Cleaning House

I adore the way a clean house smells.  Lemon-scented cleaner is my all-time favorite!  I love the smell of fresh laundry, a mopped floor, and a sanitized bathroom.  I love seeing a counter that has very few things on it.  I love seeing a bed made and a dresser with nothing on it but a lamp or jewelry box.  I love the fluffiness of freshly vacuumed carpet and the way a sink sparkles when it's been completely scrubbed.  I love empty dishwashers, organized refrigerators, uncluttered desks...  Everything about a clean house I absolutely love. 

There is one problem, though. 

I am one of the laziest people when it comes to cleaning.  I literally despise cleaning.

Don't get me wrong... I do clean my house.  My house is not some giant germ that people shy away from.  My floors are swept, my family wears clean clothes, we bathe in a clean shower and tub, we eat off of clean dishes, etc.  I just literally can't stand cleaning.  I will do so many other things to avoid cleaning.  

Loading and unloading the dishwasher is a piece of cake.  I know exactly how I like loading the dishwasher so that each dish and spoon is cleaned completely.  Even unloading is a breeze because each and every little thing that went in has a specific spot in my kitchen.  It's the pots and pans that can't go in the dishwasher that usually camp out in my sink for a day or so before I feel bad and wash them.  

Loading the washer and dryer is also easy.  It takes literally 45 seconds to load each and put in detergent, fabric softener, and a dryer sheet.  Then, you can walk away and let each glorious machine work its magic.  It's the folding and putting away part that gets me.  

Sweeping.... I love the way my floor looks when I know it's free of icky pieces of dirt and hair, but sweeping just takes soooo long.  I do it anyway, but I don't like it.  

Mopping:  Also easy, but cleaning out the bucket and making sure the mop head is clean and dries out completely is a pain.

Then there are bathrooms.  Oh my Stars, I cannot stand to clean our bathrooms.  Maybe it's because not only is it the tub or shower that needs to be cleaned, but it's the toilet, counter, sink, floor, mirrors, and trashcan.  Maybe it's because it is - by nature - the nastiest part of your entire home.  Maybe it's the fact that people answer the call of nature in there.  Whatever the reason, I always save the bathroom for last.  

For me, it just seems to take so much mental energy to clean and tidy up.  Since we just moved into our house, everything still looks a little bit in disarray.  There are still boxes that haven't been unpacked.  There are still clothes that haven't been organized for my children.  There are still cabinets that are hiding the odds and ends that we haven't found a permanent spot for in the house.  It just all stresses me out, and cleaning does not help that matter in the slightest.    

I know I can't be the only one out there to despise cleaning as much as I do.  If you're like me and you will literally do anything else to avoid cleaning, here's something that may help get you motivated. 

I used to be so much worse about having a clean living space.  Like it could be clean and all, but it would be oh, so junky!  But then I read this one little quote that has forever changed my life:

If it takes less than 5 minutes, get it over with.

Okay, so maybe that's not the exact wording, but it's the same general idea.  If it seriously takes less than 5 minutes, then just do it!  Get it over with!  That way, those 5 minute little chores don't pile up and make for a very long and tedious afternoon. 

Honestly, it changed my life.  Like I said, I am extremely lazy.  I lack the motivation that I wish I had to keep the perfectly clean house that I want.  I mean, I work full-time.  And I'm a mom.  I'm constantly tired... that just comes with the territory. 

So, no.  I don't want to unload the dishwasher in my free time.  I don't want to wipe down the counters or scrub the toilet.  I don't want to take out the trash or start a load of laundry.  I just don't. 

But will it take less than 5 minutes to do?  Yup.

So, I suck it up, put on my big girl panties, and just do it.  What do I lose?  5 minutes of playing around on Facebook?  5 minutes of listening to Dinosaur Train for the zillionth time? 

When I sit on my couch at the end of the day - once the boys are in bed and the kitchen is clean - I can actually relax.  Is my whole house spotless?  Absolutely not.  But I feel better knowing that these little 5 minute chores aren't piling up to ruin my day off. 

So basically, if you're extremely lazy like I am, but want a clean(er) house with less effort, just check your 5 minute rule.  This way, when those in-laws come to town, you're not pulling an all-nighter just to get your house looking like a bomb had not just gone off. 

So get up and just do it!