Housework

Contrary to popular belief I do not enjoy cleaning my house. I'm not talking about waving a swiffer around and pushing a vacuum cleaner through traffic areas as I handle the chore in the summer. Too many other things to do. Now as I have spent a day alone in my house do I see the signs of neglect.

Sure the toilet bowls have had adequate attention, they do not allow themselves to be overlooked or not in any home I would care to go into. Then, this was the summer of the bed bug epidemic so changing the sheets weekly was not an option. How I hate this chore, extra laundry and the task just bores me.

It is time to pull out the heavy artillery, my Rainbow (just an Oreck in the summer), furniture polish and Comet Cleanser. Cobwebs need to be brought down, fixtures, baseboards need dusting, hardwood and tile floors need more than a vacuum or broom. Light fixtures, decor, plants, window casings, not to mention the glass in them are begging for some special attention. Plus, the mattresses need to be vacuumed, the protectors and those of the pillows must be washed. This is all consuming but it will be done.

Here are few tips to make your deep cleaning a little easier:

1. My late Mother-In-Law referred to her cleaning as a "Lick and a Promise" which describes my summer cleaning. If you don't do this your job will be monumental.

2. Having to try to find the spots to clean because there are mounds of mail, newspapers and magazines covering them makes the job so much harder. Get rid of all these daily. If you don't the task becomes more daunting.

3. Remember that your fridge and washer/dryer are your best friends, they cost a lot of money and they need to be cleaned too. This does not mean throwing out expired food and folding the laundry which I hope you do almost daily. This means cleaning the parts and dusting underneath.

4. You can avoid a totally gross bathtub, shower or toilet bowl by giving them a little attention each day. Squeegee and dry the shower after each use, give the tub a spray of your favorite cleaner after a bath and spritz the toilet bowl with a little Windex each day. It all takes five minutes tops and lets you hold out a bit longer before big cleaning day.

5. Remember that these days most every product you buy has an expiration date on it. More than likely if they don't or have a price tag on them from Zayres, Phar Mor, Kroger or Heckingers....it is a safe bet that you need to throw them out.

Cleaning sucks but it will take about twenty minutes a day to abide by these little hints and life will be so much easier.