In fact, while doing extensive research for this blog entry I have added a considerable number of new words to my cleaning vocabulary. I was familiar with terms such as hose down, scrape off, hide under the sofa, and spruce up before Daddy gets home, but what the heck is 'to depurate'? (It's in the dictionary folks...look it up. I double dog dare ya to use it in a conversation this week!)
Lavinia darlink, I hate to disappoint you, but I don't have any cleaning quirks, because I don't like to clean enough to develop any cleaning eccentricities. Nevertheless, I will be thrilled to share my numero uno cleaning tip. The best thing I ever did
to promote the overall cleanliness of my home was, (during the six months I was able to afford her services) to hire a twice monthly maid. My good friend needed some extra money and I needed help. At the time, I had a little craft business and was gearing up for the busy Christmas gift buying season by working 20 hours a day. I found that once she gave the house a spic and span cleaning I was able to keep it nice and orderly until her next visit.
Later, my dear daughter filled this same cleaning need in my life. Dear daughter has been tagged by her friends as a Monica reincarnation, so you can imagine the help she was to her mother who has such a terrible depurate shortfall in her character.I would like to challenge any of my cyber buddies who actually like to clean to please share your tips and quirks with me. In these recessionary times, I'm finding that I have to do all my own cleaning.
Please, please enlighten me!
No help here! If you figure out how to actually "like" it, I'd love to know the secret!
ReplyDeleteIf I had a choice between cleaning or cooking...I'll clean all day!!! lol
ReplyDeleteI just use the slave labor I created in my evil laboratory. Mwa ha ha ha ha...
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE the new word. Thank you so much! I will be using it in some context tomorrow, I'm quite sure!
too funny that this cleaning meme came up after you and i e-mailed back and forth on the topic. the only way i'd let someone come in and clean my house is if it was someone i knew. a stranger rummaging thru my stuff creeps me out.
ReplyDeletelove the carol burnett photo!
I hate to clean though I do like clean things/places. It's a neverending source of internal conflict.
ReplyDeleteI have come up with a way to trick myself into doing the dishes or cleaning up the kitchen, so I imagine it can be extrapolated to any dreaded but ultimately simple task.
I look at the mess, sigh deeply and think (often mutter aloud), "OK, I'll give it 5 minutes of my life." I set the kitchen timer, then start working fast. Often the timer dings, I'm so close to being done that I just go ahead and finish.
It's strange how these dreaded chores rarely take more than 5 minutes, 10 tops.
No secrets here ....I make the bed, wash the dishes, try to keep up with the laundry and empty the litter box daily, but everything else is on a "as needed" basis, which usually means when company is coming ..lol!
ReplyDeleteMy list is a ditto of Pat's! Also Hubby pitches in quite often.
ReplyDeleteCarol
I have found that the only way I actually stop procrastinating and clean the house is if I am having guests over...looks like Pat has the same idea:) So why don't you throw a nice big party?
ReplyDeleteDeprate is not in my dictionary. Of courst I have eliminated all words having to do with housework so it may be lurking under a magic marker splotch. I like the timer tip from Indie. Of course I would have to set the timer for 15 minutes before I start so I can rething doing the job for 15 minutes. I had cleaning ladies for several delightful years - but all that changed with my first job layoff.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can say about cleaning is that I depurate as much as I possibly can. I think depuration is the only way to go. I have forgotten how to clean for the most part. I blame everything on getting older. ha... Never fails me.
ReplyDeleteAh, I wish I could afford hiring a maid. Every weekend I slave cleaning my house on my own, instead of spending it on activities I would truly enjoy.;)
ReplyDeleteI love your side bar pictures of spring in February and winter in March; it semi-snowed here today.;)
First off I'm so happy to hear there are alot of bloggers out there neglecting their homes--why do we feel so much better when others share our shortcomings???
ReplyDeleteCleaning advice--bought a book on speed cleaning about 18 years ago and it had some good tips but what stays with me to this day is don't use too much cleaning product because you will spend FOREVER rinsing it off. VERY TRUE. A little will get it just as clean, save money, and time. I know-just common sense but sometimes I'm a bit slow-Ha.
I guess my only quirk is that I consider lighting a smelly candle cleaning because it then smelllls clean!
ReplyDeleteFebreeze! Febreeze, everywhere! :)
ReplyDeleteYour maid comment made me laugh out loud. You're a fun lady, I can just tell!
I have to admit, I'm going to do the exact same thing once our move is completed. By next month, I'll have her come twice a month to save me time (and sanity!)
Have a great day! The weather is good here---if you're a duck. :)
Sarah
Ha ha ha ha and I thought I was the only one! Oh my!Just reading everyones comments I realise I'm not. You know what? You clean and then the next day there is more dust to wipe so....
ReplyDelete...just don't bother cleaning! No I'm teasing, the best way is a little and often then it saves on the 'pile ups'
ReplyDeleteooops i still have to do mine.
ReplyDeleteooops i still have to do mine.
ReplyDeleteWell depurate is interesting. I haven't looked it up yet but it seems to me that I see "De" and "pure" in there, as in 'depurify' which is the opposite of clean, so I'm throroughly confused but perhas I shouldn't say more till I've looked it up.
ReplyDeleteLucky you to have people nearby who clean for you!! Now that's a quirk I'd love to have...
Lavinia, nobody but me to clean this house anymore....I'm putting an ad in the paper for boarders who like to clean and pay rent...If someone takes me up on my room and board offer, I'll clean up...no wait...that's what their supposed to do!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know that so many of you are like me and only clean when absolutely necessary.
If I lived alone, I wouldn't clean either, Stevie! Aaahh...that sounds lovely some days! :)
ReplyDeleteStevie, my job is rewarding and I think of it as a ministry,but there is something else I need to be doing. I'm so tired so much of the time that I need to rest and I don't know if I'm rationalizing or just hate cleaning. I love when it's all clean and good smelling,but doing the actual cleaning is not fun.
ReplyDeleteSteviewren - See that photo of Carol on the ladder? That was my grade school Hallowe'en costume (dreamed up by my mother).
ReplyDeleteShoot! Don't tell Lavinia I haven't got round to doing her cleaning meme yet, okay? I haven't got too many cleaning quirks, except that I procrastinate on cleaning until someone's coming over. (That's not totally the truth, but I need a cover.)
Kat
Amiable dispatch and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you for your information.
ReplyDeleteGenial fill someone in on and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you for your information.
ReplyDeletei absolutely love all your writing way, very charming,
ReplyDeletedon't quit and also keep creating because it just simply truly worth to read it.
excited to see much more of your own posts, regards :)
Hi everyone
ReplyDeleteUse http://www.BuySellDirect.net new advance ebay website. to sell your new and used products to your local market only and/or the international market. You can even charge taxes for your local market. It is a free service to buyers and sellers.
Do your friends and family a favorite buy introducing http://www.BuySellDirect.net FREE service to all of them?