Tell the truth...is your house clean?
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| Fri, 03-19-2004 - 12:38am |
I'm new here and I thought I would introduce myself and ask a question about a dreaded topic--housecleaning!
I'm a SAHM to two girls, ages 4 and 2. They're 15 months apart.
My husband read a quote from an article about housecleaning, and how the average number of hours spent housecleaning has declined. I was shocked to hear that in the 1950's, the average woman spent 4 hours A DAY (yes, one day!!) cleaning the house. My husband and I chuckled because I don't spend 4 hours a week cleaning!
My house right now is so so clean. It's not a total disaster area, but if someone called and said they were coming over, I would spend at least 20 minutes picking up and making the place look presentable.
I'm very humbled and ashamed to say that I do not sweep the kitchen floor daily. I vacuum every other day and dusting....what's dusting?
I am just so busy with the girls, but I think I really want to change this.
I'm wondering if I'm the only bad housekeeper. I just have the notion that most people have close-to-spotless homes and that I'm the only irresponsible one who neglects the housework.
I do make efforts to clean. By the time I spend a half hour picking up toys, and doing basic straightening---I'm tired! I feel like I could hire someone--FULL TIME--to pick up toys off of our floor!
I am anxious to hear what everyone else has to say about this topic! I look forward to hearing your opinions and stories.
Angela

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~Jolene
You know, about 4 months ago I had a perfect home. Not spotless, cause I did have a 4 year old, but I was proud of what I was able to do and how I was able to keep it so nice. BUT........
Then I had a baby and all that went down hill
I pretty much grew up being the one who cleaned the house. So I think I always placed in my head that when I grew up, I wasn't going to clean. LOL and I don't. I vacuum once/week and dust when I see dust and it bothers me. I sweep and mop the kitchen floor when it looks dirty.
I am shocked my DH doesn't complain since he is from a country where the women stay home to care for the kids, cook and clean. They clean the houses everyday. Can you imagine? YUCK!
I do keep up on the laundry though. Oh and I hate, I mean hate washing the windows and sliding glass door. It's like as soon as I do it, they are filthy again or I left huge streaks on them. In fact I need to handle that task today. Maybe........
Brittany and Giovanni (adjusted 9 weeks old)
Now honestly, my house is pretty spotless right now. But I have to say my year old is not here right now. So it is no wonder my house is clean! lol Seriously I think I have a pretty clean house! I'd say on average I clean atleast 2 hours a day. I am a fanatic about clean bathrooms so I scrub them a lot plus with a 4 year old boy who misses the potty from time to time, ya gotta clean in there frequently! lol I do vaccum every single day & sweep the kitchen & baths atleast every couple of days, sometimes more. I don't dust very often unless my daughter is in preschool which is only on Fridays because she & I have asthma and stirring up dust drives us both into attacks. I do try to keep it clean all the time! I was a horrible housekeeper when DH & I got married because I didn't know "how" to clean, never did it growing up. And I had several embarrassing moments where people would show up and the house be a wreck. Now when DD is here, there are a few toys in the livingroom during the day because she hates playing upstairs when her brother is in school. My son is pretty good about keeping his room clean. He's not the messmaker! That would be my daughter!
Anyway so long story short, yes my house is pretty clean! I work hard to keep it that way! I've used the www.flylady.net method alot especially when first starting out. Now I use my own modified version!
Good luck! I look forward to chatting with you!
~Debra
Heather
Wytchy
I have white ceramic tile in my kitchen and it can look dirty a hour after I clean it. We have a dog (a Pug) that sheds. I clean the floors downstairs (white ceramic and laminat wood) at least twice a week. I have a 14 month old still crawling around. I vaccum the upstairs once every 2 weeks or more (we aren't up there much except to sleep, shower, and change clothes).
I scrub my bathrooms at least once a week. And I dust when it bothers me. I usually do a load or two of laundry every day.
The biggest mess is usually my baby's toys in the living room. I can't wait till he's old enough to play with them in his room. I am already working with him on picking up his toys. Whenever I pick them up I tell him and show him what I am doing and ask him to help. He usually will, but at times he gets distracted and takes out more toys.
My house looks clean most of the time. But I am a clean freak and feel that it is never clean enough. Especially now that I am in school and don't always have time to keep up.
A great way to nip that in the bud is to tel him to pick it up- *when* he doesn't, just collect the crap into a bag and toss it somewhere it will annoy the crap out of him- his office, his car, his underwear drawer, his shoes.... ;) Trust me- it works... And if it doesn't, tell him next time it gets thrown away- and be sure to follow through ;)
Wytchy
Thanks for the tip. I will have to try it.
TAnya
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