Alright, Seriously Now…How Clean Do We Need to Be?
At any rate, I happily began googling these household averages, and imagine my shock and dismay when I started reading there are folks out there that mop their floors and clean their bathrooms every day?!? EVERY DAY? Are you kidding me? The bathroom (that is one bathroom for the three of us) in this household is cleaned weekly, though I wipe it down on an as-needed basis. Floors are swept about 4 times a week and mopped once. Yes, once and I’m proud of it. My floors might be “dirty” to some, but I have to say though I wouldn’t eat off it I certainly can walk barefoot without cringing… And besides, Jaden and I have a blast reading stories in the afternoon, or going for long walks. Before I was pregnant, it would have been one good scrub and one Swiffer mop a week, but right now, it’s just the mop and a spot clean for any spills. We have cats and I only vacuum once a week. Again, that number was higher pre-baby and likely will be again once I regain some mobility (ie can bend over without grunting). I could do these chores at night once the kiddo is in bed, but that’s time for me and my dear husband. So really, I try to do a little cleaning a day and rotate the chores so it all gets done eventually, but I don’t have to spend too much time daily in cleaning.
So here’s my question, ladies and gentlemen. Share your dirty little secrets (or expose mine further!) - how often do you do these routine chores? I hope you’ll leave me some comments and let me know. Call it an unscientific poll.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Life is too short to spend it cleaning things that are already clean enough. I’ve thrown out schedules and have tos in favor of doing things I enoy and being with people I care about. With my whole family here a lot, schedules never worked anyway. I just do what has to be done when I can.
February 5th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Now that is a philosophy I can ascribe to! For me schedules just have worked most days, usually more like a wish list or rough guideline for what I’d like to see done. But following those schedules too closely is actually more stressful.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Once my oldest two hit second and third grade, they started doing their own load of laundry every week (everything washed in cold - when the laundry basket is full, its laundry day for you). They each are assigned one bathroom. They just do a quick spray and swipe of the countertop and toilet. Once a week they Swivel Sweep the floor. Once a week they use the toilet brush.
Needless to say, that is the VERY cleanest that any bathrooms have been in my house in the last decade. Before that … well, I could have passed a health department inspection (most days *wink*), but it was always VERY cluttered, always VERY dirty … always.
Now that I have two older ones with quick pick-up chores each day, and a younger one that is in charge of cleaning off the table after we eat … and I’m not sleep deprived and emotionally drained because everyone in the house can finally feed themselves and wipe their own hinies … NOW I keep the kitchen and my own laundry somewhat under control (emphasis on “somewhat”). I mop about once a week. I vacuum about once a week. I still have times that I definitely go longer than that (and we have two cats). Sometimes I do it more often. It depends on what is going on, who is sick or how much “outside the house” stuff I’m dealing with that week.
Daily? Are you KIDDING ME? When would I pee?
February 9th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
http://www.mommygetspaid.com/excellent-blogs/
You have received the Excellent Blog Award from me!
Take Care
LJ
February 9th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
First of all Christine - I like your style! I’m going to have to remember the delegation of chores for the time in the distant future when I can try it out. And you mean the sleep deprived stage actually passes? I always wondered about that…
Thanks for the great comment!