7/27/2006
Cleanliness is next to....
I am considering doing that thing where you set the timer for 15 minutes and clean until it rings. They say it's a good way to make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. Right now I'm overwhelmed. Not by the house which is big enough not to appear as messy as it truly is, but by my bedroom which is in a constant state of disarray.

So I considered this idea and then a slight snag occurred to me....

How would one ever make headway if one cleans for 15 minutes and then spends the next 20+ hours making new messes? Wouldn't one need to spend MORE time cleaning than making messes in order to make headway at all?

Housework, to me, is like calculus to others. I don't get this housework business, I don't understand it. I'd rather do calculus. So if you ever stop by just know it will be messy here. Lived in. There will be animal hair and piles of clutter and piles and piles and piles of books and even more piles of projects that are half done. The walls will have visible finger prints (except the few walls with nice paint specifically chosen to hide fingerprints) and there is typically squishy slobber marks on the lower windows where my dogs press their noses. Sometimes there are even dishes piled in the sink - we have yet to train the kids to put their stuff in the dishwasher but manage to never run out of dishes so this feels like an accomplishment.

If you are looking for a cute house, walk on by. If you are looking for an immaculate, designer estate, don't ring my bell. But you would know this by the two baskets of deader-than-a-doornail flowers on my front porch anyway.

Plus blogging about cleaning is much more fun than cleaning. What I really need to do is clean all day and set the timer for 15 minutes of blog-indulgence. THEN I might finally make some headway!
posted by Stepping On Legos at 7/27/2006§


Comments:
Your house sounds a lot like my house! I don't get that 15 minute thing either... it takes me at least 15 minutes just to do the dishes. If I want the house *clean* I have to go on a total all-day rampage and make all the kids help (or get them out of the house) and then we have to leave because otherwise it's a mess again the next day. :-}
 
I've gotten our house down to 30-45 minutes. I'll kindda make piles for each room. There's usually things from everyroom of the house in everyother room. Or, I'll start at one end and make it to the other. Like starting in the livingroom and making my way to the bedrooms, so the mess migrates and disipates at the same time. However, our house is only 1000 sq ft....so I'm sure you guys live in much bigger homes and have more kids to clean up after. On the other hand, I have 4 adults and 2 kids here now.... Oi.
 
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