Saturday June 2, 2007
If I had sufficient energy left over from my labours I’d verify it by research. As it is, I’m whacked, completely, and sitting down with a well-earned coffee, and wondering idly what Thoreau had to say about cleaning house.
I know he had a good line with non-functional ornamentation–he threw it out in the yard to reduce the need for dusting. I’m sure I recall reading a line or six of his views on the oppressive cleanliness of respectable houses. That was balanced by his condecension towards the cleanliness of the Irish family who sold him the boards for his lakeside house.
Then again, who can sensibly take advice on good housekeeping from a bloke who admitted that the sheets on his bed were not as clean as they might have been?
No, the advice of a philosopher is seldom of any use except to the philosophical. If you want guidance on housekeeping you could seek out a paragon of housekeeperly virtue but, let’s face it, you’ve probably left the whole subject far too late in life and you’d be best advised to follow my example–get it done best you can, sit down, and forget about it until next time.
Because, rest assured, there will always be a next time when it comes to cleaning house. Until, that is, the day comes when you look at it, give voice to a suitable expletive, and throw the brushes and dusters out in the yard. If you’re anything like me then the time will come when, say what wise things you may, dust bunnies are quite good company.
The author, webmaster, and minder of the cat
17 responses so far ↓
Jim in Vegas // June 3, 2007 at 12:06 pm
It seems as if you’re always cleaning house, John. When does the dirt have a chance to get in? Try as I may to keep our place tidy I sometimes could use a small bulldozer to herd the dust bunnies.
oldgreypoet // June 3, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I’ll accept that I’m (nearly) always thinking about cleaning house, Jim. My problem is that it takes at least a week of thinking to get round to the one day in which cleaning takes place. Which’d be fine if Graham didn’t set such a high standard. By example…
Beryl Ament // June 3, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I am always being urged to use a cleaning service. So far I have resisted (what would my mother have said?), but the idea is getting more and more attractive. We now have lawn service and there is something wondrously comforting about knowing that the grass will be cut regularly.
Mary Lee // June 3, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Oh, I have to admit it! I have a ‘house angel’ called Jodi, who only comes in once a month, but what a relief. Somehow I finally was forced to admit my health just would not allow me to do what I’d always done, and had thought I always could do. Now I’ve learned not to notice the dust or, if I do, to ignore it and, beleive it or not, life goes on and I’m not even feeling any shame! :-] After all, John, what’s more important — you or your house, and if Graham’s conscience pricks him, suggest sweetly that he’s capable, as well. Somtimes it truly is better just not to notice things.
oldgreypoet // June 3, 2007 at 2:50 pm
“Sometimes it truly is better just not to notice things”
Oh, lordy, but that’s an eternal truth if ever I saw one!
Being fair to Graham, he pitches in when he’s home. I have this thing, though, that the house should be clean and sweet-smelling when he gets home after an absence. We have a code. If I say “Don’t expect too much” then he knows I’ve not felt up to the job. However, being fair and balanced doesn’t make quite such amusing reading?
Bev // June 3, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I love housework. I can think about it for hours. And I regularly feed by dust bunnies so they grow big and fat and healthy.
Brigitte // June 3, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Bev, your words are sent from heaven! Oh yes, I do love to think about housework too, watching the dust bunnies grow bigger and fatter and very healthy!
Kate // June 3, 2007 at 5:13 pm
My mom’s advice was to decide how much time you want to spend housecleaning in a day, divide that up by the number of rooms you have, and spend that much time cleaning in that room each day. “It’s surprising how much you get done,” she said. She was right, too. Now if I could just stick with that little plan! But I have the same problem as you … I think about it a lot more than I actually do it.
I still think it’s well worth it to pay someone to do the floors and bathrooms once every two weeks or so. They’re easy to keep up in the between-times and the $20 I hand the cleaner on her way out is the best money ever spent.
Not that I have anyone to do it right now. They’re not easy to find, out here, at present. And oh, the looks-askance a stay-at-home mom gets when she hires a housekeeper! Spoiled princess, indeed.
Bonnie // June 3, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Now that is the idea I like, throw the cleaning stuff out in the yard! LOL
I keep saying thin out the knick knacks, I start dusting them and the memories of who gave what to me come flowing back.
Jim // June 3, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Nancy and I were doing a bit of cleaning today and we’d almost be ahead if we had just ignored things.
She accidently knocked over a freshly-watered plant… which spilled muddy potting soil… a lot of muddy potting soil. This required scooping up the dirt, then running the vacuum cleaner, then scrubbing, then spraying with carpet stain remover, then blotting up that mess, then….
Yes, it would have definitely been better to just let dust accumulate for a few more days.
mxara // June 3, 2007 at 10:42 pm
There was no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse. ~Quentin Crisp, The Naked Civil Servant, 1968
i don’t in particular subscribe to this myself
but do occasionally quote it to the domestic g*ddess within
regards mx
Tim Reed // June 3, 2007 at 11:28 pm
We are blessed and cursed to have a staff to take care of all the cleaning and oter domestic tasks. Blessed because this place is so huge we could never get it cleaned unless we quit our jobs and took care of it full time. Cursed because we’ve become so spoiled having a staff, we’ll never want to clean once we have returned to a more normal living situation at our home back in Virginia. It is the difference between having 3,599 square feet and somewhere over 30,000 square feet.
Pearl // June 4, 2007 at 2:41 am
Bev, you gave me a chuckle.
We thought of getting someone in to give a once a month but ended up getting one of those robot vacuums that bumble around and get into games of chicken with the cat. (At least the cat thinks that’s what’s going on)
Kate & Jim // June 4, 2007 at 3:19 am
We wanna go to Tim Reeds place…:) Ok..ok..at least for a vacation.
David Giles // June 4, 2007 at 11:53 am
I think a good stint in the army gives you enough no-how and desire to keep the house nice a clean!!
gary // June 4, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Listen, who wants this on their headstone:
‘he kept a very tidy house.’
Niki // June 4, 2007 at 6:51 pm
I hired Eleanor to come in and clean for me, but as it turned out she does a terrible job. But I can’t fire her because she is a single mother with a small child. Then I hired Roberta to come and clean on a different day and she does a terrible job, but I can’t fire her because she can hardly make ends meet and she tries so hard. So, now there are 3 of us looking at the dust bunnies and now I’m flat broke too. However, I just heard of a woman named Jean who is looking for a days work. Maybe I’ll call her.
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