Tuesday, March 10, 2015

How to Keep Your House Clean (almost) Painlessly


When my daughter left home for Bible school at age eighteen, her younger brother and I divided the house cleaning chores she usually did. I noticed that my son completed his chores every week. But mine languished. Of course, I was paying him to scrub toilets and mop floors, while I did it for free. Since I hate housework, it’s no wonder I wasn't motivated by love for a clean environment alone.

Two decades later, I set aside money for house cleaning, and then give it to my husband and myself on days we do heavy cleaning. I still don’t enjoy the chores, but since I know there’s a bit of green waiting for me at the end of the day, I'm more motivated to clean.


I've also hired cleaning ladies to do the jobs for me that I hated or didn't have time to do. We pay people to make birthday cakes, build houses, and fix cars for us when we don’t feel competent. Why not have someone do the dirty jobs we don’t WANT to do, or don’t have time to do?


How do you keep your house clean? If you have kids at home, do you pay them to help do the dirty work? Have you ever hired a cleaning lady? 

9 comments:

  1. My husband and I do the cleaning together. I used to think the house had to be cleaned every week, but I have relaxed my thinking on that since it is just the two of us at home. Neither of us like cleaning, but working together makes it tolerable, especially when he sings while he cleans.

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  2. Now that my kids are grown I am chief housework-doer. We used to have weekly and Saturday jobs that the kids were required to do. It was a big help to me through our homeschooling years. Now, I miss the help around here! Although we don't generate as much dirt and mess, there is still plenty to do. I texted all three kids this last Saturday and said that I wished it were the late 90's again, so I would have help with the Saturday jobs. For some reason, they weren't too sympathetic. Maybe because they have their own homes to clean now. :)

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  3. I have to go stand in the corner. It has always been my job but I fail at it. (How's that for being transparent?)

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  4. When my kids were home, I did a lot more housework. Now that it is just me, I am very lazy with it! My house is generally neat but often I will take my cleaning caddy out of the closet to remind me and then it will sit in my hallway for days before I start using the items in it and clean!

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  5. When my husband and I got married, our Best Man gave us 20 hours of house cleaning for a wedding gift. I treasured that gift, especially when my back decided heavy cleaning would only be allowed during months ending with the number 3 (which never happened).

    While my back isn't quite as finicky now, I got a taste of freedom from chores. I'm considering hiring someone to come in and help when spring cleaning rolls around.

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