I typically move garbage cans close to where I will be living and eat off things that can be thrown away. It is more sanitary for those in my home as I do not want to pass on my germs to them. So my small table will have kleenex, plastic forks, solo cups and paper plates. I also keep it on a small tray with any meds I am taking. That way I have easy transportation from couch to bed and back again. My kids call it the "sick tray" because it only comes out when someone is sick.

So funny to read this since I have been sick for a week. Fortunately, I do have paid sick leave, but the apartment was a wreck. Granted I should crack the whip and make the hubby do more, but oh well. I took the advice and I cleaned for about 10 minutes yesterday; just sweeping up, taking out the trash and washing the endless pile of dishes. I wish we could open the windows but it's too dang hot here in the south!
The one thing I have decided out of all this is that we're getting a bigger sofa. We have limited space (about 84 inches) and had a limited budget, so we bought a loveseat from a friend when we first moved in. But I am determined to get a decent sized sofa now so I can camp out better next time around!

A sick house is a stinky house. Open the windows if you can.

As I am currently living the good ol' dorm life, I have to say, eating out of disposable containers is a lifesaver because you do NOT want to do dishes and trust me, with three roommates around, they will pick up your slack. When my roommate got sick my freshman year, it was a week until the apartment stopped smelling like Lysol and cleaning agents. She stayed in bed and the rest of us cleaned the apt. We kicked her germs' asses.

I am also sick, and hate the way dishes, cups, etc. multiply exponentially in an hour's time. I do think the best way is to be gentle with oneself and realize health is more important at the moment. Though it also really points out how much environment effects well-being. I FEEL like I am on the road to recovery when I use that burst of energy to tidy up. Then I usually crash and sleep though...:)

I just kind of leave it all out. Im sick! you cant blame me!!

Just like when I'm well, I clean as I go. Mostly that means putting things in the dishwasher not the counter, keeping a waste basket at my elbow and dumping it into the outgoing trash bag as required, hanging towels on the rack to dry, etc. Usually the only illness I tend to suffer in a year is a couple of nasty head colds, and I too have to work (except for the first couple of days when I feel the worst.) I keep hand sanitizer at my fingertips and conspicuously scrub up when I sneeze or cough, and use the alcohol wipes meant for diabetes injections etc. to wipe down my keyboard and phone often, since we have to share. (I think the psychological aspects of obviously TRYING to protect my co-workers is as important as the actual sanitization.)

I don't understand the whole huge mess when you're sick thing. If you go up to walk to the kitchen to refill the bottle why didn't you take the empty juice bottles with you when you went and threw them away? If you have a dishwasher you only have to empty it once and then you can stick the dishes in there instead of in the sink. I also repurpose my empty containers as trash cans and toss in used kleenex and the like in there. It looks a bit cleaner and then when I do make a trip to the kitchen I just take it with me when I go. Also, I figure if I'm well enough to go to work then I'm well enough to keep doing my chores when I get home. The only thing I cut out it cooking!

This reminded me of a great suggestion from someone on another blog. They were talking about how messy their house gets from time to time and how embarrassing it is when someone drops in with little notice. She said to keep a few "Get Well" cards on hand and quickly put them on display! That way, no one will be too judgemental of you for your messy home!! Brilliant!

Nothing to do with being sick but I love the white room, the dresser, and the Modigliani on the wall.

I'm having this issue, so I find this post particularly prescient. My illness is not a physical one, however. I've been in the throes of depression for a few weeks now and my house has suffered. I just can't seem to find the energy or will to clean those dishes or scrub the toilet, let alone tackle laundry.

Thanks to this post, I am going to ask my best friend for help. I just can't face this alone--too overwhelming. Maybe he can help me until I feel better. Thank you, AT.

If you are truly ill (fever, cough, body aches) then you are also contagious. Have anyone who comes into your home, including kids and partners. Wash their hands after handling anything you have touched including faucets, flushing handles, refrigerator handle. They should never touch their face without washing hands or using a barrier as this is how most viruses are passed. The flu is airborne if you are coughing so keep a face mask by your bedside (you can pick one up at most pharmacies). Maintain these precautions for 72 hours after your fever abates.

Ask a friend to come over and clean up your snotty kleenexes all over the place?

Um, hello? That's what mothers were invented for.

When you're sick, you're allowed to make a mess.

You live in a home, not a museum. A home is meant to be lived in.

Feel better soon.

I actually get a lot of housework done when I'm sick--I really hate cleaning house, and I figure I already feel crummy, so why not consolidate all of the unpleasantness so I don't have to do chores when I'm feeling well?

@Elizeh, I do sort of the same thing, depending on how sick I am. I had a four or five month period at the beginning of this year where I was getting the full-on flu (fever, body aches, etc.) once a month. It sucked and for about 4 days I'd be flat on my back sleeping 16 hours a day. But once I was feeling ok enough to be bored but not good enough to focus on work, I'd clean. It made my mood better because at least I was doing SOMETHING. My apartment hasn't been that clean since I was procrastinating on studying for a professional exam.

My household does not stop just because I am sick. Everything still needs to be done - I just do it all slower. I still cook, clean, do laundry, iron, shop and everything else that requires doing.

My husband, on the other hand, is a different story. The world practically stops revolving just because he is sick (particularly with "man-flu") and nothing gets done. God help me when I get sick at the same time as him, because then I have to pick up everything he fails to do around the house (he has very few chores, like taking out the garbage and changing the kitty litter trays, but still) because he's sick - and I have to look after him!

I don't really get the pulled-out couch -- it seems like that would add significantly to the mess without much of a benefit in return. I just stay in/on bed, and change the sheets when I turn the corner (or after a few days). I hang a grocery bag on the knob of my nighttable drawer, and throw all the tissues right in there. Magazines and my phone/Kindle charger are close by if I feel up to it. Other than that, it's mostly a matter of tottering to the kitchen for juice and the bathroom for showers/baths.

I recently had a debilitating back injury for several months, and then weeks of recovery post-surgery (no bending, lifting, twisting). Keeping things clean or tidy was really the last thing on my mind, although even at my worst (being apartmentbound and taking massive doses of pain pills) I still managed to do the dishes at least every other day. Thank god I live alone!

I guess I don't understand this mentality. Just because you're sick doesn't mean you have to turn into a complete slob. Sure, you're not going to feel like mopping the floors or doing the laundry. Understandable. But you can throw tissues in a trash can not on the floor or a table, use pop-up wipes to quickly clean the sink, doorknobs, etc. (especially if you live with others!), throw clothes in the hamper not on the floor, and at least rinse out plates and cups so food doesn't harden on them.

When I'm sick, I try to be kind to myself when I don't feel like doing routine things (like cleaning). I just tell myself it's temporary and things will get back to normal when I feel better.

This has been a big issue for me as I've fought cancer for the past couple of years. Without help from my family, my place would just be a disaster. There was actually a time when I wasn't supposed to clean because my immunity was so bad that stirring up dust particles was too dangerous.

@MO86 and WELCOMEREALITY, if you've got a cold or a mild flu, then yeah, I think you can probably clean up reasonably well. But with something more severe, it might take all your energy to just get a Gatorade from the fridge. Why go through the ordeal of getting up to recycle it when you can just leave it on the floor for now? If you're seriously nauseated or woozy from painkillers, you eliminate as much activity as possible.

I always keep a little waste paper basket or grocery bag nearby for tissues. I also clean as I go . . . so if I'm making another cup of tea, I'll wash the dishes while waiting for the water to boil. Also, for post-sickness, there's nothing like clean sheets.

@Diabolique- I'm rooting for you so hard. Depression can be brutal, and a messy home only makes things worse. I'm sure your friend will be honored you came to him for help.

@Akay- Very well said, and I wish you the best of health.

This happened to myself recently. If you are 'bedridden' sick there is no point cleaning up. All you can do in this state is use the bathroom, wash yourself and make sure you take your medicine as prescribed. Always keep your used tissues seperated from everyone else's trash. Drink plenty of fluids too.

Once you're feeling a little better, or what I call the 'false recovery', open the windows, burn oil, change the sheets, dust quickly, sweep/vacuum the floor, do a load of washing. Have the longest hottest shower bearable, something filling to eat and back in your freshly made bed again. Trust me, it will get worse before it gets better.

The sick tray/sick basket idea is my go-to. Especially when my husband is sick and I'm traveling for work or something, I can always refer him to the sick basket and he can usually find what he needs.

I don't really see the point in keeping up with sweeping and such unless it REALLY drives you crazy enough. Once I'm over the sickness "hump," it really makes me feel great to go full-force and do the chores that have been neglected. And then sleep for 10 hours.

If someone is exceedingly sick (to where caretakers are getting involved, even short-term) I found that having a small whiteboard and dry erase markers to note times for meds and such was very helpful. When we were helping my mom through her chemo treatments, my sister and I were in a revolving caretaker role. So when I would run out to do the grocery shopping and errands, I could write down the most recent med doseage and any other "news" and when my sister stopped by before picking up her kids from school she could check on everything.

Also having plenty of freezer bags on hand for all the nice folks that bring stuff over. I don't think mom had to cook for about 6 months after she got her appetite back.

If that water bottle is plastic, stop refilling it now! Get a glass out and fill it with tap water. Dangerous plastics might leach off the plastic bottle and into the water you are drinking. I used to reuse soda bottles, refilling smaller ones from larger ones, until someone told me about this, someone whose husband worked for a cola company/bottle company. Once every now and then, maybe. Over and over, no. If it is a glass bottle, rinse it out!

Three reasons it is bad to refill water bottles: http://www.ehow.com/way_5135949_refilling-water-bottles-bad.html.

The very first thing I do when I feel I'm coming down with the stomach flu, is clean the bathroom toilet and try to wipe up the bathroom floor. I think I got in this habit when I was pregnant the first time. I was "lucky" enough to have morning sickness all day - every day right until the end. At least the toilet was clean and the cool (clean) floor felt great to lay on!

Feel better soon and I am sure your nest will be back in tip top shape when you are!

The dragging through days are worse than live in bed days.
Honestly? Think like a busboy. I have a spare dish tub that is used for pedicures.
While I'm too groggy on cold meds to be trusted with hot water, I keep it close by, and on my few trips to the kitchen I bring it along, and put dishes in the proper dish tub to soak.
Probably overkill, but I break out bleach in the soak water.
Mind you, a quart lasts more than a year.

The only time I get delivery is when I'm sick. So that is a new level of trash I don't usually work with, but hey, I didn't have to cook.

So, larger trash bin next to me, dish pan, Thai delivered, Netflix (because glasses hurt and I can't read without them) and a cuddly blanket, no matter the temperature, along with a pitcher of water, glass and tissue. And more cold meds.
Oh, and socks.

Yes by all means, make your friend come over and clean up your mess. I'm sure they will appreciate catching whatever you have. Is it really that big of a deal if your place is messy while you're sick? Clean it when you're feeling better.

I think those who say that sickness isn't an excuse to be a slob aren't clearly remembering how terrible one can feel when they are really sick. Especially if you are nauseous or have a migraine, just moving slightly can be torture. If you MUST get up, it is only to do what is minimally necessary.

I am lucky enough to have always lived with someone (not always the same person) who is willing to take care of me. Whisking away & cleaning my dirty dishes, making & bringing me food if it can be stomached, basically doing anything they can. I try to be just as accommodating when those I've lived with are sick as well.

For those who live alone, I am in the "leave it for later" camp. Just focus on yourself!

@JACQUELYN8685, being home sick and being contagious don't always go hand in hand. You could have strep throat and spread it around for days before you start feeling sick, but after you've been on antibiotics for 24 hours, you're perfectly safe to be around.

I have a chronic illness that requires a shot (that I give myself) once a week. The medication causes fever and flu symptoms for 24 hours. I can trash my house in a matter of hours. Be kind to yourself, do what you can and ignore the rest. When my three kids were young I would try and keep juice, soups that I'd make and freeze and fruit around for sick days. I would keep a box of quiet activities that only came out on sick days. The same things work for me now. Last year on shot days, I made everybody in the family hats and scarves. Doing something productive even just a little bit at a time let me focus on something positive. Planning ahead and having the things I know I'll need eventually helps.

oh, this brings back some haunting memories of a few months ago when i was sick, as well as my 15month old, husband, and even the dog. talk about a disaster scene. the mess wasn't empty gatorade bottles and kleenex (those i manage to throw away, i feel gross when surrounded by "sick" things), it was just the accumulation of stuff that i normally take care of at the end of each day-- my husband's socks, the baby's toys, stacks of mail, recycling that exceeds the capacity of the container... a friend came over once i was just starting to feel better, and said "this is all just from this week??" ouch. needless to say, she lives by herself.

A few years ago I was on a bed-rest for 4 weeks during my 3rd pregnancy. I had two older children, toddlers, to take care of that constantly trashed the place. In order to cope, I had a friend set up stations around the bed I was on... One was for toys, one was for food, one for crafts and one was for medicines, band-aids and trash. I essentially confined the little ones to the living room and we went on our day. Most days, I'd only have to get up once or twice (bathroom breaks). I did, however, have to relinquish my normal idea of "clean" and just accept a new normal for the 4 weeks.

If I'm really sick- vomiting fever etc I am so not worried about house keeping. Now if I just feel miserable with a bad cold and am still working I will just do the minimum of picking up after myself. Those of you that find time to wash dishes, sweep, clean the kitchen etc while sick, well I guess you are better people than me. I'm worthless if I have fever or vomiting. Luckily I don't get sick like that very often and when I do it's only a day or two.

That being said when I am really sick I keep a trash can by the bed for Kleenex or anything else and a water glass for liquids. There usually aren't dirty dishes because I don't feel like eating. When I'm up and moving but still feel terrible I just nuke some soup and throw my dishes in the sink or dishwasher if it's empty.

It's silly to feel bad about a messy house when you're sick

If I am sick enough to stay home I don't care about housekeeping.

I've gotten pretty good at this ever since I started chemo. My main trick is just to get everything prepped ahead of time which can still apply when you're regular sick. As soon as I feel anything coming on, I just make sure and clean the place more than usual so that I don't agonize over it when I'm incapacitated.

I also have essentially developed a "sick kit" that I always keep gathered. It's the little grab bag of items I'll keep next to me while I'm sick. It includes a blanket, pillow, my laptop, phone, tv remote, tissues, any meds, water, and Campbell's sippable soup. Whenever I feel a little better I clean what I can and it makes me much more restful knowing that my apartment doesn't look as bad as I feel and that I can take care of myself without having to rely on others.

The first three months I was pregnant, I was EXHAUSTED and slept about 13 hours a day (yes, I work full time, and yes, that means I basically came home and crashed every night). The one thing that saved me was keeping my bedroom clean. Anywhere else could be a mess but as long as I had that one room clean to just relax in, I was golden. Just take my dishes down to the sink, wash the bedding once a week and bought a nice scented candle.

Boy, I feel stupid that I've never created a sick tray. What a good, good idea. Lots of fine feel better soon strategies here. In related topic, I can always tell when I'm about to come down with a bad cold because I develop an overwhelming urge to straighten up the house. Even fringe on a rug will make me crazy. It's like my body is saying, tidy now because you won't be able to tomorrow.

i want to take a nap in this bedroom after reading a big pile of magazines

I have d chronic pain for 1 year or so. I am very neat and what i v done is to do not make a mess that needs cleaning. I often cant cook because cleaning dishes seems difficult to me. So naturally I was drifted to raw food style.