The Cleaning Gene

My sisters and I always joke that I did not inherit the “cleaning gene”.  I grew up with a very clean and organized mother.  Not the crazy, obsessed Monica from Friends type, but I was lucky to live in an always clean and tidy house.  My mom worked hard keeping it clean  (and working full time) and we were always responsible to help- you don’t begin your Saturday of fun until you clean your room (dust, vacuum, change sheets-the whole shebang)  as well as the other room (bathroom, family room etc) which rotated among sisters.  Definitely a fair thing to ask of kids.

Fast forward into adulthood..  My mom’s house is still spotless-probably easier now that she’s retired with just her and my dad but still.  Both my sisters have 2 kids and a husband and work full time and have very clean houses.  I have one daughter and a fiance and a full time job and my house..  well it is not spotless..  I just don’t enjoy cleaning and will find every excuse to get out of it..  I did not get that clean gene!!

Now don’t get me wrong I do get satisfaction out of having things cleaned and organized and I would love a clean house but that means you have to clean :).  And I can find 500 other things that “need to be done” instead..

Now my house is not gross- you do not need to call Hoarders or anything remotely close to something like that, but I would not call it really clean.  There are things to be put away, shelves to be dusted, laundry to be folded, a few dishes to be washed- which I know are typical to most homes but it is now at that point where the busyness of life (and my avoidance of cleaning 🙂 has caught up with the house and it is time..  Bathrooms need to be cleaned, floors need to be mopped, lots of laundry to be folded and cleaned… Big cleaning stuff where if I did a little at a time I would not be in this mess (pun intended).

My fiance is great and will definitely help and when he is here he does motivate me to clean and we get stuff done BUT he is working today and gone so here I am on a Saturday with plenty of time to clean..

but instead..

I am writing my blog…  playing with Reese…  checking facebook… calling anyone…  looking for easy things to clean that will look like I did something… searching pinterest for school ideas…

wishing I had that “clean gene”.  But I don’t and things need to be done..

SO

Off to cleaning I go…

Oh wait..  there’s that magazine I never had a chance to read…

5 thoughts on “The Cleaning Gene

  1. Lori, cleaning on Saturdays is one of my pet peeves. I actually feel like I can’t relax until things are picked up, put away, and cleaned up a bit. But, I do not want to spend my time cleaning especially when Cara says, “Mama, play with me.” Making messes and memories is so much more important than making sure my home is spotless.

  2. I definitely understand. Saturday is always the one day I have a huge list of things that need to get done (i.e. cleaning…) but also the only day I can use for the things I *want* to do. It’s a tough balance, and I usually lean toward the wants…haha. On a completely unrelated note, I LOVE the look of your blog.

  3. Thanks writing about this. I have that cleaning Gene..i guess… Sometimes I start before work on Friday then get home and finish up before the kids sleep. Then I have Saturday to give to my family. I’m so glad I was not alone… Growing up with Cleaning Saturdays. Bonus side of cleaning… My kids are clean. They put things away and wipe up spills. There’s always the cleaning lady option 🙂 give someone a job and help the economy!! It’s also on my list of things to do.. If I can let go.

  4. I’m with you Lori! I hate cleaning and my children’s youth was a constant battle for me between wanting to spend time with them and needing to clean. They won. Now I have a cleaning lady so I win!

  5. This was hilarious! So much voice in this piece!
    I am dying about the looking for easy things to clean to make it look like I did something…

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