filed in Daily Life
Idiot’s Guide to House Cleaning
Under my mother’s watchful eye, our home was immaculate. Not only were the floors spic and span, but the linen closet and kitchen cabinets were so elegantly organized as to be museum worthy. I did not inherit the clean gene. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a slob. But while some find it therapeutic to break out the Ajax, I’m far happier when someone does the scrubbing for me. Do you like to clean?
Photograph by Guy Batey
Discussion
4 comments for “Idiot’s Guide to House Cleaning”
Leave a Reply
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
© 2010 First Person Singular. 
I’ve found the cleaning gene may skip a generation. My Nana was a slob, my mother is a clean freak and I am…well, you know.
I’m actually not bad at tidying. I can do good tidy. The actual scrubbin’ is outsourced. I justify it by supporting an organisation that finds work for asylum seekers. I’m so middle class it makes my stomach hurt.
I don’t mind tidying, or doing the detail stuff – like polishing silver, or getting after the dusty furniture crevices with a q-tip – but I hate doing the floors, bathroom, etc., so, I also outsource those chores every other week. I love it when I’ve been travelling all week and the housekeeper has come in while I’m gone. There is something wonderful about coming home to enjoy my weekend in a clean house.
Do I like to clean? Nope. This is how much I don’t like to clean: I’ve been unemployed 3 times in my life; while I cut back on lots of “unnecessary” expenses during those times, I always kept my cleaning lady. She is a necessity. I like a clean house; I just don’t want to be the one who cleans it.
eleanore
The Spinsterlicious Life
I am with you 100%!!!!!!!!