It’s Wednesday again, which means it’s time for another Works-for-Me Wednesday tip!
I’ve alluded before to the fact that I have to come up with little housekeeping tricks in order to get this place clean. I’m not crazy about scrubbing and dusting and vacuuming, so I invent fun little “games” to get things done. But when, despite the games and the tricks, I’ve been avoiding things too long, when the dust has formed a nice winter coat for my furniture, when the bathroom is a scary place, when the dust bunnies have grown into dust groundhogs… Well, then I resort to my biggest trick of all:
for Getting the House Clean.
It’s fairly straightforward:
1. Invite people over for dinner, a playdate, or a game night
2. Panic because your house is a mess
3. Clean
Ta-da! You see, my desire to avoid being embarrassed by the state of my abode is usually enough to overcome my dislike of household chores. At least temporarily, anyway.
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When we were newlyweds, this worked like a charm for me! If we had someone over every week or two, the house was sure not to get beyond recognition. Come to think of it, the fact that my inlaws will be here this weekend has me making sure that all my weekly cleaning tasks get done.
But a nice winter coat of dust on the furniture. . . that sounds so cozy. It is getting cold here. I wonder if they will mind being stripped bare??
I try to have a certain amount of time to clean of the mornings and evenings…like maybe 30 mins in the mornings and 30 in the evenings…sometimes a shorter amount of time, sometimes longer, but I try to fit it into my routine!! Every now and then it doesn’t get done, but that’s okay…it will just give me something to do the next day!!! LOL
I’m with you on this one. Sadly, I haven’t had anyone over for a looonnng time! I better get busy!
Having just finished scouring my house (code: bathrooms) from top to bottom because a certain Bev is arriving today, I can completely confirm that this works!
I do the same thing. Having people over is the best motivator. Of course, then I feel guilty because my family’s comfort should be a good enough motivator. But they don’t seem to notice or care.
Ah we have a lot in common =))))
I tried this too, but then I just decided I didn’t care and our guests should accept us as who we are-busy messy people. I, unfortunately, am very good at unmotivating myself!
That’s hysterical! And I have to say I’ve used that technique myself.
Too funny! I think I’ve used this tip, maybe, once or twice. Ahem.
LOL! That is definitely a way to motivate yourself!
My children LOVE it when we invite people over because they alway say that is when the house looks the best!
Katrina,
we do this technique every week!! We have a houseful of bible college students over every Sunday night. so, sunday late afternoon hubby and I scurry around and panic clean. On a good week I start on Sat, but it is usually Sunday afternoon. My house looks wonderful Monday morning!! I do tell myself every week that I am not going to do this again…(panic clean) but then I do.
good tip, made me laugh!
Jenny in Ca
LOL! Yes, that does begin a cleaning frenzy! Except my son says, “Why do we want people to think we’re cleaner than we are?” (Blush!) I try to explain that I really want it that clean all the time.
I try to remind myself, too, that though I don’t like the tasks, I love the results.
wow, i use the same trick. hmmmm….
Oh ya! That’s about the only thing that motivates me to clean…otherwise I’m too busy organizing something…lol. Good one!
I find there’s nothing like out of town guests to get the house really clean!!
Ha! I thought I invented that game! It is brilliant! Know what jolts me out of my lazy state faster than anything?! In-laws coming for a visit! Aaarrgh!
So funny, yet so true!!! I think you touched on what most hostesses go thru.
Yep. Did that very thing on Monday!
Were you in my house this afternoon?
You know, this made me laugh. My husband complains when we invite people over because I rush around like a madwoman trying to get the place presentable. But I’m with you, inviting people over is the best motivator for me to whip my house into shape!
Thanks for sharing!
That seems to be the way I handle it, too!