I have had to re-learn what the word clean means.
Growing up I was not a cleaner at all. My method of cleaning was to rearrange a room. When you rearrange, everything has to be dealt with: keep, trash, or to be put away. Simple process, but my problem became that I tended to rearrange our rec room once a month. (Granted, this was high school and college) I dub this "The Rearranger" and it has since been toned down at the request of just about everyone I have ever lived with.
I used to be what I would call a "Closet Cleaner" meaning that if it was on the floor, it would go into the closet for the day I needed it to be clean. Once the need for clean was gone, it would come back out.
I learned later to get out of that, and become what I would call a "Pile Cleaner" meaning that if it was in a pile, it was clean. Old bills, computer pieces, et cetera are considered clean if they are in a neat pile, or in a basket.
Over the weekend, I needed to learn a new way. I guess it would be a "Complete Cleaner." A list was needed because there was so much to be cleaned. For this weekend's cleaning, there was help, and I played a role just like everyone else. My solo job was to dust and vacuum the first floor of the house. Jon's role was to clean his room, and help out in other places as needed. Anny's job was the dirty work: bathrooms and kitchen. In my defense, she likes to clean!
So, that cleaning seems normal, right? That's because it is. The Complete Clean comes in when the realization hits that in three hours my father in law will arrive, and five hours after that, my mother in law will arrive too. (She was at a conference in NYC) I found out that our Furnace Room and Closets needed a good cleaning before the end of the weekend! The furnace room has probably not been clean since the day the house was built, because it is a working storage room. (Freezer, canned foods and other such extras)
It needed to be done, and now that it is done it's very nice. We've all learned new things as this process has been going along. Next time, and I'm sure there will be a next time, I will know to expect that a "Complete Clean" job is expected, and that a list is REQUIRED!
What kind of cleaner are you?
At the risk of being absurd, mother-in-law & father-in-law should technically be hyphenated. As far as your query, I'm a pile-like cleaner I guess. I'm also a frustrated can't-get-anything-clean-because-it's-so-messy-and-I-don't-even-know-where-to-begin cleaner, if you will.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys got it done. I should probably come by soon, huh?
Song of the day: Johnny Was (Bob Marley featuring Guru - Chantdown Babylon album.)
Thanks for all your help and patience during my cleaning mania ;)!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the successful cleaning - I'm in the midst of remodeling, and I begin to think we'll never get there. I'm a "if you can't do something right, don't do it at all" kind of cleaner. . . or I leave it to my husband. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm also a wait-till-visitors-come cleaner and then a spare-room-cleaner. (throw it all in, shut and lock the door, and never look back.) :)
I'm an intermittent complete cleaner. (Intermittent because I don't do it every day, but I have a threshold that, once met, inspires immediate cleaning, especially in the middle of the night.)
ReplyDeleteBut I have a problem with *finishing*. I have to leave one room, or one closet, or one secret place that only I know about that's completely messy. I don't know why I do this. I fantasize about one day having my entire house, basement on up, including closets, cleaned to my satisfaction. I think that day will be called Professional Help Arrives.
Hope you had a lovely visit with the MIL and FIL; we're looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks!