Elbow Grease

When I started thinking about the content of this blog I decided that I would search 'elbow grease' in google to perhaps acquire a funny quip or a story of a life lesson learned from using a bit of good 'ole elbow grease.

Yeah, not so much.

I have now discovered that a brand of personal lubrication marketed towards the gay community bears the name "Elbow Grease". I literally laughed out loud at my computer.

But this blog has nothing to do with gay-marketed lubes... or at least that's not what it was intended to be about, dang-it, it's about hard work, the kind that bloodies your knuckles and blisters that soft part between your thumb and forefinger. The kind that has you bragging to your buds at work about how productive your weekend was. This was one of those weekends and here I am bragging. These are projects that my wife and I have put off for, well, a long time. And due to the fire under our rear to get this house on the market in the next few weeks, we undertook some carpet cleaning, painting over previous and regrettable master-bedroom color choices, back yard projects, and the subject of this picture: cleaning the grout of our tile floor.

The top brush is new. The bottom brush reigns victorious over inferior grout stainage. I have three others just like the bottom brush, and I'm proud (sniff) of every single one. These are the results of elbow grease...the kind that, if you're like me, knew only of until three minutes ago.

I calculated that one small brass bristle brush will clean about 90-100 linear feet of 1/4" grout lines before it's time for a new one. Yes I am a dork, shut up.

(A quick side-note: God Bless Harbor Freight Tools. These small brushes can be purchased for less than a buck each. I love Harbor Freight Tools)

I also love the results of hard work. They're the kind that make you stand up, albeit slowly, because your back hurts from kicking grout-stain-asses, and put a subtle smile on your face....then run to the computer to brag of your accomplishments.