Help me to like cleaning!

SailorSam

Did anyone watch that Tv programme last night ..... 'I want to be a German', an English family lived for a week as their equivalent Germans would. The wife found it very difficult 'cos she was suppose to do over 4hrs housework (not just cleaning) every day.

Lagoon

Battleaxe44 wrote: »

Ah, a cleaner, I think when you stay at home all day, you really can't justify getting a cleaner in, BUT maybe a cleaner for three weeks in OP's case might help.

Don't worry I have thought of this also for our house. Living in building chaos does not help, I have lived like this until last month for over two years and you cannot keep a house clean, no matter how hard you try.

It's certainly something I would do, if I had the money available - a one-off clean to get the house to a good 'starting point' so that I felt I could tackle it.

Like OP, I'm a perfectionist, but a useless one. I don't feel comfortable unless everything is neat, tidy and in the right place. My issue is that as soon as there's a slight bit of mess, a build up of dust or similar, I shut down and can't deal with it. I feel overwhelmed, and things stop getting done. I know that if the house was back to a perfect condition I could keep on top of it, but sadly life gets in the way and things get messed up.

I'm fortunate that OH is happy doing all of the housework. He cleans and tidies, and he's great at it. He'll do little bits each night, so I do admit that I'm still constantly feeling overwhelmed because the whole house is never perfect at once, but that's my issue.

Equally, if we have friends coming around he'll manage to get the whole house looking 'good' in a hour or two. It's very impressive. It's still not good enough for me to feel comfortable, and I still feel embarrassed when visitors come around, but I KNOW that I'm the one that's over-exaggerating because if I go and stand at the front door, before walking into my own home, I realise that as a guest I'd see nothing wrong.

I've also seen the states our friends keep their houses in. All have muck and dust, things scattered everywhere, but when I go to their houses though I notice the mess I don't judge them. It's natural to assume that cleaning isn't the top of their priority list, and that they have a life beyond scrubbing and dusting. You (like me) just need to remind yourself that others feel exactly the same way about your house. Other people see a 'lived in' house, rather than one that you've just left to crumble.

Any

When I really have to do proper deep clean, I put on my Ipod on a shuffle of all my most favourite songs and dance and sing while doing it. It really takes my mind off it. And it is a great exercise too (another thing I keep telling myself not to find cleaning such a chore).
Oh, and I often promise myself a cake for afters:-)

lostinrates

Music helps cleaning. Bursts definitely helps. If we watch tv with ads then every ad break is a do something opportunity.

Also, use cleaning products you like. Old styles like star drops but I cannot stand the smell, so no matter how effective or economic it doesn't inspire me. Vinegar, another old style favourite honks while you use it but dries to a really crisp, clean smell, I love that. I also like things that have a soapy smell, like marseille household soap, or a lavender smell or a scent of orange.

Method wood cleaner has a delicious scent of almonds.


Cleaning becomes a mildly aerobic and aromatheraputic experience if you like the smells and are being energetic enough.

Clutter gets one down and makes cleaning much harder.

There is a dehoarding thread on old style which is excellent. I was using it for a while and will be rejoining soon as we start to tackling the clutter again.

clairetelche1

I'm in the middle of a major sort out at home (we're renovating though so I have to accept taht some rooms are !!!! tips)

De-cluttering is the key, once you have less stuff then it's easier to keep everything clean - pick one room (the one that would give you most pleasure to see nice) and take a photo of it as it is now. Then bin everything you don't need. Then make everything you do need look nice - decent storage for stuff, clear out all of the cupboards in that room, fluff the cushions, polish the skirting boards etc - clean literally everywhere. Then take another picture of it. Put both pictures on the back of the door in that room.

Then - most importantly, enjoy that room for a few days. sit in it and do things you like doing - reading etc. Make sure it's tidied before you go to bed then sit in it and enjoy it some more the next day. After a couple of days start a forever change organisation task (filing paperwork maybe? in that room. It should only take a day at most) then put it away somewhere easily accessible before you go to bed so that room stays nice.

If it starts to slide then look at the 'before' photo.

Next week - repeat in another room.

I wouldn't tackle everything in 1 go (like doing a declutter in every room - you'll never feel the benefit)

I did this in the living room (haven't done another room yet as I'm working but I will) it sounds daft but I love that I've organised stuff - pens are in a box in a drawer so I always know where they are. Birthday cards were scattered all over / rammed into drawers so instead of searching for them I'd buy new... it takes me a couple of minutes to tidy DS' on a night before bed.

DS' room (he's only 18 months) was first in the renovation and everything he owns has a proper place in there. We bought storage from Ikea and it takes 5 minutes to put everything away and about 15 minutes to dust and hoover. I WILL have a whole house like this once everywhere is updated

lindsaygalaxy

Flylady! Changes weekly so you're not doing the same room on the same day each week.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4732437

Errata

fluffnutter wrote: »

This isn't about cleaning, it's about your being a perfectionist, so much so that it's starting to impact your quality of life. I bet no one notices your house when they visit; they're coming to see you, not the state of your skirting boards.

No one likes cleaning. It's just one of life's necessary evils. Personally I think you'd do better to concentrate on why you feel your house needs to be perfect rather than ways to make cleaning more fun (it's not fun).

Exactly. Long version short "I can't do it to a perfect standard so I won't do it at all".

Rowingirl

SailorSam wrote: »

Did anyone watch that Tv programme last night ..... 'I want to be a German', an English family lived for a week as their equivalent Germans would. The wife found it very difficult 'cos she was suppose to do over 4hrs housework (not just cleaning) every day.

4 hours everyday??? :eek: I struggle to do 4 hours housework in a week. I save cleaning until Saturday morning when DH is at work and constantly remind myself I'm saving money on gym fees by hovering & scrubbing the bath instead.

picklekin

I put a good play or podcast on my phone and listen to that.

Things that's surprised me in this thread is that people still watch TV with adverts.. Don't you record them and watch them back? I never ever watch live TV any more... Adverts make me super grumpy. Maybe this means my house is messier!

lostinrates

picklekin wrote: »

I put a good play or podcast on my phone and listen to that.

Things that's surprised me in this thread is that people still watch TV with adverts.. Don't you record them and watch them back? I never ever watch live TV any more... Adverts make me super grumpy. Maybe this means my house is messier!

No, no recordable tv. No interest in anything but basic tv. We cannot have cable (rural) and cannot have satellite (listed). Well, we probably could put a satellite on a barn or something and wire it in, but just don't care enough to spend any money on doing that.