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Oh, the Lovely Suds!

August 26, 2010 By Dana White | 5 Comments

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One common misconception about slobs is that we don’t like to clean.

I can’t speak for all slobs . . . but I actually enjoy cleaning. It’s the supply-gathering, time-designating, counter-unearthing that I don’t like.

But give me a personal assistant who keeps track of the mop and bucket, puts away the clean dishes and folds all of our family’s clothes . . . and I could totally win a cleaning challenge.

This morning, after emptying the dishwasher, I was washing the big dishes from last night. (Don’t worry, I’m fully aware that leaving the big stuff for the next morning is not ideal, but it’s how I’ve done it for the past year and it generally works for me.) I started running some hot water in the sink and took special joy in using my sprayer to create lots of beautiful white suds.

Joy.

In cleaning.

Yep, and I’m a slob.

I also thoroughly enjoyed mopping this morning. Since mopping was an educational job for the boys during the Summer of Clean, it needed some special attention. I worked up a sweat and may have even smiled when a little scrubbing caused what I had been assuming for weeks were “natural imperfections in my tile” . . . to magically disappear.

I like having my hands in warm sudsy water. I like seeing a white plate appear from under a blotch of red spaghetti sauce. I like mopping every single square of the kitchen tile.

When I let the dishes get out of control, I miss out on this joy. Frustration takes the joy away when I’ve had to wade through who-knows-what just to get the sink empty enough to be able to run water in it. One pot at a time is fun to wash. Balancing it on top of 23 others, trying to maneuver it under the faucet to rinse without sending something tumbling . . . not so fun.

When I can’t get all the way under the table to mop because the top is too cluttered to be able to put the chairs on it, the joy is squelched by the nagging knowledge that even after all this work, the floor won’t be completely clean.

I’ve got to focus on the joy part. Maybe that way, I’ll be inspired to be consistent with the stuff that makes the joy possible.

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post Daily Checklists, Weekly Tasks, and . . . Dusting Tropical Fruit
Read Older Post My Daily Checklist – Now With a Printable Version

Filed Under: figuring myself out | 5 Comments

Comments

  1. Mara ~ Kosher on a Budget says

    August 26, 2010 at 5:10 pm

    You're probably sick of me saying this, but YES! This is so true for me, too! I also like cleaning, it's unearthing that I don't like. I don't need a cleaning lady, I need an unearthing lady!

    Reply
  2. Suanna says

    August 26, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    I think I needed to read this description of myself. It's sobering. I need to get to work and find someway to keep things cleaner.

    Reply
  3. Shell says

    August 26, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    Good post – thank you for the reminder. Exactly what I needed today….especially the 23 pot scenario!

    Reply
  4. Nony the Slob says

    August 26, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Mara, really? I'll never-ever-ever be sick of hearing that! So nice to feel like maybe I'm not crazy. Or if I am crazy, maybe I"m not the only one.

    Reply
  5. Sweetpea101506 says

    August 27, 2010 at 10:13 pm

    See, I love to organize things, but only if I have all the tools to do it. LOL I don't mind cleaning either, I just wish that we didn't have to do it as much LOL

    Reply

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A Slob Comes Clean is the completely honest (and never-ending) story of my deslobification process. As I find ways to keep my home under control, I share the truth about cleaning and organization methods that actually work for a real-life slob. And I'm funny.

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