Why Do We Clean?

July 14th, 2016

Last night, I was too exhausted to type so I didn't blog. I am feeling pretty tired again this evening but I didn't want to skip two nights in a row. Why do I crave my bed by 9pm when I have put my daughters to bed? Cleaning!

You see, my mother-in-law is coming over for two weeks. She lives in England and I have never met her. We started using Face Time to communicate so I have seen her face and we have interacted for short periods of time but a whole two weeks in the same house is a bit scary.

I remember my mother cleaning frantically whenever people came over. We would rush around, stowing piles of clothing, books, paperwork etc into closets, praying that no one would open them. We would vacuum everywhere and dust all surfaces. It was so stressful.

I don't generally keep the house spotless. I de-clutter and clean the essential areas-washrooms, kitchen and bedding. I sweep every day because our dog and cat shed, leaving tumbleweeds of fur rolling around the wooden floor. Otherwise, my home is cozy and hygienic but no one would nominate me for a good housekeeping award.

When people come over, (we have people over a lot), I check the washrooms to ensure they are clean and I give the floors a good sweep so our guests don't go home with tufts of fur attached to their socks. That's it! I figure people come over to see us, not inspect our home.

This time is different. There's something about meeting your mother-in-law that is intimidating. I don't know why that is. She seems really sweet and, from what my husband tells me, she didn't like cleaning the house either so she'll understand. So, I have been cleaning the house thoroughly. When you are exposed to the dirt in your home all the time, you stop noticing it. I had to step back and see our home with fresh eyes.

One of the biggest challenges to keeping our home clean is that my children, husband and pets are messy. There are toys, tools and fur all over the place. There is only one of me so it feels like there is no point in trying to clean the house, no matter how much progress is made, I turn around and there is more work to be done. Today, I was cleaning the patio door windows. I had cleaned the inside and stepped outside to clean the other side. I sprayed the entire window and my dog decided to come and see what I was doing. She followed my paper towel as I wiped and I watched in horror as she licked the inside of the window-the one I had just washed. I had to laugh.

I spent one month just de-cluttering-tools in the basement, receipts on my husband's dresser, toys in   a giveaway bag or in our daughters' rooms. Then I created a master list and started working on one section at a time. The hood fan over the stove was the worst-greasy and sticky, yuk!

As much as I hate cleaning, there is a certain feeling of satisfaction when you can look around the room and it is spacious and neat. I enjoy organizing items so they each have a place. In the past, I have created nooks for the girls to draw as well as reading areas but, they turn any cute, organized area into a war zone. I have learned my lesson and now, every time I have to clean an area that they have cluttered, I donate most of the items away. This simplifies their environment and makes it harder  for them to trash it.

As I cleaned today, I wondered what I am trying to prove. Initially, I was telling myself that I just wanted my mother-in-law to be comfortable. However, will cleaning and ironing the curtains really make a big difference? Am I trying to pretend that I am a great home maker? That would be a lie. I suck at cleaning. I am much more interested in living in our home and enjoying my family. So, I have no answer. I don't know why I am putting so much effort into cleaning our home. I do want my mother-in-law to feel welcome and comfortable. It may be as simple as that.

I have three more days to prepare. I feel pretty good. I can't wait for her to get here so we can finally just enjoy our time together and get to know each other. I will not be blogging while she is here from July 17th to July 31st, 2016. We have so many exciting activities planned for her visit. I'm sure I'll have plenty to blog about after our vacation.

Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org