Flashback Friday! Call the Cleaning police!

Originally published on June 29, but I think it’s relevant since we are prepping for a b-day party and are already frustrated with each other over the preparation and cleaning…

First off, let me state that I know I am so lucky that I have a husband who cleans. He does lots around the house…usually with very little huffing and puffing and sighing

But…I can’t always enjoy it. You see, I have cleaning guilt. I don’t actually like to clean, but I can’t sit idly by while someone else cleans. No matter what his mood or demeanor, all I see is “What are you still doing on the couch?” It’s not him, it’s me. No matter what I accomplished that morning, I still feel like his cleaning is somehow a personal attack on me.

Aside from guilt, I have Big Picture syndrome. Which isn’t too bad, but coupled with the fact that my husband has Minor Detail syndrome, and it can cause trouble. An example: We have company coming over. Our house is a mess. We will stay on the first floor with our visitors.

My solution? I say, clean the first floor. Or, at least the parts people might see – vacuum, empty the sink, run a wipe over the bathroom. Done. I sit down. Could I have kept going? Yes. What if they wanted to see the girls’ room? It’s a pigsty. I will make an excuse as to why they can’t, or I will be honest and say I didn’t have time to clean it. No shame, no guilt. We’re busy parents, and a spotless house is not my priority. People understand. Reality? Some people probably think I’m a slob. I don’t care. I have junk drawer upon junk drawer and I say fine! Where else am I supposed to put the things that have no other place?

J’s solution? Start with our closets. Well, they need to be cleaned sometime, right? Or how about under the bed? What about that stack of papers on our desk (on the 3rd floor!) What a mess! “But J, people are going to have to step over the mess down here to get up there to see our desk…then they will have to snoop in our closet to see that mess” “So, let’s just do it all. It needs to be done.” “But, our friends are coming in an hour. I still need a shower.” “Ok, how about after I clean the trunk of my car and run to the store?” Now, I’m the one who is sighing. I tell myself, “Self. He is cleaning. Shut it. Don’t look directly at him, and you’ll feel no guilt, and will have a cleaner house in the end.” Ok. Breathe. In the nose, out the mouth…Yes…it could be so much worse. I get it.

I am exaggerating – just a little. I always make the same jokes when talking about this, but you get the gist. The fact is, one of us is lazy, and one of us has a bit of ‘trouble’ prioritizing when time is an issue…but I won’t name names…

Related posts:

1. Housework is Mean.
2. Who wants to read the good stuff?
3. The Junk Drawer

Tagged as: chores, cleaning, housework