We have just enjoyed several gloriously warm and sunny days, this resulted in long hours in the garden and a little crafting for my soul.
The housework became minimal, only what had to be done. Today it is still warm but grey and a faint haze of moisture in the air. I was up early, as usual, and having looked outside and checked the weather report decided it was cleaning day. The bathroom is positively sparkling and the kitchen has been "bottomed". It took me almost 3 hours, not long really as everything moveable was removed so I could get at all the nooks and cranny's.
I recently saw a report that said the average person spends 5-7 hours weekly on cleaning, I could not do it. Last thing after dinner I do my kitchen, wash up, dry and stack away. Wash the bowl, sink, dish drainer and draining board and whip round the taps.
I clear the tops of everything that does not belong and give them a spray of my vinegar solution and polish it off. Then the floor gets swept and washed. , this takes up to an hour. The past week this has been a rushed and skimped job, today I paid the price.
I will be working my way through the rest of the house as the day goes on, I do have a WIP layered ready to be basted and will fit that in one way or another.
All work and no play is a very bad thing.
Now I do not consider myself to be the cleanest person on the planet and I am no Hyacinth Bucket. Right now my sewing room is a tip but it will be done by days end.
I was out yesterday, Ben had his walk with Dolly and Archie, and chatting to a group of 5 other peeps. We got onto this report and one said that she could go through her house in 2 hours and did it twice weekly, no pets, no children, works full time and lives on ready meals. Another admitted to spending most of the day working in her house and often not finishing it all, does not go to work, has 4 children, 3 dogs, a few cats and an assortment of little feathered and furry creatures to boot.
There is another who quite happily owns up to not seeing dust or cobwebs, will watch telly all day and cleans only when it becomes a health hazard.
I also read a blog post, my apologies as I can not remember where, about the 1 cup per person rule, after being faced with a sink full of dirty ones. My Mum introduced this one year, long after I had moved out, she got up one morning to find only 2 clean mugs, hers and Dads usual ones. My sister and brothers got up and there were no mugs.... I was told that things got a bit heated and then extremely sweary when said sister produced 3 mugs from her room, one of which had a lovely crop of fur.
It was not helped when brothers went out to the work shop, both car and bike mad, and brought in a tray full, all filthy some mouldy.
Mum simply took them outside and tipped them in the bin, making certain that they all broke.
The 3 culprits had to go and replace them all, needless to say it never happened again, but the 1 mug rule stood till they all left home.
I am not sure where this is going, call it a case of cleaning fatigue, coupled with a smidgeon of disgust at how far I had let my kitchen slip.
My tea break is over and I need to find the coffee table, to polish, I am sure it is under all that paper somewhere.
TTFN Pam
I don't suppose that you are any different to anyone else! I love that you use the phrase bottoming though, I love that and don't know many people that use it. I was supposed to clean this morning, but I have done other things - that needed doing - but not cleaning. I better run round now and do a few things! xx
ReplyDeleteI have done downstairs, even made inroads on the sewing room. Lunch was a much needed bowl of Scotch Broth, and now I am ready for Ben's walk with Archie and Dolly. I will get the sewing room finished after.10 minute pin basting session and my WIP is begging to be lightly quilted, bound and hung. Don't run, it isn't ladylike ; D
DeleteI like a clean house, but over the years I have learn't it does not have to be cleaned within an inch of it's life. I spent far too many years shouting at daughters and cleaning, when we should have been having fun. As grown women they do understand, they like me like clean and tidy, but will close the door on everything for a trip out.
ReplyDeleteThe only parts that I am anal about are the kitchen and bathroom, comes from having brothers I think.
DeleteClean a Welsh farm cottage thoroughly in 5 to 7 hours a WEEK?
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible, even with my not too fussy approach to life. The mud that turns to dust as it dries out, can't be entirely kept out of doors. The doors don't quite fit anyway, because the exterior walls curve and doors don't, so stuff blows inThere's wood smoke in small parts to deal with in winter and the dried on earth coming in on the veggies in the summer.
People who write books and present tv programmes on orderly, super-clean homes always live in new-built city homes and I wish them joy of it, but I like my slightly chaotic home, with the odd spider lurking more than I'd like a chemical spray filled city flat. Twice a year, it is 'Hyacinth Bucket-ed,' but the rest of the year it is somewhat less sparkling. Not dirty, but lived-in.
My house is in a village but gets its fair share of dried mud dust, both blown in and walked in. My sewing generates an amazing amount of dust and fluff and Ben does like to roll in the garden and then come in to have a good shake. I do not like spiders but do not kill them, no flies in my home, well not live ones anyway. My biggest downfall is putting things away when sewing, I tend to have a few things on the go at once and there are times when I have to take an hour to sort and separate them. It seems that like a vacuum my room gets filled up while my back is turned.
DeleteI clean on fridays ready for Martin coming home and it is only a quick clean through :-)
ReplyDeleteThat works for you, there is nothing dirty about your house. Apart from kitchen and bathroom most of my cleaning and tidying is generated by sewing and Ben, Oh and the fact that I rush in off the garden or from a walk and am right through the house before I remember to take my shoes off.
ReplyDeleteI do a deep clean & declutter about 3 times a year and then I just do a little bit in the mornings to keep on top of it.
ReplyDeleteI am not naturally tidy so I have to make the effort, otherwise I would be buried under the clutter.
DeleteOh wouldn't it be great if houses could self clean , like self cleaning ovens ......
ReplyDeleteOh my, the person who invents that would make Bill Gates look like a pauper.
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