Brilliant Plan!!

Today I was doing additional research on the length of time chicken pox virus lives and came across the theory that it can live for up to 24 hours on soft surfaces, such as bedding.  In evaluating our home and our upcoming party, I found that the only soft surfaces that Luke has been in contact with that will be available to our guests (except the playroom, which the kids have not been allowed in since Tuesday when I first suspected chicken pox - kudos to me!) are the following: one chair, one sofa, one loveseat, the bath mat, the kitchen towels, and the carpeting.  Most of these items are completely washable, and I always wash the bath mat and kitchen clothes in a hot wash with bleach (what is it with kitchen dishcloths that seems like you can't get that dishwater smell out unless you use bleach in the wash?).

So, that just leaves the dining room rug (under the dining room table - not likely for there even to be room for kids to crawl on that if my guest estimates are reasonable - and the chair, couch, and loveseat.  The latter two seating areas had me in a bit of dilemma anyway, as they are 30+ years old and have not been professionally cleaned in the time that we have had them (we have taken off the covers and washed them ourselves, though).  Taking off the cushion covers and replacing them after they have been washed is a time-consuming annoying task that Paul and I really dislike.

I don't feel comfortable having company in the current state of less-than-pristine (to say the least) formerly off-white and now more beige colored loveseat and sofa set.  So, in the interest of keeping chicken pox germs and the kids-live-here appearance of the sofas from the guests, I am going to drape quilts and blankets over them.  It may not look very stylish, but current look isn't lovely, either.  :-)

I think it's a brilliant plan - it's problem-solving, time-saving, and economical (after all, slipcovers are expensive and so is new furniture)!

Oh, yes, and as far as the playroom goes, it's not possible that any germs are living in there since it's been days since it has been occupied.  But, due to the number of little kids that are coming, I'm going to be taking out all the dress-up clothes and soft toys and only leaving the hard-surfaced toys, which I will disinfect in hot bleach water tomorrow.

I love it when a plan comes together.