This is going to be a strange post and if you're eating you may want to come back later...
Have you guys seen that new show on Animal Planet "Infested"? I am strangely addicted and the show is actually changing the way I see antiques a little bit.
First of all, I STERILIZE my kitchen after every viewing of hoarders or infested. Watching these creepy shows does help me do my chores, which is good. Last night after "Infested" I did my kitchen scrub-down and hubby walked in. He's been very sick with a cold and sleeping all day. He wanted me to make him some soup. "After I finish this!" I snapped, scrubbing an old antique produce scale that I keep on my counter. He gave me a hard time about that "That old scale can wait...you've had it sitting there forever! I'm so hungry!". Hmph...obviously he didn't realize that our house was one grimy antique away from attracting every pest in Texas.
Anyways...
I don't know that I'll ever be able to buy a large chest of drawers or an upholstered piece again. I'm picturing cockroach eggs and bedbugs now when I go to Goodwill. Am I being ridiculous? Have these thoughts ever crossed your mind? You don't know where this stuff came from! Ever seen Hoarders??? They take moldy trash and dead rats off of furniture and then turn around and sell it or donate it. Now an old metal watering can or some ironstone...I can sanitize that kind of stuff of course. But things with lots of natural material where things can nest...bluuuruew...I just gagged saying the word "nest" in that context.
I, I, I'm just having second thoughts about what I allow into my house. And don't judge me if you've never seen these shows. They are EYE OPENING and very interesting! Some of them feature million dollar homes too. They point out that an infestation is not always about cleanliness. Sometimes just introducing the pest into your home is all it takes for them to flourish in your warm, welcoming environment.
Can I submerge an entire chair in bleach?
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| *Notice that I did not re size this pic to "x-large". You're Welcome. |
First of all, I STERILIZE my kitchen after every viewing of hoarders or infested. Watching these creepy shows does help me do my chores, which is good. Last night after "Infested" I did my kitchen scrub-down and hubby walked in. He's been very sick with a cold and sleeping all day. He wanted me to make him some soup. "After I finish this!" I snapped, scrubbing an old antique produce scale that I keep on my counter. He gave me a hard time about that "That old scale can wait...you've had it sitting there forever! I'm so hungry!". Hmph...obviously he didn't realize that our house was one grimy antique away from attracting every pest in Texas.
Anyways...
I don't know that I'll ever be able to buy a large chest of drawers or an upholstered piece again. I'm picturing cockroach eggs and bedbugs now when I go to Goodwill. Am I being ridiculous? Have these thoughts ever crossed your mind? You don't know where this stuff came from! Ever seen Hoarders??? They take moldy trash and dead rats off of furniture and then turn around and sell it or donate it. Now an old metal watering can or some ironstone...I can sanitize that kind of stuff of course. But things with lots of natural material where things can nest...bluuuruew...I just gagged saying the word "nest" in that context.
I, I, I'm just having second thoughts about what I allow into my house. And don't judge me if you've never seen these shows. They are EYE OPENING and very interesting! Some of them feature million dollar homes too. They point out that an infestation is not always about cleanliness. Sometimes just introducing the pest into your home is all it takes for them to flourish in your warm, welcoming environment.
Can I submerge an entire chair in bleach?
30 comments:
I don't know about the being afraid to bring something new home from an antique store or garage sale, but I'm worried now about the stuff that might already be here! And before I thought cob webs were a big deal....
~Bliss~
Great post. I'd say you're alright with anything you can clean or launder. Anything else, you might want to pass on. I'd even go with upholstery items but only if you're going to reupholster them. For those, I leave them out in the shop and strip them down quickly, then do a thorough cleaning.
Holly
LOL!!! I did bring home a desk last summer and was washing it down before painting it, only to discover lots of little spider eggs and new hatchlings living underneath! I quickly got that desk back out of the house until I had it totally cleaned and free of critters.
Blessings,
Angie @ Knick of Time
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a neat freak.But that won't stop me from buying old or vintage items.I just clean everything off really well.If it looks that bad when I am buying it then I don't want it in my house in the first place.And I can't watch those shows.Being the neat freak that I am I could go into some sort of shock watching that.
Hahaha! Im laughing because I watch those shows too and I always get the heebie jeebies afterwards. Buuuut, unless something looks totally decrepit, I'm still probably gonna bring it home!
Oh my gosh, I am the SAME way. I watch those shows, and I don't know why because its just torture for me. I get really paranoid about this too and I was always more worried when it came to but fabrics or upholstered items. Should I be worried when it comes to buying dressers and wood pieces and such?!?!?! Now I am freaking out. I always clean everything really well but if the piece was infested with anything {such as cockroach eggs- EEWWWEEEE} can I get it with a heavy cleaning???
Even worse is an infestation of powderpost beetle. We purchased a mahogany piece that was a reproduction.
I started seeing little piles of dust and tiny holes. They come in from improperly treated wood and improper storage- especially from wood coming from another country. I put it out on the curb with a warning note and someone took it. I couldn't take the risk of it staying in my house and treatment with toxins was a big no for me. There are lots of people selling repros that they say are antiques- so newbies beware!
I guess I need to watch hoarders more to get me to clean my house! My mom went with me to a thrift store and she couldn't believe anyone would buy any furniture with fabric on it! Guess bed bugs aren't so bad that people will pass up cheap furniture!
Hi I am popping in from Diann's A La Carte blog. I agree with you 100%. I watched a show called Cash and Cari and she pointed out that people buy vintage and antique things and start sanding them down to repaint. What most don't realize it that there is lead in a lot of the painted surfaces on old things. You could be inhaling lead dust.
I too have become very picky about bed bugs in hotels. I always ask to see the room first and if I see rusty spots on the sheets or black dirt like debris around the mattress trim cording then it is likely they have bed bugs. Shiver!!!
This is a great post
so funny and so true
I am a clean freak and have to sterilize everything
It helps to buy from people that you know or at least see how they live
xo
Pam
You know, that very thought has kept me from buying upholstered furniture used. I fear bedbugs! Though I never thought much about wood, I figure you can wipe that down and be ok. I am fairly germaphobic also and don't really like touching anything when I don't know where it's been, unless I can wash my hands immediately. Makes it tough being a junker!
I am addicted to those shows, too! No, I will not bring an upholstered piece into my house, unless I go to an estate sale at the house where it came from. I am a medical lab tech ( by day :@ ) and have had to ID some of those critters under the microscope. You do not want them crawling around in your house!!! I'm getting itchy just thinking about it.
Oh my goodness, i have taken sofas from the dumb and the curbside... luckily never had any problems... I usually just put my face right down onto the seat cushions, and take a big whiff, to see if they smell like cat pee,... and if not the piece would pass the test. Guess i've been pretty lucky, but i'll think twice now!
Cindy
I no longer buy used things. I used to work in a library and someone once returned a dvd in a case with a live bedbug inside. They are everywhere.(I quit working there because of that). I wouldn't even walk into a Goodwill or thrift store anymore.
I agree with you. I have OCD when it comes to keeping things clean. The spiders gave me the creeps. I don't think I could watch those shows because I think the people are step away from insanity! I would never bring something used and upholstered into my home. And even bags of veggies from the store have to be inspected!!
Great post!
XO,
Jane
I'm glad I got such a positive response to this post. I know we all LOVE our "finds" and I was worried someone would tell me I'm just being silly. I blame my fear on my own lack of infestation knowlege...I don't KNOW if things can lay eggs or hide in wood. I don't know if bleach kills everything. And since I don't know I'll be playing it safe for awhile.
Hi, I just found your blog, and this was the first post I read, and boy, oh, boy, you are not alone in feeling this way. I have told friends about this little problem, bed bugs, termites, bugs of any kind can be hiding in used furniture. I bought an antique sewing cabinet, right after that I read an article about bed bugs, and I was freaking out!! Needless to say, I have not bought another piece of used furniture since. Don't get me wrong, I love antiquing like any one else, BUT, I am not taking any chances! I'm your newest Texas follower :)
yes I have watched those shows now and again...and yes I have worried about what I might bring home...but when I'm out and about...and I spot that treasure...at that moment...I haven't thought about it. So far, I guess I have been lucky...but with all the problems with bed bugs...it is a sickening thought...however...the bottom line is...those things can be anywhere...they do not only show up in dirty homes...the same thing with cockroaches...if you bring one home, say from potatoes or other veggies...you are probably gonna have a lot more realy soon! eeewwww...lets change the subject...any of you getting in the mood for some spring cleaning? Suddenly I am!
Sharon
Good point! I hear you very crazy people out there makes me like Monk more and more...
I have been hearing about bedbugs making a comeback. Luckily, I don't travel very much! I will be checking the mattress for signs of bedbugs before putting my things down in a hotel room now! I have not been comfortable with used upholstered furniture for a long time.
Blessings,
Lorilee
I too have worried about the bedbug issue. I'm totally nuts at a hotel (I take the fun out of vacations with my paranoia), and I always wondered what all these 'junking diva's' did with the furniture they bought if they found something in it. I'm terrified, even when I buy on craigslist, because Toronto has a big BB problem (all the downtown condo's, building, hotels seem to have them). Yuck, such an awful topic! Totally takes the fun out of Junking!
You're so funny! But I AGREE!
I nEver bring ANything in the house until it has been THORoughly worked over! TOO scary!
Catherine
I totally get where you are coming from. I went to a yard sale with a friend many years ago and she bought a bunch of really sketchy looking quilts to cut up for projects. I told her not to take them into the house so she hung them on her fence for a week. I don't know if that would have killed anything, bleach water would have been my way to go. But yea, I agree with you!
Ewwww...I never bring anything into house or booth until it is completely cleaned!! (if that's possible)
I've given you the Versatile Award! Thank you for your inspiration!
Blessings!!
EWWWWWWWW!!! I know I could not watch those shows:) I am such a clean freak and now my kids are the same way. My 10 year old went to a birthday party and would not take off her coat and would not eat the cake. I asked her why she would not eat the cake she said beacause the mother baked it in the dirty oven:0) We washed all her clothes the minute she came home.
Thanks for the comment. I have to say years ago I had an antique store, I always had the furniture tented for termites before I brought it into the shop.
Never even thought of ugh!
Bed bugs.......
yvonne
I do think about that and if freaks me out more and more. I can't watch hoarders. I'd never sleep again!
MC
You bring up some good points. I watch Infested too. It is really yucky to think about the thrift shop furniture harboring insects or feces. I am going to be more careful in how I clean my "finds" from now on.
thanks!
♥charlotte
FUNNY GIRL! I've encounterd a few spider eggs, but never let it deter me! I will think about this post and you the next time I see a nice piece of furniture at the thrift store, though. :)
-Revi
I get things from the curb all the time but I never take anything upholstered. I leave everything outside until it's cleaned.
I did find roaches and I guess roach eggs in a crate at a flea market once(it looked clean). That will make me check forever !
Kristen
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