I Wish It Would Just Stay Clean!

If I had a nickel for every time I heard "I wish it would just stay clean," and a quarter for every time I've said it, and a dime for every time I thought it, I could afford bi-weekly maid service!

As I vacuumed my floors this morning, wrinkling my nose to every little bit of grit, gravel and crumb, the thought crept into my head. Right behind it was the practical answer:

IF YOU WANT YOUR HOUSE TO JUST STAY CLEAN, THEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP CLEANING IT!

After all, we LIVE in these homes of ours. I mean, how horrible would it be to clean the house and make everyone sit still the rest of the day, no potty breaks, no meals, no moving, just so mom can enjoy a clean house that stays clean for more than 1/2 an hour?

I've given up lamenting about having to wash the kitchen floor (again) because my kiddos came in from a day of sandbox fun in the fresh air and brought in half the sandbox with them.

Of course, who wants to spend all day cleaning, chasing that elusive spit shine in a house that's well loved and well lived-in. Some of us just have to settle for fairly organized and sanitary enough. LOL! But, there are ways around it.

Train your littles to fix their own beds.
Train your boys to wipe the rim of the toilet after they're done going to the bathroom.
Keep meals at the dining room (or kitchen) table.
Sweep your porch, steps, entryway, and/or mudroom frequently to prevent the tracking in of the grit and gravel.
When you have a crawling baby in the house, it's ok to require guests to remove their shoes. After all, it's for the baby's sanitary safety and you certainly can't be expected to clean the floors every time someone steps foot in your house, especially when you're busy caring for a baby!
Train your girls to clean up any loose hairs that fall to the counter or floor or get wound in their hairbrush when they fix their hair.

Simple daily maintenance steps such as these do help, as well as enlisting the help of your residences to pitch in with the chores.

Many hands make light work, and as such, you can get on with living in your home more, rather than cleaning it because everyone else does!

Comments

Lady Anne said…
By some freak of genetics, our eldest daughter is naturally tidy, and always has been. (Didn't get it from MY side of the family, that's for sure!)She always tells me, "if you put it away, instead of putting it down, it would stay clean." She has the sort of house you can just drop in on. If she wasn't my daughter, I'd hate her! (Sort of.)
7:24 PM
Matthew Celestine said…
Asking visitors to remove their shoes is essential if you have a baby. Thanks for mentioning this.

I have an whole blog about removing shoes in homes: Shoes Off at the Door, Please You might like to take a look.
3:14 PM
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