Thinking back over a lifetime of 'keeping house' while balancing on a step stool
a few days back, I gave a long hard look about me and wondered about today's
household cleaning chores, both my own and others.
With one of the hubby's old white sport socks over my hand, and a spray bottle
of Windex, I was up here cleaning the crystals and other parts of the kitchen chandelier,
moving on to woodwork armed with Murphy's Oil Soap - cabinets and trim - then
washing the floor with Bona and mop.
I used to almost enjoy housework, especially once completed. Looking about and
seeing the furniture and woodwork sparkle, the lack of dust 'bunnies' in the corners,
smelling that clean fragrance from the products used such as lemon oil, made it all worthwhile.
Now, I find it hard going. Bending, stretching, the difficulty of getting back up from the
aging knees, and with the current hip problem, quite honestly, house 'work' has
become a painful drag.
So what do I do to make things easier on myself? Hubby helps and would do it all,
bless his heart, but he wouldn't do it like I would! A maid service would be a last
resort - I've never had anyone clean my home and don't know if I want that…..yet!
So I'll keep on best I can for the time being.
As for decorating?
That part of keeping house I love. Day to day, week to week, little tweaks and
changes, redoing vignettes, arranging flowers, moving things around.
However, the big thrust now is decorating for Christmas.
Thanksgiving is nothing more than moving the pumpkins around a bit - we will not be
eating here, or having company, and we head to the coast the following day for the weekend.
Digging through the attic areas, on hands and knees, to pull out the storage boxes will
be the hubby's job soon.
I will decorate as usual, although I don't do as much outdoors with lights any longer.
The faux tree will appear in the gazebo decorated with Nature's pretties I've collected.
I so enjoy seeing it outside the kitchen windows, lighting up the winter nights.
I may look for a small fresh tree for inside, taking pleasure in hanging cherished
ornaments collected over the years.
The wooden snowflakes will dangle in the dining room window. The candles
will glow once darkness cools the night, Christmas music will fill the air, and the fire
will burn in the hearth.
Thankfully 'home for Christmas' will happen as always.
So, what are your feelings about house work and cleaning chores?
Do you enjoy them? Do you have help from a cleaning company,
and if so, how did you find a competent, reliable one whose employees
take care of your much-loved, precious things?
Does your spouse/partner give you a hand?
As for decorating, I just know you will soon be sharing your beautiful
holiday items - this is always such a bright and beautiful time of year - and
I enjoy seeing all your creative endeavors here on your blogs.
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I am not a fan of cleaning at all, but I do love it when the house is clean. I have had house cleaners on an off over the years. The best were independent cleaners, not part of some commercial company. I had tried the bigger companies and found they are expensive and not all that good.
ReplyDeleteLately I have had a harder time as well. Luckily Mr. Comforts steps in where needed.
xo
Penny
My husband and I recently sold our home and are living in our 5th wheel while we decide where to build our next house. I am so relieved at how little time it takes to clean our little place! I have always had a housekeeper, and when she couldn't come (to our old house) it would take me 6 hours to clean!!! I hated that!! Now I don't even think twice about cleaning. I have pretty much decided when we do build again, it will be a small house and still manageable to clean etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of housework, although, like Penny, I enjoy a clean house and the feeling of satisfaction when a job's well done. I don't have any help with the cleaning - Tim helps with the heavy lifting, and occasional vacuuming but I do the rest, partly because I'm picky about it. When we lived overseas I did have someone come in to help clean. The various girls I had over the years did a good job because I showed them exactly what I wanted, but my kids still tease me about releasing them from my employment after a short while because I just didn't enjoy someone else handling my stuff and my house. The ideal would be anonymous, invisible, cleaning fairies who would show up at whim and disappear immediately. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting excited about Christmas decorating....soon!
wow, those pictures are just stunning! So about your question... if you can get a good cleaner they are worth it... if you go that route don't settle unless you see that the cleaner is good and has attention to detail. I think it may really help you if you can find one. Sorry it's so difficult right now in that area! God bless! and it is wonderful to be 'home for Christmas'!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the cleaning needs a transfer to become a member of the decorating team.
ReplyDeleteMy lifestyle is not like yours, but perhaps a little less cleaning is not going to injure anyone's health. Sometimes living within our means has nothing to do with finances and lots to do with physical and mental abilities.
If you do decide to get staff to assist you, check your insurance to see if they will be covered for accidents in your home. Be very specific about what you want them to do and print a checklist; attach it to the inside of a cupboard door. And get receipts.
Now, sit down with a nice cup of tea and apply your business skills to solving this dilemma.
Hello, greeting from Canada. I like your blog. I do my own cleaning and love decorating. I am 67yrs. old, retired. I have worked over 20 yrs. in Senior Homes and have done a lot of decorating and crafting. I have posted some of my Autumn woodcrafts on my blog at: http://thelma-day.blogspot.com/ Unfortunately, I am not home this Christmas, will miss seeing my decorations. sad...Good luck with finding cleaning help.
ReplyDeleteYour light is so wonderful and soft. I have a housekeeper that comes in every two weeks to do the hard work - Don does help - he's done the laundry for 30 years. Once someone asked me if I trusted him to do the laundry - I laughed and said that probably he doesn't trust ME to do it. (I'm not complaining - I think he is wonderful to do the laundry all these years). I don't mind every day housework - it is fulfilling to me to have everything crispy clean - and I love decorating too - almost time for the christmas things to come out of hiding.
ReplyDeleteI have always done all of my house cleaning and I keep a reasonably clean and tidy house all the while being a full time professional (now retired), a full-time mother, a farmer/educator's wife (i.e. helping with farm chores.) And my husband did not assist at all with the cleaning because he was a full-time farmer and full-time professor. We just both worked very hard all of the time! The idea of having someone else clean my home does not appeal to me at all though I, like you, am not enjoying it as much and finding it harder to climb, bend, etc. I simply do not want someone else in my house. As for decorating I do less and less every year and that works well!
ReplyDeleteFarm Gal in VA
Oh I have run the gamut on cleaning and my feelings about it. I used to love cleaning so much that I cleaned all the time...yes, I think that OCD set in for many years. I even owned my own cleaning business for a few years where I spent my summers cleaning clients' summer homes on some of the most beautiful lakes around. I enjoyed it. Now I am older and I no longer have the energy I
ReplyDeleteonce had. Some years ago, I joined Flylady and learned how to pace myself. If I were hiring someone, I'd go by word of mouth I think.
I absolutely hate cleaning. It is such a useless task in this country because of the constant dust and grime. I can spend 7 hours cleaning and days later it is all for nothing. I do try to keep things tidy on a daily basis but mostly I have organized chaos. Unfortunately, because I've put off cleaning for so long, I now have to do something about it today. Everyone here has maids but I don't like handing over my life and my chores to someone else, expecting them to do it all. Many of them are taken advantage of and I don't like the system so I don't buy into it. In the States, cleaning companies make big bucks, but that is not the case here. There are hundreds of maids being housed at their Embassies waiting for their fate to be determined. It's a very real problem that most people don't know about because it's not reported regularly. As far as I am concerned, it is legalized slavery and I just don't agree with it at all. Guess I better go clean the kitchen floor now. :) Have a good weekend. Tammy
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked I did often have someone come in twice a month and clean the bathroom and floors, but when I retired I thought I could do it myself. I don't like it one bit. Jim has been good to help alot, but it isn't something he enjoys much either. So in October I found someone to come once a month just to get us through it a bit, which is nice. Still have to do cleaning, but nice for the relief once a month. No one does it like I like it done, but it helps. Like you, I also enjoy the decorating. I love seeing what you are up to when it comes to decorating. My boxes will be pulled out on Friday and then, let the decorating begin.
ReplyDelete