how can I spice up my cleaning life?

octopus

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 10:20 am

GR wrote:

Octopus, when I'm really not in the mood I tell myself I'm just putting in 20 minutes worth. I'm always surprised by how much I can accomplish in 20 minutes! Try it. Smile

I have tried that before. It really works. I know that the only thing that needs fixing is my mindset when it comes to this. I really have a bad attitude towards cleaning. I absolutely dread it.

Mama Bear

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 10:25 am

I hate hate hate hate hate loathe despise loathe despite hate hate hate cleaning. I'd do anything but clean. I'd do anything but clean. GRRRR.

that being said, in my 2nd and 3rd trimester when I could not bend I dreamed of the day I'd be able to pick up toys from the floor.

When I was incapacitated from a horrific postpartum infection I couldnt' wait for the day I could fold laundry and cook and clean.

now that I'm BH well and healthy, I STILL HATE CLEANING HATE HATE HATE.

I have a small pocket radio and flip through all the talk and news stations. The daytime hosts are really interesting. That helps me a little. Frequent coffee breaks in front of the computer help too.

Mama Bear

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 10:38 am

and btw - I am now hooked on www.newyorkjewishradio.com - I sing along as I clean, they have tghe best and latest songs.

canadamom

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 11:14 am

I mentally tell myself that if I clean xyz afterwards I'll have a reward, such as coffee and cake, or I will sit down and read, or go online.....

pacifier

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 11:38 am

oh, I love this thread!
zaq, you're really funny!
just reading those posts make me want to start cleaning my house!

also, if you can get one room to be always clean, it sets the mood for a clean house!

Fabulous

Mon, Feb 02 2009, 11:39 am

Mama Bear wrote:

I probably hate cleaning just as much as you but I know how much dh appreciates a clean house and that motivates me about once a month.

raizy

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 11:08 pm

mamabear u make me laugh I was in the same sit as u. I was dreaming the day I can clean the toys. or sweep the floor. it does sound good when u are hooked up to an I.v. pole...

well time does heal ..... and I need a big bang on my head... did I really dream of the day that I can clean without a I.v stuck to me... what was I thinking. Rolling Eyes

gryp

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 11:49 am

The problem with me is that for some reason I need the bedrooms to be cleaned first before I move on to our dr/lr. And then someone knocks on the door and I don't open it if it's too messy. I know I should do it the other way around, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to.

zigi

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 12:29 pm

GR wrote:

so true! the bedrooms are easier to clean for me. everything usually has a place and I can clean it fast. but the living room has space for things to pile up and toys everywhere. people come to the door and I feel bad. I like to clean at night and people come during the day or evening when everyone is up and running around I wish people can come and see the house at 2:00 am!

I don't like cleaning. there is always something I would rather do. but I like things to be neat. music and talk radio helps. also talking on the phone.

gryp

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 12:44 pm

For me it's not about the bedrooms being easier to clean, but just the way I have everything organized in my head, that the bedrooms should be done first.

Mimisinger

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 1:06 pm

Oy, I need help cleaning the bedrooms - that is the worst by far!!! Esp. dh's side. Everything is just a pile on his floor next to his bed. And his drawers have garbage piled high on top, but I can't clean them because I don't know what is good or not and, I want him to do it!

Thus, my side gets to look bad until I get really crazy and just do my side.

We never make our beds Sad

I used to every day....

Blair

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:11 pm

I checked out those dish gloves on Neiman Marcus. Could someone please explain how you do dishes with them on. I guess they might be good for loading the dish washer or look nice on the counter. Have been away from America to long to realize why I am glad to be hear and not influenced by such stuff.

mummiedearest

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:40 pm

find a chore you enjoy and do that the most frequently. I love folding laundry. so I do that before anything else.

the 20 minute thing works. it takes me that amount of time to put things away. by then I'm so impressed that I take the extra five minutes to sweep the floor. voila, I have a beautiful house. unless I need to mop. which I should do tonight...

having a place for everything helps. throwing the toys into one huge toybox makes cleaning worse, imo. it also enables the kids to dump out all the toys at once. I know someone who's mother divided the toys into three sacks. she switched sacks every week so the kids would have relatively new toys to play with. I bet she had an easier cleanup as well.

honestly, my favorite part of cleaning is the quiet. I clean when my kids are napping or asleep for the night. ah, bliss.

gryp

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:43 pm

Quote:

honestly, my favorite part of cleaning is the quiet. I clean when my kids are napping or asleep for the night. ah, bliss.

Lucky you! Smile

I can't remember the last time it was quiet around here. Rolling Eyes

That's why I don't do any real cleaning.

octopus

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:48 pm

if it's quiet, the last thing I want to do is clean. I would rather be on the computer or reading a book. Now, if someone wanted to watch my kids while they are up so that I could clean....now THAT is an incentive.

mummiedearest

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:52 pm

octopus wrote:

excuses, excuses. I know my kids will be asleep from 7:30 onwards. so I tell myself that for 25 minutes I'll clean. I have the rest of the evening to read and veg out on imamother. I admit there are times I don't clean, and the dishes pile up like there's no tomorrow. my husband is willing to do those, so I often leave them for him. but my living room, dining room, play room, and laundry are done. unless my kids stop napping. like today...

that's what we all need to spice up our cleaning life. we need drill sergeants.

smilingmom

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 3:58 pm

I have always compliment my DH on how he does a fantastic and efficient job of cleaning, the flattery goes to his head and he does the cleaning.
Speaking of spice, I put it everywhere as a fragrance. The bathroom looks much nicer with the smell of cinnamon and mulberry.
If I really have to clean, I kick everyone out of the house, blast music that I wouldn't let my kids listen to and dance as I clean.

RightOnTarget

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 6:12 pm

I shut the phone, shut the computer, put the kids for a nap and set myself a time limit.

Room A has to get down by 10:00, Room B by 10:20 and so on.

As long as I'm moving along, things get done beautifully. Once I get distracted; the game is over!

gryp

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 6:15 pm

That's my main problem. Too many distractions. I don't ever expect to get a job done in one shot, something will inevitably come up. So I've stopped trying. Confused

RightOnTarget

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 6:24 pm

GR,
DOn't give up so fast! I get distracted, stop for then but try again later.
I try to limit any distractions that I may see coming.