( unmartha )

November 14, 2011




keeping a 913 square foot house clean isn't too difficult.
keeping a 913 square foot house clean with
two people, three dogs and a full time vintage business...
that's another matter entirely.

i thought a schedule would help.
i thought perhaps martha stewart's schedule would help.
there's even printable checklists. ( here )

they're organized by day, week, month, and season.
i was off to a good start.
i can make the bed, sort the mail, and sweep the kitchen floor.
but after that, things kind of fell apart.
it was a very long list...

anyone have any super secret tips for staying on top of
dog hair, dirt and general mess?
perhaps i can tie dust cloths to the dog's feet?

xo. r



6 notes:

  1. I ended up doing a sticky note on my computer that has a section of the house every day (except sundays). So, the way mine goes: Mondays are Kitchen/Utility Room, Tuesday is Laundry (as of right now it's my only other complete day off, and with the dude working on a farm, he goes through laundry), Wednesday is Living Room, Thursday is Bedroom/Office, Friday is Bathrooms, and Saturday is Sheets/Towels.

    So yeah, I try to do dishes as I cook because we don't have a dishwasher, and Eli doesn't like to do dishes. Since we're out in the country, we definitely try to make sure the kitchen is super clean, so dishes and stuff is not left out overnight.

    I definitely think that strapping swiffer cloths to the bottoms of the dog's feet is a brilliant idea, but I tried with Macie and she just chewed them off, and was quite pleased with the result. Gretchen just thought that her feet were gone and just flopped around for a bit. Oh well...

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  2. I worked for a monument company for eight years and in that time I never saw a cemetery marker that said, "I wish I had done more housework."

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  3. kimberly - i should try a schedule like that. every day seems punctuated by vacuuming around here. that or i just learn to live with tumbleweeds of doghair. and thank you for the first belly laugh of the day. gretchen and guinness may get along. we tried to put boots on guinness once and she toppled over like she was drunk. i still get the giggles about it. bump's getting so round i could probably strap the swiffer onto her belly and it would pick up most of the hair!

    susan - i wish i never had to do housework! it gets in the way of sewing. you think i could train all the little bears to tackle dust bunnies?

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  4. I will say, the furminator has also been great; for minimizing the tumbleweeds of hair, and also the squirrels to leave my patio cushions alone. apparently, one squirrel fancies himself an architect and decided that the stuffing of my cushions makes great insulation. I started leaving the dog hair from the furminator for him and thankfully he's moved on to "greener" construction. ha!

    oh...i am laughing so hard! I could totally see Bump doing the dirty work...haha!

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  5. im trying to accept that we are a messy family, and i do not want to dedicate time to cleaning on a regular basis. what helps me accept this are older friends who say i will never look back and wish i had cleaned more. it is better to do creative things and be with the ones you love.

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  6. I think there is a balance between housework and living the life you want. Yes it gets in the way, but clutter and mess can get in the way too.

    I try to clean as I go most of the time and notice that having company over always gets me encouraged to get things tidy. :)

    I have two dogs and sweep once a week, and use a handheld vacuum to pick up little messes.

    Good luck!

    xx, C

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