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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Dusting day: What a day for a daydream


Dusting, a necessary chore,provides an excuse for reconnecting with treasures.
 (The Spokesman-Review)

My friend, the minimalist, describes herself as a non-collector. There are no extraneous items in her home. She doesn’t have vases, candles or knickknacks. Each room is cool, serene, and empty of clutter. She says the main reason is maintenance. She doesn’t like housework, so her philosophy is simple: The less she has, the less time spent keeping it clean and dust-free.

“Now you,” she teases, “must love to dust.” I laugh because she knows me better than that.

I don’t care for dusting. But, I don’t mind daydreaming. So when I have to do one, I indulge in the other.

For instance, a life-size bust of a small girl — found at a local antique mall — sits on a table in my living room. Whenever I dust it, I run my hands over her features, lingering on the small upturned nose or the ribbon in her curls. The smooth bisque head reminds me of my own daughters when they were small, and each time I touch it, I think of them.

Dusting the piano, I find the marks where my youngest child used to teethe. At the time I wasn’t amused. Who teethes on a piano? But now I treasure each little groove carved out by the baby who crawled across the room to pull up and stand, wobbly and tenuous, scraping her teeth against the dark wood. Now that baby is big enough to sit on the bench and stretch her long legs to reach the pedals when she plays.

The act of dusting a bookshelf or stack of books is an invitation to sit a minute and browse. I open books to see what was important enough for me to mark a page with a scrap of paper, hastily torn from whatever was handy, the last time I read it.

Dusting a painting is a chance to intimately examine each brush stroke, to see the structure and architecture of the image, and to think about the artist and what they meant to capture.

With furniture, the tables, chairs and other pieces I’ve bought or inherited over the years, dusting lets me appreciate the beautiful lines, solid workmanship and the marks of time on each one.

Even shaking the dust off the sticks and stones I’ve collected on my travels and in my own back yard, or that were presented to me — like precious gifts — by little hands, takes me back to the day they were gathered, to a moment of happiness.

No, I don’t care for dusting anymore than I care for any other necessary housekeeping chore. And I’ll beg, bribe or threaten for any help I can get.

Too often, just as the doorbell rings, or I see someone pulling into the driveway — when it’s too late to pick up a cloth or feather duster — I notice a fine layer over everything in the room. That’s when I grab a child and say the same thing Lauren Bacall told Humphrey Bogart: “Just put your lips together and blow.”

But when it’s done in the right frame of mind, like anything else, dusting is ordinary and sacred — a laying-on of hands and a chance to reconnect with our treasures.

And if we’re not going to do that every now and then, why have them at all?

Tools

Dusting fragile antiques and collectibles calls for special tools:

Feather dusters and lamb’s wool wands. These are the classic tools. Soft and plush, they safely sweep away and collect dust. Some come with telescoping handles to reach items displayed on high shelves or ledges.

Static cloths. Soft cloths — like the Swiffer brand — with an electrostatic charge that enables them to attract dust can be used to safely clean fragile objects.

Treated dusting and polishing cloths. Wipes treated with polish make it easy to polish furniture. Some contain orange oil to clean as they polish.

Hard-to-reach areas. Use a watercolor or makeup brush to reach the tiny nooks and crannies in figurines and ornate picture frames.

High-tech equipment. Miniature computer vacuums or can of compressed air will remove dust and grime without damaging delicate items.

Books to read

“Care and Repair of Everyday Treasures: A Step by Step Guide to Cleaning and Restoring Your Antiques and Collectibles,” by Judith Miller. Published 1997 by Readers Digest Books. $29.95

“Household Wisdom: Traditional Homemaking Tips For Modern Living,” by Stephanie Donaldson. Published 2000 by Laurel Glen Publishing. $24.95

“Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House,” by Cheryl Mendelson. Published 1999 by Scribner Publishing. $35

Treasure Hunting calendar

There were a few changes to last week’s calendar:

• Covenant United Methodist Church. Fall Flea Market.

Last weekend’s flea market was rained out, so it will be held this Saturday. The sale starts at 9 a.m.

• The Farm Chicks Antique Show. September 25-26

The Farm Chick’s Antique Show will be held in Fairfield. Show hours are 10-4 Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5. For more information go to www.thefarmchicks.com

• Tacoma Dome Antique Show. September 25-26

Show hours are Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 10-5. The $6 admission is good both days. See the Web site at www.palmerwirfs.com/tacoma/ for more information and an online discount.

• Custer’s 29th annual Fall Antique and Collectors Sale. Oct. 1-3

Show features more than 300 dealers from the Inland Northwest and across the United States.

Show hours are Friday, 4-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The $5 admission is good all weekend.

For more information go to www.custershows.com/antique/fall/

details.htm

If there is a show or sale you would like to have included in the Treasure Hunting calendar send it along.

Sorry, I can’t list garage sales or individual estate sales.