Purple Prose + TIME

Cleaning Makes Me Happy

I never in a million years thought I'd type that. I never thought I'd THINK that. If you asked me 3 months, 2 months, even ONE month ago if I liked cleaning, well... it wouldn't be a great answer you'd get.

Like most people, I hated it. It was a chore. Something that *had* to be done. I'd vacuum *maybe* once every 2 weeks. Dishes were washed every other day. My bed was never made. The girls' toys were always scattered on the floor because, why clean them? They would be used again and out in 5 seconds anyway. And, I never... never... NEVER scrubbed my bathroom (I am ashamed to admit that).

Of course, I did the basics. My house wasn't a pigsty, but it wasn't something I enjoyed and if I DID to it, it was very disgruntled and almost angry that *I* had to do it (the hubs and I have had many a fight over the state of our home).

Anyway, something clicked about a month ago... I woke up one Saturday morning (my cleaning day) and was actually excited to get started! I fed the baby her bottle, put her in her jumperoo (which she LOVES), turned on the Saturday morning cartoons for my kids, and started cleaning... HAPPILY!

I may have actually whistled...

WHO WAS THIS PERSON?!?!

I found that I actually liked having a place for everything... and everything in its place (I'm trying to organize). I liked looking and seeing my Scrubbing Bubbles 'stockpile' (I'm all about the Scrubbing Bubbles products!!!). I liked how shiny my faucets and everything looked...

I liked not fighting over it.

I liked having a checklist and checking things off when I was completed...

And today...

OH TODAY...

I found that after 8 years...

I actually like to...

Vacuum!

I KNOW!!!

I have gripped and complained about our stinkin' vacuum cleaner (a Rainbow) ever since the hubs decided we needed to spend $1800 on it 5 years ago. I hated it. Too bulky. Too heavy... Too EXPENSIVE! Today was honestly the first day I've ever truly liked it. Poor thing. So unloved all these years. Today was also the first day that my middle child who is 4 helped me vacuum. She's been scared of it for years and today she decided to be 'bravd'.

So, if you have been totally unmotivited like I was in the past... if you are just doing what you have to to do get by cleaning wise... here are some tips I came up with (today while cleaning lol). I'm sure most of you do these, but if not, here is what helps me:

1. Put on nice clothes
~Now I'm not saying dress to the 9s and do up your hair to clean. That would be silly (unless you are into that sort of thing then more power to you :) ). What I have found that if I look 'nice' then I clean 'nice'. If I look frumpy, then I feel frumpy and therefore don't give 2 hills of beans what the house looks like. I found some new work out pants and a shirt on sale at Wal-mart so I got a few of them and wear them when I'm cleaning. If I wear my pjs, I don't seem to clean as well. I think that if you feel like you look good (well as good as I can look ;) ) then you want your house to reflect it... for at least 2 seconds (before the kids come back into the room lol)

2. Make a checklist
~That may sound silly. I mean you may have cleaned in the same order for the last 15 years and could do it in your sleep. I can too, now. I know where I'm going to start, finish, etc. However, to me, I LOVE checking off checklists. If its written down, and checked then I actually did it! It's like a reward system for me (maybe I need a sticker chart lol).

3. Clean first thing in the morning
~That's why I do it on Saturday mornings. I feed the baby her bottle. Put her in her jumperoo (which she LOVES). And turns on Saturday morning cartoons. No, I don't feel bad about it, because the baby is exercising (plus she doesn't get put in the jumperoo much... I save it for cleaning) and the girls come and go helping me with chores. They are young enough to enjoy it. I have found that if I start right after I feed the baby (and before I sit down to eat or get on the computer) then I am more motivated to actually START. If I sit down, then I want to stay down.

4. Daily Maintance
~I never understood the value of daily cleaning maintance. Every day, I clean the kitchen countertops, bathroom countertops, 5 minute pick up of the entire house, and do laundry. That makes Saturday cleaning so much easier. Everything is picked up so I can vacuum. The kitchen is practically already clean (I do clean the appliances, sweep again, and swiffer). The bathrooms take most of my time because I really try to scrub them well. I have much less clothes to wash (I can't believe I used to only wash on Saturday!)

5. Enjoy... and then let go
~When I'm finished cleaning, I actually take time to look at it, and enjoy the hard work I put into it. I LOVE looking at shining sinks or countertops. I like looking at a living room with no toys in the floor and countertops with no clutter... but then... I live in a household of 5. Its a living, breathing, functioning family... I have 3 small kids as well. Messes are inevitible. I enjoy my clean house, and then I let go. If the kids want to paint, ok. If they want to get their toys back out, more power to them. If we make a mess on the counter, no big deal. It will clean up later. Thanks to the daily 5 minute clean up, I don't have to worry or get SO aggrivated about messes my kids (and lets face it, me and my husband) make. I've seen some people who will clean and then won't let anyone touch anything for fear of fingerprints etc. I found myself starting that, and then I had to stop myself. A clean house is nice... but my kids and my family are the most important thing.

Much love... and happy cleaning!!!

Kelly

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Cleaning Makes Me Happy + TIME