Dear Friends,

Got up this morning, And since it is friday, and haven"t touched the house for a week, I love to oil paint, and work in garden, and Just putter around, And since tom is retired, {by the way I don"t think women ever retire] I wish there was a way to swish through this messy house, so I can get on with my life [Which will be 72, Day after ground hogs day] You would think that I would know all the short cuts by now, But as Tom says, I am a scatter brain type person, and no real plan on how to do things[ The men are from Mars and women are from venis thing] Bathrooms are the worse. All those cleaner things that don"t work, and choke you to death. There has got to be a better solution. Kitchens next, I open the cubboard where my garbage is kept, and it would appear that somehow stuff gets splatter on the inside of the cubboard, and boy does it ever stick. If you look closely enough there is lots of things that should be cleaned. Well any way, I think I will find a nice comfy chair and pick up my knitting, And maybe it will all go away. God Bless Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), February 01, 2002

Answers

Well Irene, I think you just have to make a plan and stick with it. I for one like to keep on top of cleaning rather than play catch up. If I notice there are splatters around the trash can, I spray with something wet, let set a few minutes to soften the crust and wipe up. I clean the bathrooms once a week whether they need it or not. I like to vacuum so when I notice it needs it I do it. Dusting is not something I like, so I make myself do at least once a month. Invite someone over for dinner if you need some motivation. Works for me

-- Nancy (nannyb@huntel.net), February 01, 2002.

I do the other things. :) Seriously, cleaning is just maintenance, it shouldn't the the main task in life. I don't like cleaning either, except when I'm in the mood for it. Then I like it and get a lot done and it's very rewarding. Here is what puts me in a good cleaning mood: Someone is coming to visit and you don't want them to see the messy house. Interior decorating magazines and books sometimes inspire me to make my house look really nice. When you get mad, use the energy productively by cleaning and getting rid of stuff.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 01, 2002.

There are nine of us in our family, including a very elderly grandparent and an extended family memember with alzhiemers (in thier 80's and 90's). I also homeschool, am a homesteader (with your usual homestead animals, garden, orchard, etc.), work my forum, don't use any processed or prepared foods, make my own laundry detergent, make our bread, etc. and usually have a dozen other projects/crafts going at any given time. The only way I can keep up is to clean as I go. I am one of those people who love a clean house - but hate to clean!

First thing is to get the place in shape. Do a real good cleaning and do it all at once so the worst part is over. It is easy to keep up once you get it in shape. Using my plan, I only have to do a more through cleaning about once a month - sometimes more if I really stick with the plan well.

The key to the plan is -- clean as you go. When dumping trash into the waste basket, watch and see if you spatter, if you do - then wipe it down right then. In the bathroom, after all the showers/baths are done, clean the tub. For sinks and stool between the big cleanings, I use those new Clorox pop-up wipes. They are the best thing! Just a quick wipe and it is clean AND disenfected. Anyone spills something on the floor, it is up to them to wipe it up.

I have always tried to keep tidy the room where someone would come to the door. The rest of the place could be a wreck, but if someone comes to the door you at least "look good"..LOL. Remember, bedroom doors can be closed. I am one of those that don't get nuts if a bed is not made -- just shut the door.

I don't get fanatical, just enough so it doesn't get completely out of control. You will be surprised at how much better you feel also knowing that it is done. I usually have one bigger job I do every day such as: on Monday I wash the kitchen floors and rugs, Tues. bathroom rugs and floors, Wednesday dusting, Thurs. vacuuming, Fri. change beds, etc. It is so much easier than tackling it all at one time and is nice to have something "newly cleaned" each day. I really feel more like I accomplish something at the end of the day.

Another time/step saver...I always cook breakfast everyday for our family, but I plan breakfast to be ready around 10:30-11:30 (except those who have to go to work). That way we are covered for both breakfast and lunch. Just leaves the evening meal to be prepared. Everyone is on thier own if they want a snack in the afternoon.

Main thing is to be organized...make a plan and stick with it! Be flexible enough to enjoy life outside of the housework, but to keep a home best you can.

For our large family, I never mind the cooking...if I could just figure out what to do with these mountains of laundry everday!!

-- Karen (mountains_mama@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

I try to do a super cleaning each Monday. I love a clean house and I really don't mind cleaning. My goal is to be done with all the house stuff and outside chores by noon. That way I can do what I want all afternoon, then fix supper and spend time with the kids and Cale in the evenings.

I clean a little each day and this makes it much easier. We all make our beds each morning, takes 30 seconds!! The kids have to have their rooms clean before they leave for school, and they each do one chore at night when they get home. I do some laundry every day except Sunday. I hang everthing to dry, so I have to keep it up. I do dry white clothes (1-2 loads a week) in the dryer.

I guess the main thing is to motivate yourself, if you get this done (a chore), then you can do that (a fun thing)!!! I clean for an hour then I will check in here for 10 minutes!!! That is when I am home.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 01, 2002.

Irene, I understand! I also use only vinegar and baking soda to clean with, it works as well as anything else and even better. Now, you're going to be 72, maybe you've earned the right to knit or paint more. Does your husband help you with the housework? Does he nag you about it? Do you need to de-clutter, then there's not so much to clean.

Maybe the garbage could be kept somewhere else?

One thing for sure, there'll always be housework to be done. Are you happy the way you do things? Are you really looking for a different way? You know I actually have a friend who is content with a messy house and doing what she thinks is more important, she doesn't have a problem with clutter or anything. I wish I was that way, to a point, but....

Maybe you could clean an hour knit an hour, you might not feel as guilty, then you'd have a plan. God Bless

I've tried the get-it-done-before-you-do what-you-want. I've tried the go-ahead-and-do-it-anyway. I've tried the clean as you go, and the wait til it's really bad, so you can see what you've done, I hate cleaning a clean house. I used to clean for a living, Some houses never really get dirty.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Dare I say this? Irene, if you can afford it, get a cleaning woman. Just once a week. Or, every two weeks.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

I hear you Irene! Just last night I was sitting cozy in my chair with my knitting and all of a sudden a thought popped into my head- "what if Social Services people popped in right now?" Now, I don't know why such a thing would happen on a perfectly ordinary evening at 8:30-its one of those irrational thoughts I have from to time. I had had a couple of hectic days-there were dishes in the sink, I hadn't taken out the garbage or changed the litter box in a couple of days and there were dust goats under the couch.

Today, I'm wading through all the mess trying to get the house in some sort of shape before the weekend AND I"M REALLY CRABBY ABOUT IT! But, I promised myself a trip to Hobby Lobby tomorrow if I'm Good today. So Ive slouched out in my really comfy sweats, I have a bunch of face goop on, and I've cranked the cd player. I probably need to get off here and go back at it.......

-- Kelly (KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

Irene--- I'm with Cindy----I only use vinegar & babkeing soda---& natural things to clean with they don't kill you & they do just as well----

I use to be a cleaning fool!!!!!!!!!! No one could relax as I was cleaning up around them or under them---- Hubby said he got up in the morning---so he didn't get made in the bed!!! Now that he workd nights----he sleeps upstairs during the day--as it is less noise & I don't make him up in the bed!!!!! I don't keep house as I use to-----but maybe it is a good thing---I think we are all happier!!! I sometimes even have some clutter-----which never happened before in my life!!! My Mother was an excellent house keeper--but no one could live in the house---we just used it & she cleaned it---we never relaxed!! My sister is terrible---you need a scoop shovel to get in her house--- & I have only been in it maybe 10 times in 40 years!! I try to allow us to enjoy our home--but it be clean--- Irene----use as much natural as you can to clean with & all will be better--- Then also enjoy & also encourage your hubby to help you---I never did for over 20 years-- I did it all----now he helps--& life is better for both of us!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), February 01, 2002.

When I was able to do my own housework, I would scrub the house once a month and then clean superficially as days went along..dusted when I saw dust, vacummed when I saw dust bunnies, etc. I made a list of things to do every three months: wash down the kitchen cabinets, clean light fixtures, clean the oven, etc....My house was always presentable and I didn't feel as if I were kiling myself. In the last year and a half,my husband (who always helped me) has taken on all the heavy work..so I no longer vacuum or scrub woodwork LOL....I still enjoy doing as much of the housework as I can, but now need to plan more than ever, so I take each day and just DO the stuff that needs to be done, one at a time. i.e. if it's Monday, the two bathrooms are scrubbed spotless..Tuesdays, Neil brings me the oil lamps to the table and I clean then and refill them and then do all the mirrors in the house...Wednesday, I dust and he vacuums. Thursday is scrub the kitchen counters and appliances day (how DO toasters get so grimey?) Friday is laundry day as well as clean the outside of the washer and dryer day..Saturday is stove day and burning trash day..Sunday is no work day..LOL....If I do one thing at a time, it does not seem like such a chore! How long does it take to just dust or clean two bathrooms? Then I have the house clean just in case and I am not killing myself or my husband to have it look and feel nice.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 01, 2002.

http://www.flylady.net and organizedhome.com

-- Katie (homesteader@accessnevada.com), February 01, 2002.

I am the preverbial clean machine, and my family for the most part, loves it. I keep everything well organized. ( daddy was a navy man, so I learned by example). my mother-in-law on the other hand is the "oscar", she has clutter everywhere. well she did, till we had to move back in last november. The hard part is getting organized, the harder part ( for mother-in-law is staying that way), but it can be done. I reward myself. If i get alll the house done and the homeschooling by 1:pm, I watch a favarite show or cook something I love to cook, ect... you get the idea. But never do I allow myself any fun till the work is done.... Happy cleaning..Kristean

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

Oh how I wish I could be like you "cleanies". I have nine people in my house right now between the ages of 2 and 19. All of them are slobs. I am so tired of cleaning that I want to run away sometimes. Denial is my best friend. I have also had nightmares about the CPS showing up. I use that thought as motivation to get stuff done.

-- Buffy in Dallas (buffyannjones@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

My favourite way to clean is with kid power. They are usually glad to have something to do as long as there are other kids doing cleaning also. Today both bathrooms got done, and, yes, I'm ashamed to admit it, the Christmas decorations came down finally. My baking dishes got washed, dried, and put away. The Tupperware cupboard, the broom closet, and five kitchen drawers got cleaned out and sorted through. All this was done by five cheerful children in less than a couple of hours. Meanwhile, I was busy baking bread and cookies, so they had some fresh goodies when they got finished.

I guess at 72 you don't have youngsters around, but whenever my mom (age 67) has children visiting, there is usually someone willing to clean for her. My boys have organized her Tupperware cupboard and cleaned out her refrigerator. Grandma's wages are way better than Mom's, but they would have had fun anyway.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), February 02, 2002.

My husband and I have to divide chores - I love to cook, hate to wash dishes. So he washes the dishes. I don't mind laundry, even the folding and hanging up part, so I get to do that and he makes beds and gathers up all the dirty laundry. Dusting? Once in a while as when you live in the country there's always dust. Boychild has to keep his room clean. I keep the office sorta clean, but am not fanatical about organization or cleaning. I'd rather be outside. Let's face it, some of us are outdoorsy and some are indoorsy. Some like cleaning and some of us are still wondering why should we clean when the horse needs brushing..

If I make it to 72 and can still lift a saddle, better not anyone say anything to me about cleaning nothing...I'll be out riding. So get your knitting Irene and have at it. Heck you deserve it. The dust bunnies under the bed are the only kind which don't need feeding, watering, or cages cleaned..so rest assured they ain't going nowhere. Enjoy life while you got it, so many wish they could knit or ride or cook or clean.

I was raised in a military house where everything had it's place and was in it's place and was made to wash dishes twice a day everyday until I graduated. To this day - I hate washing dishes. Curious, isn't it?

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), February 02, 2002.

Check out the FLYlady... She has a plan that works!!!! http://www.flylady.net/

-- Marci (Marci@amazingrazefarm.com), February 02, 2002.

I don't like dishes either so having a dishwasher is worth every penny to me. I've always had the 'everything has it's place' mentality so that helps alot. I don't have alot of knick-knacks and stuff to clean around either which makes things alot easier. Before I go to sleep I do a walkaround the house and make sure everything is in order. I've gotten my kids to stick to rules like no toys anywhere but their room, nothing under their beds and put everything away as soon as you're done with it. When they were very young I instilled in them that if I had to pick their stuff up, it'd be going into the trash. They fell for it and definitely won't leave anything laying around. We also remove our shoes at the door, though sometimes I don't follow that rule. Dust is my biggest problem here, 2-3 times a week I have to dust. There's alot of dust in the air here when we go 3-5 months without rain. I use the vacuum cleaner as much as I can for dusting. The hard water also makes a little extra work. Keeping up with cleaning doesn't take much of my time since I never let it get out of hand.

My cleaning motivator is to keep things like I'm always expecting company and I also feel better when everything is in order and clean.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), February 02, 2002.

I HATE to clean!

A friend has a sign in her kitchen that says " A clean house is the sign of a wasted life."

NO offense to those who can keep things clean, but just about anything seems more important to me.

My husband likes to have a neat house and we really used to go around about it. Now I have found a system that works pretty well. I know which things are most important for him to feel comfortable ie: dishes done, floor vacuumed. I also try to jot down specific things he mentions throughout the week, like "gee, that window is really dirty". I find that if I keep up with the things that he notices most, he's happy and I can do the rest when company's coming. lol.

When spring fever hits, I'm worthless in the house until it rains!

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), February 02, 2002.

Buffy you poor dear! When we had all the kids at home as well as 7 foster children, I NEVER had a problem with keeping the house clean...you have a small army there...perhaps you may consider putting up a chore list on the refrigerator and stick to it? All the folks in my house always had chores to do..no excuses...what a blessing to have all those timy hands to help! Even the toddlers can clean molding..they are right down there next to it! They loved to have turns cleaning the newel posts and the floor moldings and those silly little spaces inbetween the railings..the 5 year old would get to clean the bottom half of the fridge while the 10 year old got the top..the 5th grade twins used to fight over who got to vacuuum the downstairs and upstairs and STAIRS..all beds were made before breakfast and the kids took turns being the last one in the bathroom to make sure lids were down and towels were hung. Honestly, Saturday chores took less than an hour for a 6 bedroom three story house! Lawn work and gardening were the same.."many hands make light work". I sure hope things change for you soon!

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 02, 2002.

When I ask my kids to clean they look at me like I'm insane! Thank God for my 19 year old daughter(mother of the 2 Yr old). She helps out around the house and does the dishes and cooking. My boys on the other hand have been spoiled by their aunt who pays them to clean her house. When I ask them to clean they say how much do I get or I just cleaned Aunt Rachel's house. That is when I steal the power cord to their game machine. Teenagers!!!

-- Buffy in Dallas (buffyannjones@hotmail.com), February 03, 2002.