To alleviate my guilt

[n2mark]

how frequently do you do a thorough cleaning in your house or apartment. I'm tired of cleaning.

[xmas74]

1. I just started today.

I will be going for quite a long time.

[n2mark]

2. There was a time I really enjoyed cleaning

now I hate to clean. I don't understand this. I thought this was an age thing but when I walk into friend's houses of my age, everything is so perfect. Guess I'm a slob. That bothers me.

[xmas74]

4. I think that everyone just gets tired of it

after awhile. It never changes. We always have to clean something.

[clydefrand]

3. What is a thorough cleaning?????? I'm tired of it too.

Let's get a maid! Oh, I forgot, we're DEMS.

But I thought we were supposed to be the Elite! Aren't the elite supposed to be rich enough to afford household help? Why am I not?

[intheflow]

5. I do my shower when I can see the dirt without my glasses.

I do my dishes almost daily, due to a fear of insect infestation. I never file, so I can't even use my desk any more. I dust 3 or 4 times a year, more often in the dusty summer. I personally think Americans have fetishes around cleaning, and abnormal fears of both dirt and disapproval of others. If you (and your housemates, if any) are comfortble with how much you clean, I wouldn't sweat it at all.

[lastknowngood]

6. It's been 18 years and I'll let you know when I get started

n/t

[Pithlet]

7. Every day, but I have kids.

So, I wouldn't be able to make it from one side of the house to the other if I didn't. It does get tiresome.

[MediumBrownDog]

8. Went from 4000 sqft to 1500 sqft .....

from a colonial to a ranch, because my husband and I decided to simplify our lives, get rid of superfluous stuff, use fewer resources, etc etc etc. I thought an upside would be that the place would be super easy to clean and that my guilt re being a bad housekeeper would be eliminated.

WRONG.

A little house gets just as dirty as a big house. The only difference is that you see it immediately. And clutter becomes THE issue, because there's nowhere to hide it.

I suck as a housekeeper. I do a thorough cleaning (1) before the inlaws come and (2) before our annual holiday party. Period.

[Minimus]

9. Well , I clean weekly - dust , vacuum, clean bathrooms, change sheets

But I thoroughly clean twice a year. Spring and Fall. Thorough cleaning involves moving furniture to reach dust bunnies, cleaning window treatments, using Murphy Oil Soap on the cabinets, etc. You know, getting into all the nooks and crannies that no one can really see.

Thorough cleaning sucks.

[n2mark]

10. When my children lived at home

my home was spotless. Now that I'm alone, I don't care anymore.

A thorough cleaning for me was cleaning every nook and cranny in the house, I mean taking a mop and mopping the walls, floors washed on my hands and knees and washing the baseboards. In the meantime I had food cooking for the week. Laundry and ironing completed on the weekends, now use Clorox ready mop, no furniture polish, use the swiffer duster, laundry when I notice running short on underwear and I sometimes don't know what I am eating the next week.

If I know company is coming, I do go through this process.

I've been told if I will not do this for myself, then I have a problem.
They call this low self esteem, I call it, who cares.

Is something wrong with me? Is this normal?

[n2mark]

11. Can we kick this up a bit?

[Pithlet]

12. Not necessarily

Lapsing in housework when you're normally neat can be a sign of depression and other problems. But, if you feel fine, and have no other symptoms, I wouldn't worry about it. After years of child rearing and home making, it's okay to let it slide and live your life a little.

[n2mark]

15. Are you into counseling?

I wondered if this is depression since I am the lone ranger here, I don't have the incentive to clean, I'm okay with it except I would not want anyone to walk in my house unexpected.

[Pithlet]

17. I have noticed

That when I've been depressed in the past, like when I had PPD, I was less inclined to keep up on the housework. Luckily, I had my husband to pick up the slack. If you've noticed any other changes though, like having a problem getting out of bed, fatigue, crying jags, eating more/eating less and any weight changes, you should talk to your doctor.

I don't think a messier house in and of itself is a sign of depression, but it can be one of them. It could also just be that your priorities have changed. I don't think a spotless house is the be all and end all of happiness. If you're just tired of keeping a spotless house clean, that is very understandable. Keep any rooms that an unexpected visitor might see neat and tidy, and forget about the rest :)

[khashka]

13. Twice a year?

I hate cleaning and I'm no good at it. I only do laundry when I have nothing left wear. And wash dishes only when I have nothing to eat off of.

Ironing? I don't understand that word.

Khash.

[MrSandman]

14. When I move...nt

[Tsiyu]

16. A Tidy House

Is the sign of a misspent life....
Anna Nemmis

[Dave Reynolds]

18. Whenever I move out,

prior to that I find other things to do.

Keeping the bugs out is as good as it gets most of the time.