Desperate Housewife (cleaning tips wanted)
“Come on, let’s get this place tidied up!” I said to my toddler, surveying the mess that was threatening to take over our home. “Why Mummy?” she asked. “Who’s coming over…?!” I cringed, realising that my daughter thought we only cleaned up for visitors!
I’m not one of those people who loves a surprise knock at the door. No, not me. I’m happy to have unexpected guests – as long as I have ten minutes notice. You wouldn’t believe the cleaning frenzy that can happen in those few precious minutes. Our place transforms from revolting to respectable in a very short span of time!
I have to wonder though if this is a good thing to be teaching my kids. I’m glad my daughter knows that when people come over we want them to be able to find somewhere to sit without moving piles of folded washing or shoveling toys out of the way. That is part of being hospitable and making others feel welcome. But I don’t want her to think we only clean for guests, and that if no one is coming there’s no need to tidy!
Our home is not a dirty, smelly, messy place. It just gets untidy easily. We’re always busy living life! Even a stay-home day is a busy day. We get busy with outside activities, or craft projects, or the simple pleasure of play. Mess is inevitable.
In the past my toddler and I have tidied up together before bath time. Now that she has dropped her afternoon sleep she is quite difficult at this time of day! To make matters worse my baby boy needs to be fed his mushy food then too. And so, the house is left in a state of disarray. My options are to clean up after the kids are in bed, or just leave it. After all, it will end up in a mess again tomorrow and we’ll be fine unless the doorbell rings…
How do you deal with this in your home? Do you clean throughout the day? Tidy at the end? Go on a cleaning binge when someone pulls into your driveway? Ignore it altogether? This houswife is desperately seeking tips from other mums!!!
Please leave a comment 
Mess is proof of a fun day. As long as the kids help put away before dinner its all good. We have a general rule of two toys at a time though. One goes away before another comes out. Dust and dirt is another matter. Every Saturday they are vacumed and mopped, we have a twirly duster zoe loves to use too. Just think if people come over and see washing on the chair at least they know you ware clean clothes. The only thing we have a cleaning binge over if people pull up is the toilets, never know!
Oh gosh do I hear you! I keep hoping our state of continual disarray is the result of living in a too-small space, and that it will change when we move soon (now I have the “we’ll just need to pack it away in boxes soon anyway” excuse…), but the truth is that I have always been messy and may always be. When it started to look really messy in the past, I’d just have to schedule a party. Invite 20 people over two weeks out, and you’ll just have to get it into shape! How about a weekly dinner group? I’m only half kidding. I think hosting a playgroup every week or two at our new house might help. (I’m thinking about the previous poster’s 2 toys at a time rule. I think we have about 50 out!!).
Uh – I DO try but I have often given up. Tend to tidy the living room at night. But the place is NEVER up to the par I expected before the twins arrived – 3 years ago. I did okay up until then but now there is just no keeping up with then. I remember a line from Erma Bombeck – cleaning the house while you have kids living at home is like shovelling the driveway while it’s still snowing! Absolutely love your blog though – good to know there is someone in the same boat!
My kids have said the exact same thing…when I clean house and sometimes when I come out dressed and with my makeup and hair done? Who’s coming over, where are we going?
Sad, but true.
I do have tips on my site about homekeeping, though, I’ve come up with a system that works for us. As long as I actually do it.
I tend to do quick pick-ups throughout the day but one way of making sure that the living room is ready for unexpected guests dropping in is our rule of not allowing toys in the living room.
Thanks everyone for your comments! Glad to know this doesn’t come easily to all mums. Think it’s an issue I might take a while to get under control…