Housekeeping Confession — and first Tip-of-the-Day

Maxine’s Housekeeping Tips – Part #1
SUBMITTED BY: Maxine in Idaho
Housekeeping Confession — and first Tip-of-the-Day

How a person “keeps house” often is more a reflection of organizational skills than it is pride of ownership. Housework is just a lot harder for some people!

I don’t mean the physical work involved in vacuuming, cleaning toilets, etc., although I have to say it is easier to clean a clean house than a dirty one! I have always had a terrible time getting and keeping my house clean. It’s always just on the messy side. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d love to be a 9, I’d be happy to be a 6, right now I am a 4, and I used to be a 2! And it has taken me over 30 years to get this far.

I have lots of excuses, and some reasons, but I have finally come to the conclusion that a clean house is a juggling act, and I just do one thing at a time! For example, people with really nice kitchens clean up as they go along (it took me YEARS to notice this). When I cook, I cook. When I clean, I clean. It is really hard for me to remember to put water in the sink, toss my dishes in as I go, and load the dishwasher once dinner is cooking. People whose kitchens are always clean automatically do this.

I KNOW what has to be done, because in 30 years I’ve learned SOMETHING, but it really doesn’t come naturally and often I’ll find myself in a disaster zone just because it never occurred to me.

Also, it took me a long time to find out where to start to clean. (More on this another day). I’ve also picked up some organizational tips that help prevent disasters, which I would like to share, one a day. Finally, I just do the best I can and enjoy it without beating myself up too much about why my house isn’t a 6 or a 9. It isn’t easy, because I am married to a man who has been critical of my housekeeping for all the time we have been married. (No, he doesn’t help, either. I married in an earlier time and my self-esteem was too low to do anything about it. It isn’t worth the fight now).

My best housework strategy (the one that has made the MOST difference for me) will be posted tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a quickie:

First Tip-of-the-Day

Establish a place for your purse and ALWAYS put it there so you can find it later! In my case, I put a hook up in the hall closet. When I come in the door, I hang up my coat and I hang up my purse. If I need to take out my checkbook, I return my purse to the hall closet when I’m finished.

Don’t laugh, it’s little stuff like this that can save your sanity!

SUBMITTED BY: Maxine in Idaho

Here’s the next tip from Maxine:  Minimum Maintenance

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