pregnancy symptom? I have burned myself half a dozen times in the past week. Once by clamping my flat iron on my thumb. I almost caught my belly on fire by standing too close to the stove!
I am the biggest klutz too when pregnant, but you definitely take the cake with this one. Jason was a little worried that it might not go away. Thankfully it gets better when you are solo again.
Wow, I don't think I would have ever thought about those things. It looks good to me, way to go :).
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