Up to My Old Tricks

Every time I clean, I somehow always think back to when I was a professional nanny and housekeeper. Sometimes, it leaves me wistful. "You know, I really miss that family. I wonder how they are doing?"

Other times, I feel relieved that the Panda is generating as much business as it has been. "Good grief, no amount of money in the world would be enough to make me go back to that house!"

However, I do not regret any of those experiences. Strange, how the mind works.

Anyway, this post was brought to you by the fact that I am heading down to the lab to give it a proper scrubbing, check all the equipment to make sure it is clean and ready to go, and gather up a laundry-load's worth of towels, rags and aprons that need to be cleaned before I can begin working on soap.

By comparison, soy candles take much less work in the way of sanitizing tools and work space than other products I make. The containers need to be double-checked for debris and cleaned out if necessary, but I clean all of the pouring pots and measuring cups after every use. (Warm wax is MUCH easier to clean than cold wax. Period.) These items do NOT go in the sanitizing dishwasher, so they have to be cleaned as soon as they are used.

However, soap takes longer to make, plus I toss most of the tools into the dishwasher until I have a full load, then run it. Given all that, it is best to clean the lab first, then get down to brass tacks. Speaking of which, do I even have all the outstanding orders printed out? I'd better go check on that.

Later days. ;)

P.S.--I'm still working on the "How to Throw Your Own Home Party" entries. They might not get posted until I am in Orlando, which won't be until December 14th. (Which, coincidentally, happens to be mine and John's first wedding anniversary. We're spoiling each other rotten with a trip to Orlando before we invade Miami to see his family for Christmas. We'll call it a working holiday. *wink*)