Red Dirt and Other Housekeeping Challenges

Maui’s a surprisingly dirty place to live. I wish I had a cleaner on retainer who would come by every day or at least every week to help keep my house clean.

Our dirt is red, the kind of red that stains sheets, towels, and anything white. One owner of a vacation rental says she has given up on white bath towels, and now uses coral bath towels which don't show the dirt. There is even a red dirt shirt company which stains its T-shirts with Hawaiian red dirt.

A friend who works at a car dealership says, they have to clean the cars constantly! He’s worked on car dealerships on four Hawaiian Islands and Maui requires the most cleaning. I have to agree with them. I have never had to wash my car so often in my life. I even wax it weekly to keep the dirt and pollen from staining the car.

                                                                                        

Tourists on vacation often complain to me of dirt on the patio (what we call the lanai) or dirt on the deck chairs, or dust here and there. The dust and dirt can come from sugar cane burning or from strong winds. Even if it was clean the day before arrival, the wind can trash a deck the next day.

A friend's post on Facebook about her cleaning routine on Maui, 
used with permission.

The wind, which is very strong on Maui, blows red dirt from agricultural fields, construction sites, or wherever red dirt is exposed all over the island. The wind also blows dust, pollen, construction dust and any particles in the air so they land on cars, windows, houses, ceiling fans…North Kihei is especially prone to more red dirt because of the prevailing wind direction.

Martha Stewart has housekeeping advice for window screens - clean them maybe every 4 months. Gasp! On Maui, I have to clean them every few days or even more frequently. Our window screens look like zombie fuzz if left alone too long.

I have two vacuum cleaners, which seems crazy for such a small house! One is for my home office and I vacuum under the desk, around the computer, on the desk, because there is a daily dirt buildup. I’m not even a neat fanatic. You’ll know if you ever visit me. The other vacuum is for the rest of the house, which is under 700 square feet.

If I do not wipe the top of the toilet tank daily, there is a film of dust on it. There is a layer of dust every night on all horizontal surfaces, and I think the dust gremlins love Maui. I wish I was a better housekeeper, but it's an ongoing effort. Another friend says she could easily dust three times a day!

Besides red dirt, there is also:

• Mold and mildew
• Corrosion and rust
• Bugs and spiders that also leave webs and poop
• Geckos who poop everywhere
• General entropy from things falling apart. Like rubber bands will disintegrate and leave sticky gooey residue.
• Leaves and pollen from trees

By the way, cleaners are always in demand on Maui. Cleaners can charge at least $20/hour. More efficient and skilled cleaners can charge $25-$30/hour.

Here's a shortcut to the archives for the A to Z Challenge and other blog posts. I could have also written about Rent or Real Estate but have touched on those topics in Ohanas and Other Rental Experiences and Housing on Maui Can Make You Cry. 

The theme of this year’s A to Z Challenge is Living on Maui: A Beginner’s Survival Guide. While I can’t include everything in only 26 short blog posts, this is my foolish attempt.

If you are participating in the A to Z Challenge, please use either Disqus or Facebook to comment below. Please include your link so that I can visit you back, but it might be as late as May!