apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I am messy and disorganized. All that it says about me is that I have a lot going on cerebrally than externally, I think. It doesn't bother me because I don't notice it until company is coming. I certainly don't consider neat people to be more moral than me, though many neat people seem to believe neatness or messiness is a sign of character or virtue.

cleaning habits - i think you can overdo it both ways. everybody needs to find the way they are most comfortable with - and unless we are talking about outright filth, i wouldn't want to judge people by them.
do my cleaning habits reflect my priorities? probably, unless at the times when they rather reflect my schedule, and the pressure of deadlines to meet. at all times i do prefer a lot of things to cleaning, which is repetitive and boring. :-D

(and i find the quote rather endearing, and quite true ...)

I always tell myself that I'll wait for the weekend to clean. But this super sucks because I'm a 9-5er, so the weekends are my only real time to pursue creative or fun stuff. I am a pig most of the week, unless I know someone is coming over. What gets me is that I don't mind cleaning - I honestly feel better cleaning than sitting on my ass. I stayed up until 1 cleaning yesterday and am happy abour it. I don't know why I let it pile up. It's probably the same reason I wait til monday to start diets, lol.

I have the Saturday cleaning schedule too, for similar reasons. A full time job and commute doesn't leave enough time for weekday cleaning and restorative relaxation, so I relax. (Although some stuff, like wiping down the counter or putting the mail away I do almost mindlessly every time those little things need doing, so pet fur may accumulate during the week, but clutter is usually not a big issue.)

As for a judgements, I think our upbringing is where our attitudes about other people's messiness comes from. People who were raised to not sit in the living room because it was "for company" (like my neighbors when I was a teen) tend to be more critical than people like me, raised by (let's be brutally frank) a slob. I rebelled and am much more of a housekeeper than my mother ever was, but having seen how much worse it can be, I don't think twice about other people's housekeeping, except maybe if the kitchen is disgusting in a "could get food poisoning" sort of way!

I agree with taritac, i don't believe it is a moral issue! I tend to be clean but untidy: I keep up with germ breeding places like kitchens and bathrooms, but take care of piles of papers and magazines when I have time for it. No one says on their deathbeds, "I wish I had dusted more!"

I've become more of a neat freak because of my messy, messy roommates. however, I've always done a once a week cleaning since I moved out of my parents' house, (even in my dorm room in college). I often do it on thursday or friday evening, (depending on my social calendar), so it's clean for the weekend and I can enjoy myself when I have free time. it's also a good way to unwind at the end of the week, literally putting away the problems/irritants. for me, it's very much about order. I'm a very visual person, so when I'm surrounded by visual chaos it can make me cranky. if I'm feeling off, one of the most proactive things I can do for myself is to tidy up. that said, I'm not a germaphobe at all. I'm not the type to obsessively wipe down counters with antibacterial sprays or cringe at the thought of a smudge on the mirror.

I don't know when the switch happened because I was incredibly messy as a child, living with a carpet os scattered toys that I refused to put away. after many threats, my mom raked it all up into a garbage bag, (literally, with a garden rake), and made me do chores to get them back.

the quote is cute, but rather silly. we all get dirty again every day, so shall we stop showering? :P

When we don't have a housekeeper, we try to maintain things orderly and clean up messes as they happen - a wipe in time saves nine. I don't mind things sitting around so much, but I don't tolerate dirt. My husband vacuums once or twice a week while I take the dog for a walk (can't stand the noise), I clean the bathrooms, dust and mop the kitchen. Doesn't take that long at all. And, yes, we usually clean AFTER visitors have left. That's because it is our home and we enjoy living in a civilized manner. If visitors don't like the way we live, they can a) help us straighten the place b) invite us somewhere else. So far, nobody complained (except my mother, but that's a different story).

I clean my dishes within 20 minutes of using them. I like to clean while I'm cooking! Instead of sitting and waiting for water to boil, I make sure I'm cutting stuff up, putting away dishes, or cleaning stuff in the sink. That way, once I finish cooking and eating, I can head back to the kitchen and the only thing I have to clean (usually) is the plate and fork I JUST used. And the pot/pan/casserole dish, of course...

In the morning when I'm brushing my teeth, with my free hand, I'm washing the sink with a washcloth.

Every afternoon, I put away all the clothes I'd tried on that morning. I've never made my bed [it never stuck when I was growing up], but I at least throw the cover up over the pillows so it looks made up.

And everything has a place! In my tiny apartment, I make sure to put all the little trinkets back right after I use them. Otherwise things pile up quickly.

As far as cleaning the kitchen super thoroughly, cleaning the bathroom with bleach, sweeping, dusting, and mopping are concerned, I'm a once-a-monther [gasp]! I try to keep a tidy house daily so that the one day a month (on average) isn't more than a couple hours of work.

I pay for a bimonthly housecleaning service, and do little between visits other than keep the kitchen surfaces clean.

Some people I know get a lot of satisfaction from cleaning, but I don't. I don't even care if the housecleaner does a stupendous job. It just needs to be good enough, quite honestly.

My husband is one of those people who cleans as he goes and gives himself short cleaning chores daily (actually, I don't think it's so much intentional as instinctual). As a result, our apartment looks clean enough for a magazine shoot nearly every day - whew. Sometimes I try to leave things out and messy when people come over just so they won't feel overwhelmed with the cleanliness! I prefer things to look neat, but lived in and enjoyed. But I do appreciate his daily work - as a result, we do a cleaning day just once a year.

I'm pretty much a slob, though I try not to be dirty. Mail and shoes pile up in the foyer, dishes tend to accumulate in the kitchen (I'm trying to be better about this but changing habits is hard) and clothing ends up on the floor.

If company's coming, I clean like mad. Pick up the foyer and bathroom, wipe down the counter, sink and tub, clean the toilet. Pick up the living room, sweep and vacuum. Deal with the kitchen if I have time.

The mess irritates me a bit, but I have things I'd rather be doing and it doesn't irritate me enough to make me want to fix it, so I don't. My poor mom is horrified. I've thought about getting a housecleaning service, but haven't ever found the motivation to do so.

The one thing that REALLY bugs me, though is funky smells. If I smell something bad, I find it and deal with it. This rarely happens, though.

I relate with that quote. I'm a full time student who works 3 long shifts a week (usually not getting home until past 10pm) and I am trying to balance both time with my boyfriend who is leaving on a retreat pretty soon, and the immense stack of essays that I have to write. So, I do have better things to do than clean, but often my brain gets fried and I get glued to my computer screen checking blogs instead of listening to lectures.

When I have company though, I binge clean, and bake something yummy. I love having fresh baked bread on hand all the time. Dishes however, will NOT be done on a day that I work. I can't do more dishes at home after doing giant dishes at work!

I also hate the pristine look. Once my mom came in and cleaned while I was out of town. Though I appreciated it, it was too tidy, so I went and took stuff out just to put on the counter to make it feel like I lived there! This was before any decorating though, so clutter was the only me in the apartment.

"If company's coming, I clean like mad. Pick up the foyer and bathroom, wipe down the counter, sink and tub, clean the toilet. Pick up the living room, sweep and vacuum. Deal with the kitchen if I have time."

this is me, too.

i know i should do a little at a time, because i have severe peripheral neuropathy in both hands that is aggravated by trying to do it all at once, but i'm so tired by the time i get home at the end of the day and my hands are sore from work...

so, weekends it is.

I'm in the "messy, not dirty" camp. If something is dirty, I tackle it, but mess - while it annoys me - doesn't spur me to do something about it the way something dirty does. My main downfall is never putting things back where they belong after I use them.

The quote is very likely a family philosophy, although it may have been unspoken before Seb's pronouncement.

I think most of us have internal dialogues about how we are doing, and happier people manage to come up with more positive things to say to themselves about themselves. "I have better things to do than clean" might improve your disposition. "Argh, I just can't get anything done" might leave you feeling sad and overwhelmed.

The thing is, once you make your home really, really purty, then it's actually very gratifying to see it clean. Honestly, it's easier for me to keep it neat, than to keep it 'clean" per se.

I truly hate to dust. And I hate to scrub.

But rearranging things and throwing things out? I kind of love that once I get started.

My cleaning habits say "This is where a Myopic person who rarely wears his glasses at home lives"

If you can't see the dust - is it really there?

oooh, I just dealt with this issue last night with my roommate! I am a neat freak admittedly, but I think there is a real difference between being messy and being dirty. I think my roomie falls into the latter category. I basically confronted him and told him that leaving food out, such as leftover takeout, for a week, is unacceptable behavior in an adult. He thinks I'm overreacting. I'll leave it to the commenters...am I right or is he?

Cleaning is definitely not a moral issue, but I do think a person's home says something about that person. Not trying to sound judgmental here, but I think keeping your surroundings nice, neat and clean is sort of a self-respect issue. I feel the same way about eating and personal grooming. Of course, others may not want to spend their time paying much attention to these things, but one has to be balanced. While a dirty or messy home, fast food or bare minimal attention to how you look does save time, I think a pleasant home environment, a nice meal or looking spiffed-up are all things that add value to one's life.

Yes the world needs more messy people!

anonnn... I agree with you because I've had the same issue with my roommates. they use the 'we're young, that's what young people do' excuse. I say, 'you're an adult, there's no excuse anymore.'

we finally conquered the dirty dishes issue, but now we're in week two of the mopping the kitchen floor standoff...

anonnn, I can say I've probably done similar to your roommate, but I definitely don't think it's acceptable. Leaving food out too long gets funky and attracts bugs. Even if I don't do the dishes every day (or every week. Or every month) I try to deal with food right away (at the very least the next day)-- either put it in the frig or throw it away.

When people live with each other, they have to meet in the middle: neat people need to practice tolerance (REAL tolerance, not passive aggressive tolerance), and messy people need to try to keep the kitchen, living room, and other common areas neatER than they would normally.

slowdown, I wholeheartedly disagree that messiness is a self-respect issue. I think it is unhelpful to try to psychoanalyze people through their disorganization or neatness. It's just as unreasonable to say that messiness = a lack of self-respect as it is to say that neatness = uptight control freak or whatever.

My clean house says "I lived for too long with a complete slob, and find a clean, clutter-free and organized house to be absolutely wonderful!"

Cleanliness might not be a moral issue, but if you clean up only for guests, what does that say? That you want their good opinion? I'd rather clean for myself, because I enjoy a tidy living space, a clean kitchen and a relaxing bed and bath. I think I'm worth it.

i am a creative being.

that being said..i am not neat. i am not dirty, but i am messy.

and guess what, i don't really care.
i keep certain rooms clutter free ( living room, bathroom, hallway) the rest is free game.

i gave my boyfriend the chores i loathe the most : dishes and laundry.

other than that i try ( keyword) try to pick up after myself.
but it is hard when two people live together and you are both messy.
you often find yourself saying " this is not my mess, are you effn kidding me...my mess is in THAT corner...this is clearly your pile"

it makes for funny moments.


i would like to get a cleaning lady but the thought of a stranger cleaning my stuff well, i become a paranoid ant just at the thought.

I adore cleanliness. For me personally, I have to have a clean space. A clean and organized space, it allows me to think and to create. I do know that some individuals find my style and cleanliness a little intimidating. But I always try to assure them that I don't live in a museum and that they can relax and make a mess.

I think I am neither extremely neat or extremely messy...I'm somewhere in the middle.
My main problem is clothing-I have too much and I somehow always leave it on the floor. I'm not allowed to have a chair in the bedroom as it will become a mound of clothes. :)
More than anything I like things to be CLEAN. Sanitary if you will.
I'm more concerned with that than clutter. However I do try to be somewhat minimalist in order to avoid clutter from the start.
I was raised by a hoarder/pack rat mom who's kitchen makes me sick. So cleanliness is really important to me. As is organization.
My grandmother was a full time perfectionist housewife so although I don't want to be that way exactly, I often think of her and how she did things as inspiration for how I run my apartment.
I made a book-a housekeeping book-of daily chores, weekly tasks and monthly/seasonal tasks that need to be done. I know that sounds anal but I really enjoy housekeeping. Oh and I'm unemployed so I "keep house" so that my boyfriend can see i do something all day :)

As far as how my cleaning habits reflect my priorities, I guess I'd say that it shows I care for myself, I want to be comfortable in my home and my boyfriend to be comfortable-I want friends to feel relaxed in my home and not like they are in a sterile hotel or a roach filled motel. It is important that I feel at home, relaxed, serene and peaceful. It also shows that right now I have WAY too much time on my hands :)

@taritac: I'm not psychoanalyzing anyone. I was just offering my opinion on the matter. The quote bothered me because I think the implication that a task is not worth doing because one has to do it again seems like a case of prioritizing time or ease over aesthetics or comfort.

I believe a neat appearance (home or person) is not just about how others perceive you, but about how you feel about yourself.

As FantasticMrFaux put it, "Cleanliness might not be a moral issue, but if you clean up only for guests, what does that say? That you want their good opinion? I'd rather clean for myself, because I enjoy a tidy living space, a clean kitchen and a relaxing bed and bath. I think I'm worth it."

It's that last line that I want to highlight: "I think I'm worth it." A comfortable, clean and tidy home is something everyone deserves.

If I'm gonna clean I have to get into a rhythm, which means it's better if I do it on a saturday or one day a week instead of in bits the whole week through.

My hated chores that are going to be delegated to my fiance when we move in together will be dishes, folding of laundry, and taking out the trash.

I like to keep my place as clean as possible. It doesn't help that my apartment is fundamentally ugly. I've decorated it well and I have nice things, but various elements of my rental are hideous, especially the carpet. Keeping everything clean seems to draw attention away from the ugly.

In terms of other people's homes, I only get physically uncomfortable when the house is horribly cluttered or unbelievably filthy, or both. On the other end of the spectrum, however, I can get a little uncomfortable in homes that are overly clean and sparse. I feel like I can't relax and be myself in that kind of environment.

i personally have to have a clean space to function... and i like cleaning personally.

I like clean, because "not clean" reminds me of the hundreds of little things that need to be done.

I hate washing dishes and wish I had a dishwasher.

"There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse."
--Quentin Crisp

I clean on Sunday's just after I get up and the rest of the day is my 'lazy day'. I dust, wash floors, vacuum, do laundry, etc.

During the week, I keep up with dishes, make my bed and keep my washroom relatively clean. If I have company, out comes the swiffer but that is generally all I have to do. It is just I afterall.

@slowdown and @FantasticMrFaux,

If I clean because company is coming over it is because I don't want them to judge me. Tidiness may not mean a lot to me, but I know that it means a lot to other people and that they sometimes are judgmental about the cleanliness of others. Plus, you know, it's company. I'd like to put my best foot forward and make the effort for *them* to be comfortable. Even though my house may look like a barn, I wasn't actually raised in one! :)

I honestly don't even see the messiness usually until some event like company coming prompts it. I personally don't place the same value on tidiness that you two do, but that doesn't mean that I'm not "worth it" so to speak. Self-respect can be shown in lots of different ways. A clean house is just one way, and it doesn't have to be everyone's way.

I've been Internet dating. This one guy, after a few really great communications jokingly berated me for not accomplishing the housework I mentioned had been on my 'to-do' list! End of story. Next, please! P.S. When I explained to him that shame didn't motivate me, he told me he was raised in a military family and that EVERYTHING has its place. Enough said?

"A bit of dust never killed anyone, but you could trip over that clutter and break your neck."

I clean as I go - mess honestly makes me start getting twitchy (which is odd as, only five years ago when I was seventeen, I had the messiest room in the house! Now it's the tidiest! Crazy), so I put stuff in its right spot when I finish with it, wash my dishes when I'm done... I've even noticed I try to do the same thing in the chemistry lab!

Everybody Get Real with yourselves,

I find that the most dirty and messy people I've ever met in my entire life (34 years) are LAZY. If you have found a way to cope with a disgustingly dirty and messy place, you are lying to yourself and you are still LAZY.

@Vincent "I've been Internet dating. This one guy, after a few really great communications jokingly berated me for not accomplishing the housework I mentioned had been on my 'to-do' list! End of story. Next, please! P.S. When I explained to him that shame didn't motivate me, he told me he was raised in a military family and that EVERYTHING has its place. Enough said?"

-- Your name is Vincent - I know a lot of names can go either way but this one can not. You are a Dude searching for other Dudes on the interent - and a guy in the military gives you a little shit for not accopmlishing your goals and tidying up the house - Unplug your computer through it out the window, slap yourself in the face, and go clean - You are LAZY.

@Everyone else who commented and supports being messy but not "dirty" - HAH LOL cancel your internet service provider - and go clean - You are all LAZY, typing away long messages on userboards to show you are not LAZY isn't fooling this guy, game over.


Thank you.

(no I am not usually this shallow, heartless, cold)

It's 2009. We need TOUGH LOVE Not soft, weak, bullshit support. Come on people let's keep it real.