WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY

Maintenance

Cleaning.  A most ironically dirty word.  I have much more important things to do, and yet the urgency of having a clean house trumps most of those other things.

Over the years I have relaxed a bit with my obsessiveness; however, I still get a suffocating feeling in my chest if I walk in to a huge mess.  

Some things are easier to overlook than others:  I feel much better in the morning if my kitchen is cleaned the night before.  Although it would be nice and ideal if the toys are put away every night, if I have to choose something to leave out it's usually a toy.

And with 3 kids, a husband who travels, a part-time job, and various other responsibilities, it is overwhelming and paralyzing to try to plan a chunk of time to clean.

And so I maintain.  

Now, maintaining, at first glimpse, seems like cleaning non-stop.  But it isn't.  It is much more effort to clean a dirty bathroom than to keep a clean bathroom clean.  

Although I have a cleaning schedule, it is really my way of maintaining a clean space.  And it happens whenever I have a spare moment.  Which is hard to predict in my life with a 2-year-old.

What works?

Quick touch ups for a couple minutes at a time, in the spirit of fly lady.  

Seriously, what do you do?

• I wipe out the bathroom sink with a rag every evening when I take out my contacts
• I sweep the kitchen dirt into a corner while I am cooking dinner (I leave the broom over the pile to remind me to finish the job)
• I rinse the dishes as soon as they are done being used, to avoid dried on goop that must be scrubbed
• I pour toilet bowl cleaner into the toilets at night, swish it around with a brush, but leave it soaking all night long
• I pick up the toys 3 times a day.  Some say waste because they'll get pulled out again; I say it keeps things manageable and keeps The Girl interested in the few toys we have.  She also helps me as much as she can.

But really, this isn't a cleaning blog or post.  It's a simple life blog and a stress-relieving post.  Doesn't that sound like something we all want?