Do you enjoy cleaning your house?

[RoughCollie]

If you do like to clean, please tell me how you got that way!  I don't enjoy cleaning.  It is tedious because nothing stays done. It is boring, and no attempt to jazz it up with audio books or music is going to change that.  Heck, the last time I danced while cleaning my kitchen, some heretofore unheard from muscle was pulled and I couldn't do the twist again for a month. 

But some people like to clean!  Tell me why!  Tell me how this happened?  Is it genetic?

 

I like living in a clean, uncluttered house, which is why I do clean it even though it is not fun.  I tell myself all the time how mature and self-disciplined I am because I win the battle against my natural laziness every day! 

 

I think I'm done, and then another detail pops into my head. I'm starting to think that a house can never be Truly Clean! When was the last time you dusted the underside of your upper kitchen cabinets?  Do normal person think of that?!  I bet there is dust there ....

 

I know, get a life! :laugh:

 

 

 

[MomOfOneFunOne]

AMDG

I HATE cleaning with a white hot fiery passion. I almost didnt vote b/c "no" just doesn't nearly cover it.

 

I LOVE to cook and other things but cleaning . . . Emphatically, no!

[MomtoCandJ]

I hate cleaning but like the results at the end. I don't think, for me, it would be so bad if I could focus long enough to complete a room all at once.

I use the 30/30 app for my phone because it happens to work almost perfectly (there is a few things I don't like but maybe I can change them in settings). I do 30 minutes work, 10 minutes relax.

Besides ADD issues , I grew up in a house that could be off an episode of hoarders. So the habits and knowledge of how to clean are not there yet

[Harriet Vane]

AMDG

I HATE cleaning with a white hot fiery passion. I almost didnt vote b/c "no" just doesn't nearly cover it.

 

I LOVE to cook and other things but cleaning . . . Emphatically, no!

 

:iagree:

[Kathryn]

I HATE cleaning with a white hot fiery passion. I almost didnt vote b/c "no" just doesn't nearly cover it.

This. So this.

[Kathryn]

Also, I have a friend that loves cleaning. She posts about all the things she cleans and how sparkly her house is on FB all the time. She loves cleaning so much that when her youngest went to school, she started a house cleaning business so she could clean even more. I secretly hate her.

[Goldilocks]

AMDG

I HATE cleaning with a white hot fiery passion. I almost didnt vote b/c "no" just doesn't nearly cover it.

 

I LOVE to cook and other things but cleaning . . . Emphatically, no!

 

This.

 

I was hoping you would have an option stronger than "no."

 

I clean on Saturdays, when I wake up and realize what day it is, I am so bummed!

[GreenKitty]

Is it safe to say, I do? :)

[Pawz4me]

I need a choice for "other."

 

Some days I hate, HATE cleaning.  Other days I find it very calming and rewarding to do the physical work of cleaning with my mind on auto pilot.

[TracyP]

I voted yes. I don't always LOOVE to clean my house. And yes, I get frustrated at times with the never-ending nature of it. However, I enjoy it most of the time, and I do love the final result. I have a schedule (broken down by daily, weekly, seasonally - that is when I hit the kitchen cupboards;)) so that I clean almost without thinking. I think the final result is what really brings the enjoyment, though. Fridays are my deep clean days and I so look forward to them. :blush:

[RebeccaS]

I love to clean.  But, I hate to cook.  Just like the above poster who hates cleaning with a white hot fiery passion-that's me and cooking.  Cleaning and organizing is so soothing to me.  Dh jokes that he always knows when I'm mad at him because I'll be deep cleaning. I don't do out of the ordinary cleaning (like under the kitchen cabinets) unless I'm mad at dh.  Then, watch out, kitchen.  You're getting the scrubbing of a lifetime.  ;)

[RoughCollie]

Is it safe to say, I do? :)

 

Not unless you tell me how you got that way!

[Cindy in FL.]

I voted yes because I like having a clean house. I'm the one who cleans it, so while I don't love the process I do love the result. It's tolerable.

[mom@shiloh]

Hmmm.  Well, I don't love cleaning, but I love to have it clean and just don't function well when things are messy.  Right now I still have five kids living at home, so cleaning jobs are divided and as long as we stay caught up on the picking up, the actual cleaning can get done in an hour or two.  

[creekland]

No - and as I get older I realize life is too short to do things one really doesn't like doing - so call first before you visit if it matters to you.

 

I do insist on keeping dishes and clothes clean + I'm not fond of toilets growing "stuff"... beyond that... what's a little dust and dust bunnies can be cute!

 

We get enough visitors that the house gets cleaned periodically.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

This.

 

I was hoping you would have an option stronger than "no."

 

I clean on Saturdays, when I wake up and realize what day it is, I am so bummed!

AMDG

 

Yes! This is so true! I often think I just need to dedicate a day to getting my house clean. And then I have to decide which day I want to spend my week dreading and wake up hating.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Not particularly, but, as I do enjoy having the house clean, I clean. ;)

[RoughCollie]

I love to clean.  But, I hate to cook.  Just like the above poster who hates cleaning with a white hot fiery passion-that's me and cooking.  Cleaning and organizing is so soothing to me.  Dh jokes that he always knows when I'm mad at him because I'll be deep cleaning. I don't do out of the ordinary cleaning (like under the kitchen cabinets) unless I'm mad at dh.  Then, watch out, kitchen.  You're getting the scrubbing of a lifetime.   ;)

 

That's how I tell I am really, really angry!  I clean with a vengeance, and everything gets done in half the time, and I don't feel bored at all.  It must be an adrenaline rush.  I don't get really angry very often.

 

 

[Chris in VA]

I have a lot of "shoulds" in my head re my house and housekeeping. It causes anxiety for me, but in a "deep inside" way--I don't really feel it all the time, but when I tackle something on my Anxiety List, I can feel the release of energy and peace! 

 

So, I don't like to clean, but when I do, that nagging little bit of anxiety goes away, and I not only have a clean space, but also a calmer spot inside myself! Win-win. 

[TammyinTN]

Being a stay at home mom and military wife, our home is the one place I can control the environment.  I love to keep it clean and tidy.   I've  always wanted our home to be a haven for our family, and that's the reason I put so much effort into keeping it clean and welcoming.    I hope that makes sense, and I'm not just crazy.  :rolleyes:

[RoughCollie]

I have a lot of "shoulds" in my head re my house and housekeeping. It causes anxiety for me, but in a "deep inside" way--I don't really feel it all the time, but when I tackle something on my Anxiety List, I can feel the release of energy and peace! 

 

So, I don't like to clean, but when I do, that nagging little bit of anxiety goes away, and I not only have a clean space, but also a calmer spot inside myself! Win-win. 

 

Me, too.  I was always frustrated and anxious about the way my house looked when I was homeschooling.  "Good enough" was my mantra then.  I never could figure out how people homeschooled, kept a spotless house, had time to do anything else, and do it all gracefully, without breaking a sweat.  I am pretty sure that the standard I measured myself against was unattainable, at least by me.  My mother could have done it, though.

 

Now, when my kids are all at school, I finish my housework and enjoy every room being clean, not including the kids' bedrooms which are off my list.  But I still don't like to clean.

 

[creekland]

I think the only thing I hate more...is dental work.

The upcoming stuff going on for me medically ranks right up there too - worse than dental work.  Probably going to funerals would be up there as well.

 

I can't think of much other than those three that I dislike worse than cleaning.

[GreenKitty]

Not unless you tell me how you got that way!

 

While in my mother's womb I peeked through her bellybutton and wondered what she was doing all the time? I watched intently, how hard she worked. Rarely taking a break, she moved like magic. I would see smiling faces come towards her. I could hardly wait until I too could take something and make it shine.   :001_smile:

[Amira]

Usually I would just say no, but I hate cleaning this house with a fiery passion. I didn't choose it and wouldn't have chosen it in a million years and it is such a huge task to clean. It has six bathrooms and 2500 sq ft of white tile. I'm used to 1000 sq ft homes with one bathroom that my boys and I could easily work together to keep clean. I'm not a stickler for perfection, but there is always something that needs to be cleaned in this house just to make it look barely decent.

 

But I am eternally grateful that my children are 14, 12, and 5 instead of 5, 3, and 1.

[Carrie12345]

Here's the thing. I do like wiping, mopping, vacuumming, etc. I HATE the cleaning (putting odds and ends away) that has to come before it.

 

The one thing I will never like is washing dishes. We're breaking down and replacing the broken dishwasher this weekend.

[Ellie]

If you do like to clean, please tell me how you got that way!  I don't enjoy cleaning.  It is tedious because nothing stays done. It is boring, and no attempt to jazz it up with audio books or music is going to change that.  Heck, the last time I danced while cleaning my kitchen, some heretofore unheard from muscle was pulled and I couldn't do the twist again for a month. 

But some people like to clean!  Tell me why!  Tell me how this happened?  Is it genetic?

 

I like living in a clean, uncluttered house, which is why I do clean it even though it is not fun.  I tell myself all the time how mature and self-disciplined I am because I win the battle against my natural laziness every day! 

 

I think I'm done, and then another detail pops into my head. I'm starting to think that a house can never be Truly Clean! When was the last time you dusted the underside of your upper kitchen cabinets?  Do normal person think of that?!  I bet there is dust there ....

 

I know, get a life! :laugh:

 

I enjoy it. That is, I don't find it tiresome and tedious, and I enjoy living in a clean, tidy house.

 

And it beats having to get in my car and drive somewhere to work for someone else, who tells me what to do and when to do it and how to do it, and who might not even like my ideas. :D

[AlmiraGulch]

When my ex still lived in my state and we had a regular custody arrangement where my kids were with him every other weekend, I actually looked forward to cleaning on the Sundays they were with him.

I'd have some coffee, blast my favorite Sunday morning radio show, and get to it.  I keep my house fairly clean anyway, so I could do a really deep, thorough cleaning of the whole thing in a couple of hours or so.  I enjoyed the routine, and the sense of accomplishment when it was complete.

 

Now?  No.  I don't enjoy it at all, but it has to be done.  Everyone pitches in so it doesn't take that long and we all share the burden. 

[Cinder]

Passionately hate. I have never enjoyed cleaning. I used to wish I was like a friend who cleaned whenever she felt stressed. It helped her relax. But that didn't work for me. I just got more stressed because I hate hate hate it.

[Seasider]

I love it clean. But I loathe doing it. I am a project oriented person and having to re-do things frustrates me, I like to check tasks off the list and move on. The nature of housework is a repetitive cycle that conflicts with my personality type. I could never be a postal worker! I would also have a difficult time at a desk job where I had to do the same thing day after day.

 

I truly like things to be clean but I always find myself wishing I could be spending my time on something else. My mom was the same way. My MIL, on the other hand, is a born homemaker. I simply do not get the level of joy she does about my housekeeping.

[Spryte]

I would rather eat toenails than clean the house.   :D

 

 

 

So we pay someone else to do the cleaning.  I keep things picked up, do the daily stuff, and organize.  

[ScoutTN]

You mean there are people who do?!! :svengo:

[Dmmetler]

No, with one exception-I LOVE organizing my school room/craft closet. I think it's because I find all the neat stuff I'd forgotten I had!

 

 

[shanvan]

I have not read other responses, but I voted sometimes b/c I enjoy it if I have lots of time to get it done and I can play music, light a candle, and don't feel rushed.  That almost never happens anymore.  

[elegantlion]

I voted no. I hate cleaning, but I would rather clean than cook. I hate cooking with a fiery passion. If I didn't have dog hair everywhere all the time, I could get by with cleaning less. 

 

I found that cleaning my bathroom right before bed was productive. I felt better waking up to a clean bathroom. 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

It would be so much easier if I just encapsulated the place in plastic and installed a floor drain.  Not enough guys at home, or that would be more common than granite countertops.  Riding vacuums too....with cup holders.

[mytwomonkeys]

no. cleaning is an obligation and never a joy. i hate laundry with a passion, but clean clothes are necessary.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I voted "sometimes".  Mostly, I dislike cleaning, but besides preferring a clean house, there are times that the act of cleaning feels good.  In fact, I think that it can have a cathartic effect. This seems especially true for cleaning the bathroom.  I can be in a sulky mood, and for some reason cleaning the bathroom will make me feel better.  It isn't just the physical work, because I run, do yoga, and lift weights, all of which can be helpful in lifting my mood.  But there is something about cleaning my bathroom that can "reset" me.  

 

So mostly, I don't enjoy it.  It has to be done, so I do it, but there are times I enjoy doing the simple act of making everything around me nicer. :)

 

[shanvan]

I voted "sometimes".  Mostly, I dislike cleaning, but besides preferring a clean house, there are times that the act of cleaning feels good.  In fact, I think that it can have a cathartic effect. This seems especially true for cleaning the bathroom.  I can be in a sulky mood, and for some reason cleaning the bathroom will make me feel better.  It isn't just the physical work, because I run, do yoga, and lift weights, all of which can be helpful in lifting my mood.  But there is something about cleaning my bathroom that can "reset" me.  

 

So mostly, I don't enjoy it.  It has to be done, so I do it, but there are times I enjoy doing the simple act of making everything around me nicer. :)

Yes!  Last week I was raging mad and upset about a situation my Dd was dealing with and I ended up doing a lot of cleaning.  It helped, but 'enjoy' is not a word I'd use for that situation.  I just had to do something with all that adrenaline or I was going to burst!

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

No, no, no, no, and no.

[extendedforecast]

I've felt each of this options in the past year except the one that involves the house cleaner. Some days I actually enjoy it. Most days I don't like it, and there are definite times I feel extremely negative about the thought of cleaning. I wish I could say that I love cleaning-it would make my life so much easier.

[MissKNG]

I like to clean. I like the sense of accomplishment that goes along with a clean house.

 

"Excuse the mess" is NOT in my vocabulary.

[SKL]

I like cleaning.  I have noticed it is in line with other things I like - essentially, organizing chaos.  Even at work - give me a pile of "oh help" and I will sort it out, write it up, and give you a perfectly balanced spreadsheet.  ;)  (Just make sure you give me enough time!)

 

Clutter bothers me.  Because I live with people who fail to notice their own clutter, and I don't have time to clean after all of us, I have forced myself to tolerate it.  But oh, how lovely it feels to straighten up a room!  To have ALL the dishes and ALL the clothes in the cupboards!  To be able to see the bottom of the drawer!  To know that all the too-small and too-damaged clothes are on their way to a better home (or their final resting place)!  Ahhh.

 

Then there is the sweeping and swapping.  These are therapeutic for me.  Wash that dirt and negativity away.

 

It doesn't really bother me that the clean look only lasts a few hours.  I'm not sure why that is.  I guess in my mind, clutter has a shelf life.  It can be around for a while, but eventually it needs to go!

 

ETA:  I haven't actually washed a floor in years, because we have maids come and do it, since my schedule is so tight.  Lately I have been in a major funk, so maybe I should try to find time to do some sweeping and swapping.  I know I always feel good after giving the toilet a scrub etc.  I realize that may be weird.  ;)

[Alessandra]

If you do like to clean, please tell me how you got that way!  

 

I like living in a clean, uncluttered house, which is why I do clean it even though it is not fun.  I tell myself all the time how mature and self-disciplined I am because I win the battle against my natural laziness every day! 

 

I think I'm done, and then another detail pops into my head. I'm starting to think that a house can never be Truly Clean! When was the last time you dusted the underside of your upper kitchen cabinets?  Do normal person think of that?!  I bet there is dust there ....

 

I know, get a life! :laugh:

 

I am with you on wanting a clean, uncluttered house. Maybe if we moved out and stayed in an RV the house would stay clean?

 

The only tip I have is Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares tv show and it only works for the kitchen. In case you are not familiar with the show, Gordon goes into restaurants and find some disgusting stuff. I would watch the show and then jump up and scrub things, really scrub. I picture Gordon coming into my kitchen and scrub harder, lol. I have finished all the episodes, but the effect has lasted, and my kitchen is still clean. (Btw, the British episodes are better for cleaning; the American episodes are more about family feuds.)

 

I need inspiration for the rest of the house too. 

 

Oh, I like Alejandra tv. She is an organizer maven. I can watch her and then do a small project, like bathroom organization.

 

http://www.alejandra.tv

 

Iheartorganizing is another website, but, imho, the projects are often crafty, things *I* would never get to.

[MysteryJen]

I don't mind cleaning if I am alone and no one will be in the house for hours and hours. If I am cleaning for company, then I am just annoyed because it is not going to stay clean at all.

 

When things get tense or I am feeling anxious, I do clean. It is like asserting a sense of control.

 

I will say that I would rather clean every single day than make dinner every single day.

[Mbelle]

I think the problem with cleaning is that it is not a task that is ever offers accomplishment.  I clean and the kids feel free to mess, or dh sees a space to cook something and there is a freaking mess again.  An hour or two of cleaning down the drain.  HOnestly, when I think about cooking (which i used to like) all I see is more dirty dishes, counters to wipe and floors to sweep!  Yay!!!!  I wish there was no such thing as hunger!

[SKL]

I too dislike cooking.  I think it goes back to some bad experiences with cooking the family dinner at age 12.  ;)

[ErinE]

When my kids were out of the house for several hours during the day, I liked cleaning (more for the result than the actual process). Now that my kids are home, it's just exhausting. Once one area is clean, someone comes behind me and messes it up again. I try to keep to a schedule, but my house is never to the same level of tidiness it was before homeschooling.

 

While I was recovering from the baby's birth, my DH helped the older two clean their rooms as I wasn't allowed to climb stairs the last few weeks of my pregnancy. That night, I heard him blustering upstairs at the wrecks they had made of their rooms ("We just cleaned your room! How did you destroy it so fast?"). I admit to a small feeling of schadenfreude. I'd been saying the same thing for years.

 

Someone once told me that keeping your house clean with kids is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.

[Carrie12345]

I was unemployed for a few months when I moved back in with my parents. I did my best to earn my keep by doing almost all of the housework. With 7 adults and 1 toddler (the 14-20 month variety, not a 2.5yo!) it was satisfying work. With 2 adults and the ages of my 5 kids, that is most definitely NOT the case today!

 

We've all been sick this week (hence my spike in posting, lol) so my house looks like a bomb went off. We should just move.

[Parrothead]

I enjoy a clean uncluttered house.  I don't mind making it a clean uncluttered house. Every once in a while.

 

The constant picking up, tidying up, people spreading their sh... crap all over the space I spend most of my time in is dehumanizing.  I've yelled, screamed, cried, reasoned with, begged, pleaded and groveled to get these other two people to keep things in place for almost 2 decades.  When dd goes to college, I may just build myself a little cottage to live in.  I'll visit dh, but I'm not living with his mess.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I enjoy cleaning, but it is a control issue, so I'm not sure you want to develop that trick. LOL I do "exerclean" sometimes, for big jobs. I blast ABBA Gold and the kids know to give me wide berth. :lol: You interrupt me and I will recruit you... Gosh, maybe that is why I have grown to like it. It is as good as getting a babysitter. :tongue_smilie: