I love a clean house. - Page 2

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by mommaof3boz

Slightly off topic but yet on topic...On housewives of new jersey reunion the other night, theresa was talking about how other peoples dirty houses "skeeve" her out and she says "You know like people who don't mop their floors every day" LOL LOL. I would love to tell her most folks dont do that every day, sweep yes, mop no. However, I agree a normally clean and uncluttered home makes a huge differece in the general feeling of the home. I detest when people use their kids (except for the above posters who have valid reasons) for a crutch to have a filthy house. The whole "Ill clean in 20 yrs when they are grown up"....ummm no you won't.

I am somewhat of a germaphobe about handwashing, countertops, bathrooms. At the same time I don't care if my kids have a snack in the living room. Balance.

Mopping daily, nope, not going to happen. If that means I am filthy so be it. Sweeping definitely necessary.

[rainyday]

I guess the mopping daily would depend on what is meant by mopping. A real mopping with a bucket? No way. But I do often pull out the squirter mop and spot mop in the kitchen or do a really quick (30 second) swipe of the whole kitchen floor (my kitchen is small).

And a big : to the clean house love. I love having a clean house. I find it much more relaxing. When my house is in disarray, it stresses me out, and I have a hard time relaxing. When it's clean and orderly, I'm much calmer and happier!

[crunchy_mama]

ya, perhaps some spot mopping as the kids are always making messes. However, my whole entire house is moppable it would take considerable time to do it every day and honestly it doesn't need it.

[artparent]

i love a clean house too, and an orderly one. orderly more so than clean, actually, if i have to choose! i'm doing a big seasonal clean + freshen up with paint, it feels wonderful. i also moved to focusing on one room per day, on a weekly cycle, and it means that i'm actually making *progress* at home rather than just doing the minimum. that's just life being a bit more organised lately, hopefully it will continue! it is helping me to do all of my routines, and i find i have a lot more time for other things, not less - i spend a lot of time feeling worn out and everyone gets grumpy and overwhelmed when things are chaotic. on the other hand i get huge amounts of energy from accomplishing small, visible change in my home, and everyone else benefits from it too.

*

[Siennaflower]

I love a clean house too. Our house is on the market so I've decluttered it down to just necessities and man oh man, do I love it. Nothing on the counters, no nick nacks and everything bright and sparkly. Very easy to keep clean. I thought I would miss my 'stuff' but I don't miss how much extra time I spent putting away things that were left out or looking for things that weren't put away. And it's just nice to wake up and know everything is ready for the day, I don't have to wash dishes just to get started on breakfast.

[Just My Opinion]

I second the poster who said they love orderly, over clean, if they had to choose. That is me. I mean, I like a clean home of course -- but it would be less important to me to mop every day than it would be to make sure the dining room table is clear every day kwim? I really have a thing against clutter

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

re: orderly vs. clean

I think orderly is necessary in order to have clean.

Whenever people say that their house is disorganized "but it is clean" I wonder to myself how that is possible.

When things are all in disarray, I can't even find the floor, much less mop it.

So yes, I'm into decluttering too. My house is definitely on the minimalist side.

Although -- truth be told -- with three children under five my house is mostly one big toy box, with some furniture thrown in there so we can sit and read stories together.

[Brisen]

I like a clean and orderly home, but I am sooooo not good at it. I used to get up before the kids and spend 2 hours every week day on cleaning & organizing, and it never felt like enough. This was in a small, 3 bedroom townhouse that we didn't live in long enough to clutter up. Ugh. Right now, I work on keeping the living room, entrance, & kitchen/dining room looking nice, and try to keep on top of the bathrooms. Bedrooms are OK; I generally make sure beds are made and nothing is on the floor, but we often have stuff on dressers & laundry waiting to be put away.

I struggle with decluttering. We homeschool, so the kids and I use our home during the day for all sorts of things. It seems like no matter how many bookshelves we have, there isn't enough room for everything and I end up stacking things. I like having games and toys and art supplies etc. on hand, but I hate having random containers around for me to toss the small pieces of things that I find but I don't want to bother putting them away right now, for instance. A minimalist approach in this area appeals to me, but I remember when we were moving and most of the toys and books were packed up; the kids ended up watching a lot of tv/playing DS. It's difficult for me to find the right balance. I did make a little headway by boxing up the majority of the kids' toys just before this past Christmas, to make room for the new ones. That way they're not all just out, but I have access to a variety if the kids are getting bored.

[QUOTE=Just My Opinion;13988437]I love a clean house too. I too, hate those comments regarding playing with children. I typically get passive/aggressive statements like, "they are only young once and I don't want to waste my precious time on cleaning!" and things of that nature. As if it has to be an all or nothing thing.[/url]

I get the impression that there is lip service paid to this idea, but people still think you're slacking if your house is messy, so why bother saying it? And I find it easier to spend time with my kids if I'm starting wtih a tidy home.

Originally Posted by Just My Opinion

I think it does a service to dd, as she will be keeping her own home someday (whether partnered or single) and I want her to take pride in her home -- to value what she has been blessed with (even if she doesn't have a lot of money, we sure don't lol), to feel a sense of accomplishment and peace when her space is tidy and organized.

I totally agree. This is something I didn't get growing up, and it has made it very difficult for me to figure out the whole "caring for your living space" thing. It also makes it difficult for me to teach it to my kids, since I'm still struggling and learning.

[bluebunny]

I love a clean house, too, but I haven't figured out how to keep it that way. As soon as it gets all clean, a disaster happens and I feel like I'm right back where I started. I have figured out that if I invite people over (for playgroups or lunch or whatever) that I will get motivated to clean. So, I try to invite over company every two weeks.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

Whenever people say that their house is disorganized "but it is clean" I wonder to myself how that is possible.

In my case, it meant everything was on a shelf or in a drawer, but not the right shelf/drawer. I'd have a clear floor and a laundry basket (or 2) of junk to sort. Tons of stuff that doesn't have a set "place" to go so it's just shoved in where ever it'd fit.

[mommaof3boz]

also I am raising all boys. I don't want them to have it in their heads if they marry someday its the spouses job. I make them clean right along with me. I think for some reason that still isn't the norm, to make boys pitch in equally with girls on household work. I am not raising children, I am raising future adults who need to be be self sufficent. I am their momma now but their future partner, roommante, child whatever isn't.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Melissa --

The future spouses of your boys will thank you.

I know I have thanked my mother-in-law MANY times.

She was a single Mom and she didn't have time for a son who couldn't clean -- he had a list of chores a mile long

So now, since that is what he is used to, my husband pitches in every single day (he does all the dishes, he does laundry, he changes diapers, he vacuums...whatever needs doing he'll do. And I'm very grateful for this) and I attribute all of this to how his mother raised him.

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

You can still have a clean house and happy kids.

[IncaMama]

well, i would love to have a clean and organized home too. and i'm getting there. but it's taken me many many years. my husband is absolutely critical to this process. he's an awesome cleaner, he prefers it to be clean and neat, and over our 10 year marriage has done FAR more of it than me. : i'm comin' around. slowly.

i haven't found the balance yet between cleaning/decluttering/organizing and having fun with my kids. i tend to do entire days of one thing. not great. but i imagine that once my house is fully decluttered (well, i know it's a process but you kwim) i will be able to find that balance more easily.

until then, my house needs some major help. :

[kittywitty]

I am usually a typical Virgo clean freak. I have been soooo out of my groove lately, though. We are in a tiny house and things are just out of hand. So I need to get back with it after we are able to move out of these boxes!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a quick mop thing? Squirt and mop? I have a regular mop (not sponge) and it is an enormous amount of work and seems to make the floor dirtier somehow. We will have hardwoods throughout most of the house when we move again and I need to find a good mop for that, too. I think Target has a good one, so I need to find a Target next time we travel.

What about the robot vacuums like roomba? I got good recommendations to get one on another thread, but is there a less expensive one out there?

[Jennifer3141]

I love that there's a thread for moms who love to clean. Cooking interests me a little but CLEANING really gets my mama heart to fluttering.

I'm even one of the last hand-moppers out there. I don't do it everyday - but I usally do get to it weekly. And I handmop because that enables me to see every speck and then my baseboards are clean too. My only problem are that I have a gigantic kitchen floor and we live on the beach. The sand keeps my kids busy most days but it's well, SAND. And it travels throughout the entire house when they come back in. I swear it ends up in rooms they don't even go into and makes tiny piles. In corners. It finds the cat hair and makes nests.

I'll shut up now. My sand rant makes me look insane.

And I'd LOVE to get a Roomba vacuum and Scooba. The idea that robots would be cleaning my house while I sleep cracks me up. I'd like to program them to work at like 2:00 a.m. and then get up to spy on them.

[es1967]

My floors need a good washing right now too. I usually wash the floors once a week. The entire condo is tile so it still quite a job. I have just been so lazy this past week and everytime I step on the floor I think about it. Luckily my little dog cleans up most of the 2.5 yr olds mess and the roomba takes care of the rest. The roomba is awesome. It really picks up alot of stuff but you need to have things picked up which I always do. I would love to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the heck out of these floors. I really need to do the grout w magic erasers. Its the only thing that really cleans the grout.

[artparent]

oo, really? i'm off to try magic erasers on my grout today

we just have a hand-vac, i love not having to pull anything behind me.

however, jennifer, please explain more about how you hand-mop. what do you use? a spray bottle and a cloth? something thick? textured? a sponge? scrub brush? bucket of water? i need help!

i can never seem to get my bathroom (around the toilet) to smell good, it is really frustrating. any (environmentally sound) tips for me?

ahh, i am a double virgo. clean + tidy gives me tremendous peace and energy

*

[es1967]

The magic erasers work well for my tile because I have had the grout sealed w a special sealant. Its a light beige tile w light grout so its a real PITA. I love having tile everywhere but next time I'd try for smaller grout lines. I have heard others have had success w it too so give it a try. I clean floors and bathroom floor w some hot water, vinegar-drops of lavender,a few peppermint and lemongrass. Even alone I find the lemongrass and the peppermint have a lingering fresh smell.

[crunchy_mama]

Oh, I desperately need to scrub my kitchen floors today I am going to try the magic eraser as well! I like to hand mop as well, but don't always do it. When I just had a kitchen and bathrooms to do it was no biggie, but now it is close to 2000 sq ft and it is just too much at one time.