s/o a s/o (lol) - Not keeping a clean house..

[Tree House Academy]

If you do not consider yourself someone who "keeps your house clean" - why do you feel that way? Are we talking an episode of hoarders here or just not someone who cleans every day? I guess I am just curious as to what YOU think constitutes a "clean house" or an "unclean house."

Edited June 11, 2011 by Tree House Academy

[LittleIzumi]

Clutter EVERYWHERE. Not like Hoarders, but just the mail & books & toys & laundry & yarn & the pots from yesterday's dinner, etc, plus sometimes yesterday's plates still on the table with a lot of dh's books, etc, etc. It's a combo of dh & I both not being raised knowing how to clean (his mom does essentially hoard everything, and my mom is diagnosed OCD so she cleaned everything herself), plus we both seem very ADD (he is diagnosed & medicated, I've never been tested except online tests), he is at work all day & school all afternoon/evening, I'm always tired, and we have three young children including a baby. Our main family support is about 1500 miles away.

 

:svengo:

 

I'm getting slowly better as I address some of those--fish oil for my ADD, figuring out how to schedule things in a way that I will do them but not feel overwhelmed/shut down, tryyyyying to stay off the computer, spending more time outside (not messing things up), changing my mindset & decluttering ala "It's All Too Much," and the baby is crawling so I can get up more to clean, lol.

[T'smom]

I am NOT someone who keeps my house clean. I believe it's because it's so defeating. It is immediately undone. Also, I HATE to only do part of something- anything. If it's not going to be done well- why do it at all? (I totally understand why this thinking is NOT healthy....but I can't help it) It's like, if there were 100 things out of place and I put 90 of them away......the job is STILL not done. So why bother putting the 90 away? I'm really, really trying to change this, but it seems imprinted on my DNA. I TRY to appreciate it when dh "picks up". I try to tell myself that it's at least 1/2 done and that's 1/2 that I don't have to do.....but it doesn't work.

It's not just housework that I have this problem with. I'm not good at doing a little bit of anything at a time, I like marathon sessions. When I was in school, I would write all my papers at one time. When I do a book club or bible study, I can NOT just read the chapter that we're discussing. I have to read the whole thing.

I've noticed this tendency in my 3 yo. He will play with one toy for hours at a time and then not pick it up again for a month. (It's not so much one toy as one category of toys- ALL the trains or ALL the dinosaurs or whatever......playing with only one toy would make clean up too easy!)

[~Amanda~]

Clutter EVERYWHERE. Not like Hoarders, but just the mail & books & toys & laundry & yarn & the pots from yesterday's dinner, etc, plus sometimes yesterday's plates still on the table with a lot of dh's books, etc, etc. It's a combo of dh & I both not being raised knowing how to clean (his mom does essentially hoard everything, and my mom is diagnosed OCD so she cleaned everything herself), plus we both seem very ADD (he is diagnosed & medicated, I've never been tested except online tests), he is at work all day & school all afternoon/evening, I'm always tired, and we have three young children including a baby. Our main family support is about 1500 miles away.

 

:svengo:

 

I'm getting slowly better as I address some of those--fish oil for my ADD, figuring out how to schedule things in a way that I will do them but not feel overwhelmed/shut down, tryyyyying to stay off the computer, spending more time outside (not messing things up), changing my mindset & decluttering ala "It's All Too Much," and the baby is crawling so I can get up more to clean, lol.

 

I almost could have written this myself.

[LittleIzumi]

I almost could have written this myself.

 

Sweet. You should come over. :lol: I always feel bad having the super-clean-house people over because mine is so not.....

[Cortana]

I don't have a clean house and it's a rare thing for it ever get to the point where the entire house is clean, not just a room or two. I'm like T'smom, it is very defeating to clean and clean just to turn around and the kids have destroyed it all just like that. With the 2.5yo, it's nearly impossible to keep anything clean for more than 5 mins and I really feel like why did I waste all that time just to turn around and have to do it again. I'm also working on it as I hate the condition of my house. I also tend to have way too much going on at once, I get distracted by something that needs to be done and I never get back to what I was doing. I'm working on a chore schedule for our family in the hopes that we can get a routine going and not have me doing all of it.

 

I also have a dh and 2 boys that are total slobs, lol!

 

To me, a clean house is one that you wouldn't be in a panic state if company arrived unexpectedly.

[GoVanGogh]

I would much prefer to garden than to clean house. We live in our garden 3/4th of the year and track mulch and dirt in constantly. I am not fanatical about sweeping it up, as it doesn't bother me. But I am sure it would be the first thing visitors would notice.

I figure my close friends know me well enough to know that I would rather rake than vacuum. :001_smile:

 

Like another person posted, I prefer to 'marathon' clean. I will spend a day cleaning the house top to bottom. We then can keep it relatively clean for 3-4 weeks. It seems to implode all at once. :tongue_smilie: We live with it that way for a week or so, then I do another marathon cleaning session. How clean my house is varies wildly. I have tried chore charts and cleaning schedules and just have never been able to follow one consistently.

[Amy in NH]

I try to keep it tidy, but there are usually miscellaneous piles of paper around.

 

I try to keep it vacuumed, although it doesn't get dusted as often as it should. It doesn't feel clean to me, though, because no matter how much time and energy I put into cleaning there are always cobwebs along the ceiling or curtains that need washing or light fixtures that need to be emptied of dead bugs... if I get one done then it's another, and then right back to the beginning. Ugh!

[Guest momk2000]

Definitely not a hoarder, but my house is lived in. I have accepted the fact that as long as there are kids in the house, there will be clutter and mess. I gave up trying to keep my house neat long ago. When it does get picked up, it might stay that way for part of a day, and then it's all back again. I figure, why fight it.

[beaners]

Surfaces naturally collect objects. The table and counters collect papers and magazines and newspapers and things that the children shouldn't be playing with. Furniture collects laundry that I've folded and sorted but haven't put away. Dishes don't get done every night, and there's always something that I forget to wash. It's usually dry stuff though, nothing that will mold! When we receive packages, the boxes are set on top of something and start to become receptacles for my "throw everything into something 5 minute clean." That 5 minute clean is what I do so that you can walk from the kitchen to the stairs. There are still storage tubs in every bedroom from switching over to summer clothes a month ago.

 

There are some things I keep on top of. The kitchen floor is swept often enough to prevent ants during the summer. I try to always have a single clean room that I can sit in when the mess gets to me. The girls' room is clean, but they're asleep. Right now my only option is the bathroom. Clean for me means things are put away and the floors have been swept or vacuumed. I get to the floors regularly in every room, but it usually involves piling all the stuff onto something. 15 minutes later my children will have strewn everything around the room again anyways.

 

My children know someone is about to visit when I strap them into booster seats or playpens so that I can get every room clean at the same time.

[Carrie12345]

Because cleaning a <1100sf house when 7 people and 4 animals are living in it simply has no end. I've made the attempt. Now I just wait until all of the 2 leggers are gone, lock up the 4 leggers, and have at it. Then I can enjoy it until about 30 minutes after everyone comes home. And it's just not worth it!

[texasmama]

For me, a clean house is a house fairly ready for company. That means no stuff on the floor, floors swept and vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned, clutter put away. This rarely all happens at the same time. My house does not qualify for an episode of "Hoarders" by any means, and I do sweep and vacuum regularly, but I am fighting a losing battler here with all of us being here most of the time.

[Rosy]

If you do not consider yourself someone who "keeps your house clean" - why do you feel that way? Are we talking an episode of hoarders here or just not someone who cleans every day? I guess I am just curious as to what YOU think constitutes a "clean house" or an "unclean house."

To me, a clean house is one where most everything is put away, dishes are clean or in the dishwasher, laundry is done or a few items are in the hamper (hampers are not overflowing), bookcases, shelves, desks/tables and other storage areas are tidy, and there may be a few papers out (bills or mail that needs to be answered), but only ones that will be answered soon.

 

In my house, the kitchen get thoroughly cleaned 2-3 times a week, there are a piles, there are stray items in the living room, the end table by my living room is piled with school books and a crochet project or two, laundry hampers are often overflowing, sometimes there's something sticky on the dining table and too-old food in the fridge, bookcases are disheveled...you get the idea. The kids' rooms are often trashed, even though they have to clean them at least 3-4 times a week. It's usually manageable and most of the time it's not so bad that if someone dropped in unexpectedly, I wouldn't be embarrassed. I try to do a good thorough cleaning on Saturday mornings.

 

I guess the only reason I think about it at all is because it bugs my husband. I'm much better than I used to be because of him, but lately we've had many talks about how homeschooling takes precedence over cleaning and that I might not get to everything every day.

[Farrar]

We live in an old house, so it's just dusty and imperfect. I won't tolerate hoarding or having tons of stuff built up without a proper place... but sometimes things sit and don't find their place for longer than they should. The basement is truly a disaster - both the playroom, because the kids get to leave it that way, and the back because it's unfinished and dust falls from the floor above constantly and the cat... well, he's old... poor cat. He makes messes and sometimes I don't find them right away. And my stove is never really clean - who has time to really scour that? Plus, good grief... grease just accumulates in strange corners of the kitchen and I don't pull out a ladder to properly scrub it except once or twice a year. I do the dishes every day, but I won't do them three times a day, so it's not unusual for them to get left overnight. My upstairs windows are a mess... I would need to get special ladders to clean them, I think.

 

On the other hand, it's all in the eye of the beholder. I do to some peoples' houses that are really disaster areas and others where I'm just like, how do you keep everything this immaculate!?! So... whatever. We tidy up every day. I sweep and vacuum once or twice a week. I dust once a month or so. I do a proper clean every so often with lots of scrubbing and so forth.

[greenvneck]

I am the *only* one who seems to notice or care that our house is TRASHED. I spend as much time as I can trying to keep up with basic daily maintenance, but it's not enough. All of the kids have daily/weekly chores, but it's not enough and I don't know what to do. I'm trying to convince myself that as long as the areas *I* care about are clean (kitchen, bathroom, desk), that's enough, but it's getting more difficult.

 

ETA: The dishwasher is run at least 2x a day, should be run 3x. Two loads of laundry a day at a minimum, kitchen surfaces cleaned 3-4x a day, basic bathroom (x4) wipe-down several times a week.....but it's still a horrible mess. I don't know how to fit it in with homeschooling, tae kwon do 3+x/wk for the kids & dh, homeschool PE 2-3x/wk, playdates, doctor/psych appointments, feeding a vegetarian & gluten-free family of six while cooking everything from scratch and still trying to have fun.

Edited June 11, 2011 by greenvneck

[~Amanda~]

Sweet. You should come over. :lol: I always feel bad having the super-clean-house people over because mine is so not.....

 

awesome; we'll sit and knit together and let the kids dump all the toys out on the floor lol

[Rivka]

Surfaces in my house tend to attract piles. There are books and papers and toys pretty much everywhere. We live in a 170-year-old house in the center city, so the house tends to just be dusty and gritty. Clean laundry often sits on the couch in the study for several days before it gets put away. The stove and counter often have crumbs or splatters.

 

We are good at keeping up with:

- not leaving out food or food garbage that could spoil. We do tend to accumulate little cups of cheese crackers and Cheerios in various corners of the house, carried there by the toddler.

- keeping the bathroom reasonably sanitary.

- dishes never left overnight, with the possible exception of rinsed-but-not-washed sippy cups and wine glasses.

- clearing old food out of the refrigerator.

- sweeping up the toddler leavings under the dinner table.

- washing and drying clothes (but not necessarily putting them away)

- changing out and washing towels, kitchen towels, cloth napkins.

 

We sweep the downstairs every 2-3 days but the floors are still constantly dirty and gritty. It's a neverending losing battle. We put away toys and books and straighten things up in the downstairs a few times a week. The upstairs study is usually a disaster area.

 

Honestly, there are a lot of things that are more important to me than cleaning. Our house is not hazardous, but it ain't clean.

[actuary]

I'm definitely not as bad as an episode as Hoarders and the Public Health Department would not be concerned, but

 

I vacuum/dust maybe once every 2 months?

 

I pile stuff everywhere because I am lazy about putting stuff away

 

My floor starts to disappear on a regular basis...that's when you have to watch where you step so you don't trip over a stack of books or a pile of clothes.

 

But I do have some standards - I don't ever leave food out or wrappers or stuff to attract bugs...I'm more of someone who just doesn't put stuff away...I do take the trash out and stuff like that

 

I have read several organization books - my problem is actually implementing the advice.

 

Actually that is my problem with a lot of advice - I like to plan to do things, I spend less time actually doing things, hmmm I need to really work on that :tongue_smilie:

[Guest momk2000]

My daughter once commented on how messy our house was (on weekends it really gets out of hand :001_huh:). So, I told the kids to look around and tell me how much of the clutter belonged to daddy and me, and how much of it was theirs. I will just say this, they have not commented on the clutter since. ;)

[LittleIzumi]

awesome; we'll sit and knit together and let the kids dump all the toys out on the floor lol

 

Brilliant. How far are you from Utah? :lol::lol:

 

*as I sit here procrastinating more decluttering*

[~Amanda~]

Um, a bit. lol. I'm in texas ;)

[merry gardens]

I would much prefer to garden than to clean house. We live in our garden 3/4th of the year and track mulch and dirt in constantly. I am not fanatical about sweeping it up, as it doesn't bother me. But I am sure it would be the first thing visitors would notice. ....

My housecleaning has slacked off recently, but my gardens look great! It's either the inside or the outside. I can't do both. :D Not unless we're expecting company, in which case I clean in panic mode.

 

I usually have clean rooms, but not an entirely clean house. The number of clean rooms varies with the seasons.

[kchara]

I don't have a clean house because as soon as I clean it, there is someone from our under 2 crowd right behind me tearing it up. I've given up for the time being. I know I've got to get a handle on it, though. Supposed to have visitors this summer. :svengo:

[Tree House Academy]

Thank you all for your answers. :) Growing up, my mom was pretty much a "clutter keeper." We had one room that was filled to the ceiling with random stuff and I can't even promise there was a path through it. We called it "the junk room." My mom was one to lay stuff wherever she stopped first. Food stayed on the plates and the plates lined the counter tops stacked 5 high, the table, and the sink overflowed. The smell was a lot like "garbage" at all times.

 

When I was about 10, I started to realize that my house was not clean. I have OCD and I immediately started cleaning it. From then on, I kept the house immaculate. Of course, it was an older home and we were two women living alone, so the house was never great (i.e. all the tiles were off the bottom part of the bath tub and you had to turn on the water with a wrench!) - but I did the best i could with what we had.

 

When I moved out, my houses were always "eat off the floor" clean. I remember that my ex husband had issues with his long time girlfriend because she couldn't keep the house as clean as I did!

 

When I married my now dh, I went through a bout with depression and my house started to suffer because of it. I now wonder if a lot of my mom's issue wasn't also caused by depression and the stress of being a single mom.

 

Now, at 32 yrs old, my house is not immaculate. I have 3 cats, two bunnies, and a dog in the house. There is some hair, two litter boxes, and the bunnies are in a cage. I have to vacuum, mop, and constantly clean out litter if I want things to even be "clean enough" and sometimes that just doesn't happen.

 

As for clutter, I am a minimalist and probably the absolute opposite of a "hoarder." I don't like clutter, can't handle clutter, and feel overall stressed when my main living areas get cluttered. My dh and youngest son are MESSY - and their spaces are often so messy and so much more cluttered than what I can handle that I just have to close the doors. ds7's room is a constant nightmare and he very honestly DOES kind of hoard stuff. He will throw it away easily, but he also tends to keep pointless junk because it "means something" to him.

 

All this to say that my house is not perfect, but it is not horrible. If there is a ball of cat hair on the stairs when someone shows up unannounced, it does bother me. So does the dust on the ceiling fans...and more than a few dishes in the sink. Having OCD, I am pretty amazed that I can even allow as much "mess" as I do these days.

 

The one thing I notice is that, when my house was immaculate, my (oldest) son was taken to day care through the week and basically ignored on the weekends. Now that I allow some mess in my life, my kids are both the CENTER of my day...and not an after thought to obsessive cleaning. :)

Edited June 11, 2011 by Tree House Academy

[Dawn in OH]

I view clean and tidy differently.

 

My house is always clean. It's often very untidy.

 

Clean: I wash out the kitchen sink and wipe down the counters and faucets after every load of dishes. The stove is wiped down daily. The floor is swept daily. The kitchen floor is washed once a week, with spot cleaning in between.

 

The bathroom gets a light wipe down every time I visit it. The bathroom gets a deep clean once a week.

 

The carpet is frequently vacuumed. I really hate carpet, but that's another discussion.

 

Things are dusted.

 

Tidy: No toys, books, and laundry every where. We tidy up before dinner, before bed and when company is coming. I'd like the house tidy all the time, because I'm just that kind of person, but the kids have a different opinion. Just the other day I put all the youngest's toys back into their basket, turned around a minute later and he dumped them all back out again.

 

My house is clean, but most days, in the middle of the day, it looks like a tornado ripped through it.

[Laura Corin]

I didn't reply to the poll. I wouldn't describe it as 'clean', because I walk into some other people's houses (when they didn't know I was coming) and they seem picture-perfect. I vacuum and dust our house every week or two, clean the bathrooms more regularly than that, and keep the kitchen fairly straight. There are areas of clutter though, and I (deliberately) don't insist on the TV room being kept pristine - I vacuum that as I can and feather dust the intermittent clutter.

 

What's missing is deep cleaning. I only do this in winter - in the summer I spend as much time as possible in the garden.

 

Laura

[twoforjoy]

If you do not consider yourself someone who "keeps your house clean" - why do you feel that way? Are we talking an episode of hoarders here or just not someone who cleans every day? I guess I am just curious as to what YOU think constitutes a "clean house" or an "unclean house."

 

It really would depend on what time of day you came over. We don't get to "Hoarders" levels, but if you came over in the middle of the day, there's a good chance there'd be toys all over the floor, books and projects all over the surfaces, and dishes in the sink. If you came over in the morning or evening, though, the house would be pretty neat. I try to clean up every night so I wake up to a clean house, and I'll do a quick midday pick-up, but I'm not super concerned about making sure the house is neat throughout the day, because that is just a losing battle and ends up with me frustrated and irritated.

[Mynyel]

Hmm...

 

Box with with laptop to be repaired on table, on top of the box is school stuff, binders, book and a cooling rack with cupcakes on it.

 

Kitchen is actually fairly decent today, but there is a bag of croutons, mixing bowl (clena though!), empty water bottle, honey, cough syrup and buffered aspirin is out. Empty goldfish (Pepperidge Farms) box on the opposite counter, toothbrush and the vinegar wasn't put away. We won't talk about the top of the refrigerator.

 

Living room? Few toys on the floor, needs to be swept and moped (same with kitchen), unfolded sheet on couch, bug spray on entertain center, mantle above fireplace has a collection of junk from dh as he doesn't like to put things away :P. Clutter on the shelves.

 

We won't talk about bedrooms either. Bathrooms are fairly clean. Toilets are scrubbed :D

 

However I would never invite anyone over. Even if it was spotless out house is so rundown looking it looks dirty even when it isn't.

 

Nope don't keep a neat home, I am getting better (due to throwing junk out) but still a little ways off.

[Sparkle]

Losing battle here as well. We have a very small house, with very few closets/cupboards, no garage, no attic or basement or storage space to speak of, and it's really hard to control the clutter. I don't think the house will ever really be clean until the kids move out (although I wasn't the greatest housekeeper before I had kids either), or we move to a bigger house.

 

That said, we do manage to keep up with laundry, dishes are done every day, the bathrooms are cleaned, dining table cleared, trash taken out, litter boxes cleaned, so it's not hazardous or disgusting. It's just cluttery and dusty :tongue_smilie:

[Truscifi]

For me, a clean house is a house fairly ready for company. That means no stuff on the floor, floors swept and vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned, clutter put away. This rarely all happens at the same time. My house does not qualify for an episode of "Hoarders" by any means, and I do sweep and vacuum regularly, but I am fighting a losing battler here with all of us being here most of the time.

 

:iagree: Though since we started keeping farm animals it has been much harder to keep the house clean - mainly the floors because we have to feed everyone and I am the only one who takes my shoes off after trekking across the yard and getting them all sandy or muddy.

[The Girls' Mom]

My definition of clean (enough) is having the floors swept, any obvious sticky/dirty spots mopped up, dirty laundry washed (or in a hamper), dishes washed, trash taken out and table top clutter mostly picked up. Not spotless by any means, but presentable.

 

My mother's definition of clean enough was surgical suite clean. Everything scrubbed, dusted, polished, and not a thing out of place. I swore I would never make my family live under the torment of keeping a house that clean. It was miserable for everyone involved.

 

She would probably be horrified at the state of my house most days, yet I consider it a fairly well kept house. :lol:

[CalicoKat]

If you do not consider yourself someone who "keeps your house clean" - why do you feel that way? Are we talking an episode of hoarders here or just not someone who cleans every day? I guess I am just curious as to what YOU think constitutes a "clean house" or an "unclean house."

 

DH and I do not agree on the definition of clean.

 

His clean is what you see when you walk into his mother's home that's cleaned weekly by a maid. It's so clean it's antiseptic.

 

My clean is comfy clutter but a debris-free & clean swept floor, laundry kept the current load, and clutter-free tables for dining.

 

If you ask him, I'm not a good house keeper. But by no means are we anywhere near to a scene from Hoarders.

 

Now that he's home 24/7 I'm sure he'll help with the house cleaning or change his definition. :D

[Momma H]

I pretty much just clean when I know I am having company. When people are here they think I am clean but HA!--not so much. I just have piles and toys all over. I don't enjoy cleaning and seriously, it is just the same way after 2-3 days tops so what is the point?!

 

Serioulsy, I heard someone say once, "The perfect house is clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be fun!" I like that.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Momma H
added something

[Susan in TX]

I've been told by my children that compared to their friends' houses, our house is VERY clean, but I don't think it is. At one paint in time I was very on top of things and I would have said that I did keep my house clean but over the years, I have made it less and less of a priority. Right now, I'm 30 weeks pregnant so there is a lot I'd like to do, that I don't have the stamina for.

 

So, my refrigerator is gross, the bathtub needs to be cleaned, and the kitchen floor is in desperate need of being mopped. The little girls' bedroom is cluttered and in need of straightening.

 

I did recently get the office decluttered, but there are still a few spots that are undone and I really need to clean out my closet.

 

Susan in TX

[Outdoorsy Type]

My house is cleaned every week, just not all rooms/jobs at the same time. I'm not sure whether or not to consider my home "clean", but it is not company ready at all times.

 

I have a checklist that lists everything that needs done in the week, and I consider it okay if I get everything checked off once.

 

School takes a lot of my time, and I feel worn out when I'm through for the day. I try to do 45min-1hr a day to keep it from "Hoarders episode dirty".

[YLVD]

Clutter EVERYWHERE. Not like Hoarders, but just the mail & books & toys & laundry & yarn & the pots from yesterday's dinner, etc, plus sometimes yesterday's plates still on the table with a lot of dh's books, etc, etc. It's a combo of dh & I both not being raised knowing how to clean (his mom does essentially hoard everything, and my mom is diagnosed OCD so she cleaned everything herself), plus we both seem very ADD (he is diagnosed & medicated, I've never been tested except online tests), he is at work all day & school all afternoon/evening, I'm always tired, and we have three young children including a baby. Our main family support is about 1500 miles away.

 

:svengo:

 

I'm getting slowly better as I address some of those--fish oil for my ADD, figuring out how to schedule things in a way that I will do them but not feel overwhelmed/shut down, tryyyyying to stay off the computer, spending more time outside (not messing things up), changing my mindset & decluttering ala "It's All Too Much," and the baby is crawling so I can get up more to clean, lol.

 

Similar experiences here. I'm severely ADD and never learned to clean well due to my mom being a clean freak. I can see things overall but do poorly with the small details of cleaning.

[Mona100]

Right now, my apartment is prolly in its best shape since I moved in. I have suffered with depression for the majority of my life and just in the past year have been better than ever. Better than I have ever felt. Anyways, I have never been one to be a big cleaner. But I have this week alone been throwing things out and cleaning big time. I cleaned my closets out and actually saw the floor, washed all my clothes and found so many socks and panties that I never have to buy either for many many years. No joke.

 

My living room is ok for people to come and see but I don't want them to go into the kitchen. The bathrooms are wrecked. I am planning to tackle them this weekend. I work 7on/7off and my next off week I will tackle the kitchen and make it sparkling. So, right now I would say my place is half and half.

[Janie Grace]

I never feel like my house is clean except when we are about to have overnight company... and even then, there are probably things I think I should have done but didn't (like baseboards, or cupboard doors, or something like that).

 

Usually I don't think it's clean b/c if the bathrooms are clean, the kitchen floor isn't. If the rugs are vacuumed, there is laundry in baskets everywhere. I hardly ever dust. I should change sheets more often; I have such a hard time keeping up with the linens of my 2 bed-wetters that I often neglect the rest of us! That kind of thing. I think I have this crazy, looked-at-too-many-decorating-magazines/catalogs voice in my head that is always telling me that my house falls short, that is always drawing attention to the piles, the spots, the stickiness... even though most REAL people tell me my house is fine! I'm trying to live with the imperfection that is real life for me.

 

My kids have chores but I often forget to remind them. I have chores but I often am too tired. Life goes on.

[Wabi Sabi]

My house isn't filthy and I have no concern that CPS is going to stop by and take my children into custody nor do we belong on an episode of Hoarders.

 

I run the dishwasher at least once a day but it still seems like we're never fully caught up on them. We vacuum every couple of days, but with three heavily shedding dogs and a cat in a small house, well, there's still hair. Toys, books, paper and mail seem to just multiply overnight.

 

Every other weekend or so dh and I spend the entire weekend getting the house back into order but it never seems to last more than a couple of days. Cumulatively we probably spend at least 2 hours a day cleaning, doing dishes, laundry, etc but we can never seem to stay on top of the mess.

 

I am very self-conscious about it and dislike having many friends over. I'm okay with the friends who have similarly messy houses, but my friends with spotless homes? I'm terrified that they're secretly appalled and judging me.

[dcjlkplus3]

I'm definitely not as bad as an episode as Hoarders and the Public Health Department would not be concerned, but

 

I vacuum/dust maybe once every 2 months?

 

I pile stuff everywhere because I am lazy about putting stuff away

 

My floor starts to disappear on a regular basis...that's when you have to watch where you step so you don't trip over a stack of books or a pile of clothes.

 

But I do have some standards - I don't ever leave food out or wrappers or stuff to attract bugs...I'm more of someone who just doesn't put stuff away...I do take the trash out and stuff like that

 

I have read several organization books - my problem is actually implementing the advice.

 

Actually that is my problem with a lot of advice - I like to plan to do things, I spend less time actually doing things, hmmm I need to really work on that :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:This is me (especially the bolded part). And... I REALLY don't like to clean (although I love a clean house). We do major housecleaning when we are planning on having people over (birthday parties and houseguests mostly)