I learned early in life (from ocd parenting figures) that you have to set a certain level of clean you need in your life to how much of your life is taken up by it.
I know people who spend their entire waking hours cleaning. Can’t have 1 dirty dish. Floor cannot have a spec. Lawn must be pure green grass so kill all dandelions and any “weed” (also this is terrible for the environment but anyway). All glass absolutely spotless. Its sad how much of their life they spend just cleaning, to me anyway.
I just have a rule that I don’t let things be disgusting. Do I have dishes in the sink? Yes. Is it overflowing and molding? No. I vacuum and sweep maybe once every couple weeks or if it gets visually dirty faster.
I have way more important things in life than keeping things spotlessly clean.
Making a bed? Never done once in adult life. Complete waste of time for me. washing bedsheets and blankets, obviously yes we have to do that.
Funny enough, this threshold for what you find dirty or gross can cause a lot of relationship strife within a household as partners may have different thresholds for this.
Generally, the partner that has a lower threshold for when they feel like things are too dirty or too messy or too gross and it starts bugging them feels like they do most of the cleaning work because they start feeling stressed and end up cleaning earlier then the other.
I just have a rule that I don’t let things be disgusting.
Some people who spend their entire waking hours cleaning believe exactly the same as you. They just have different thresholds of “disgusting”. My in-laws are like that. I’m much closer to you; where I can easily accept untidy, but not dirty.
My mom found out she had HIV two months after I was born. I grew up a bit of a germiphobe. On top of conditioning me out of my entitlement and generally making me a better person, homelessness was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it cured me of a certain level of OCD as I learned that “dirty” is not nearly as “disgusting” as I once thought. I’m generally messy being schizoaffective, meaning there’s order to my chaos, but I still keep things clean, just not with the OCD of “if I don’t clean this plate I ate a sandwich on right now, I will get airborne syphilis,” or what-have-you.
I’m also very much organized chaos. My wife will “helpfully” put things “where they go”. She hasn’t yet (in nearly 20 years…) figured out that if it’s mine “where it goes” is “where I put it”. I’m generally consistent with where I put things, but there’s little reason to any particular place for things.
They just have different thresholds of “disgusting”
My gf. She mops the floor nearly every week - and it’s always a 3 step thing of heavy cleaner, some other cleaner, then water - cleans the cooktop with water and soap after every use. Dunno if her ADHD has anything to do with that
Know why it’s annoying to clean? Because you left the dirt on it for a while, and successive heat events from your regular cooking baked it into the surface.
Source: I do this, and when my partner or my mother cook, they easily wipe the surface off every time with a wet rag. I wait ages, and have to clean it with a scrubber and Jif.
Induction cooktop, definitely want one at some point. I’ve seen what a proper one can do and now I’m finally okay with switching over from the beloved gas burner I’ve always thought was king.
I actually find wiping the stove top while it’s hot works really well. At that point all you need is a wet cloth and most things come right up, and being wet it protects you from the burning.
Making a bed? Never done once in adult life. Complete waste of time for me. washing bedsheets and blankets, obviously yes we have to do that
Well now I’m curious - you don’t make the bed when putting on the clean sheets and blankets?
Routine is probably the most important part of building a cleaning habit. I’m very similar in that there’s a certain level of untidiness that is perfectly acceptable in my home. Gotta keep on top of everything somewhat so that there isn’t health consequences, mental or physical.
I live with a household of people who do not make their beds. It’s hard to explain the immense satisfaction I get slipping into a perfectly made bed. It takes all types hahaha
It’s funny, I’m not a bed maker either, but when I put new sheets on I make it perfect, only to come back that night and untuck the sheets and whatnot because I like my legs out. It’s pointless, but I do love getting into fresh sheets.
I learned early in life (from ocd parenting figures) that you have to set a certain level of clean you need in your life to how much of your life is taken up by it.
I know people who spend their entire waking hours cleaning. Can’t have 1 dirty dish. Floor cannot have a spec. Lawn must be pure green grass so kill all dandelions and any “weed” (also this is terrible for the environment but anyway). All glass absolutely spotless. Its sad how much of their life they spend just cleaning, to me anyway.
I just have a rule that I don’t let things be disgusting. Do I have dishes in the sink? Yes. Is it overflowing and molding? No. I vacuum and sweep maybe once every couple weeks or if it gets visually dirty faster.
I have way more important things in life than keeping things spotlessly clean.
Making a bed? Never done once in adult life. Complete waste of time for me. washing bedsheets and blankets, obviously yes we have to do that.
Funny enough, this threshold for what you find dirty or gross can cause a lot of relationship strife within a household as partners may have different thresholds for this.
Generally, the partner that has a lower threshold for when they feel like things are too dirty or too messy or too gross and it starts bugging them feels like they do most of the cleaning work because they start feeling stressed and end up cleaning earlier then the other.
Some people who spend their entire waking hours cleaning believe exactly the same as you. They just have different thresholds of “disgusting”. My in-laws are like that. I’m much closer to you; where I can easily accept untidy, but not dirty.
My mom found out she had HIV two months after I was born. I grew up a bit of a germiphobe. On top of conditioning me out of my entitlement and generally making me a better person, homelessness was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it cured me of a certain level of OCD as I learned that “dirty” is not nearly as “disgusting” as I once thought. I’m generally messy being schizoaffective, meaning there’s order to my chaos, but I still keep things clean, just not with the OCD of “if I don’t clean this plate I ate a sandwich on right now, I will get airborne syphilis,” or what-have-you.
I’m also very much organized chaos. My wife will “helpfully” put things “where they go”. She hasn’t yet (in nearly 20 years…) figured out that if it’s mine “where it goes” is “where I put it”. I’m generally consistent with where I put things, but there’s little reason to any particular place for things.
Yeah exactly. I dont allow visible dirtyness basically. So some dust, whatever. Actual dirt or mud or food crumbs? Yeah I’ll clean that.
3 dishes in sink? Its fine. 20 dishes and sink is full? Yes we need to do dishes.
It also depends on the area. I clean my kitchen more than the basement.
My gf. She mops the floor nearly every week - and it’s always a 3 step thing of heavy cleaner, some other cleaner, then water - cleans the cooktop with water and soap after every use. Dunno if her ADHD has anything to do with that
Once a week floor cleaning and washing up kitchen surfaces after use are really, really normal levels of cleaning.
Like yeah, the floors could probably go longer than that, but not by much.
If you don’t wear outside shoes in the house then you can go quite a bit longer.
That’s just unheard of where I live… I still have a hard time believing American TV when people don’t take off shoes entering a house.
Depends on how many people are in the home as well.
You should be cleaning the cooktop after every use. That’s basic kitchen hygiene.
No food you eat is going to touch it + annoying to clean, so ends up lower priority than other surfaces.
Know why it’s annoying to clean? Because you left the dirt on it for a while, and successive heat events from your regular cooking baked it into the surface.
Source: I do this, and when my partner or my mother cook, they easily wipe the surface off every time with a wet rag. I wait ages, and have to clean it with a scrubber and Jif.
Because there are hot bits you can’t touch for a while afterwards that stick out of it + control nobs.
I do get the appeal of inductions because of that, would still want analog controls for them though.
Induction cooktop, definitely want one at some point. I’ve seen what a proper one can do and now I’m finally okay with switching over from the beloved gas burner I’ve always thought was king.
I have a regular electric stove top. I want a gas stove in my house because the heat stops when the gas stops :/
Insects love it though.
Kinda hard to do when the stovetop’s still hot.
Then by the time it cools down, I’m already 3 or 4 activities past cooking and forget entirely about it…
I actually find wiping the stove top while it’s hot works really well. At that point all you need is a wet cloth and most things come right up, and being wet it protects you from the burning.
I’m definitely not saying I clean mine off every time, or even most of the time. But I know it’s something I should be doing.
Anytime it gets dirty, sure. After every use, even when it’s just boiling water for coffee or tea, tho?
No, not after boiling water, but cooking food is likely going to end up with some on the range.
It’s not necessarily a health hazard, but it can definitely attract insects. Cue Archer’s, “Do you want ants?” bit.
Once a week or two for me before I got my labrador retriever.
Now once or twice a day vacuum and mop of the floor by the robo cleaner 😅
Would never do it that often if I had to do by hand.
Well now I’m curious - you don’t make the bed when putting on the clean sheets and blankets?
Routine is probably the most important part of building a cleaning habit. I’m very similar in that there’s a certain level of untidiness that is perfectly acceptable in my home. Gotta keep on top of everything somewhat so that there isn’t health consequences, mental or physical.
Nah. I put the fitted sheets and pillowcases on, then throw the blankets on top ha
Exactly what we do! I “make” the bed when I get into it, using my feed to kick out the blankets.
Ha, well thanks for answering! That’s certainly a way to do it :D
Me and the dog will mess up the blankets anyway haha we thrash around in sleep
I live with a household of people who do not make their beds. It’s hard to explain the immense satisfaction I get slipping into a perfectly made bed. It takes all types hahaha
It’s funny, I’m not a bed maker either, but when I put new sheets on I make it perfect, only to come back that night and untuck the sheets and whatnot because I like my legs out. It’s pointless, but I do love getting into fresh sheets.