Sometimes you can’t keep your house clean. Some days there just aren’t enough hours or enough hands to get everything done. My trick to keeping my sanity is doing the few things that make me feel like my house is clean, even when it isn’t. If those few things are done, I don’t care nearly as much about the state of the rest of the house, at least for the moment.
Everyone’s things are different. Some people care about dust. I don’t. Others care about the kitchen floor. Not me. Unless I stick to it as I walk thru.
But here are my things:
1. Vacuum. I vacuum at least twice a week. If I don’t, our carpet looks gross and I hate the way my whole house looks.
2. Kitchen counters. I cannot stand having dishes and clutter all over the kitchen counters. After crawling in bed for the night, I will get up again if I realize there’s junk on the kitchen counter that needs to be put away. This goes for dishes in the sink, too. Can’t stand to leave them there.
3. Bathroom counter/sink. I clean off our counter nearly every day, putting things away and straightening up. If it’s cluttered, it takes me twice as long to get ready and I feel out of sorts.
4. If I really feel icky about the house, (or sometimes just because I want to feel even better about it) I light a candle. My all-time favorite is Clean Cotton from Yankee. It makes the whole house smell clean and fresh. (And it doesn’t make me hungry like the food-scented ones do!)
I guess you can say that I don’t like clutter. Shocker, I know. But if those few things get done each day, I can live my life with the last few shreds of sanity I may have left. Because two days in a row with a 2 year-old who is refusing to nap can drive you over the edge without help from outside influences.
Head on over to We Are THAT Family for more Works For Me Wednesday!
Great ideas! I like clean too!
ReplyDeleteClutter would push me over the edge! And I live with people who DO NOT mind messes!
I did know that my disease was contagious. Sorry, hope I did not pass on to many of my quirks to you.
ReplyDeleteMimi
I've heard that when you keep large, flat surfaces uncluttered, it makes a whole room look clean. That's why your bedroom always looks better if the bed is made! So you're right to keep the clutter off your countertops--it creates the illusion that everything is clean!
ReplyDeleteI also have a routine and when it is not done my house drives me crazy
ReplyDeleteHi there! I am stopping by from Works for Me Wednesday. I enjoyed your post about cleaning. I loathe clutter, it stresses me out. And yet, my house is full of it. I need to be better at keeping up with it.
ReplyDeleteStop over and visit me over at Free 2 Be Frugal sometime.
:)