I am a clean freak. There I said it and I am not ashamed of it. Most of my interest in cleaning came from my mother, who was Italian and imparted in me not only the responsibility of keeping a clean house but the wisdom of other chores, cooking and sewing to make be better prepared when I struck out on my own. During the last years of my mother’s life, it was difficult to see her by herself. The house became too big for her to handle, the nooks and crannies she would assault every season were left unattended, the high places she used to clean were now out of her reach but she still managed to keep up appearances when company came over.

I live in modest accommodations, not so much because of financial reasons but more of responsibility and practical reasons. It is just me and mrscardero. So how is this working out? Well I am still obsessed and occupied with cleaning but mrscardero helps and since the house is not that big, it does give us available time for other things. I spend anywhere from 1-2 hours every day cleaning and though I may not complain it is important to me because I live here. I don’t really rely on other people to help me clean because I look at it from the perspective that if I lived here by myself, I would have to do it anyway. I enjoy cleaning, the gratification is almost immediate and when a house looks completely clean it gives a satisfying feeling of accomplishment and prepares you for almost any circumstance. Unexpected knock on the door? C’mon on in but don’t forget to remove your shoes.

Throughout my years I have made a few observations about cleaning.

I have never met another person who is more concern with cleaning than I am.

I have often heard horror stories (particularly from women) where their partners or spouses do not help in the cleaning responsibilities (an epidemic desperately in need of a cure).

The cleaner your living area, the healthier and happier one seems to be.

Where do IF members stand on cleaning?
Who does most of the cleaning in your household?
Are the chores divided equally?
For members who have kids, do you assign chores and what wisdom do you impart onto them about cleanliness?

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"There is one thing that organized religion is not qualified to teach and that is an individual's purpose."-GOD

I have often heard horror stories (particularly from women) where their partners or spouses do not help in the cleaning responsibilities (an epidemic desperately in need of a cure).

At one time I was in a relationship where I was the only wage-earner. My partner stayed home. In spite of that, I also did the dishes and the laundry. The relationship ended because she said I wasn't pulling my load in that she had to do all the dusting and vacuuming.

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Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control;
these three alone lead one to sovereign power.
Tennyson

I work all day, then help around the house. BUT I am definitely not a cleanness freak. We have enough stuff to fill a house that is three times larger than what our house is, so at the very least, it is usually cluttered. I should say, though, that we are far better than we were 10-20 years ago.

I'm definitely with Rev Rex on this one. I was torn between 'helping my partner' and 'cleaning renovations when expecting company'. My wife and I both work long hours (although since I have been laid up with my back since the first of August that has changed), and we quite evenly divide the chores. Initial divisions were made on what chores we like doing (or are solely skilled to do), and we have our own specific 'areas of refuge' that we are solely responsible for. Beyond that, we have a rule that whoever is first bothered by the clutter, dirty dishes, laundry, lack of food in the house, other essentials, etc, should be the one to do the chore. It works quite well for us, and there is a great deal of mutual respect about this. But I have to say we both have a high tolerance threshold for clutter, like Rev Rex, and it does tend to pile up.

I love to cook, and I have a lower tolerance for a dirty kitchen or dirty dishes as a result, so those tasks are mine. As are the bathrooms. The mail, bills, banking, my wife enjoys (and she does have an MBA), so those are hers. She marginally enjoys shopping more than I do, so either we do it together, or she bites the bullet and takes care of it. She can't stand to see the laundry pile and dry cleaning pile up, so that's hers.

When we are expecting company, I have a low threshold for a lack of cleanliness and clutter, and I am really annoying to both my wife and my son (if he is home from College or coming home with a friend). A full team effort for a top-down cleaning is absolutely essential. Our personal spaces might be left 'as is' or minimally taken care of, but those few spaces must be out of sight.

None of these tasks are solely one person's or the other's. Fortunately, my wife and I are really well matched, and this is an area where we really lack any conflict.

bahai-sojourner, must have been a HUGE house if the dusting and vacuuming took such a toll on her! But I suspect that the time you saved doing half the laundry and half the dishes gave you plenty of extra time to dust half the accumulated dust and the vacuuming. Seems like a good trade (from purely a labor saving perspective, of course) --Steve--

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That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 255)

I am lazy.

I only do what I have to do especially in regards to house work.

I get enough work done at my job alone.

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Deutschland Das Nationalbewusstsein!

55th Stanza.
Wise in measure should each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
seldom a heart will sing with joy
if the owner be all too wise.

Havamal~

Today we drink tomorrow we die.

Be weary of the machine so you don't become one yourself.

...every major invention has been from laziness. Henry Ford got tired of hitching up the horses, so he invented the assembly line to make cars so he wouldn't have to. Thomas Edison got tired of lighting the oil lamps, so he invented the incandescent bulb. NASA got tired of shooting hot food up to the astronauts by rocket, so they invented the microwave oven.

Slight exaggeration?

Spic and Span, that is who I am!

I often think that if a person wants to be clean on the outside, they need to clean the inside first. If were filthy in the inside, it usually reflects on the outside. E.G., Filthy thoughts, lasciviousness, salacious, lewness and lust.

Love,
Madeline

You are probally onto somthing there.

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Deutschland Das Nationalbewusstsein!

55th Stanza.
Wise in measure should each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
seldom a heart will sing with joy
if the owner be all too wise.

Havamal~

Today we drink tomorrow we die.

Be weary of the machine so you don't become one yourself.

Different people circumstancing situations.

__________________
Deutschland Das Nationalbewusstsein!

55th Stanza.
Wise in measure should each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
seldom a heart will sing with joy
if the owner be all too wise.

Havamal~

Today we drink tomorrow we die.

Be weary of the machine so you don't become one yourself.

I couldn't vote because I keep my place clean but it's not spotless. In the evenings I sit in the livingroom with my laptop in front of me and I watch TV at the same time. I have pencils, pens, crosswords puzzles and my latest drawings beside me. So for those of you who think I'm always on line, I'm always doing a bunch of other things while keeping an eye on the shop.

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