The Ultimate Spray Bottle

Last week I wrote about the joys of blue paper towels, the kind used by mechanics in automotive shops. I discovered they are fabulous for around-the-house cleaning chores. If you have read this column for awhile, you know that I speak of the little joys in life. These occur frequently throughout the day when you look for them. And yes, joy can be found in something as simple as the “just right” paper towel that makes an unpleasant cleaning task easier and more pleasurable. I want to contact the marketing director of Scott towels and suggest the company market their Shop Original blue paper towels for household use. They could change the color from blue to another color, maybe lavender or tan or even tie-dyed.

My friend Theresa Byars introduced me to the Miraculous Paper Towels. She also introduced me to The Ultimate Spray Bottle, made by Zep. This gadget is another little thing that packs a big punch. Zep calls it the Professional Sprayer Bottle and it definitely makes other spray bottles look like amateurs. Its wide range adjusts from a fine mist to a stream that shoots about 15 feet with big gusto. Just one or two pulls of the trigger covers a couple square feet with a fine mist.

I coveted Theresa’s bottle and ordered one for myself at a grand total of $3.98, the best money I’ve spent all year, next to the almost new Electrolux Olympian vacuum cleaner that I bought at the UCC thrift store in Condon for $7.50. I was thrilled when Daniel, the UPS guy, delivered my new spray bottle to the door. I opened the box and immediately went to the kitchen and filled it with water, then proceeded to squirt James who was sitting at the dining room table. I wanted to see how far it would go and he just happened to be the one sitting there. I felt like an annoying little kid with a squirt gun, such great fun!

I’ve got two bottles now, one filled with my favorite cleaning solution of vinegar, Dawn soap and water and the other with wood floor cleaner. I’m going to order another one and fill it with water. I could mist myself on those 100+ degree days. And spray that bad cat that springs up on the kitchen counter or lurks under the bird feeder. Or, squirt guests. I once read in a book on entertaining that a good hostess plans a surprise. The book didn’t say anything about whether that surprise had to be appropriate or not. I say, if it makes them laugh, do it! Then I could hand them a blue paper towel to dry off.