How clean is your house?

[wildtmpckjzg]

Ok, so something that has been getting to me for some time is housework!

I am rubbish at it, my house is only ever tidy when I am expecting company and as much as I look around it and think ' wow, I really need to clean up' I just don't seem to be able to do it.

I am busy, I work shifts both in a job and doing a placement for my uni course, I also have some online work I do on a rota, I have to otherwise I cannot afford to live.

I've got 2 children who I encourage to clean up after themselves, but let's face it if I don't lead by example how can I expect them to be tidy?

Please tell me I am not alone on this? I have just had 2 days off and all I have managed to do is some washing up, a load of washing and sort through some paperwork (only because I lost something I needed!).

I feel like such a failure, WHY can't I just get on and do it like other people?

Is anyone else the same or is it just me who is a lazy so and so?

[wildtmpckjzg]

Ok, so something that has been getting to me for some time is housework!

I am rubbish at it, my house is only ever tidy when I am expecting company and as much as I look around it and think ' wow, I really need to clean up' I just don't seem to be able to do it.

I am busy, I work shifts both in a job and doing a placement for my uni course, I also have some online work I do on a rota, I have to otherwise I cannot afford to live.

I've got 2 children who I encourage to clean up after themselves, but let's face it if I don't lead by example how can I expect them to be tidy?

Please tell me I am not alone on this? I have just had 2 days off and all I have managed to do is some washing up, a load of washing and sort through some paperwork (only because I lost something I needed!).

I feel like such a failure, WHY can't I just get on and do it like other people ?

Is anyone else the same or is it just me who is a lazy so and so?
NAE Cleaning Solutions

thanks you for your time and suggestions. 

[Southside]

You ever seen a head stone where the inscription mentioned how tidy of a house the person kept?  Focus on your family, improve your lives, enjoy the time you have.  That's the important stuff, the rest will settle in.  

[Walnut Beast]

Don't sweat it! Just clean a few things and feel good about it and don't get overwhelmed by trying to get it all done at once. 

[sawguy21]

I feel your pain! I moved at the first of the month and still trying to find a home for 'stuff'. Now I have company coming tomorrow and he is bringing his wife so I definitely need to get after it. :D What Walnut Beast said.

[nativewolf]

You might find it really helpful to hire a maid service to come in once a month and get the place really clean.  It is easier to keep a clean home clean.  I'm the same as you BTW.  I have no interest in the housework and keep a kitchen clean but otherwise a bit messy and floors need washing and windows cleaning.  I'd rather work a few hours more and pay someone to do it that does it well.  That's me.  Not a great solution ...not free.  

[WhitePineJunky]

I feel your pain! I moved at the first of the month and still trying to find a home for 'stuff'. Now I have company coming tomorrow and he is bringing his wife so I definitely need to get after it. :D What Walnut Beast said.

I like what George Carlin had to say about "stuff". Lol

[Raider Bill]

I feel your pain! I moved at the first of the month and still trying to find a home for 'stuff'. Now I have company coming tomorrow and he is bringing his wife so I definitely need to get after it. :D What Walnut Beast said.

Have her straighten things out while you and your buddy are playing golf.

[GAB]

You need to find the in your mind sweet spot - Clean enough to be healthy and safe, and dirty enough to be happy.
GAB

[sawguy21]

@Raider Bill That definitely won't fly. :D

[scsmith42]

When I was in my 20's a good friend advised me to invest the $ in a twice-monthly maid service.  I've never regretted spending that $.

[hedgerow]

Back when I was in my 20's and working a lot of hours I dated a women that her and her mom had a cleaning business mostly commercial accountants but some home accountants. They came to my house every Friday when I was gone trucking and cleaned my house. Even after we stopped dating I still hired there crew to clean my house.  

[reride82]

I don't know how old your kids are, but in my household with a 5 year old, 3 year old, and infant we have a "pick up" time between dinner and bedtime. Once the house is picked up, they get a treat whether it's an applesauce pouch, scoop of ice cream, toast with nutella, etc. Most people would call it dessert, but we use it as positive reinforcement to get things cleaned up at the end of the day. At the same time I'm cleaning up the kitchen and my reward is a beer or mixed drink My 3 year old has an affinity for treats so I usually don't have to tell her start cleaning, but she is quick to tell me when she's done  :D We don't clean every night, but it is a great habit to get into. A maid service is great for those deep cleans, but we just do deep cleans twice a month on a Saturday usually: vacuum, dust, bathroom scrub, bedding, towels, clean out the fridge, etc.

Remember, a dirty house is a house filled with love and most people understand that.

Levi

[Nebraska]

Just pick one spot at a time,  clean it until it is done. It's a victory small ones add up over the long haul. My place doesn't resemble what it looked like 25 years ago. Lots of changes a little at a time. Oh yeah and it's kind of messy...

[SawyerTed]

My children were very young.  A friend was visiting and asked, "Is your house always this neat?"  We said, "Yes, it's just like this most of the time."

Later as the kids got a bit older, we both noticed at different times our house didn't look like that anymore.   

Now it's just the two of us, the house is much neater.   

I'm not "blaming the kids", I'm blaming our priorities at the time.  I wouldn't change a thing.  We enjoyed raising our children and spent lots of time with them. The house "neatness" suffered.  

There's unorganized and organized then there's clean and not so much.  Our home has usually stayed clean but has seen its fair time in the disorganized end of the spectrum.

Keep your priorities right.  There's light at the end of the tunnel!  

[Brad_bb]

My project/tasklist is pages long.  It's overwhelming to look at.  Same goes for cleaning.  The only thing I can figure to do, is make a few priorities on the list, pick one, and dedicate an hour to just that one thing.  Whether it's working on a project, or sorting the papers on your desk, just go after one thing.  It's just like how you eat and elephant - one bite at a time.  You get a sense of accomplishment from finishing one thing.  I can start 50 things, but it's focusing and finishing one that has to be the goal.  Then the next one.

[Larry]

Really hard cleaning a cluttered house.  Stuff piled on every horizontal surface....

Simple living is not just a buzz word its a life style.  Get rid of the junk.

Roomba really likes all wood and tile floors.  She can zip right along doing a good job.  A well designed HVAC system that traps dust.  Think "Take Steps To Save Steps" from somebody right here in the forum, YH!

A little outside help is always welcome, an hour of my work will pay for 3 hours of house cleaning.

Now.....lets talk about how cleaning my shop!  I need lots and lots of help there!!!!!

[Wudman]

We have three dogs and a cat in the house so pet hair is our problem.  My wife has asthma and we put in laminate flooring so the hair really shows up.  I bought one of the robot vacs a couple of months ago and that thing helps a lot.  It is $150 model from WalMart that had good ratings.  It will run about 2 hours on a charge and clean 1500 sq ft on the main floor.  It goes under the bed and table and does a really good job rounding up hair, dust, and dirt.  It returns to base to recharge.  I have to manually empty it after a cycle, but the higher end units will self dump.  It certainly helps with keeping things cleaner.

Wud

[beenthere]

We use Roomba too. Pretty impressive how much dust it can collect so have to assume the house is cleaner.

Now if it would just clean out the sliding window tracks this week before the windows get their fall washing. 

There is also an iRobot floor scrubber that does a good job, when sent off after Roomba finishes its job. 

[bluthum]

How often I clean? Well once a friend stopped by and surprised me while I was sweeping the floor. I told him, don't tell anyone you saw me doing this. He replied, don't worry because no one would believe me if I did. 

[47sawdust]

I happen to enjoy cleaning the house .Clutter makes me crazy,my wife tries to help with that.
We've been together for 30 years and have found the sweet spot.
That's all that matters.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Very clean here.
I make the most of the dirt and messes and Wife cleans up
She is very particular.
I am not allowed to clean as I am incapable of meeting her standards.
Works for us.
My shop on the other hand is usually "picked up" and swept, but not too clean.