Cleaning House

I grew up in an immaculately clean home. My mom vacuumed practically every day and mopped the floors multiple times a week. I never quite understood why she cleaned so much (other than to help with my allergies), but now that I have my own home and family, it makes so much more sense to me. It’s all about taking care of what God has blessed you with and making sure the wonderful people you live with and everyone who walks through that front door feel comfortable.

I’ve seen on facebook a quote that says “A clean house is the sign of a wasted life” posted numerous times over the years. I get a little worrisome when I come across it. In the back of my mind I’m wondering if my friends secretly think that about me. I’m the girl that gets warned with, “Jen, my house is a mess. Please don’t look around!” when I visit. Funny thing is, as much as I like to keep my house tidy, how someone else keeps their house really isn’t a bother to me. I love my friends dearly and I go to their houses to see them, not how clean their home is, and I think they know that. (And there’s no secret judging going on either, ladies!) :)

I like my home to feel fresh and inviting. When someone reclines on the couch and props their feet up on the coffee table, I want it to become their “ahhhh moment”. Seeing their comfort makes me so very happy! That in and of itself makes all the mundane housework worth it. For me, keeping the house tidy is my little way to make others happy by providing them with a comfortable space.

I’ve been asked before how I manage to keep everything so clean and in place with three kids, but I really don’t have any “method for my madness”. I do the major cleaning once a week (dusting, vacuuming, mopping, kitchen/bathrooms). The rest of the week is all about picking up and spot cleaning. I find the more I pick up and spot clean throughout the week, the easier my major cleaning days are.

For the domestic divas looking to do a cleaning overhaul of your own home, I do have some advice. For one, don’t do it all in one day! De-clutter, reorganize and clean one room at a time. Once you get everything to your liking, it’s easy to keep it maintained. If I may, I’d also like to recommend a few of my favorite cleaning products (I have an impressive line-up on the top shelf of the bathroom closet). For cleaning the kitchen/bathroom sinks, counters, bathtubs and toilet seats, Comet is my absolute best friend. Lysol toilet bowl cleaner works much better than anything else I’ve ever used (The Scrubbing Bubbles gel thing that sticks to the bowl don’t work worth a darn and just encourages little hands to play in the toilet water). For mopping, I like Mr. Clean antibacterial (lemon scent). For everyday spot cleaning, 409 works the best. It works quickly on a number of surfaces AND it’s also antibacterial. Plus it smells better than using Clorox cleaning products. Windex is great, too, but don’t use too much of it. The more you use, the more streaks you’ll leave behind and also more lint will come off of the paper towel and stick to the glass. And just for freshening up, Febreze does the trick. I love the Gain scented one. It’s fresh but not overpowering.

I am so very thankful for all that God has blessed us with. I feel that it is my obligation to Him to take care of our home. This home is a gift and I get to share it with so many amazing people. I don’t feel like I’m wasting my life when it comes to cleanliness. I feel like it’s my way of praising God for His goodness, and I do it all out of love for Him, my family and my friends. Besides, when all of my work is done, there’s nothing like breathing in deeply and smelling the freshness. If peace had a scent, I’m pretty sure that clean smell would be it.