Housekeeping
One of my biggest worries when I was a newly married young woman was that someone might stop by unannounced. I didn’t yet have a system for keeping the house tidy, and if guests were coming I wanted time to hide the laundry in the bathtub and shove dishes into the car trunk.
Yes, I really did that sometimes.
I’ll admit it — no, that wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
I definitely went through seasons of C.H.A.O.S. — “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome,” as FlyLady calls it.
Was I a hoarder? No.
Was my home completely out of control? No.
Would the health department have shut us down? No.
Still, the house could get messy.
I didn’t know about simple daily routines or ideas for keeping the home “clean enough.”
My two biggest challenges were ones many of us face:
1) the dishes
2) the laundry
Back then we worked or went to school during the day, came home, fixed dinner, and collapsed in the evening to watch recordings of our favorite shows. Somehow I had missed the memo that my mom wouldn’t be there to clean up for me anymore.
The next morning the dishes were still on the counter and laundry kept piling up in the bathroom. I may have been saving it for Saturday.
By Saturday we were in full C.H.A.O.S. Laundry towers, dishes still waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher (yes, we had a dishwasher and I still didn’t load it nightly). Saving weekly chores for one day simply didn’t work for me.
Thankfully I discovered FlyLady and embraced daily housekeeping routines. Once I began tending hot spots like the kitchen every day instead of once a week, and doing small loads of laundry every day or every few days, everything changed. Initially daily maintenance felt time-consuming, but as it became part of our rhythm it turned into second nature.
Suddenly we could have guests with less notice. Housekeeping became manageable and predictable.
Do I still prefer a heads-up before people arrive?
Yes — I like a little warning.
Is my house flawless?
No — never.
Houses are for living in.
I’ve had rooms that turned into impromptu playgrounds and weeks that were downright chaotic — perfectly normal signs of a lived-in home.
Time for a little CHAOS confession.
Do you ever hide your dirty dishes when guests are on their way?
Don’t worry, it’s more common than you think. A little confession can be freeing.
Note: the photo above shows my kitchen from last summer, before the microwave handle broke, the microwave stopped working, and the freezer started making strange noises. Appliances don’t always cooperate, but small routines do help. My old appliances have given me plenty of reasons to appreciate a reliable dishwasher.
This post was part of a sponsored series. The opinions expressed are my own, and older appliances often find a new home when replaced.
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