Housekeeping routines

[Paula Karr]

My mom told me last night that if I can't have the President over, my house isn't clean enough. This frustrated me, because I grew up in a house with six children and two parents, and our house was NEVER that clean.

Boy, did THAT comment bring back memories. I'm 61 and I have yet to do ANYTHING right in my mother's eyes. After the horrendous abuse I endured as a child, I've spent time with therapists several times to work out issues so that my adult life would not be impacted.

One time, I said to my therapist, "My mother is going to be at my house this weekend. I hate it when she comes over. No matter how hard I try, she finds things to criticize. The last time she was there, she pointed out that my tablecloth had not been ironed well, because the fold marks were still visible." My therapist asked me if I owned an iron. I said, "Of course I do." He said, "If your mother makes a comment like that again, hand her the iron and invite her to make it look the way she wants it to look . . . and make sure to tell her that it looks fine to you just the way it is." He told me that I had to see myself as an adult and I had to let her know that she needed to accept that in my house, things would only have to please me, not her.

What a liberating session that turned out to be. I actually DID let her know that she needed to understand that -- although I was her child -- I was now a functioning adult and expected her to treat me with the same courtesy she would treat anyone else in their own home. She did NOT like hearing that, but it was the beginning of her "backing off" from constantly criticizing me.

I take my cleaning lessons from the late Erma Bombeck.

1. If you're too short to see the top of the refrigerator, there's not much sense in dusting up there.
   
2. If you make your bed and there are no dirty dishes in the sink, you can pretty well fool people into thinking you're an adequate housekeeper.

My way of cleaning now: Leave out a check for the lady who comes every other Friday while I'm at work!

[Desiree Allen]

My way of cleaning now: Leave out a check for the lady who comes every other Friday while I'm at work!

If I could, I would.

[Sara Sheppard]

I know it might be a strech financially, but you'd be surprised how inexpensive you might be able to get a high school or college student to come over and dust,sweep, mom, clean the tub. You know, the big stuff. If you let the college student bring their laundry and use your washer/dryer while they clean...you can get a really good deal.

Sara

[Barbara Moulton]

Have you figured out a way to make the bed while your husband is still in it? LOL

[Donna Adams]

I do not go around cleaning up the messes everyone else makes in my home. We have an exchange student living with us, she refuses to clean the toothpaste spit out of the sink because in her home it is no big deal to leave it there..OH NO not in MY house. She has to clean it or else here.
My dear husband is very good at helping with dishes and housecleaning, and I do not ask him too. Teach your young children now to clean up after themselves. It will pay off later.

[Desiree Allen]

Teach your young children now to clean up after themselves. It will pay off later.

I am terrible with my follow-through. It is a mini-goal of mine to be better about this.

[Katy Bean]

I take a room a day, One load of laundry a day, and house straighed up before I go to bed. I am the children's pastor at our church, Family readiness group leader for my husbands company in the army, I have 2 boys with cystic fibrosis, 1 also with autism, diabeties and seizures.AND a teenage daughter so scheduling and planning is a must in my home. If I can't clean that one room I don't sweat it because I believe its more important right now to spend quality time with the kids. Just take it one day at a time, no stressing and all will fall right into place.

[Barbara Moulton]

Here's something neat I found through the Organized Home website.

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple...ning_chart.pdf

[Laurie Florence]

I have to take down my Christmas trees and put away decorations. I love Christmas so much, I don't want to put the stuff away. But I have to. Someone, please tell me to put away the Christmas stuff!

[Barbara Moulton]

I have to take down my Christmas trees and put away decorations. I love Christmas so much, I don't want to put the stuff away. But I have to. Someone, please tell me to put away the Christmas stuff!

AHHH..so we have finally found a point of difference between us Laurie.

After Christmas I always want to clear out my Christmas stuff right away. I took all my decorations down on Dec. 29th this year and took down my tree on Jan. 1.

I love the feeling of packing it all away neatly and getting room back in the livingroom.