Screw Having a Clean House: Here Is What I Do Instead

Neither my husband nor I are neat freaks. We clean when we have to, but we will never be the type of people who stick to some rigid schedule and have a house that is always company-ready. I have dishes in the sink, laundry sitting on a chair, and it's February but I haven't put my Christmas tree away yet.

With so many cleaning gurus on social media, it's easy for me to compare myself to others. It seems as if everyone lives in a sparkling uncluttered house except me. I know that is not true at some level; nevertheless, the constant bombardment of cleaning schedules, products, techniques, and videos of clean houses makes me feel inferior.

What if there is another way of looking at it? A more holistic approach. When trying to lose weight, it's often better, instead of counting calories and steps, to ask "Is this healthy?" Salad, yes. Donuts, not so much. A donut once a month? OK. Can I do the same with "clean"?

What if I ask myself "Is my house healthy?" The dishes in the sink? Not too bad, as long as they don't stay too long and gather bacteria. The dog hair in my bedroom? Terrible for my allergies. The crumbs in the corner of the kitchen floor? Right now, not terrible, but in the summer, they need to be swept regularly to avoid creepy-crawlies.

Of course, there is a psychological aspect to having things clean as well. How is the mess in my office affecting me? Is looking at a chaotic pile on my desk bugging me? Yes. It's making me feel more stressed. Of course, I'm not the type of person who gets bothered at the smallest thing out of place. Even so, physical messes pile up in our subconscious.

So: what will I tackle today? I'll do the dishes so they don't pile up. I'll tackle the mess on my desk before work. I'll run a quick vacuum in the bedroom before I go to bed. The windows? I don't like looking out of dirty windows, so they will get done, but that can wait until I have time. And the Christmas tree? Judge me all you want, but I won't die if it stays up until Easter. Maybe I'll do Christmas in July!

- Annabelle