I am so random. I act like changing the sheets on four beds deserves an “Extreme Home Makeover!!!” moment.
Although I’m grasping the concept of the need for daily tasks slowly but surely, I am still so incredibly random when it comes to non-daily tasks.
I love clean first-night sheets. Oprah once said something about changing her sheets every two or three days, because you know, that brand new sheet feeling starts going away after that. Thankfully, even her expert organizational/cleanliness guest looked at her like she was crazy for that one.
But there should be some time frame. I change my sheets when the mood hits. I might change them again in a week, or it might be two, or even three or ?. Only time will tell.
This is one of my problems. I’m so random on the tasks that don’t have to be done daily to avoid a pile-up. I’m random on the daily tasks too if I don’t stay conscious of them, hence the blog. But the ones that some people do weekly can slip my mind for a very . . . long . . . time.
I know that the organizational experts, even the ones who are former slobs and get what it’s like to be me, all encourage some sort of system. Note cards or binders or whatever. Honestly, this is the part in reading their stuff that make my brain start to feel all jiggly. I usually skip that chapter and think I’ll come back to it later, when I can really absorb it, you know.
I heard a speaker say once that a home can run for a very long time on mini-maintenance. That’s what I’m hoping for with focusing on the daily tasks. It’s helped ever so much in making our home not be a disaster area. But, I do have dreams of being able to know, without getting out a calendar to try to remember what big events we had at our house last month, when was the last time I cleaned the bathrooms.
I’d like to clean the bathtub even when there isn’t a layer of leg-hair-infused-soap-scum on on it.
No solution today, just something that I need to start thinking about.
Ok. That comment about the layer of leg hair infused soap scum literally made me laugh out loud. Hysterical! Maybe because I can relate?!
As for the sheets, I change them every Monday. Without fail. I love clean sheets and actually look forward to Mondays so I can sleep on them. Yes, it's weird…I'm definitely aware.
Your honesty about your house is refreshing.
Can't wait to come back and take a look around!
-Lauren
(Mama Laundry)
I so love reading your blog because (a) you write well and (b) you seem to have the *exact same* issues that I do. So, at least if I'm a slob (hangs head in shame), I'm in good company! There's great comfort in that. I'm the same way with my sheets — from much preferring that clean-sheet feel (ah, crisp white sheets from Lands End, how I love you) to thinking I practically deserve an award for changing them once a… well, less frequently than weekly.
I was thinking about this whole issue in respect to my husband and me. He's also a slob. But he's a happy slob. The mess doesn't faze him in the least. Clean sheets, dirty sheets… mah, whatever. I mean, when I change them, he likes it, of course. But it doesn't *bother* him when I don't. Me, on the other hand, this stuff nags at me and makes me feel like a flunkie.
MJ, I'm afraid that may just be called "being a man." heehee Thanks so much for your kind words, they mean a lot.
Sheets are not a big deal for me and I change them pretty regularly. If I can't get to the sheets (and I didn't today because I was doing 5 loads of laundry!), I'll at least change the pillow cases. I do change the towels regularly though (one of the loads of laundry today so they'll be ready for the next time I change them).
The big thing that has me off balance this weekend is "Christmas undecorating". The tree decorations and lights are down and wrapped up to put away. The tree is out for recycling (sorry to see it go, it was a beauty), and the living room and porch are swept as free of pine needles as can be (I'm sure I'll find a few strays in the corners for months). The living room furniture is back in place, but I still need to take down the banister decorations, put away the angels, change the mantel from Christmas to snowmen, etc. However, the big thing, the tree is done, as are the dishes, the five loads of laundry, and tomorrow's lunches.
I am so glad I found your blog. It's so obvious that you and I aren't alone in our cleaning issues.
i found your blog from your link to your pantry challenge update, and i'm so very glad! i'm a slob, too. well, maybe i'm not a slob exactly, but i am lazy, and my husband is definitely a slob, and those two do NOT go well together for keeping our house in order! it's funny, though. before he married me, DH changed his bedsheets every sunday. it was his routine. we started off our marriage with this routine, and with him doing most of his own laundry, but that's changed over the past 2 years to me doing almost all of the laundry, which means the sheets don't get changed every sunday. sometimes not even every other sunday. i think i need to start making and following a list, too.
Hi Mar and Amy, I'm glad you found me too!
Not sure how I found your blog.. but i love it! I work with people who hoard as as social worker, I can relate both personally and professionally to so many of the posts I have read so far! Lucky for me I have a very anxious husband who loves to clean — haha which we often fight about, but who also keeps things on track in our house. The sheets on the other hand- well yes, I do it RANDOMLY -no system and definitely not often.
Keep up the good work!
Laurie
I’m so glad you found me, Laurie! I know your job must be a difficult one.
I know this post is old, but I totally changed EVERYONE’S sheets today and was a little bit bummed when the parade didn’t march through my upstairs hallway!!!! My sheets get changed…. every….. um…. whenever I um…. yeah, enough said.
So, how often do NORMAL people change their sheets? I grew up in a house where we might go months between sheet changes, so I honestly don’t know.
I’ve heard once a week or every two weeks. I’ve heard . . . .