A Lesson in Cleaning

(1)

Let your husband do some of it.

And if he doesn't do it the way you wanted it to be done, remember that it's done, and you didn't have to do it. So let some of those control issues go, and be glad that it's done.

I don't know how many of your husbands come home and immediately start moving things around, but mine does. I have always been a little bit cluttered, not always putting things away...it drives him insane. 

Now I used to take offense, thinking he was doing it to tell me or show me that what I was doing wasn't good enough. Turns out, that just wasn't true. He just wants to help. 

Sure, sometimes it isn't done right. For example, he made himself lunch the other day, and then I made dinner...it's kind of our agreement, I cook the food and he puts it away. He put dinner away...but left his lunch out. From lunch time. So it sat out all afternoon, evening, and night. I thought he had put it away while he was putting dinner away...not so. Sometimes, they just don't do it the way you would like it to be done. Instead of badgering them about it, be grateful and find the silver lining. My silver lining was that he put the good stuff away :) And that he never touches the laundry, because he doesn't know which of my clothes would be ruined in the dryer. Thank you Robbie. 

Not only will it make you a little happier, it will help your marriage. No one likes to be pestered for helping. But no one likes not being able to communicate their feelings either. Robbie and I have worked really hard to be ale to tell each other things we don't like that the other is doing and not get offended. 

(2) 

Make a schedule.

What needs to be done once a week, twice a week, every other week, once a month? Spring cleaning!  etc.

(3)

Do a little bit every day. 

As you're going along, living your day, put things away. For example the bathroom: when you're done getting ready for the day, put all your stuff away, so you don't have to do it later. When you get undressed and put on your pjs, put your clothes away either in the dirty clothes hamper or in the dresser or in the closet. When you're done making your sandwich, before you go sit down to eat it, put all the stuff back in the fridge, wipe down the cutting board, and put dirty utensils in the sink. After you're done eating, if you have a lame dish washer like mine where you have to rinse everything before it goes in, rinse it an put it in the dishwasher instead of letting it sit in the sink. 

(4)

Do things immediately.

When the laundry is done, fold and iron it. When the dishwasher is done, empty it. 

Of course, this isn't always realistic. The laundry was done yesterday, and I haven't ironed yet. The dishes are my worst nightmare, and the sink always has dishes in it. Which leads me to my last, and favorite thing I've learned.

(5)

Nothing, and no one is perfect.

I do my best to follow what I have found to work, and when I do it my house is clean and great. And sometimes things come up, like forgetting to start the dishwasher, so it isn't ready in the morning and then the dishes pile up in the sink. Starting to dust, then not finishing it, and then finishing the next day. 

Cleaning is always a work in progress. And it will never get done. Because you will never be done living, and creating, and making messes, and having to clean them up. It's a never ending cycle. 

If you don't remember this, you'll go crazy trying to keep every thing clean all the time. So relax, don't worry about being perfect. Just as long as you're always moving forward, and not standing still or moving backwards...

So that's what I've learned. I hope you enjoyed!