Cleaning All Things White

My first construction project was a kitchen renovation in my Brook Street house. I chose white cabinets with oak trim (it was 1986) with a white backsplash and countertop. The floor was white tile. The designer said that I had chosen too much white and that I would be unhappy with all the maintenance. He also thought that all that all that white might seem sterile.

The man did not know me.

Blanca, my cleaning woman said to me in her Spanish accent a few weeks ago When you do the new bathroom-- you are not putting in all white like you do with the girls’ bathroom?

Blanca hates my girls’ all white bathroom. She also hates my white corian kitchen countertops. Blanca hates that I like white.

And I told Blanca Not exactly. I am putting in all white subway tile from floor to ceiling with a black granite sink, white vanity and white and grey marble floor. The lighting and plumbing fixtures are polished chrome.

Blanca detests cleaning marble and she dislikes anything black just as much as anything white. She is not a big fan of shiny chrome either.

Blanca despises all surfaces that showcase dirt or spots---which is exactly why I love such surfaces. Crud can’t hide. The fact that I can see all dirt makes the cleaning more satisfying. I can see immediately if things are sanitized or not.

I like to know.

And back in 1986  I espoused my “white surface” theory to the designer: White isn’t any more maintenance than any other color. The fact that one cannot see dirt does not render it clean. To me, white is easier to maintain—spots and crumbs are plain to see. And not seeing dirt on a white surface, means it is clean—it ultimately saves me time. I do not have to clean something that is already spotless.

And Blanca’s name might translate as “white” but it doesn’t mean she’s particularly fond of it. Because I can assure you, Blanca doesn’t buy into my white surface theory. She will be cursing me and my new bathroom under her breath (in Spanish) every time she cleans. And I will know unequivocally if she has done her job.