Cleaning the temple

Today, I helped clean our Washington D.C. Temple.

I wiped down the covers of scriptures and hymn books, wiped down each black and white key on the organ and dusted the entire organ, climbed up on scaffolding and gently wiped each glass piece on 1/2 of a chandelier (while talking with a retired BYU English composition professor--and organist-- who had just spent about a year teaching English in China), buffed the benches in the chapel until they shone then wiped them with pledge, replaced hymnbooks in the racks, dusted all ledges, tops of doors, picture frames on the 2nd floor hallways and foyer, used Murphy's oil to rub down the wood walls in both ends of that main hallway leading to the stairwells, chatted (in spanish) with a missionary from Mexico whose husband had been a diplomat and had lived in France, China, and Switzerland, moved all the furniture in the walkway to the center in preparation for carpet cleaning.  The building is SO clean. . . every part of it.  Even the cleaning rags weren't so dirty.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  The missionaries there take it seriously.

This is the second year I have been able to help.  It really is an honor and I always feel like I learn things (even if I come home feeling more than a little discouraged about the cleanliness of my own house).  The cleaning supplies were so well organized on the shelves.  There were products for everything and procedures.  The woodwork is well-cared for.   There was joy in working and serving together.

One product that fascinated me was Butcher's Bowling Alley wax.  I googled it and learned that it's good on floors but shouldn't be used if the floor has been sealed with polyurethane rather than wax.  In any case, it really made the wood shine! Pledge was also a good product for the wood, and I guess Murphy's oil as well.