house – Juniper and Daisies

The Easy Steps I Take to Keep my House Clean

Or, you know, as clean as it will ever get with a toddler.

I’ve never been a full-blown neat freak, but there are certain things I absolute hate to get messy, like dirty floors, or mis-matched decor. I liked things in their place and the dishes done, somewhat, often. I love doing laundry, like a psychopath, I know, and I like organizing closets. Then, I had a baby and my house exploded in messes and I really stopped caring about all of the above and learned how to just survive.

Once I stopped just trying to survive in day-to-day life, I realized that my house could be a little cleaner, but the idea of trying to keep it clean — and how often I’d have to tidy up — with a toddler exhausted me. Instead, my house grew messier as I felt paralyzed about where to start. Sure, it would become clean in the matters of less than two hours when my toddler wasn’t around, but it didn’t look that way less than two minutes into her being home. It wasn’t sustainable to clean like crazy every week, or three, and then have it be a disaster the rest of the time. So, I made a chore chart.

Yep, a chore chart like I was a child learning responsibilities.

I mapped out everything I needed to do and broke it up into only one or a few tasks a day. I tried it out for the first week and, suddenly, I was getting more done than I had previously. When was the last time I had dusted? Judging from the thick layer on all of my light fixtures, years ago. I felt motivated to do the tasks on my list and didn’t feel stressed or paralyzed when not everything was done at once because I knew it would be my focus a few days from now.

While I had to tweak a few days, making my laundry days a little further in between so I wasn’t completely out of clothes or having to do laundry on ‘off’ days, the schedule worked wonderfully. Now, I only do laundry twice a week, folding and putting away the same day, instead of a mess of laundry every single day, hanging out in baskets for weeks on end. If I don’t finish folding or putting away the clothes, there are no worries, as I will complete the task on the next laundry day.

Yes, I sometimes still have baskets of laundry that aren’t put away. Yes, my house is still a disaster at times (okay, most times with the nugget running around). But, my stress is way down, my floors are clean, my house actually dusted, windows actually washed. The toys strewn about the living room and mittens ripped out of their organized boxes? It won’t be forever and proves that my house is lived in. My house may be cleaner, but a family still lives here, and I’m no longer worried about trying to look like I live in a magazine anymore.

Sample Chore List:

Mondy: free day/project day
Tuesday: laundry & bake
Wednesday: tidy up closet(s), entrances, fridge, pantry
Thursday: vacuum, water plants, dust, wash mirrors and windows
Friday: laundry & bake
Saturday: free day/project day/bathrooms/wash floors
Sunday: free day/project day

Since we are still renovating parts of the house and many parts need mass organization, the weekends are set for larger projects that I can’t get done with a child around, or I need my husband’s help/he needs to get them done while I look after our child. They’re essentially swing days where I can get things done that didn’t get done during the week, or deal with anything that pops up.

The list may look long and like all I do is clean all day, but I don’t need to wash my windows every single week. Dusting happens in chunks around the house. I can flit back and forth between all of the tasks, adding smaller ones if needed and I feel motivated.

Why I Don’t Care if my House Looks Messy, Anymore

Our home. Is there anything so wonderful and comfortable? The feeling of throwing yourself on your own bed with your own comfy blankets and pillows after travelling is one of the best feelings in the world. Sitting on the couch, snuggled in a nest of blankets and pillows (perhaps there’s a theme here at my house) reading or watching TV for hours on end is one of life’s greatest joys, even if it sounds so simple. Our houses are meant to be our safe space, our comfiest spots to relax and unwind after the stressors of dealing with the public, co-workers, the elements.

So, why have we started to turn them into museums?

I used to gobble up home decor magazines like mad. My Pinterest page has boards specified to certain types of renovations or decorating tips, and others just for things I’ve found interesting. I won’t lie, a lot of them I don’t look at again, but it sure feels exciting to look at perfectly manicured houses with perfectly decorated walls and furniture.

I’m the type of person who changes out their throw pillows in the spring, summer, fall, winter, and Christmas. I have seasonal tea towels and hand towels. I love decor that give you clues to what season it is. When we used to own a coffee table, I’d change out the decor that would sit in the middle when the weather started changing. It always ended up messed up and full of plates and cups as we lived our lives, pushing the centerpiece over when more space was needed, but I still maintained the idea that the coffee table needed to be beautifully decorated at all times. Because that’s all I saw on Pinterest and in magazines.

My house needed to look picture-perfect like I had Better Homes and Gardens coming over to do a spread.

Then, I had a baby.

Yep. That old tale.

I was exhausted and something had to give. It wasn’t going to be my time with my child, giving her the attention and care that she deserved and needed, so out went the floors. What used to be washed two to three times a week was now washed once a month. The dishes were done as often as needed simply so we would have things to cook with, and the laundry was the same. Our house got cluttered and messy and so very lived in.

And, I realized that it didn’t really matter. Not one fucking bit.

So, once we came out of that newborn stupor and things got a little easier as the months went by, and even easier over a year later, I changed my habits. The dishes are done more frequently, as is the laundry, but those floors? They’re now only washed once a week, instead of my favourited — at minimum — twice a week.

There are cheerios stuck in every single corner or cranny of this house, no matter how often I sweep and vacuum. My living room is littered with toys and doesn’t look very Better Homes and Garden-esque even when they’re put away in a, reasonably, pleasing arrangement. Yet, it feels less stressful and better than before. Because we’re living. I’m not so hyper-focused on what my house looks like, anymore, as I choose to live my life instead of clean and place baubles so perfectly here and there.

Yes, I made myself a cleaning list. Yes, I’ve started to add seasonal decor back into my life, again, but it’s not as obsessive as it used to be. I no longer stress about the fact that my door has no hanger or wreath on it in between Christmas and Spring, having to run out and find, or make, the perfect piece that fits in between that weird time where it’s still snowy, yet not as festive as December. It no longer matters.

We spend far too much time trying to make our homes absolutely perfect, and yes, adding our own style and flair to the place makes it feel homier and more wonderful to come home to, but it still needs to fit our lifestyles.
When we can’t enjoy ourselves, sitting comfy on the couch because we’re too busy worrying about whether or not the decor is perfectly centered, or if it’s not on trend, anymore, then what’s the point?

When we’re already so overworked everywhere in our lives, trying our best to do everything better than we did the day before and the generation before us, why are we adding more stress to ourselves? Why are we killing ourselves to have a picture-perfect house, especially if we have kids? Homes are meant to be lived in and comfortable. A few toys on the ground and a couple of dishes in the sink from yesterday’s supper isn’t going to ruin our lives. If anything, it’ll allow us to start to actually enjoy it.