It’s true. Fall cleaning really is a “thing”.
I used to believe only in spring did I need to feel guilted into doing the stuff I avoid while trying to make the house look less like a pig-sty (apologies to pigs) while not quite taking it to the level of say, waiting for a photographer from Better Homes and Gardens. Now I’ve discovered that one is expected to do fall cleaning, too, in order to prepare the outside for frigid temperatures and the inside for the imminent cold and flu season. Sigh.
The drudgery of housework is a task that throughout history has fallen on the shoulders of women. In the past, ladies (if they were fortunate, assisted by a maid or two) would shoo away the menfolk and empty the house during spring cleaning to scrub nooks and corners, beat the dust out of rugs, and wash soot and grime (heating and cooking with wood and coal was messy) from the walls.
In keeping with tradition, when I clean, my own hubby does what the man of the house has done for centuries. He leaves. This is probably for the best. Otherwise, I’d be dealing with remarks such as “Where does this go?” “What time is lunch?” And horrifically, “I’m going to adjust the motor on the vacuum cleaner to see if it’ll suck up the bucket of water I spilled.”
I’m a list maker, probably because it’s so visually satisfying to cross items off as I complete them. A list requires only two things: paper and pencil. But if you want to get fancy and pick up a few fall cleaning suggestions in the bargain, there are plenty of templates on line. Click HERE for great ideas plus free templates from the Organized Home.
You may have guessed I’m not a huge fan of cleaning, which in my opinion is a lot like trying to string beads when there isn’t any knot on the end. No matter how hard you’ve worked, within five minutes it will look like you haven’t touched a thing. That’s why I often choose to read a book instead. It’s so much more satisfying.
But just in case you wonder, yes I do clean my house. A while back, I had someone come in to clean for me (delight of delights). Here’s what I learned from the experience:
1. Hiring cleaning help is an expensive luxury.
2. There is no reason whatsoever to clean weekly. Every other week works perfectly well.
Fall cleaning aside, there’s a list I don’t fail to study as it’s more important than simple household chores. The transition to fall and winter is the perfect time to check your home for safety issues. Click HERE to find several comprehensive lists (including free templates!) from Home Safety Smarkcheck.
Trust me, Hubby will not be shooed out of the house after I print out those lists.
I hope you’ve found some insights for all your fall projects. My own list has grown. Guess I’d better put down my book and get to work.
P.S. What’s for dinner? Check out the Easy-Peasy Recipe tab. A new recipe has been posted, courtesy of talented writer friend, Marcia Gaye. Visit her Facebook page HERE.
16 Responses
Haha! Your husband revving up the vacuum cleaner sounds rather familiar to me as I have a similar thinker at home! 🙂 I’d rather do almost anything other than clean. My mother-in -law used to say that if she couldn’t use a snowblower on it, then it didn’t need to be dusted. lol That said, while I don’t like to clean, I always feel better when my house is sparkling.
You’re right, Lisa. I love the way my house looks when it’s clean. The five minutes of bliss are worth the five hours it took to get there.
I’m fortunate that my husband doesn’t mind cleaning. Not the day-to-day decluttering and dusting, but if it’s the deep cleaning you need, he’s on it. Well, if the mood strikes him anyway. He’s not all that enthusiastic about my lists.
You’re lucky, Sarah. Mine is far too easily distracted by other things.
Pat–Yeah, the awful thing about housecleaning: you do it, and a week or two later, it needs to be done again, especially when you have a dog. And a big dog brings in larger hunks of mud and bigger wads of leaves when it comes in than a small dog.
I like Lisa’s mother-in-law’s advice. And Marcia’s recipe sounds delicious. I’m not crazy about French dressing, but as you said, I’m sure the onion soup mix and the cranberry sauce balances it out. Thanks for sharing it.
Sioux, the bigger the dog, the bigger the dirt, although I must say my hubby tromps in far yuckier stuff than Winston does.
You won’t be disappointed in Marcia’s recipe. The French dressing adds more creaminess than anything. And it’s SO EASY to make!
I’m defnitely a list maker. Sometimes I even re-write lists that get too messy. Speaking of messy, I can’t ever seem to have a decluttered house especially with cats and dogs, and a paper-collecting husband. Oh well, I hope I get points for trying.
Like the book says, Sheree, “Progress, not perfection”. It’s become my new motto.
Well, yeah, I got Fall projects, but I didn’t think you meant like house-cleaning projects. So I read your post but I kept my eyes closed and sang the whole time. And now I have no idea what you were talking about. (Whew! 🙂 )
Excellent strategy, Cathy. It’s unfair for housecleaning to show up any more often than absolutely necessary. 😉
Your post inspired me to clean out a closet. Oh the discoveries. Our husbands have something in common: When’s lunch and tinkering. My guy came home with NEW vacuum cleaner because it has so many gadgets and capabilities. He has become a very capable dust collector. Oh wait a minute! I meant…
Linda, I feel your pain. Sometimes it’s easier just to do it myself.
I do not like house cleaning, never have, never will. Sometimes I get a sense of satisfaction when I complete a task, but it’s never a feeling of joy while I’m doing it! I do not mind cutting the grass, I consider it a workout, or raking leaves for the same reason. Weird, I know!
I’m with you, Mary. Thumbs down to housecleaning, although I do love the look of my house when it’s clean and smells like Pine-Sol. 🙂
I always love a checklist like the one you provided here from Organized Home. I’m not sure I will get all that done, but I like the ideas on the fall cleaning list. Happy fall! 🙂
Margo, I’m a list-maker too. I enjoy crossing off what I’ve accomplished, yet for some reason it always seems like I’m adding a few more items. One step forward…