Whatever Wednesday: The Yard Sale Edition

Whatever Wednesday is when we explore all the different ways that What-EVER! spray can be used around the house. It is an amazingly versatile little workhorse and because it is so safe and friendly, the uses are endless. If you'd like to share the unique ways you use What-EVER in your life, post a link in the comments or email me kate at cleanhappens dot com and tell me about it.

One of the reasons that we have so much secondhand furniture is that we have a bunch of kids and don't see the need to get anything that would devastate us if it was broken and really, we just don't care. But even more so than that, Mr. Frowzy loves yard sales. He loves free stuff. It doesn't matter what it looks like, if it's cheap or free it ends up in my family room. It's genetic. Mr. Frowzy Sr. (We'll call him "Sir" because that is what my Mr. Frowzy's college friends called him and it suits him well.) loves flea markets. His motto is "Cheap is good, but free is better." And well, hell, it's green.

Don't get me wrong, we have gotten some pretty nice stuff this way. But, just as often I have walked into my family room and then turned around and walked back out never to return for the 9 months it takes for a secondhand, family room couch to be turned into compost by my children.

About a month ago, Mr. Frowzy scored a couch (which displaced a still nice secondhand futon), a TV with VCR for the basement, a VHS edition of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, a dresser (which is still in my living room because it hasn't been taken upstairs, yet.), and a set of bunk beds. Today we will be discussing those bunk beds.

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I'm pretty sure they had been in someone's basement since the 1970's, because they were a nautical theme complete with rope accents. (There is a vision that Mr. Frowzy has involving white paint and tulle.) At any rate, the things could not have been any mustier. Can't you just smell the must through your screen?

We cut out and disposed of the rope and set them up in the girls' room. Then I got to work with my bucket of What-EVER. The bucket quickly filled with dark brown liquid and I had to empty it and refill it with more diluted What-EVER. But after a couple of washings, the beds were clean and no longer smelled.

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Now, as to Mr. Frowzy's vision of white paint and tulle? I imagine it will stay tucked away with all of the other Frowzy visions that are brilliant yet, unrealized.

I haven't given anything away in a while and I feel like doing so now! So... leave a blog comment about your favorite yard sale find to be entered to win a case of 6 bottles of What-EVER. Comments will close Friday July 1, 2011 at 11:59pm

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35 comments

I’ve purchased many things at garage sales… books, kids toys… They definitely have their place but my FAVORITE thing ever purchased at a garage sale was a pair of underware my friends grandma picked up for her when we were in 7th grade. She has a bumper sticker that reads: I brake for all garage sales. I love her.

Sarah

I haven’t been to many yard sales lately. However, I’m temped to load up some things from my house and begin dropping them off at OTHER yard sales with “free” price stickers already attached.

Jenny

I have a wonderful old chest from a yard sale, and once got an architect’s magnifying light, which helped my mother read the paper (once our school’s shop teacher put together a clamp to hold it on the table).
When I moved, I put out many heavy and/or breakable items for Freecycle — a wonderful way to spread the wealth!
What-Ever! cleans whatever I need it to clean, and doesn’t choke me . . .

Mary Garrett

My favorite yard sale finds are customers at my own yard sale! (And I totally second Jenny’s idea of donating freebies to other people’s sales… creative clutterbusting for sure!)

Kathi

I found these really great glasses from some asian country with hindi gods on them. they were awesome and cheap!

tina page

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