*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*
Congrats to Devon! Her hubby is a computer engineer so she is free to know nothing about computers. Jealous!
Every year for Father’s Day I clean something of HH’s that he normally doesn’t clean and thus is quite disgusting. Usually, it’s the inside of his why-won’t-you-die 15-year-old truck. This year it was his grill. You see, HH appreciates clean things but he’s not really into the actual cleaning part. That’s okay. I kind of like cleaning and HH likes my cleaning. So, there you go. And they lived happily ever after.
At our house, the grill is man territory. When the grill is on, men flock to it like moths to a flame. With beer in hand. When you ask “how much longer?” the response is “one more beer.” I’m ashamed to say this but I don’t even know how to use our grill. I’m pretty sure it’s easy. I mean, I can hold a spatula in one hand and a beer in another. But, yeah, I’ve never used the grill myself.
The poor grill. The before pictures make it look better than it was. The grill itself isn’t that old but we haven’t taken very good care of it. It’s lived in the dirty garage and, most recently, outdoors – uncovered. The grease catcher thingy {I told you I don’t know grills} had never been emptied. Yuck. To tell you the truth, I’m slightly appalled knowing we ate food off of this grimy apparatus. Solidified grease was everywhere. Ashes were everywhere. Dirt and leaves, too. It was time to do something.
I removed everything I could – the grates, the burner protectors, the grease catcher thingy.
I threw the loose parts in the yard and filled a plastic storage bin with hot, soapy water. Then I soaked the grease ridden pieces and scrubbed them with a wire brush. The bin worked great because it was large enough to submerse the grates in. Oh, and I unintentionally found a short cut for degreasing…the hot, hot sun helped liquify the grease. I was able to pour grease out of the grease catcher thingy before soaking it. Bonus.
I rinsed everything with the hose then let it dry in the sun while I turned my attention to the grill. It was at this point in time, that I suffered three bee stings. THREE!
Hear me out, bees. So there’s this rumor going around that we humans could get rid of you permanently if we wanted. I consider myself a bee lover. I’m not afraid of bees. I like honey. I appreciate all the work you do for flowers and crops. I don’t spray insecticides or whatever it is that kills you. I don’t swat at your kind just because you have the potential to sting me. I leave you alone. So, why sting me? Is your judgment of character that bad? Or is every human your enemy now? Maybe stinging humans at random isn’t a wise choice with possible extinction looming on your horizon. Just sayin.’
I hosed the grill off but, as you can see, it didn’t do much. I grabbed some Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro and several microfiber cloths and got to work. I tell ya, the bald guy really knows how to cut through grease and grime.
Within minutes, the grill was looking like something men should be flocking to.
And I was starting to think I could eat food off of it again.
I couldn’t rightfully put such a shiny specimen on a dirty patio. Nooooo. I just had to go one step further and unload the grilling patio of deck scraps {we’re getting so close to having a deck!} and hose it down too. Then I was done.
Next year, I’m thinking grill cover for Father’s Day.
But, wait!, I know. This is the longest giveaway post EVER. You are right. For following along this far, you get a chance to win a Summer Done Bright prize package, courtesy of Proctor & Gamble. See entry details below.
PRIZE: one Summer Done Bright prize package {$100 Lowe’s gift card + a slew of Proctor & Gamble products}
RULES: You must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. shipping address {no P.O. boxes please} to enter. One entry per email address.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “P&G ME!”
DEADLINE: Enter before 9:00 p.m. EST Sunday, June 23rd. One random winner will be announced Monday, June 24th.
WHILE YOU’RE AT IT: Since we’re dishing dirty secrets…name something you don’t know how to use. A tool? Sewing machine? DSLR camera? Stick shift? Toothbrush? I hope it’s not a toothbrush. I already told you I don’t know how to use the grill. I also have issues with Apple TV. The TV is in cahoots with our computer? I don’t get it.
This post brought to you by Proctor & Gamble. Don’t forget to grab your favorite P&G products at Lowe’s and get your summer done bright.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
DIY, giveaway, housekeeping