Why Bother to Clean House at All?

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“Scrub dear, don’t tickle” – Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie from How Clean is Your House?

Why clean the house when it’s just going to get messy again anyways?  Why make the bed when you are just going to get back into it in a few hours?  I know many people who live this way, and sometimes I do feel like throwing in the towel and saying “Forget it!  I’m sick of doing the same things over and over again!” BUT…

1)     I want my house to be a home for me, my DH & our son – not dustmites, flies, fleas and pests!

2)     I can tell if a week has gone by and I forgot to change the sheets and swiffer under our bed – my throat and ears begin itching (I’m horribly allergic to dustmites).  Dustmites need to be killed in HOT water.  They can cause asthma, eczema, allergies, etc.  They feed off our skin flakes!  Yuck!  So dusting with a damp microfiber cloth, vacuuming, changing bedding once (or even twice) a week, and airing out rooms daily really is necessary.  I keep a small calendar by my bed and note when I’ve changed the bedding.  I also try and wash towels and pajamas on the same day. 

3)     Not being diligent about tossing old fruit, cleaning the litter box, emptying trash cans or doing dishes can result in attracting flies. Flies can lay 150 eggs at a time and hatch in 24 hours and their larvae feed on rotting trash, fruit, veges, and pet excrement.  Disgusting! 

4)     Kitchen trash cans need to have a covered lid and be emptied daily and washed weekly, along with pet bowls, or it may attract mice.

5)     Aadvantage works well on our cats to prevent fleas and is so worth the money.  I recently read that pet owners often become immune to flea bites, but visitors will be their victims! 

6)     Pantry pests can penetrate paper, cardboard and cellophane packages!  I’ve been transferring cereals and crackers to heavyweight plastic containers, and pastas into glass jars that used to hold applesauce (giving my pantry a nice, uniform appearance).  I cut off the package directions and expiration and tape to the glass with clear packaging tape.  I put my flour and sugar into thick, plastic, airtight containers as well.

7)     Dirty clothes put back in the closet, or unvacuumed crumbs on carpets, can attract moths and carpet beetles, which can lay 100 eggs, hatching in only 8 days!  Larvae loves grime, sweat and urine.  Disgusting!  Regular vacuuming and laundering will prevent this problem.  *All the pest information was gleaned from “How Clean is Your House?” book by Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie

8)     A clean home smells good!  It also helps to inhibit allergies. 

9)     Clutter clogs, but a clean, organized home makes me smile, feel relaxed, and allows creativity.  Decluttering unburdens my mind, as well as my home.  I feel happier, and can bless others with my excess, instead of hoarding something “just in case.”

10) Organizing frees up physical space and mind space – I often feel lighter and have more creativity and more clarity in my life when I declutter and organize.  Letting go, especially of items that bring up an unpleasant, or even neutral, memory, can heal my body and help create a home that refreshes, especially when the Holy Spirit is invited to dwell therein. 

11) A clean, organized, decluttered home eliminates many frustrations.  I always think of “It’s a Wonderful Life” when George Bailey loses his temper after the stairway finial comes off in his hand for the umpteenth time.  I am trying to eliminate those kinds of repetitious annoyances.  My biggest challenge are items that don’t have a home and live out in the open.  I’m trying to get a “bigger”home by letting go of the 80% I rarely use, and decluttering my horizontal surfaces.

12) A clean home doesn’t spread germs.  Days are easier when we are all healthy and when our house is in order. 

13)A clean home helps promote happiness!  It makes everyone who lives here feel better and well-loved.  The time and effort it takes is well worth it – keeping house enhances our life!