I have been thinking about doing a post on cleaning/housekeeping for a while now. I've had lots of thoughts rattling around in my head and finally I think I'm ready to write some of them down. My intent is to just write down a few things that have worked for me so far in my life with the thought that maybe others might try them and see if they just might help, even just a tiny little bit.
Here's what I
do not want to do:
-I do not want to sound preachy.
-I do not want to sound like I know it all...after all I'm only 26 years old and have only been 'keeping' house for anyone other than myself for less than 5 years.
-I do not want to sound like there is nothing more important than keeping a clean house, because clearly, there are many, many other parts of life that might need more of a person's attention at any given time.
-I do not want to make anyone feel bad if you don't have great housekeeping habits as it is. I think there are natural tendencies that either make housework seem easier or harder, and I just happen to be one of those people where it's much easier.
With those things said, and if you'd like to still read on, here are a few of Mrs. C's cleaning tips and tricks! ...And Philosophical thoughts thrown in for good measure :)
Firstly, I clean my house alot. A Lot. I really do. It's in my genes, my personality, my tendencies, whatever you want to call it. I go around and pick up, tidy, wipe, organize, straighten. I kind of think of it as part of my daily habits, and while this might sound horrifying to some of you, it's really a part of who I am and I like it. Most of the time. Clearly there are times when I should probably give it a rest, and hey, I do! Right now I'm not cleaning! My bowl from lunch and Snapple are sitting right next to me as I type. There are toys to be picked up and laundry to fold. So don't get me wrong, just because I'm more or less in a state of perpetual cleaning, doesn't mean everything is perfect all of the time, nor does it mean I obsess over it and cannot ever relax. But you want to know one thing? It actually keeps me from getting overwhelmed. See, if someone were to call you right now and say, 'Hey! I'm in the neighborhood, mind if I stop by?' What would you think...would you panic? Would there be too much to do? For me, not so much. I would tidy up a little bit and all would be well. I could welcome guests with ease. That is one of my biggest goals, other than keeping a peaceful organized home for my family's sake (which is totally #1) But it is a comfort to me to be able to entertain with ease. When people come over, I will continue to keep things tidy as the visit goes on. You can easily have a chat with your friend while rinsing off the dishes! So a big motivation for me is that I just want to maintain a reasonably clean home so that entertaining people isn't a frightening thought. And, going back to that overwhelming feeling; I want to avoid it at all costs. I would rather work hard every day, consistently, than have to go through a major cleaning project just to have anyone over. Some people do have to do a little more straightening up for guests to come over, and if they are comfortable with that, then it is fine. I think the problem arises when you become socially stunted because you cannot welcome people into your home without feeling bad.
Also, I am at home all day. I realize housekeeping is a much different story when there is no one at home all day to get it messy. If I am not cleaning pretty much constantly, things get out of control real fast. It is much more pleasant for all if I work to keep things nice.
Yes, chores are repetitive and can be boring. And exhausting. So? Life is like that. Work, nurturing children, dealing with relationships...don't think of chores as any different...think of them as necessary and then...try to make them more enjoyable.
How? I think this is where some of my own personal strengths come into play:
-I like to turn on music while doing kitchen chores. This has always been a tremendous help for me, ever since I was a little girl. I remember we would do big housecleaning projects as a family (yes, we sort of had to when we had company) and my mom always turned up her 90's country music. I loved it at the time and still do. So put a radio in your kitchen and use it! (no, it doesn't necessarily have to be country :)
-Buy pretty things for your home. It can't just be me who finds cleaning a pretty house much, much easier. If you have to buy a new table cloth - why not get a pretty one? Heck, if you have to buy a new tissue box, why not pick the fanciest one? You can make your home pretty without spending lots of dough. I do think it really plays into your personal pride of ownership when you can say, hey, my home is full of visually appealing things. Even if it's something silly like tissue boxes or throw blankets. And use baskets for ordinary things. Sometimes the containers can be as pretty as the contents, or even prettier!
-Flowers by the sink are wonder workers. I challenge you to keep flowers by your sink for one month. See if it doesn't motivate you to keep your sink and surrounding area cleaner. Flowers, even the cheapest of the cheap, can brighten your living space so much. I think their presence makes you want to match their beauty in some capacity. I would like to see some psychological studies on how flowers can affect people's moods. If you don't like the idea of cut flowers all the time, why not get potted indoor plants? I am actually not big into indoor plants, but I often have flowers around and they really do help. I'm telling ya.
-Candles are also in this category. Light a candle while doing the dishes or cleaning up the dining room. Sometimes I like to turn off the lights or even dim them. It's amazing how much the lighting in your home can change the mood for better or worse. (Glaring lights show everything and give me a headache) We even still have white Christmas lights hanging in our living room, which give everything a soft glow in the evening.
-Clean the areas you spend the most time in the most. I think there is a tendency to say, well I am always in the kitchen, so it's always going to be a little dirty. Or, the dining room table is always going to have stuff on it because we spend so much time there. These areas are obviously ones that need the most attention. And, like I mentioned before, you are able to prevent big pile-ups if you tidy all the time.
-Again, does it sound exhausting? It can be sometimes, but overall it is actually quite do-able. I think the key for me is that I really do recognize the importance of doing a bit of cleaning every day. You get into a rhythm, your own personal rhythm, but if you let yourself get distracted from it, things do get overwhelming quickly enough. You do what you can to make chores more enjoyable, but more importantly you work them into your life so that instead of running from them, you take on the responsibility on a day to day, hour to hour basis.
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| Keep your cleaning supplies organized as well! |
-As long as you are doing something to keep your home tidy, you should feel good about yourself. If you are paying close attention to catching up on laundry one week, and your bathrooms suffer a little, I think that is perfectly fine. We only have so many hours in the day and so much energy. I give myself a lot of slack in this. When I am ready to get into bed at night, I often give myself a mental pat on the back if I got that one closet cleaned out (but didn't have time to clean up the playroom) or if I made sure the dishwasher was running after dinner, but didn't get to vaccuming up the crumbs. It's all good. As long as you did something, you should be proud of yourself.
-Compliment your spouse and children. I tell Louisa she is such a good girl when she cleans up. She gets lots of encouragement from me, with the hopes that she will recognize the benefits of being tidy. It remains to be seen what her habits will be like. I will not judge my parenting on if she likes to clean or not, of course, but whether she has the natural tendency or not, she will have to grow up to be responsible, and I want to encourage that in any way possible. When it comes to your spouse, you should do it for many reasons. They should feel appreciated. Just one example (without getting too personal, I know Mike wouldn't want me to say too much about him) is that Mike will always say when we find out we are going to have company that I always do such a good job with the housework that getting things prepped for company is not a big deal and he likes that.
-What about vacuuming? You will need to assess this chore yourself. Do you have hardwoods? Do you have areas with a lot of foot traffic? Does it bother you to have un-vaccumed floors? I am a very devoted vacuum-er. I vacuum nearly every day. But I don't think everyone has to. It is a bigger requirement I think if you have pets or crawling babies or both. Definitely don't ignore this chore. It is something people notice right away when they come into your home. And make sure people take off their shoes!
-If you live in two story house, never go upstairs or downstairs with your hands empty! This little trick really helps because there is always something that needs to be taken upstairs or downstairs. Don't save it for a big cleaning project.
-Once you do get into a better cleaning routine, i
nvite people over! It's ok to show off your hard work. My house always seems to stay cleaner when I have a steady stream of guests, for reasons I already mentioned. Most of the time, people are gracious if you have a dinner party or something and will help you clean up afterward, so you don't have to worry that everything you've just accomplished will be un-done in one night (Though, let's face it, sometimes that is the case! :)
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| cleaning is fun for 3 yr. olds! |
Well, I think that's all for my little tips. But here are some final thoughts I'd like to add. Similarly to what I didn't want this post to be about, here are some other things to keep in mind:
-I reserve the right to still have a messy house if other things are going on, but I will never feel fully comfortable when there is too much chaos.
-I reserve the right to get frustrated and annoyed about housework
-I reserve the right to change cleaning habits as time goes on. Actually this is a certainty. As children get older and become capable of bigger and bigger chores (hurry up and get old enough to clean bathrooms, Lou!) lots will change and evolve. Overall though, I know I will be like my grandma - keeping a tidy living space no matter what stage I am in life and working hard to achieve it.
-I know I am not perfect
-I will not lie - it feels good when I receive compliments on my home. I think people should realize that when you work so hard on something it does help when people notice. I try and compliment others when I notice their efforts, too.
-I promise, promise, promise to try my hardest not to judge when I walk into a messier home. I know it is a sensitive topic. I am very harsh on myself when it comes to my own house (and a big reason is because I simply
feel better when things are organized) but you can believe me when I say I give other people all sorts of outs when it comes to the state of their home. Do they have small children? Do they work part time or full time? Did they grow up in a messy home, and never actually learn any housekeeping skills? Do they get overwhelmed easily? Do I know they have good intentions? I really do think about those things when I walk into someone's home and it doesn't seem up to my high standards. There are factors that I might not even know about, so who am I to judge? This post is really more about those who are striving to be better, and who might be open to trying new habits. I do want to encourage people to strive toward cleanliness, if they can, and if they want to, because it honestly feels good to be surrounded by order. It requires a heck of a lot of work, but isn't that just life? You have to work hard, but there can be great benefits to your hard work if you are pursuing them with the right attitude. I think there are more people out there who are ashamed of the state of their house, but really don't know where to start. It is very overwhelming to them to think of suddenly, with the snap of a finger, changing. Like anything else, you can't really expect that of yourself. But, with some insights and tips, you may be able to find a good place to start, and set realistic goals.
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| Avoid clutter, keep your spaces as simple as possible. |
Finally, here are a couple of great resources that I have found inspiring. I loved
this post by Leila on keeping house. And
this is a good one, from Conversion Diary, if you'd like to hear about some of the spiritual aspects of cleaning. Finally, if you think you need a more comprehensive guide on cleaning your house, you really should check out the
Fly Lady and all her wonderful tips! (One of her big things is having a little timer and setting that timer for 15 minutes each day for tidying up. I like it, though like I said in my post already, I am usually tidying constantly throughout the day...but it's a great place to start if you need that!)
