Why I Clean

People are always complaining that I do too much. Well, maybe complaining is too strong of word. But you know what I mean. So many wonder why on Earth I spend so much time cleaning and cooking and tidying. I'm not OCD. At least not in the clinical sense, but I do consider cleanliness to be very important. And I'm not a germaphobe. Though after one of the girls is sick I do a more in-depth cleaning of the house to make sure that we aren't all passing it around. I do realize that being exposed to a certain amount of dirt and germs will make you healthier in the long-run.

I know that 15 years from now my children won't remember having a clean house the first five years of their lives. Or the fact that their sheets were changed every Thursday. Nor would I want them to. If they remember anything from their first five years of life I would like it to be our wild games of tag in the evenings after bath time. Or sharing a pop tart on the couch while snuggled under a blanket on Sunday mornings. Or staying up late on Fridays, stuffing our faces with popcorn and watching movies.

One reason I clean is because I just love cleaning. And I love the way a clean house makes me feel. 

I clean because the world is a dirty, ugly place. No, it's true. There is a lot of chaos and disorder. A lot of instability and a lot of unknowns.

When my children are home, I don't want them to feel disorganized. I want everything to have a place and be in it. I want their world to feel clean and comfy and right, at least within our own walls. And I want them to feel like they get a part in that. Like they have control over something. So they (well, right now only Evie) help clean. Just as my brother and I helped our mom clean when we were little.

Yes, I clean house every Thursday morning. I manage to get a whole lot of cleaning done in the three hours that I have before I get ready for work. From changing sheets, to dusting, to polishing the wood furniture and wiping down all the toys with a Clorox wipe, to seriously cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the living room and running the Roomba and then Febreezing all the fabrics. And most Saturdays I mop the whole house.

I love the way clean floors feel under bare feet in the mornings. And I love the way the house smells when I come home. I like being able to sit in the living room floor without getting pop tart crumbs stuck to me. And walking down the hall without sticking to the floor is nice. I always look forward to the night I get to sleep on fresh sheets because I sleep SO good that night. Having everything orderly and clean makes it a joy to come home. Means I can just relax and savor some time with my children.

So that is why I clean.