Is your house a mess?

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I swear I feel like I live in utter filth, between a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old and a husband the house is worse than when Im in school! It must be the Christmas leftovers everywhere and new toys. Is anyone able to keep their house clean and orderly with kids running around? if so what is your secret?

Personally I hate laundry (I dont fold) I just dont care- if there is a pile of clean clothes thats good enough for me.

And dont get me started on dishes.....

It must be a mental thing, some people just cant stand a mess- it eats them up inside. I WISH I was like that. I'll sit there and study my but off, but laundry....dont care so much. LOL

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

I feel you girl! I am not all that bothered by things being out of place either and I WISH it bugged me, but it doesn't.

As long as the dishes are washed, the clothes are clean, and there are no moldy science experiments growing under the bed, I 'm fine.

I wash dishes each day and keep my bathroom and kitchen clean each day. The kids room--messy. They pull every toy they own out. My living room stays clean if I keep them out of it, so I don't have a problem there. I never stay in my bedroom but to sleep, so it's clean all the time. The only other room that gets messy is what I call my study room and it is an organized mess, so I'm happy.

I don't think it's out of control, because when I watch "How Dirty is your House" and those organization shows on TLC and HGTV, I'm disgusted because there is food rotting everywhere and those people can't even walk around and you can't see the floor.

It's not to that level in my house, so I'm doing alright I guess.

The really funny thing is I used to clean my patient's rooms all the time--I couldn't stand for them to be dirty.

I really don't have any advice for you other than to just keep the hot spots clean--kitchen and bathroom--and don't let the kids eat outside of the kitchen. That way you don't get any houseguests if you know what I mean.:chuckle

Oh and after you're a FNP, you can hire a maid.:coollook: :coollook:

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I have 4 boys and there seems to always be clutter around the house with all the toys. As long as I know the deep cleaning is done I just do an occasional pick up around the house. My sister has a model home at all times, and sometimes I envy how clean and beautiful her home always looks. But then I also notice she never just relaxes. She is always cleaning. I know I couldn't be like that. I need to have down time, or play time with the boys. I figure the dishes aren't going anywhere and I'll get to them sooner or later. I'm also working on getting the boys to actually start picking up after themselves. If only I can get their dad to do it first as a good example.

Angela

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

What an interesting thread. I wish I was a neat freak, but I'm not. :rolleyes:

I am single and live alone in a medium-sized house. I just moved here one month ago and have not started unpacking because I had used my time to study for an upcoming NCLEX exam. I took the NCLEX 15 hours ago, so now I can concentrate on cleaning my disorderly place.

However, I have always been a messy person. I allow the dishes to pile up for 2 weeks and can go months without vacuuming the carpet. I hate cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen. Seriously, I wish I could be a neat freak and not allow the place to become uncontrollably messy. Gladly, I washed my dishes about 1 hour ago. ;)

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Those cleaning wipes that you pull out of the can are great for quick cleanups.

Swiffer (for your furniture or the floor) is a great thing as well.

I lacked so much motivation to clean when i was in nursing school, that i actually made a detailed list of what to clean, organized by room. This was a mental thing, because of the accomplishment i felt by being able to cross off the things i'd done.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I am a neat freak, sometimes too extreme so don't feel bad about you not being. I do enjoy cleaning too.

I don't like clutter. If it is not being used or will be in the near future it has to go to the garage. Before I start cooking I must have all my dishes clean, dried and in their cubbard. ( I wish I had a dishwasher but have never even used one....LOL) I live in a small apartment and even though I have no kids yet, I do have pets and many friends who stop by for dinner or what not this time of year (with their kids). Plus I babysit a toddler.

I have made it a habit that when the kids bring over their toys, they have a designated area for them to play. (Anywhere they like except the kitchen or bathroom). When they are done playing I ask them to put all of them in a box. I don't know why but the parents claim that their children are very obidient with me and they won't listen to them. I just ask them and they cheerfully do things.

I have the shoes in a snow rack at the entrance, keep lots of cleaning wipes handy and if there are any messes or spills clean it as I go. I do clean daily not once a week or else it seems like a huge load.

I think that assigning everyone a chore is the way to do it. It teaches them responsibility and helps you out. I do think there is a chore for every age, even if it is putting the toys away in a box.

I deep clean once a week, and just tidy up each morning before heading out. It takes little time and it doesn't keep piling up.

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I'm some where in the middle. I can say that right now my house is cleaner than it has been since school started in August. The day after Christmas we tore down all the decorations; cleaned bedrooms (2 kids); went through old clothes and shoes. I had some motivation - AMVETS was coming on 12/27 and I wanted to get some of the old stuff out to make room for their new stuff...stuff - isn't that just a horrible word! Anyway, my MIL blessed us this past semester with a cleaning lady 1x every other Monday. She can only spend 2-3 hours for her price so we usually have to do a limited clean on Sunday night so she can do the 'good stuff' on Monday morning. She did this because we host a home group for our church every other Wednesday night and we were so stressed by staying up 'till midnight or worse every other Tuesday night trying to complete our lesson and clean the house. There was just no time otherwise. However, after seeing what a blessing it was to our family, she has decided to continue this. Thank God! I am so glad for the extra help. You would think that having her clean every other week we could keep the house clean longer - nope. I'm always on the kids to pick up their messes. It is enevitable - especially their rooms.

Laundry is my pet peeve. It has to be done every other day and that includes folded/hung up and put away. I'm anal about it.

Good luck with cleaning everyone!

T

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm not a neat freak so many things take priority in my life and I'm not getting bent out of shape over a mess. I do clean a little daily and try not to let it get out of hand. Fortunately there are no kids and spouse does like to help in the kitchen (but nowhere else).

When I'm in school, there's only so many hours in the day, the floor may have to get mopped tomorrow or the next day or the next. I don't let it bother me.

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My house is always cluttered with stuff. DH has a hoarding problem, and I hate to clean. My carpets are vaccumed and I try to do dishes throughout the day and I make sure the kids rooms are straightened up. But we have stuff all around.

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I am one of those who wants everything clean, my husband says I am too anal about things, but I find as I get older I don't worry about it so much, but this is a funny topic because I just wrote an email this morning to a friend about my house being a mess, all the little cars on the floor, I sweep it and that's about it all day long right now, I also have a 1 yr old (just turned 1 on the 10th) and a 7 yr old and just (yesterday) turned 9 yr old, so I have a mess also. My dishes are still unwashed in the dish water, laundry in the dryer AND washer, I am so backed up from taking the weekend off, and alls I want to do is sleep, grrrrr. Don't worry were normal....I hope!!!!! :) And to beat all, I am on the computer and the baby smells funky!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! What do you think the odds are of having a 9 yr old change a messy diaper????? HAHAHAHAHA, I WISH!!!

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Specializes in MICU.

Well, I usually try to keep a neat house, although never perfect (I hope nobody EVER lights a match by my desk!), bu I like to have the dishes and laundry and bathrooms clean- but... between the broken toe x 10 days and now I have some raging URI/flue bug that's going thru me, I just don't care! My poor boyfriend has had the brunt of work, and I'm staying in bed with my foot elevated and my NyQuil next to me! :coollook:

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

I'm with most of you. I am not a neat freak- but I don't have rotting food in my refrigertaor. Right now I am going crazy because the kids have their giant racetrack in the middle of the living room from Christmas, and I don't know where to go with it.

I have a spray bottle that I fill 1/3 with Lysol, and the rest water and I just hose everything down. With 2 boys ages 6-8 I just wish I could de-clutter!

P.S. I don't mind the laundry- it is the putting it away that kills me. Luckily my boys are learning how to fiold and where their stuff goes. Their drawers are exploding with balls of clothes but they did it themselves.

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