Oh Toliet Brush, How I Do Love Thee

As I was cleaning my bathrooms yesterday, it struck me how thankul I am that I no longer have to use my hands to clean the toilet bowl. I remembered how as a kid I hated sticking my fingers into that cold, nasty water.

But now I have my trusty toilet brush. Swish, swish and I'm done. No mess, little effort.

Thanks to computers, writing is easier too. No more whiteout in the typewriter, just a beautiful delete button. Then there's control F. And most recently I discovered page breaks. I'm sure there's lots of other cool tools.

What's your favorite word processing tool? House-cleaning tool? What do you wish would be invented?

Comments

Tabitha Bird said…
Cool post! Yes, I am glad of the toilet brush too.
But I wish someone would invent an iron that did the ironing for you :)
Yuk on toilet bowl cleaning! I am also thankful for the brush!

Favorite computer tool is "Save"!!!! It saves my writing and my life! So many times I forgotten to use it and lost so much!
anita said…
Hey Jessie! This is a FUN post. :-)

Fave computer tool: Track Changes; love putting in those comments

Fave house cleaning tool: dishwasher; saves MOUNDS of time on handwashing dishes

Invention wish: a roboticized me that could chauffeur the kids around, clean house, make meals, and grocery shop, while the REAL me writes all day non-stop. Heh. Of course, the real me would stop for fun things, such as hanging out with the kiddos and family, date nights with hubbie, going to church, and exercising.

I don't ask for much, do I? ;-P
MeganRebekah said…
My laptop is one of my best friends sometimes. I can't imagine life without it!
And I really can't imagine writing a book by hand or on a typewriter. I probably wouldn't have started the attempt. I am in awe of people who can write that way.
Sarah Forgrave said…
Eww, I forgot all about scrubbing toilets before the brush! I remember wanting to wash my hands every five minutes after that duty.

Not sure if this is considered a word processing tool, but I love being able to connect to the internet through wireless. Then I can just tote my laptop to whichever place in my house is quietest at the moment.
Tamika: said…
I'm with you Jessica, the toliet was always my worst nightmare!

My favorite house cleaning tool is the washing machine! I cannot imagine having to use a washing board- that doesn't even sound sanitary!

The laptop my husband got me for Valentine's Day is my favorite writing tool. He is so sweet!

Happy writing...
I'm shocked you didn't have toilet brushes as a kid---you're not that old! Happy for you that you have one now. Whew!

My fav. computer tool is the little undo arrow; I use it more than any other!

I wish someone would invent a machine that pulls me out of bed and throws me into the closet and puts my clothes on. Like Wallace in the cartoons "Wallace and Grommet." Too funny!
Angela Ackerman said…
Yeah, I must admit to being grateful for the toilet brush, too. I would be even more grateful if someone else around her weilded it once in a while!

Control F? What does that do? Must go try it!
Linda Kage said…
I'd never heard of cleaning a toilet by hand. oh, poor poor you.

Anyway, I'm with you; I do love my delete button and CTR F. But I rely on SHFT+F7 (the THESAURUS) a lot too.
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Tabitha! That could happen! We already have roboticized vacuum. How hard would it be to invent a self-ironing contraption? ;-)

Donna, I've forgotten to save stuff too. That can be very annoying and painful. The good thing about dinosaur typewriters is that nothing was lost if we didn't "save". LOL

Anita, I'm with you on your requests! Actually, isn't there some movie coming out about people sending out robot thems to do stuff while the real person stays at home? Did you hear about that one? I thought it looked pretty interesting.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Megan, when I was a teen I tried typing my handwritten book up. NO fun. I used that whiteout tool SO often. It was horrible. Computers are way better. :-)

Sarah, I don't have wireless at my house, but I think it's the coolest thing ever! I can drive my car down to the gas station and get wireless if my hubby is on our computer. Really neat.

Tamika, yeah, I can't imagine a scrubbing board. That would be really weird, and imagine what our hands would like like? Ouch.
Diane said…
I required a dishwasher and microwave when we bought our first house. I guess I just assumed toilet brush was a given. YUK with the hand in the toilet thing! :O)
Jessica Nelson said…
Jeanette, you're SO funny! Don't like getting dressed, huh? I'll bet that would shock your congregation. *snicker*

Angela, Control F is a word search. It finds a certain word in your document. It's really helpful for me when I'm looking for a scene and don't know where it is, but you can also use it on the internet. Like if you're looking for a name in a post or something. :-)

Eeek! Linda, you've never heard of doing it by hand? LOL! Thanks for sharing shift f7. I didn't know that was the thesaurus! Awesome.
Jessica Nelson said…
Diane, smart of you! :-) I luv my dishwasher, until it broke. But I think I'd be even more sad if my microwave died.
I've never heard of Ctl F. I can't wait to try it! Thank you! And the thesaurus too!!! These might be my new favorite things!
Jody Hedlund said…
My favorite housecleaning tool: disposable cleaning wipies. I can clean a sink or toilet quickly without having to get out all my cleaning supplies!

My favorite wordprocessing tool: search and replace! And thesaurus!

Hope you're having a great week, Jessica!
AngeliStarr said…
LOL my favorite is the tab button =) No need to manually space out five times
Julie Dao said…
I'm also a fan of the toilet brush :) I saw a commercial for this little attachment that you stick inside the bowl and every time you flush, the toilet "cleans itself" but I don't think it's as satisfying as swishing it yourself with a brush! My favorite tech product is definitely the computer. Now my hands can finally keep up with my brain! I'm spoiled by it though because now I can't write stories by hand without cramping up or using way too much white-out :)
Jessica Nelson said…
I am Jody, thanks. :-) I like that search and replace button! It worked great when I changed a character's name.

Angeli, I like the tab too, but you know what? My crit partner showed me a way where I format my manuscript so that tab isn't used. Now when I press enter it just indents. I'm not sure if that's industry standard or not though.

LOL Julie! I'm sure I'm spoiled too. Heh. Can't imagine writing by hand anymore.
Chelle Sandell said…
We tried that cleaning thing you put in the shower and it supposedly sprayed and cleaned for you...not. Waste of money. But I heart dishwashers. We lost ours when we moved and I told hubby that it was the one extra I insist on when we build our house.

My laptop is a dream! I can take it with me anywhere! Even the bathroom when I'm hiding from family. ;)
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Chelle! I hadn't thought about hiding in the bathroom with my laptop! Heehee. That's an awesome idea.
Yeah, I'm starting to miss my dishwasher too. I hear you on the shower spray. I never even use mine because it doesn't seem to do anything.
Deb Shucka said…
My favorite word processing button is Undo. The day I discovered that changed everything. My favorite house-cleaning tool is Swiffer. I love how it holds the dust. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an Undo for a dirty house, and a Swiffer (something to take out all the unnecessary stuff) for writing?
Clean toilets? Oh, I should prob. do that. Just kidding.

I like spell check even though it like to have temper tantrums sometimes.
~ Wendy
Jessica Nelson said…
Deb, that's a pretty cool thought! My friend has a swiffer and loves it. I haven't tried it yet, but I do appreciate that undo button. Has saved me from some serious issues. LOL

Hi Wendy, you funny lady! If you don't, I wouldn't blame you. I plan on passing the toilet cleaning to my kids as soon as they're old enough. Ha!
Terri Tiffany said…
So what is the Control F button do? And page breaks? Having a hard time figuring that one still.
I love those dust cloths you throw away:)) LOVE THEM!
Elana Johnson said…
This is a great post! We sometimes forget how easy we have things now. I use apple (control) + F all the time. And apple+G to "Go To" a specific page so I don't have to scroll down for half my life to get to page 300. I use all the keyboard shortcuts religiously. I love them!

I also love manipulating the header and footer. Did you know you can create templates using headers and footers? It's awesome.
Stephanie Faris said…
Even better than the toilet brush, the DISPOSABLE toilet cleaner. The little thing you put on the end of your brush, then flush when you're finished? Fresh Brush, I think it's called? I can't clean my toilet without it!
Gwen Stewart said…
I love word processing programs. Where to begin? Save, search and replace, spelling and grammar checker, even the grade level scale that tells you how fancy-schmancy your writing is. ;)

Cleaning supplies? The maid service. Heehee.
Unknown said…
I'm not that young, but I can honestly say I don't remember cleaning the toilet with anything but a toilet brush! Hands? Bet you scrubbed your hands afterwards for as long as it took you to clean the toilet!! Cute post! And I love the dust mits that work on the static principle - they attract the dust and don't just move it from one place to another. Pretty handy! :)
I love the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! So handy for so much. :)
Hi Jess -

I agree with Jeanette. We had toilet bowl brushes when I was a kid, and I'm considerably older than you.

My favorite household convenience is the dishwasher. It's the first thing my husband installed after we were married. (He always ate out, so never required one.)

My favorite WP features involve the ease of correcting errors. I remember the days of icky carbon paper, manual typewriters, and ink erasers with that little brush on the end. We thought it a big deal when the correction tape was invented.

Blessings,
Susan :)
Katie Ganshert said…
Funny how we can take a toilet brush for granted. I never thought twice to be thankful of a toilet brush...but thinking about NOT having one really grosses me out.
kah said…
I hate scrubbing toilets. But I love CNTRL G. Tells me how many times I used a word in my manuscript. :)
Unknown said…
Ooooh I recently discovered Page Breaks too! They are heavenly. Oh and paragraph formatting is fun too! But my favorite is Ctrl Z :)

And my favorite house hold tool is the dishwasher. I would be happy to never wash a dish by hand ever again!
Genny said…
I don't know what I'd do without my computer. My son recently got a typewriter from the thrift store when he was out shopping with Grandma, and I am amazed that writers had to use those to write books. Can't even imagine!
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Genny. I used a typewriter as a teen. It was a pain!

MaryBeth, now I need to discover what ctrl z does. LOL

Karen, I'm SO glad you mentioned that! I think ctrl f might have that option, but not sure. Nice to know there's a control button for specifically doing that.
Jessica Nelson said…
Terri, I haven't tried those dust cloths yet. Might have to. Ctrl F is the find and replace tool.

Hi Katie, remembering grosses me out. LOL

Susan, I'm beginning to think my mom made me suffer on purpose! So there were toilet brushes and I didn't know about it? Seems extremely unfair. LOL
Jessica Nelson said…
Elana, I know. I forget how hard it used to be. So I'm guessing you use a mac? I've heard those are pretty awesome.

Hi Stephanie, I don't think I've heard of those before. Sounds good to me since I'm always trying to hide the toilet brush from my two year old. He's such a mischief maker. Heh.

Gwen, there's a grade level scale? LOL! I want one of those.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Maria,
Wow, so maybe I'm the only one who had to use my hands and a washcloth to clean the toilet? Ewww!

Janna, I don't know what those are. Unless are they those thingies for laundry, where you make stains disappear?
Karen Hossink said…
OK, I'm curious.
What does control F do???

My favorite word processing "tool" is the thesaurus. Maybe it makes me a little lazy, but, um, I sure like how it helps me keep wording interesting.
And house-cleaning tool? Uh, besides my kids, I guess I like my new vacuum the best. *grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
Karen, new vacuums are awesome. :-)
Those swiffer brushes with extendable handles and tilting heads are awesome for dusting ceiling fans, etc.

Favorite word processing tool? The edit tracker thingy. Love it.

But right now, I'm hating computers. :(
Faith said…
You know, I'm convinced that a Roomba would be my favorite housecleaning tool... if we could afford one... heh. For now, I guess it's the Swiffer WetJet (though I replace the chemical cleaner with vinegar & water).

On that note, I still hate cleaning the toilet. My husband has accepted that it's "his job"... haha.
Erica Vetsch said…
I've not thought of it before, but yes, I def. do appreciate my toilet bowl brush. :)

Favorite Word Processing tool: Cut and Paste. :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Erica, I use my c and p too. Many times with sentences and stuff. Very helpful thing.

Wow, your husband does it Faith? What a man! LOL

Eileen, I need to get one of those. I just tried cleaning my fans and it wasn't pretty or productive. Heh.
Dara said…
I wish there was something--like a cool little Rosie-from-the-Jetsons type robot that would fold my laundry. Putting it away isn't bad; but I procrastinate so much on folding it.

Favorite word-processing tool is cut and paste. I love it. :)
Jessie Oliveros said…
Ha! I never would have thought toilet brushes and word processing have so much in common! I love the toilet brushes with the disposable heads, and lysol wipes, and my favorite-Clorox Anywhere Spray. Can you tell I'm a germ-freak? I must confess, I have much more to learn about Microsoft. Of course, when I'm showing my mom around on the program I feel like a genius. My nephew already knows far more than I do about computers. That whole generational thing.
Jill Kemerer said…
When Microsoft Windows was invented, it rocked the world! Think about it, before that we had to type codes in just to see anything on our computer! I'm very, very thankful for Windows. And I hate cleaning. My fave tool is definitely the vacuum, though, if I had to pick one!
Jessica Nelson said…
Awww, the jetsons. You think a woman thought that cartoon up? LOL

Jessie, there's so much cool stuff that I don't know yet either!

Jill, you're telling me people had to use code to get something on the screen? I had NO clue. Wow.
Oh! I just bought a swiffer wet jet and I love it - it's so easy and I even figured out how to refill the bottle even though they want you to buy another one - ha! - no way - I'm not creating more stuff for the landfill - it took me a long time to refill it, but, I did it *teehee* - and instead of buying more of the thick pads, I stick other things on the pad thing--haw!!

In my computer? hmmm...being able to open up multiple windows at once using that "tab" thing in vista or certain windows features :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Good for you on reusing that bottle! :-)
Oh yeah, I just discovered the multiple windows for editing and it's awesome!
Anissa said…
Toilet brushes are indeed priceless, though I still have nightmares about them sometimes. As a teen, I worked as a lifeguard and at the end of the day we had to clean up the locker rooms. Toilet duty always fell to the newbies. I have to say, swishing a public toilet used by hundreds of children was pretty gagworthy. I still can't look at the brush without cringing in memory. Now I can at least be thankful we had a brush. Ick.

As for writing. I love Word's comment function. Love, love, love.
Heather Sunseri said…
That's so funny! I actually fell in love with the flushable toilet bowl brushes. But then I realized they're just too expensive, so I'm back to the brush.

My favorite word processing tool is the auto correct, except when it corrects my words incorrectly. Did that make sense?
Kara said…
Funny!
I love the spelling check! Can't live without it;)
Angie Muresan said…
I haven't used a toilet brush in years! My hubby knows how much I hate cleaning toilets and showers, so he does it himself every Friday morning. Isn't he the greatest? He does the laundry too. Before you all think I'm lazy, I work full time, plus overtime. He's in graduate school. Still, I suppose I'm super thankful God invented great husbands.
Jessica Nelson said…
Anissa, YUCK! Poor you. LOL Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I love the comment function too. It's perfect for critiquing.

LOL Heather! Yes, you make perfect sense about autofix. Grrr... :-)

Kara, spelling check has saved a lot of writers. :-) I like spelling but I still need to use mine.

Angie, I don't think you're lazy at all, but WOW on the hubby. Talk about heroic. :-)

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