cleaning tip

I just realized something. All these years, I've been thinking that the only mess makers in the house are the kids. And while that is partly true, it is not just them. A big contributor to the mess is ME! I figured this out because my husband has been on a mission to keep this house clean. He empties the dishwasher every morning, does a load of laundry every day and cleans the girls' bedrooms and does the dishes every night. I know, it's rough.


But this clean house has made me realize that I don't put things back when I'm done. When everything else is clean, it's easy to see the things that are out of place. I leave cereal, crackers, peanut butter and bread out on the counter after I'm done with them. I leave my clothes on the bed and dishes in the sink instead of putting them in the dishwasher. I never used to be this way. I'm sort of a neat freak at heart. But I had to let that part of me go and surrender to the fact that you can't have a clean house with kids. Over time, I've given up on putting things away until the end of the day when I do a clean-up after the kids have gone to bed.


However, I've learned that if I put my stuff away after I'm using it, I have way less to clean up at the end of the day. And the place looks better during the day. And I'm setting a good example for my kids.


So that's my cleaning tip. Clean up after yourself. It makes cleaning the house so much easier. And it only takes a second.


Haha, that makes me laugh because my husband reminded me one time that I need to put the dishes away and not in the sink. "It only takes a second," he said. And of course I was able to throw that right back in his face the very next day when he forgot to put his dishes in the dishwasher. It felt great. "Oh hey, honey, it only takes a second!" In your face! I'm working on my maturity...