Okay, let me just preface this post with the acknowledgement that , yes, I am a geek.
So, I read this book from the 50's about how to be a good homemaker. It talks a lot about making sure to be dressed and looking nice with just the right amount of makeup on when your husband leaves for work, and when he returns. I skipped most of that chapter. Poor Scott gets to leave the house kissing goodbye a mattey-haired, sweater-toothed, squinty-eyed wife. He comes home to the same girl who, if all went well that day, is more or less the same except she did get a shower and a tooth desweaterfication. If all went well that day, mind you.
I did like the chapter about housecleaning. Here's what I did. I sat in each room and just looked around and thought up anything and everything I could do to clean that room. I wrote each thing down. Then, I looked at the list and decided how often these things needed to be done. Daily, weekly, or monthly. Then I wrote down each of the chores on a card (orange:daily, green: weekly, blue: monthly) in very specific detail. Then I did a few math calculations to see how many weekly and monthly cards I need to do each day to get them all done. And then, viola, I had the perfect plan in case anything ever happened to me and the Relief Society sister's needed to know how to clean my house.
Okay, I will admit, I did think about that while I was working on this project but I'm also trying to do it myself. Scott wanted in on it so I gave him a daily chore that he graciously accepted. Now, I will never have to worry about taking out the trash again and if I ever have the desire to clean my house, I know where to start.
How do you keep up on all of the house-cleaning duties in your lives? I would love to hear success stories, failures, and words of encouragement.
12 comments:
hahaha that is so funny that you write about this because it is the MOST discouraging thing for me! I NEVER have the apartment completely clean. I am always cleaning, but there is always more to do. I need to spend an entire day devoted to cleaning so I can be caught up and then get organized...but I like reading blogs too much :) haha.
That is so awesome you have that organized plan though.
Love you!
What was the name of the book? It sounds interesting! I feel like I'm always doing dishes no matter how much or how little I cook or bake. I usually have days where I devote myself to a certain chore. Monday-laundry, Tuesday-ironing, Wed-dustand vac. etc. but that just gets me by with the basics. I think I may try something new...thanks for the post!
I am desperately in need of some sort of plan. My house is usually a disaster! I hope this works for you!
I must ask. What, pray tell, is a sweater tooth?
Sadie-
I am fairly sure I have read this book. Did it talk about letting your husband lift heavy things for you and how to be more feminine? :-) I am the same way with cleaning. My linoleum and I have a daily battle ever since we moved into our house. It thinks its gray and I know its white:-) I love reading your blog.
no help here! I think i might know how to be a good housewife when my children are grown, my husband is retired, and I'm rich enough to have a maid! once that happens i'll let you know how to be the best housewife. the card thing would work well for my maid! maybe I should read that book so I can train her well. HA HA great post!
Sweater tooth... you know when you wake up in the morning and your teeth feel a little fuzzy from the night. In my family, we say you have sweaters on your teeth. I guess it's just another way of saying "I'm so lazy I didn't even brush my teeth today."
Here is the book info. "The Art of Home-Making" by Daryl V. Hoole.
I just realized that the whole card idea came from a paper slipped inside the book. I stole this book off my mom's bookshelf. She must have put it in there when she was a new wife and mother. I think it's actually typed on a typewriter.
oh if i only could kepp up with the laundry...my goal every day is get dishes done and keep the living room clean...Saturdays are the days i tackle other things so justin can help me
Sadie...
If you're a geek then so am I. I have the exact same method although it's just written in lists on the fridge instead of on cards. However, I have an awfully hard time sticking to it and it hangs in my face as a reminder of everything I'm SUPPOSED to be doing. I'm glad to know I'm not alone!
Sandee
Sadie, let me just say this...as I sat down to the computer tonight I looked around at the pile of paper on the table and counter, the diapers on the floor that still haven't made it to the garbage can, the stroller in the middle of the floor, my three pairs of shoes all in different corners of the room, and my pots and pans neatly placed all over the kitchen floor. Before logging on the computer I thought--maybe I should clean up. Then I thought--yeah right, I haven't read sadie's blog in forever, I need to catch up.
It must be a sign. I'll go clean now before Paco gets home! LOL Thanks Sadie!!!
BY THE WAY...am I the only one who thinks...why on earth do I bother cleaning this all up if it's just going to be back to the same situation tomorrow mornign when Sammy wakes up? sheesh.
I think this sounds like a great idea! Let me know if it works. I've tried similar things before, and I do pretty well with the daily chores, but weekly and monthly sometimes slip by. That sounds like a good way to keep track of them!
The only tip I have for keeping a clean house is don't let yourself accumulate too much stuff. If you're not using it, give it or throw it away. Otherwise you'll just have to pick it up and clean it yourself. (I'm better at giving this advice than doing it myself.)
Someone clued me in to a couple websites that I like...
www.messies.com & www.flylady.net
I've picked a few things from each that I like and implement in our home! Good Luck!
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