Do you enjoy cleaning your house?

[Mandylubug]

I grew up with clutter bug parents. DH grew up with OCD neat freak lol so our definition of clean sometimes clashes. However, I find I am an all or nothing gal. I will keep it spotless and nag at family members to do the same. However, there are times it slips below my standards, I procrastinate and do nothing and it looks hideous for a while. Then I get fed up, strap on my phone and put in my ear buds, start my music and clean for hours till its back to normal. I get irked if interrupted during these times lol don't stop my momentum!

 

I voted sometimes. Not sure if I like it or if it's just stubborn determination.

[Alice]

I like the end result but not doing it. I do get satisfaction out of finishing a job that has needed doing, for example cleaning/organizing a closet or cleaning the fridge. The latter is my all-time least favorite thing to clean but when I’ve finally done it I feel satisfied. I wouldn’t put it in the fun category or things I consider a hobby but it’s just something that has to be done. 

 

I also am happy with a clutter-free, tidy and relatively clean house. I’m able to not worry about things like the dust on the underside of the upper kitchen cabinets. :) In our co-op recently we were playing a “get-to-know-you†kind of game. One of the questions was “do you clean the inside of your toilet tank?†Before thinking about it, I blurted out “Of course not. That’s would be a stupid waste of time.†I might have alienated a few people and proved why I hate those kind of games. 

 

[zoobie]

DH and I watch a few minutes of Hoarders and then we fly into a cleaning frenzy. It only lasts about 20 minutes, but...

[Word Nerd]

I don't enjoy the actual cleaning, but I do enjoy having cleaned.

[kewb]

Cleaning your house is a set up for failure.  No matter what you do the dirt comes back.   I absolutely hate it.  I would much rather read a book.

[Guest]

I hated housecleaning because my mother hated it. with.a.passion.

 

This is a recent revelation and, like you, I was fascinated to find out that there are people in this world who DON'T hate housecleaning or stomp around threatening to throw toys in the trash a few weeks after they bought them and screeching, 'What do you think I am, your SLAVE?!?!?!?! I wanna read a book or go to the park or play my guitar and I never get to do ANY of those things because of this messy nasty yucky old house! "

 

I'm just parroting crap I heard when I was a kid and buying into her classism; she expected to have a housekeeper when she grew up and always resented the fact that we couldn't afford one. The little girl in me just thinks "this is how mommies are supposed to act" and needed to grow up and do some anthropological research to find out that it doesn't have to be that way.

 

Following these blogs really helps my attitude:

 

http://www.brocantehome.net/

http://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/

 

just because I never thought of it that way even though I wouldn't want to trade lives with either of those women.

 

I also like this book (mine was at the buck a bag sale at the library):

 

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House-ebook/dp/B001D1SRXW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385147506&sr=8-1&keywords=home+comforts

 

because it explains the "why"s as well as the "how"s.

 

Big ds just commented that my house "looks really nice", which felt good, but not as good as little ds's obvious appreciation of the fact that there is  less stomping, less threatening, and less stress, self-flagellation, and "mommy tantrums".

 

hth

 

 

[fraidycat]

I voted sometimes.

 

I really don't mind actual CLEANING such as scrubbing, wiping, dusting, vacuuming, etc.

 

However, I abdoluteley LOATHE picking up and putting away. You know, all the junk that has to be moved to get to the actual cleaning part!

[KatieJ]

Definitively no.  I love a clean organzied house and I work at keeping it that way.  However, I have a Daughter in Love who loves clean and tidy much more than I do and enjoys the benefits of me being able to pay her to clean for me occasionally. 

I pray they never move far away from me.   :laugh:

[Cafdog]

Heck no - I do NOT enjoy cleaning...but I do enjoy a clean house, so I suck it up.

 

[Dandelion]

I don't enjoy cleaning.  I like the results, but I despise the process.  

[LucyStoner]

I enjoy some of the tasks related to keeping house. I enjoy having a clean home more than I dislike any household chore. I make my housework as easy as possible by not having a lot of clutter around. I play games with the kids during it and listen to the news, podcast or (ha ha ha, really) a book on tape.

 

When we both worked, we paid a guy to come and clean once a week for 2-3 hours but we did the daily stuff and laundry ourselves. Without me working, I pretty much do it all. My husband works and goes to school full time so his contribution is not making a mess and helping clear the table/model good habits to the kids.

 

The tasks I dislike a bit are folding laundry and washing utensils. I enjoy scrubbing floors and surface cleaning for the most part.

[LucyStoner]

Nope, no tips here. I do like laundry though.

It we were neighbors I would clean your whole house if you'd do my laundry. I don't know what it is but I find folding laundry to be among the most annoying things on my to-do list.

[ErinE]

DH and I watch a few minutes of Hoarders and then we fly into a cleaning frenzy. It only lasts about 20 minutes, but...

Hoarders is a motivator here as well!

[extendedforecast]

This thread is motivating me to clean my house.

[Mbelle]

I wonder if it some don't mind picking up after others?  I don't mind vacuuming and dusting.  What infuriates me is when I tidy and clean and people come in and trash it.  It really infuriates me and it makes me feel like people think I am their maid.  Are some of you okay with running around picking up after people?....that is if you enjoy having a tidy and neat home.  I feel flustered and confused around messes. I have been leaving the house a mess for a few months now, because I'm done repeating myself and I'm not going to pick up others messes, but on the other hand I just want to run away from it!  btw..i adore my family they are my life...but this..!!!

[trulycrabby]

I hate cleaning, but hate a messy house even worse. I have a cleaning service that helps out, and it's pretty darned wonderful.

[Alicia64]

I'm not at all wild about cleaning. It helps me to think about DH going to work day after day after day. Staying home is such an amazing outcome for me. The concrete thing I do is to listen to my favorite talk radio show on podcast (Armstrong & Getty -- major hilarious).

 

The reason I "like" -- not the right word -- to clean rooms is because I find things that have been lost for ages. Last week I found both a favorite stuffed animal that we thought was gone for good and a singing tape that my grandmother had made and I stupidly lost.

 

Overall? I hate cleaning. And our German shedder doesn't help matters.

 

Alley

[RoughCollie]

I like it when DH comes home to a clean and uncluttered house (so he can re-clutter it), a clean bathroom with all his stuff laid out on the counter (unless we have company), and a bed that is made, his laundry picked up, washed, and  put away, and his wastebasket emptied.  Plus a home cooked meal ready to put on the table.

 

That's what DH really wants, and that's what he gets.  I figure it makes life easier for him.  His pleasure is what I focus on when I clean the house or clean out his car for him.  DH is not someone who cleans up after himself, and training him to do so never worked. 

 

The really excellent thing about DH is that he insists on taking his shirts and pants to the drycleaner.  He also puts gas in the cars and takes them to be repaired.  He picks up bread and milk on his way home (it takes me an hour to drive to town and back), along with all the junk food he is not allowed to eat per his physician.  He takes the kids to school every morning, and picks them up in the evening.  If any of the kids have a medical appointment in Pittsburgh, he takes them.  He frequently takes them to medical appointments in town, too, since they go to school 2 minutes from his office, all in town.

 

I don't like ironing, pumping gas, running to town for a couple of items, or driving to Pittsburgh, so this works for me.  As for car repair, I don't like how the service people get big smiles on their faces when I come in.  They will never forget the time we had my SUV towed because it wouldn't move ... and it was because I was in a parking lot and put it in neutral to see what would happen.  I forgot I did that, and thought the car was broken. Anyway, my credibility is shot with them for that and a few other reasons.

 

Anyway, DH does do a lot of things that save me time and aggravation, plus he supports this family, and I appreciate that.

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't mind cleaning.  I don't love doing it but I don't hate doing it.  That is in theory.  In practice it depends on how much pain I'm in.  Obviously if I'm in a lot of pain, the bending and moving that cleaning requires makes it less than pleasant.  If I'm not in pain, I'm singing James Brown's "I feel good" and am blazing my way through the housework.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't mind cleaning.  I don't love doing it but I don't hate doing it.  That is in theory.  In practice it depends on how much pain I'm in.  Obviously if I'm in a lot of pain, the bending and moving that cleaning requires makes it less than pleasant.  If I'm not in pain, I'm singing James Brown's "I feel good" and am blazing my way through the housework.  

[Guest]

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!

 

Okay. Now there is a big difference between cleaning and organizing. I LOVE organizing. :D

 

I voted that I don't like it. I actually used to enjoy it - before kids. My kids are getting to the age that it was getting done again in a way that I was happy with - and then came the dog. And that is the end of the story. Until said dog is gone. :)

[Ottakee]

Can I admit that I don't like cleaning and am not very good at it. I love to cook but hate the dishes. When I was a kid, starting about age 12 I hated dishes and my mom didn't like cooking so I did a lot of cooking so I wouldn't have to do the dishes.

 

Can I even admit that I would MUCH rather be out cleaning the barn, scooping poop, stacking hay, etc. than cleaning my house?

 

I can get things picked up and 15 minutes later my family has stuff all over again. Dh honestly doesn't mind as long as he has meals, clean bathrooms, and a happy wife.

[Scarlett]

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 voted yes. I love working in my home. Unless I let the stress of life weigh me down...then I hate it.

[DawnM]

hate, hate, hate

[texasmama]

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.

This. So exactly it is scary. I am the only one who cares to keep things neat and clean.

[shukriyya]

 

I enjoy scrubbing floors and surface cleaning for the most part.

Gobsmacked!!

[Rosie_0801]

I think I like laundry b c its something you do in small, cumulative steps.

 

Yeah, me too. Put on some washing, wander off, hang out the washing, go eat something, bring it back in, dump it in the back room and leave it until dd puts it away...

 

I hate folding and putting away the washing and I get vacuum cleaner rage. I never want to live in a house with carpet again.

 

I don't mind scrubbing floors, but I won't do it unless everyone goes away for two hours. That happens about twice a year so that's how often the floor gets scrubbed. 

[creekland]

DH and I watch a few minutes of Hoarders and then we fly into a cleaning frenzy. It only lasts about 20 minutes, but...

I watch Hoarders or occasionally visit a couple of relatives houses and think, "Hey, my house isn't that bad.  Comparatively it's quite clean."  When I don't feel like cleaning (which is nearly always), I revisit memories of those visits and instantly feel better.  ;)

 

Can I even admit that I would MUCH rather be out cleaning the barn, scooping poop, stacking hay, etc. than cleaning my house?

 

 

This doesn't bother me in the least - it's rather enjoyable!  There's something about the barn...

 

Now we keep our ponies out 24/7, so only occasionally have to clean the barn.  It's still enjoyable as long as we pick a nice weather day to do it.

[Ottakee]

This doesn't bother me in the least - it's rather enjoyable!  There's something about the barn...

 

Now we keep our ponies out 24/7, so only occasionally have to clean the barn.  It's still enjoyable as long as we pick a nice weather day to do it.

Ours are out 24/7 except a few minutes 2-3 times a day when they come in for grain and supplements which gives me time to put out hay, refill waters, etc. without them "helping" me.....the horses can be worse than toddlers.

 

We still scoop poop outside as we only have 3 acres for the 3 horses so need to keep up with that. I would go outside and do barn chores any day over cleaning my house.

 

I need to keep DEJUNKING and DEJUNKING and DEJUNKING as eventually if we only own 100 items, the rest of the family can only leave out 100 items. Maybe it isn't the cleaning that is so bad but the picking up everything so that we can clean that is the worst.

[Wheres Toto]

Hate it with a fiery passion.  There's no space for anything - no storage at all.  It gets messy again way too fast.  I feel like I can never keep up with it no matter what I do, and that was before I returned to FT work.  Now, it seems pretty hopeless. 

 

Dh is taking the kids to visit his mother for the weekend after Thanksgiving and I'll spend the whole weekend trying to get things to a point where we can decorate for Christmas.  He used to do that about once a month but it's probably been a few months this time, which is why my house is sooooo bad.  I find it much easier to clean when no one else is home with me.

[Desert Strawberry]

Eh. It's work. I would rather clean houses all day than sit at a desk. I need to move and I like the satisfaction of seeing my work.

As a hobby? No. 

I voted sometimes. We are very slowly fixing up an old house. I would enjoy it better if 1. The house was not peeling/chipping/falling down 2. I didn't have toddlers under my feet all day 3. I didn't have to choose between fixing my house, teaching.y house, working on other projects and cleaning.  I can do regular cleaning and teach my kids, or I can deep clean something or I can do a project. But there is never enough time or energy to do everything.

[LucyStoner]

Gobsmacked!!

Enjoy as in it is a physical activity and suits the things I like to do. Not enjoy as in would rather clean floors than read a good book or play basketball or roller skate. It's something I do, not something I'd call a hobby.

[shukriyya]

Well within that 'gobsmacked', which the internet can't convey, is awe :001_tt1: (that's my 'awe' smiley)

 

I don't think 'enjoy' and 'scrubbing floors' are words I'd ever think of putting together but I can look on in wonder at those who can :lol:

[LucyStoner]

I wonder if it some don't mind picking up after others? I don't mind vacuuming and dusting. What infuriates me is when I tidy and clean and people come in and trash it. It really infuriates me and it makes me feel like people think I am their maid. Are some of you okay with running around picking up after people?....that is if you enjoy having a tidy and neat home. I feel flustered and confused around messes. I have been leaving the house a mess for a few months now, because I'm done repeating myself and I'm not going to pick up others messes, but on the other hand I just want to run away from it! btw..i adore my family they are my life...but this..!!!

Oh hellz no. I not only do not like picking up after people, I simply won't do it if they are inconsiderately leaving a mess in their wake. I do nearly all of the housework here. But my husband isn't one of those guys who makes messes and leaves them. I don't mind ironing his shirts, packing his lunches, cooking, doing most all of the dishes, cleaning all of the rooms etc because that's our present most logical breakdown of duties since he is working and studying and I am home doing homeschooling and housekeeping. But if he couldn't be bothered to be tidy in his personal habits, I'd go bananas. He uses the hamper. He stacks the stuff on his desk when he is done. He doesn't spread crap all over the counters. He's not a toddler, he doesn't need to be trained. He's just a considerate person and doesn't leave extra work for other people.

[Amy in NH]

I chose sometimes because although I don't enjoy cleaning in a zen, enjoyment of the task, way, I do enjoy the sense of satisfaction and internal-peace I have when it is clean.

[regentrude]

I actually don't mind cleaning. I would not say I passionately love to clean, but I certainly get a satisfaction from doing so. I make sure it does not take up too much of my time; I never found housework to be an arduous task.

[LucyStoner]

 

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

 

Yes, but like with eating the oreos, you gotta stop and brush those teeth if you don't want them to rot and fall out.  I am quite certain my home would rot away and collapse long before my kids grew up and left if I stopped cleaning.