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I hope this is okay to post a general thread...I was just curious to see how many of you do spring cleaning? Meaning, a more thorough "top to bottom" clean than usual. I grew up in the South and never really got the concept, but living in Ohio now I found myself naturally doing more cleaning lately with the warmer weather and longer hours. Stuff like windows, that you really can't clean in the winter.
I have a friend that just washed all her baseboards and doors and cabinets...ugh. I really don't want to do all that! I do them here and there, when they need it, but not with a good scrub all at once. Then I have friends who say their house is dirty and it sure looks cleaner than mine LOL!
Am I alone in this? I am no slob, mind you (I have seen a few of those houses, too) but I am also not OCD about the house being clean. DH thinks it should always be clean enough to have company come over without any warning...YEAH RIGHT.:rolleyes: Of course, his idea of cleaning is stuffing everything in drawers and closets (where they don't belong), just to make it LOOK clean.
OK I am not seeing how to make this a poll but here are the choices:
1) I am OCD and can't stand seeing dust on my furniture
2) I let things go some but I have been spring cleaning
3) I like it clean but tend to procrastinate and do other things
4) I really don't clean much, my children won't remember how clean the house was or wasn't, but how much time I spent with them
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
I have been discussing this same topic with friends and co-workers recently. Seems the older I get, the less I do, or the less thoroughly I do it, and it takes forever to get it done! I used to be very thorough with my "spring cleaning" and also again just before Thanksgiving/Christmas. Now I am lucky to get one room cleaned from top to bottom! Then I just breeze through the rest of the house. The only time I seem to get the whole house thoroughly cleaned is when something major is going on, graduation, wedding, reunion.... I have been trying to convince myself that we will be "hosting" a big event and need to get busy. It's not working!:(
My vote would be a cross between #2 & 3.
By the way I am in Lorain county too! Small world:-D
I keep telling myself that if and when I retire, I will have time to do a more thorough job of cleaning. However, I am off work now due to carpal tunnel surgery, and I find I am still not doing a thorough job of cleaning. I always find a bunch of fun stuff to do instead. Funny how that works, isn't it?
I have to admit, that cleaning has to wait until the weekend with work, kids and of course stamping. Those all come first, but I feel stressed with a dirty house. I answered #2
I aspire to have a super clean house but at this point I'm between 3-4. I have two lil boys (a 5 yr. old and a 15 month old) so it's just kinda pointless. Seems whatever I get finished gets undone way too quickly anyway. Kinda like stapling jello to a tree. Maybe someday it'll be clean- you know like really clean
I voted #3... I'm a procrastinator when it comes to cleaning. I've gained a little ground lately, so am trying to maintain keeping things straighted up and presentable, at least in the "public areas" of the house. Like MariLynn, I get stressed out when it gets too bad.
I have been discussing this same topic with friends and co-workers recently. Seems the older I get, the less I do, or the less thoroughly I do it, and it takes forever to get it done! I used to be very thorough with my "spring cleaning" and also again just before Thanksgiving/Christmas. Now I am lucky to get one room cleaned from top to bottom! Then I just breeze through the rest of the house. The only time I seem to get the whole house thoroughly cleaned is when something major is going on, graduation, wedding, reunion.... I have been trying to convince myself that we will be "hosting" a big event and need to get busy. It's not working!:(
My vote would be a cross between #2 & 3.
By the way I am in Lorain county too! Small world:-D
You know, me too! I never connected it with getting older (I assumed it was because I got married and had a child, as I was older than most people), but I bet that has a lot to do with it...not only because I am more tired, but also because I really just don't care as much as I used to! Even with a major event I don't clean the whole house "thoroughly" any more, although I have been motivated lately by my cleaning friends.
Where in LC are you? I didn't know there was a TAC demo over here--mine is Rita Kegg in Painesville!
Amen to Kittypaws and Stampinmyfeet! I am a SAHM so it's not that I don't have the TIME. But I clean and clean and then I turn around and there's handprints on the window and food wiped from grimy hands on the side of the table, and I think WHY DO I BOTHER! I was single for so long, and was clean then...it's much harder to keep after other people, and when it doesn't stay clean for very long it's discouraging. (kind of the same as when the kids whine about your cooking all the time, right?!)
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
Last edited by nottoocreative; 06-02-2008 at 05:57 PM..
I have to say that right now my house is super clean all the time because my house is for sale. It was always super clean until my late forties and health issues. I'm still a total neatnik, but never think my house is as clean as it could be. I just don't care as much though because I can't do it as quickly and I've got a life to live and stamping to do!
I grew up in and currently live in the south and 'get it'..... :confused: We also get warmer days and longer hours... We aren't that far behind times down here.
Quote:
I grew up in the South and never really got the concept, but living in Ohio now I found myself naturally doing more cleaning lately with the warmer weather and longer hours. Stuff like windows, that you really can't clean in the winter.
My house is fairly clean and I typically do a spring cleaning.
Where in LC are you? I didn't know there was a TAC demo over here--mine is Rita Kegg in Painesville!
She is my upline. I have only met her once, she's so nice, creative & talented too! Wish she lived closer. I am in Wellington. I am a "hobby" demo for TAC. Still procrastinating about taking the next step there too! I am my best customer :mrgreen:
When I lived alone, I was VERY clean. Now that I'm married, it's much harder to keep up. My husband is in the construction business and is constantly tearing things apart in our house and tracking stuff through. I try really hard to keep up, but some days I'm just like... what's the point??? ;)
I aspire to have a super clean house but at this point I'm between 3-4. I have two lil boys (a 5 yr. old and a 15 month old) so it's just kinda pointless. Seems whatever I get finished gets undone way too quickly anyway. Kinda like stapling jello to a tree. Maybe someday it'll be clean- you know like really clean
I used to think... maybe someday when the kids are grown, the house will stay clean, my windows will sparkle, my furniture will stay newer longer, I'll have more time to do what I like to do... Yeah, well as the commercial goes, life comes at you fast. The girls 27 & 28 are grown & married, son 20 is in college and now I have GRANDKIDS 5yrs & 11 months! Who are here 8 days a week. It's so hard to say NO to them. :-D I work part time too. I am 47 but I feel 87! Keeping things super clean is impossible! Oh and I forgot to mention the biggest kid of the bunch, my HUSBAND!
Used to spend every Saturday cleaning in my younger days. Now my reasoning is the more I clean the less time I have for stamping.... Life is too short and the weekends go by all too fast..... Maybe when I retire.....
I'm so glad I'm not alone Thank you all for participating!
Although I'm sure that SOME of you who called yourselves procrastinators are like my friend who SAYS her house is a mess and it really isn't :rolleyes: I would say "you know who you are," but you might not Yesterday she showed me her car, which was spotless inside other than some dirt on the floor by the gas pedal, and she said "look at this mess, it's disgusting...(DH) says I should spend more time with the kids and less time cleaning but I can't stand it when it's so bad!" and I looked at her and said "I think (DH) is right, if this is what you are calling a mess! Your standards are way high! This is pretty darn clean...yes, I see that little bit of dirt but that's expected in a car." And she agreed that her standards were high and I was probably right.
She thinks my house is clean, but it's not by her standards!
Anyway, it's interesting how we all think differently!
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
I vote for 2. My house is pretty clean. I have my daily cleaning and clean once a week (dusting etc.) I like to keep my house as clean as possible at all times. Having 3 younger kids it is not easy but I do my best.
I'm OCD with SPS. My house and everything in it is always in place and spic and span.
What am I? A wreck most of the time worrying that something will get out of plsce! Leave things the way they are and just enjoy life!
You can clean when you get too old to do anything else!
I don't know what SPS is, but I'm familiar with OCD and how difficult it is to control those thoughts! I am not diagnosed but my father is, and I suspect I have it too! I found, though, that the more I let things go, the BETTER it got, because I realized that life would not end and I would not die LOL It takes that initial "plunge" though, in making yourself leave something undone. Then it becomes more of a CHOICE to clean rather than something you worry about.
Easier said than done, I know! It feels so good to have it all in place and you know nobody is going to criticize your house or have allergies from your dust :rolleyes:
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
Our house is currently in the renovation process and has been since we moved in. We do what we can as we can afford it. Recently, we tore up the sub flooring to put down hardwood floors. The house is sooooo dusty that cleaning seems to be a waste of time. i.e. vacuuming, mopping, etc.
I have a thing about cleaning, but right now...it is a bit too overwhelming as I feel like I would be cleaning everyday all day. Besides laundry, dishes, and periodic bathroom cleaning I am boycotting until the floors are in...lol!
At least it's nice to know that I'm not alone! I'm not saying that my house is a dump! I am saying though that there is dust........I could probably vacuum more often. I really don't like the kitchen and avoid any long term committment with it. My clear-and-yellow-water-iron well water does a horrid number on my bath fixtures........they are clean but don't necessarily beautiful to look at. Your fixtures can only take soo much hydrofloric (sp?) acid before they aren't that great anyway. I try to keep the rooms picked up but my desk in the kitchen is a dumping ground and I rarely see an uncluttered top. My computer room needs some attention but my laundry is caught up and only 4 shirts need to be ironed. ;-)
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
At least it's nice to know that I'm not alone! I'm not saying that my house is a dump! I am saying though that there is dust........I could probably vacuum more often. I really don't like the kitchen and avoid any long term committment with it. My clear-and-yellow-water-iron well water does a horrid number on my bath fixtures........they are clean but don't necessarily beautiful to look at. Your fixtures can only take soo much hydrofloric (sp?) acid before they aren't that great anyway. I try to keep the rooms picked up but my desk in the kitchen is a dumping ground and I rarely see an uncluttered top. My computer room needs some attention but my laundry is caught up and only 4 shirts need to be ironed. ;-)
What's ironing??? LOL
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
I am definately a procrastinator when it comes to cleaning. I try to keep the dust off the furniture and hardwood floors. Guess now that I have a granddaughter who is beginning to crawl, I'll have to be more diligent in cleaning and baby proofing. I like a clean house, but my family always comes first.
I voted for super clean......but really I cheat because we hired people to clean for us, lol! I do a little here and there but they come in and do the real cleaning!
So, for you super clean and spring cleaners--does that mean taking down the curtains and washing (or drycleaning) them? I did that ONCE (in the 4 years we've lived in this house) and it was so hard to get them all back the way they were (for ones that weren't just simple tab tops), I never want to do it again!
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
Location: Somewhere in the middle...closer to there, nearer to here...
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I grew up in Oklahoma in the late 60's and I can remember my mom making us drag the furniture out in the driveway to "air" out while we completely cleaned the house from floorboards to ceilings. We weren't alone in this endeavor. Things were different then...my mom didn't work until the kids were much older and she had 5 kids to help with manual labor. Working full time and having three kids with active lives, I do my best to do a weekly run-through (vacuum, clean toilets, dust, and declutter). I would prefer a super-clean house, but it's just not possible so I settle for surface clean and tend to do "spring-cleaning" in bits and pieces like cleaning out my closet, organizing my kitchen cabinets, etc. rather than try to take it all on at once.
Hee Hee! Maybe I should have said overcommitted procrastinating overachiever perfectionist. So essentially I have committed to doing too many things, I wait until the last minute to dot hem, then I want it perfect or better than perfect so I end up staying up until all hours of the night trying to make it happen!
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
I try to thoroughly (like, move the furniture and lift the sofa cushions) clean one room a week and keep up with the kitchen and bathroom all the time. With a 6 room house, by the time I work around, it's time to start over. My DH and I both work full time and there's too much to do in life with our daughter to spend all the time cleaning. I'm blessed because he never complains and is great about pitching in.
when I was first married eons ago, I would religiously clean each Saturday. Now, 50 years later, cleaning has taken a backseat. We try to have guests for dinner every couple of weeks; that forces me to do some cleaning. Also, we move between FL and NC every 6 months so that forces me to do some deepcleaning every 6 months that I might not do for quite a while longer than that.
Near me everyone has a housekeeper (someone that comes once a week or 2x a month). It seems no one wants to clean.
The best remedy to keeping a clean home - have company every weekend - it forces you to at least pick up and tidy the place!
Bless you for starting this thread!! I feel so much better now! I am not a clean freak though my friends think I am. I am more of an organized freak! Right now my house needs to be dusted and vaccumed badly but it will wait until tomorrow or so! But I do keep everything picked up and in it's place. It has gotten easier as I get older and get rid of clutter! The less clutter I have the better I feel and easier to keep the house looking picked up!
Any by the way, ironing for me is spray a little water on it, throw it in the dryer for a few minutes and put it on and go. I don't iron at all. As soon as I sit in my car and put on my seatbelt, everything is wrinkled anyway!!
I do try to iron as LITTLE as possible BUT DH does need to look good at work so I iron his shirts. When we had our DD and her husband living with us (2.5 yrs), they had long hair cats......UGH!! That hair was everywhere. I even had to iron DH's hankies and dehair them. So glad the long hair is gone now!
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
Spring cleaning? poll
