Comments on: Learning to love cleaning

By: Isabella Knightly

Isabella Knightly — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:38:25 +0000

Heyy my Name is Isabella Knightly and i find cleaning VERY hard :[ its SO boring! and party music dsnt do anything but get me distracted and i just cant get into the Habit Of LOVING something i really DESPISE! but i need my house 2 be clean or else it will be messy and i CANT affford someone to do it 4 me. UGH!!! cleaning SUCKS

By: jesser

jesser — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:11:16 +0000

We currently have a cleaning person come once every other week. It isn’t my favorite way to spend $75, but at the point we are right now (one small child, one on the way), I think it has been the right choice for us. Of course this by no means gets us entirely off the hook cleaning wise and I fall into the clean as I go/routine maintenance camp. I also find that pleasantly scented non-chemical cleaning supplies make the job much more to my liking.

By: Kim Lemon

Kim Lemon — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:53:08 +0000

My mother always said that a good cook always “cleans as she/he goes along”. While I don’t think her guidance made me a good cook, it did launch a lifelong passion for cleaning.

As I’ve grown older, preservation and maintenance have become the words I use rather than cleaning. They evoke a value that the word cleaning, alone, does not.

I chronicle my daily journey on my blog, cleanistry.com.

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:03:59 +0000

@Manja – Thank you for recommending the Magical Housekeeper and providing the link. I just read it and it is wonderful. What a much happier way to look at cleaning and life!

By: John

John — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:19:31 +0000

If you do decide to pay someone else, you might want to check out assuredlabor.com as they have done most of the legwork in finding a trustworthy cleaner.

By: Karolina

Karolina — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:27:15 +0000

I think it’s really important to set up every room of your house with a view to make it easy to clean. So in my ideal place, there would be no moldings with a top surface that you need to dust; toilets attached to the wall so you can sweep under them easily; an easy-to-clean stove (no shiny cooking surfaces that you need to polish all the time), etc.

I recently moved into a newly renovated apartment and it’s a breeze to keep it clean; it feels like it cleans itself. In all the older places I’ve lived in, though, it felt like I could scrub for hours and still wouldn’t get the results I wanted.

So I guess that’s option 4: As much as possible, make cleaning easy.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:50:51 +0000

I wish I could keep this mindset. I’m trying, but I find it very challenging.

@Kitty-Don’t judge until you’ve walked a mile. I have 2 small children and a dog and I spend WAY, WAY more than 10-20 minutes per day picking up/cleaning/doing laundry/doing dishes and my house is still frequently a wreck. Your condescension may be losing you invitations to friends’ homes who know that they cannot live up to your standards.

I know it will get easier as my kids get older, but right now, when I spend the time it takes to keep everything picked up I am forgoing the entire reason I stay home with my kids-spending time with them reading, playing, etc. I end up feeling so frustrated when advice given just is not realistic when you have kids.

By: Lori Paximadis

Lori Paximadis — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:26:24 +0000

@Jackie: So true. Cleaning is so much easier with some really loud George Michael happening in the background. (Did I really just admit that on the interwebs?)

By: Michele

Michele — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:43:48 +0000

@Sky – Thank you! She was geriatric, but it was still painful. The other cat keeps looking for her, which can be a little heartbreaking. On the other hand — am I a bad person for seeing the silver lining that I no longer have to change the litter every 4-5 days, but that I can start doing it maybe every 7-8 days now?

I hear you about coming home to a clean, organized space. I detest waking up to or coming home to a messy kitchen. I’ve come to hate that worse than I hate doing dishes! I end up doing dishes at least once a day, and usually twice. But on the other hand, it makes for a very light, quick task most of the time, because it’s just me in the household, plus my daughter for about half the week.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:26:20 +0000

I love keeping my house clean. Since I have cats I do vacuum twice a week but otherwise I find that if I only just pick up after myself and straighten and put things back in their place on a daily basis (10 – 20 minutes per day) it is never necessary to spend a full day cleaning. My only big regular cleaning job is mopping the kitchen and mudroom and I only have to do that every 2 weeks if I keep it swept and maintained between moppings. I will admit that I have the luxury of living by myself in a relatively small home (1200 sf). I find that when I have a clean and orderly home I feel at peace.

I do judge people by the cleanliness and order of their homes because I have found that a cluttered, dirty home is almost always a reflection of a cluttered mind and soul. I give extra leeway to people with young children but still. I mean, how is it that people can prepare a healthy, nutritious, loving meal in a kitchen with a filthy fridge full of old produce and expired stuff and a sink that hasn’t been scrubbed in 6 months?

By: Sky

Sky — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:44:10 +0000

Cleaning isn’t my favorite thing to do but coming home from work or a trip to a clean, organized home is so nice.
Also, it’s so much easier to keep it clean and organized than to let it go and start over.

I’ve always felt my home is a reflection of me and my state of mind. Maybe it’s silly, but I’m embarrassed if someone stops by and everything is in a mess!

Michelle, sorry about your cat

By: Manja

Manja — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:50:44 +0000

For those who are interested in spirituality: a Dutch writer published a book called ‘De magie van het huishouden’ (The Magical Housekeeper) some years ago.

Most cleaning books tell you HOW to clean, but this book tells you WHY to clean. Enjoy the translated short version at: http://www.yoeke.com/documents.....keeper.pdf

By: gypsy packer

gypsy packer — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:17:55 +0000

As an allergy sufferer, I had a lifelong detestation of housework. I sneezed my way through tasks reluctantly, and put off stirring up dust as long as possible. Modern medications enabled me to clean without the repercussions, and, during a period of unemployment, I started doing cleaning for others.

A mp3 player or iPod will make the job endurable. Get the dance playlist going, load an inspirational or educational podcast. After work, get out the scented soap, bubble bath, body fragrances, and satin and pamper yourself.

By: Rose

Rose — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:53:20 +0000

I realize I am probably an outlier but if the rug doesn’t change color when I vacuum it, why bother? I like the look of a clean house but I also like to see change in what I’ve cleaned. Cleaning something that is really dirty is more satisfying to me than cleaning something that is already pretty clean.

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:28:17 +0000

Cleaning may not be exactly enjoyable, but it is very satisfying.

Also, if you are a procrastinator as I am, cleaning is a productive way to use that time. Sometimes cleaning produces the breakthrough I need to end the procrastination. I believe that was discussed in an earlier column as a sort of mindless therapy activity. Hey, it has worked for me!