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Post by mouse on Jun 23, 2008 8:03:56 GMT -5
Okay, maintenance question.
How on earth do you motivate yourself to clean, when things are "already clean?" I know, intellectually, that maintenance is good. That washing the floor before it's filthy means less work in the long run.
Most of me, however, looks at the floor and sees "clean." In this case, that also means "Not in need of washing."
So how do all of you get around that mental disconnect?
~Mouse
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Post by minball on Jun 23, 2008 10:18:06 GMT -5
Hi Mouse! What works for me is to couple a new habit I'm trying to build with something I already do. For example, there's a TV show I like to watch on Monday nights, and I really should start washing the floor in the laundry room more regularly. So I'm going to take ten minutes before my show comes on tonight and wash the floor, and I'm going to try to do that every week.
I'm really curious to see how other people deal with this problem, too!
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Post by Script on Jun 23, 2008 10:28:45 GMT -5
the only way I can 'force' myself to clean something that is NOT filthy dirty is to see it as part of a choice for my day's work. As in......
*I am going to vacuum because it is Monday;
*I am going to do a fridge boogie because it is Tuesday
*I am going to gather up all the trash because it is Wednesday;
*I am going to do some office work because it is Thursday
*I am going to change the bed because it is Friday;
* I am going to wash the bathroom because it is Saturday, and so on.
there are some good reasons for me to choose these days: Our trash-recycling-compost pick up is Thursday EARLY MORNING, so if I don't do this Wednesday night, I am often screwed....etc.
It has taken me over 35 years of ineffective house-non-maintenance to admit that I need a RIGID SCHEDULE to help myself.
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Post by angelinahedgehog on Jun 23, 2008 12:56:53 GMT -5
Well, if it doesn't bother you to see things get dirty before you clean them, then you don't need to do anything. Let visible dirt be your guide.
If it does bother you, then that's a different matter.
I let visible dirt be my guide. Specifically, I determine how long it takes for something to get visibly dirty, and I plan to clean it before that point.
The toilet takes about 2 weeks to look neglected. I clean it every week.
I have a stereotypically tiny city kitchen. After three days of neglect, it looks as if I haven't washed dishes in a month. So the dishes get washed and the counters get wiped pretty close to every day.
The kitchen floor takes about 2 weeks to get grubby looking. (I'm in denial about this one, but it's true.) That means that like it or not, if I want a floor that looks reasonably clean at all times, I need to mop the silly floor every week.
Some things vary by season and according to environment. My place is dustier than usual now, because I generally have the windows open on coolish mornings. I'm going to be experimenting with dusting and dustmopping twice a week, since once a week isn't working too well. (I use a swiffer, and the cloth is clogged long before I'm done with the apartment.)
I find that this works well for me: figuring out when things will look dirty, and scheduling cleaning time accordingly.
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