Please only read/reply if you like/take pride in cleaning

GramaNewYork

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 4:44 am

The reason I'm asking only for women who like and take pride in their cleaning is because my question might seem laughable to someone who doesn't think/feel cleaning is as important in their own lives as I seem to think it is in mine.

Where I live there is an enormous amount of dust and dirt which accumulates on all household surfaces whether the windows are kept open or closed. I've tried it both ways. If I don't dust surfaces and both dust AND sweep the floor daily, the accumulation becomes noticeable. I wash the floor once a week.

I don't mind doing these things every morning; it takes between 20 and 30 minutes. I could even say I like it and I definitely feel proud of a cleanish home.

Since cleaning takes almost a half hour out of my day six days a week my question to you is as follows: Is it better to try to clean every day the way I am doing it at the cost of less time for other things (like writing, email, small household projects, not having to rush, etc) or would you say to clean differently, like either every other day or only two days a week, even though the floor will have various "accumulations" all over so that there is more time in the week to enjoy other things?

Remember to only respond if you "understand" my type of appreciation for cleaning. I don't need to come here to be made fun of for caring about how I take care of my home. Thank you!

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 5:08 am

Do what makes YOU happy.

I would have thought the way you are doing it is the best, maintenance rather than letting things go and then fixing it up, which takes so much longer.

You have a really clean place not so much because you clean it, but because you never let it get dirty.

I strive to do the same.

fiji

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 5:20 am

I totally hear the dilemma. My floors also get dirty every day since they are stuck a light color. I try to do it everyday but I don't drive myself crazy. Prioritize. If you have the time, clean. If you don't, don't and do it tomorrow.

zaq

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 9:30 am

Another vote for do whatever makes you happy. It's YOUR home, after all, and all those drill-sergeant household gurus like Fly Lady aren't your mom or the Health Dept. They are advisors whose words should be viewed as recommendations rather than requirements. If something sounds good to you, try it. If it works well for you, keep doing it--and if not, dump it. Unless the Health Department inspector has issued you a notice of violation and ordered you to clean up your act, or your friends find excuses not to cross your threshold, let your own tolerance for dirt and disorder govern how often you clean and how.

Tzutzie

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 9:32 am

imasinger wrote:

Clean daily, and use a voice system like Alexa to handle emails and writing while you clean. You can listen and dictate.

Cool idea!

Another thought, can you get a bacume basebiard or whatever they are called? A "roomba" maybe? Let it run every day. And then you clean it all yourself once or twice a week to get the corners.

Counter tops should be wiped down every day and before doing meal prep/serving if your house is so dusty.

My apt isnt so dusty bh. I sweep/wash all floors once a week
High traffic area I sweep twice a week. Kitchen/dinette every day and a quick wash usually once a week (other than a good thorough wash) I used to be a clean freak, but I value being a calm mother more than cleanliness. (Not that I don't value cleanliness. u Absolutely do) so I cut it down to once a week heavy cleaning. And a swipe over the toilets daily. And some sweeping and spot cleaning whenever necessary.

There is nothing like relaxing in a bath made in a freshly scrubbed bath tub with clean polished hardware. Ahhhh. I know im crazy.

hmcty

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 10:16 am

I am a neat freak but I learned to let things go so I have more time for other things and am less stressed. I clean up the toys and sweep the kitchen and clean counters/table everyday. Bathrooms once a week. Vaccum/dusting not more than once a week.

Iymnok

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 11:07 am

What type of broom and floors do you have?
I have smooth shiny floors and use the Rav Magav broom and sponga stick. Due to being rubber/silicon, the dust doesn't fly up as I sweep.
Using a damp shmatta can attract dust and dirt too.

GramaNewYork

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 11:29 am

Oh Ladies!!! Your replies make me so happy. I feel so comfortable as if I'm in a room full of like-minded women Very Happy

It feels great!

Thank you so much for all your wonderful answers.

I have typical Israeli floors, but not the shiny ones. My favorite cleaning tool is the dry Swiffer mophead I brought from the States. I attach those square colorful microfiber clothes they sell all over Israel and use them to dust. If needed between the once-a-week wash, I spray them with water or all-purpose cleaner to wipe up. I do have to use a regular broom before I dust because the dust cloth doesn't pick up anything but hair and dust while the regular broom doesn't pick up the dust. I didn't have good luck with the Rav Magav. Could be I just don't know how to use it properly.

The robot idea is adorable, but that might not happen for a few years based on budget.

Because I clean almost every morning, I don't have to panic if I can't clean once in awhile for whatever reason. Thank you again!!! This has been so helpful to me : D

greenfire

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 12:56 pm

changed my mind ... lol

I'm an all or nothing person when it comes to cleaning ... I have learned to go the middle ground

floors & tables/kitchen counters should get every day attention - however, the other surfaces you can dust once [or twice] a week

amother

Oak

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 2:28 pm

I'm thinking of getting an air purifier to cut down on dust. I do feel pride in cleaning, but don't have the opportunity to make it a priority enough embarrassed

I heard that it will minimize the dust accumulation so I don't have to feel guilty every time I look at surfaces.

GramaNewYork

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 3:20 pm

I think an air purifier is a good idea.

When I worked full time (35 years worth of working full time), I also could not keep up with the house and I looked forward to the time when I would be able to do things my way. If a person has a growing family and or is working, it probably should not be the priority because you might drive yourself and your family crazy. Even when not working full time, staying on top of things is a challenge. I feel that people should do what they want as much as possible. If they like cleaning the way I do, they should clean, but if they hate it or have other priorities, they should either pay for help (if they can afford it) or get away with as little as possible so they put the focus on whatever they can do to enjoy life.

I also think it's great if people can teach their kids how to keep clean, but not everyone is good at that.

Raw

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 3:45 pm

It is really important to me to have a clean home all the time, even with a few small kids underfoot. People often comment, "wow, you must spend a lot of time cleaning for it to look like this," but it's really not the case.
Like you, I spend around 30 minutes a day cleaning so that the remainder is just cleaning up after meals.
I think it's much easier and less overwhelming in the long run and you get to enjoy your clean home!
I have my daily chores of making beds, sweeping the floors, etc., and then I add one more thing each day, like vacuuming or toilets. I also do it very fast so it might not be perfect but it's good enough.
That being said, I do also have a cleaning lady once a week to do a deep cleaning, but I live in a big house. When I lived in an apt I didn't feel the need.
So I'd keep doing what you're doing!

Last edited by Raw on Thu, Feb 09 2017, 4:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

enter

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 4:00 pm

I like this thread - makes me feel like I'm with like-minded women, too Wink

I love to keep my home clean. Cleaning, and living clean, helps me to feel better about myself in general and live productively. Drives me crazy to have to be in dirty places, challenges me at the level of my being. So, yes, I vote for daily cleaning too, if you can do that.

MagentaYenta

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 4:33 pm

I don't know if I'm necessarily proud of the amount of cleaning I do. I am pleased with my end results. I live in a small space so disorder and dust are very visible. I must say I've gotten a bit slack, I no longer vac once a day as I did when I had a cat, more likely once a week. I don't have a nasty kitchen floor since it's small and most of it is covered with a rug so a sweeping every other day or so works for me and a wash every other week. (During the summer when I'm in and out it needs to be washed more often.) The shower gets scrubbed after each use and my toilet is cleaned daily. I wipe down my sink when I'm done brushing my teeth in the a.m.

zaq

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 5:06 pm

For a brief insane while I tried to be s FlyLady. She is often recommended on this site. IMO she's for people who have no idea how to clean at all. However, because I'm always looking for tips, I tried to follow her path for s few weeks.

What happened was I made myself crazy, was cleaning all. the.time. and got no satisfaction from it. Then I reverted back to the philosophy of Don Aslett, head of a large commercial cleaning firm and author of several hilarious books on cleaning. one of his mottoes is "If it ain't dirty don't clean it." If dust is not visible and not hurting anything, it is not deserving of my attention. When it accumulates to the point that it becomes visible, that's when I need to address it.

So I dumped Frau Kommandant FlyLady and went back to cleaning what I want when I want, as the spirit moves me.