STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Tati · Chanel

how do you motivate yourself to clean the house?

halleybird · Hermes

Usually the dog hair makes it painfully apparent.

But I clean once a week -- every other week I do the big stuff (baseboards, blinds, etc.) Do you have an ipod? It helps cleaning go by faster.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

usually once i start, it becomes addicting and i clean EVERYTHING so it takes like two hours. so my big thing is just starting to clean. that's when the ipod or music comes in. it totally helps. i also picture my bf coming home and saying "awww baby, thanks so much!" and then i say, "since i cleaned i'm not cooking dinner, sushi?!" works everytime.

Lilykind · Hermes

This is mildly embarrassing, but I usually clean in my underwear, clip on my iPod and put on really upbeat songs to help pass the time. Having BF around never hurt either.

Elle · Hermes

I REFUSE to clean during the week. I go grocery shopping every Saturday morning (try to get an early start to beat the crowds). When I come home, I take any spoiled things out of the fridge to make room for the new stuff, so then the garbage is full, but if I'm gonna take it out then I'd better make sure I throw away everything that needs to be thrown away, so I clean the litter box, empty other garbage cans, pick up junk mail, etc ... Kind snowballs as I go along

.

honey · Gucci

i clean once a week. my major motivation is that if i clean weekly then it takes less time than if i wait until i can't stand it anymore. then it becomes an all day affair. usually it's the second thing i do on sat. and i force myself to clean b/f i go out for the day. also the ipod really helps. i have "cleaning" mixes, i just plug it into my stereo and get going.

blink · Coach

OMG, I just thought of a great excuse for my nagging clean freak husband! I need an ipod!

In all seriousness though, for whatever reason, if I turn on the loud music to play throughout the house, I get the feeling like I need to be moving, and that means something gets picked up or cleaned out. Usually that's when I start picking through my closet for donatables.

For me, motivation to clean has to come from letting something go to long. Like when I notice the dog hair flying through the air when the daylight shines in my kitchen, then I am reminded that I haven't swept or vaccuumed lately.

Drew · Gucci

I just kind of clean as I go. When I'm in the kitchen I make a game out of cleaning; my goal is to always have the kitchen cleaned by time I am ready to serve the meal. I guess it makes me good at multi tasking, because I'm pretty darn good at winning that game.

As for cleaning the bathroom and such I usually do it before I shower whenever it needs to be done. I do the same thing when cleaning the toilet. Lately I don't use a bathmat, so I just let the water get all over the floor and wipe it all up with a hand towel; that way I get to clean the floor too. I wipe the sink down every day with either my pajamas or toilet paper, just whatever is around that is "clean" but dirty, you know? I dust like that too (floor boards, TV's, table tops...), with whatever is around (I got this from Mom; I remeber she used to grab a "dirty" tee shirt to wipe down her dresser and TV everyday). I once saw a 20/20 special (probably ten years ago) that showed there is no benefit to using cleaning products to dry or wet with water wipe downs so I know I'm still being clean. Of course every couple of weeks I will still use cleaning products to dust and clean the bathroom (that new Mr. Clean bathroom squeegie thing is the best!) and everthing else, but the job is so much easier when I do it on a consistent basis so it won't be an all day project.

Oh, and I also make cleaning very easy. Whever a new cleaning product (especially the disposal kinds) comes out I am one of the first to get it. For example I have the furniture wipes (I like Murphey's since that is what I used before the wipes came out anyway) for wood, counter wipes for cleaning the TV, appliances, counters, windows, whatevever; I have the swiffer wet and dry wipes; any product that makes cleaning fast and easy. It makes the job a lot more appealing.

Basically, my advice is to embrace the clean as you go attitude and try to apply it to all areas of your home; if you squeeze in five to ten minutes in the morning, afternoons, and every so often it really adds up and makes keeping a clean house so much easier.

ETA: To clarify a point: I don't use dirty TP to clean counter tops; just a bunch of the clean stuff. Hee, hee, I read that and thought, "geez, I hope they don't think I'm using dirty TP to clean a counter!"

ETA: To clarify another point: After I wipe the floor with a hand towel it goes in the wash, I don't reuse it; Also, before I wash a body towel I always wipe everything in the bathroom down.
-- Edited by Drew at 11:56, 2005-06-02

-- Edited by Drew at 14:43, 2005-06-02

Cricket · Gucci

Drew wrote:

ETA: To clarify a point: I don't use dirty TP to clean counter tops; just a bunch of the clean stuff. Hee, hee, I read that and thought, "geez, I hope they don't think I'm using dirty TP to clean a counter!"

You mean you don't "wipe and clean". How wasteful!!!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

If you use face cloths they are wonderful to wipe down the bathroom sink before you toss them.

My motivation to clean is that I don't want anybody popping in and seeing how messy I really can be.

-gd

hotcocoa · Kate Spade

my motivation is the dirt or dust itself. i'm a bit of a clean/neat freak and my husband is even worse. i clean about once a week and it goes relatively quickly. i keep a bucket of a few cleaning supplies in the closet and then just carry it around the house with me and give everything a swipe or a scrub. if the weather is crappy out, i'll get a little more in-depth and do my baseboards, cabinet doors, ceiling fan blades etc.

that wasn't much help to you, was it?

edit: also... i love the disposable wipes and toilet brush pads. they really do expedite things.

-- Edited by hotcocoa at 18:20, 2005-06-08

MissMee · Kate Spade

You mean I have to CLEAN this place?

Seriously, I'm not very good at cleaning, but I pretty much have to clean as I go because of the kids. I live in a neighborhood where neighbors could pop by at any moment (they don't.... but they could), so I at least remove the major filth so they don't immediately notice that we're terribly slobby. I usually have to get *struck* by the mood to clean. I have someone come every other week to really scrub - especially the toilets. So that means I have to clean before she comes so SHE won't know what slobs we are, too!

I buy those handy little Clorox or Lysol wipes to do quick jobs of wiping the countertops and toilets (in case I'm the only one w/ boys/men who can't get their winkies pointed into that giant hole in the middle of the toilet.....)

Cortney1982 · Chanel

I won't let myself go shopping unless the house is clean. I start from one end of the house and work my way to the other side. I have little quirks that make it easier for me. I use tongs to pick up silverwear and other lightweight objects left in the sink to put in the dishwasher since I don't like to wear rubber gloves. I will wear my old leather driving gloves when I'm vaccuuming so it's more comfy. Plus I wear them while I scoop out the cat's litter box. I use a toothbrush and dawn soap to scrub the bathroom sink all clean.

PrincessPink · BCBG

I have a cleaning woman weekly. Wouldn't live without one. Its REALLY worth the investment. Especially if you are hihgly allergic to dust like me...

Becca · Kate Spade

MissMee wrote:

I have someone come every other week to really scrub - especially the toilets. So that means I have to clean before she comes so SHE won't know what slobs we are, too!

I remember growing up my mom would always make my brother and I clean our rooms before the maid came! We always wondered what was the point of having a maid if we had to clean up before she came!

ILoveChoo · Hermes

invite someone over for dinner! you don't want them seeing a messy house right? That way, you'll be forced to clean up.