To clean or not to clean that is .... (apologies to Will)

It’s that time of year again and the cobwebs and dust bunnies have gathered in the corners. The light is different this time of year and honestly, I just noticed the swaying of a web over the skylight. My philosophy regarding housework is.....drum roll....  ‘Its always gonna be there.’ General cleanup; making beds and wiping down the bathroom are always done. Dusting and vacuuming I do on a whim and I clean up after I cook. Re-decorating and gardening is another kind of work but that is something I plan.

I was in the workforce for fifty years, bar a couple of years at home with my three children and housework was never a priority. I’m of an age that women who entered the workforce in the sixties felt they could do it all. Working to “bring home the bacon and cook it too” as the song goes. That was the refrain of the day. Super woman or Wonder woman names were bandied about, but that was not for me.

Many women schedule chores for different days of the week. Monday wash, Tuesdays cook for the week, etc, as well as taking their children to extracurricular activities. The men of my generation did not do ‘housework” and mine is no different. I’m sure there are exceptions to that rule. Garbage and recycling, loading the dishwasher is his repertoire. At my peril he picks up groceries especially if we are out of his favourites. I’ve been told I did not train him right...I’ve no intention of training anyone.

Are you thinking I live in a dirty house? Well that is not quite true. I have my own method of housekeeping; clean beds, clean clothes, clean toilets and kitchen. The rest of the house gets cleaned and tidied when I have the notion or we’re expecting company. I am a great believer in closets, or, what you can’t see is not there. I am from the school, run around and tidy up by cramming things behind doors. That’s what they’re for, are they not?

Washing is done weekly to save on the water bill and hydro, but the ironing.... I always have ironing. I can hear many of you groan. Ironing? What’s that, says anyone under the age of fifty.

Reading a good book or visiting friends (in their clean and tidy homes of course) or a million other things is preferable.

Spring cleaning, Fall cleaning and getting ready for Christmas cleaning is usually done in one day. Hopefully it is overcast, as I would hate to waste a sunny day. I work so hard that day I need about three weeks to recover and by then the house is a mess again. Last minute invites are always welcome if I am in the middle of a cleaning spree.

Is it laziness or procrastination? I admit to a bit of both, but I would still rather be in the garden reading than weeding. If cleanliness is next to Godliness, I’d better pull up my socks- that’s after I finish reading my book.