and a very clean donkey he is too !

Tomorrow, I will have been here a year.  Where did that time go ?

I didn't get Donkey (my brown carpet) til sometime in March, and in what comes as a shock to the likes of OBC and others, I look after donkey, giving him a good vacuuming on a regular basis and the occasional spoodle with Shake n Vac (put the freshness back)..

All carpets get dirty from being walked over and I noticed that the pile is trodden down in traffic areas, so it was time to give him a good clean (in the lounge at least).  I shall do the other rooms shortly.

Couldn't go to the expense of renting one of those rug doctor things and I noticed something on telly, which is dry, vacuums out, cleans in twenty minutes and then Chesney Hawkes comes round to look at the result.

I ticked the no visit from faded 90's recording artiste and bought a tub of Vanish Power powder, trusting pink to forget stains.

It's a far cry from 1001 cleans a big, big carpet for less than half a crown, this stuff is usually six quid a pack, but it was on special at Tesco for four fifty.

Put the sofa on end, sofa so good I thought, and then I sprinkled this stuff around, brushed it in as per the directions and then went and heated some soup up for my lunch.  Vacuuming it up is a bit of a job, as the chemical reaction created patches of congealed powder where it has found any concentrations of dirt.  The vigorous vaccuming wasn't at all good for my spine problem.  

I am delighted to report this stuff does make a noticeable improvement and it brongs up the carpet pile too.  Cue carpet joke: What do you get if you cross an elephant with an Axminster ?  A nice thick pile on your carpet.

As I explained to OBC on the phone a few minutes ago, I didn't shampoo Donkey just because he's coming round here on Wednesday night, the Welder, Pat and Irene too for curry.  An early birthday feast (my birthday).

Tomorrow, it's off to Bob the Butcher for a rare mid-week visit, for chicken and minced lamb. Then to Walsall market for fresh ginger, coriander and garlic before starting on a variety of curry dishes.

Of course it's a gargantuan task, as it's five of us and a hungry welder, been saving chicken up for weeks I have. Will be popping up to Caldmore on Wednesday for fresh samosas.  

Between now and Wednesday evening, I have my work cut out, but at least we know Donkey is spotlessly clean.