I always was envious of my neighbor. Her house was always clean. Nothing was ever out of place. She had four children below the age of nine. I always wondered how she kept a clean home. You probably have a neighbor like this too right? How are they all keeping their home so picked up and clean?
Well I found out the secret.
Keep reading and see how to keep a clean home like her.
I tried to keep my house picked up. But to no avail, something was always messed up. No matter what I tried or tears I cried something always needed to be cleaned or picked up.
Especially when someone came over to visit. Right, does this happen to you a lot?
It seemed like the doorbell would automatically make the closets empty out and the dishes fill up in the sink. It’s like in Beauty and The Beast where they all came alive. That stain on the carpet yelled out “look at me”. Things I didn’t notice until someone walked through that door started shouting at me.
You’ve all been there, right?
So embarrassing.
How Was She Keeping her Home Clean?
Her house was always in as I call it Visitor Mode.
So I thought….
Was The House Always Clean?
The answer is
No!
How I found out wasn’t by going to her house and finding it unkept. You see it was on the internet for everyone to see. You see they put their house up for sale and the realtor went over and took pictures of the house. Must have been when she wasn’t expecting anyone to come over because the pictures of the living room had toys all over the floor. Things were out of place. This was a moment that I relished. I laughed when I saw it.
(This is one reason home staging is important before the real estate agent comes)
Here I thought I was doing something wrong. Being the one that couldn’t keep a clean home. When all along she was having that struggle too. Just hiding it from the rest of us.
After thinking about it I hadn’t gone in to her house without being invited. Never going past the living room. Thinking she always had the perfect picked-up home when she really didn’t.
Here’s a great How to Keep a Clean House When It’s For Sale post I wrote. Great everyday tips also.
It Felt Good
My house was always the go-to home for meeting up with the kids. Making sure the kids had fun was my top priority not running around picking up the house before the kids got there to mess it up.
Our home wasn’t dirty it was lived in. Cleaning the bathrooms, doing the dishes, vacuuming, and all the other cleaning chores were done when I was able to do them. On occasion something might have been messy or dirty when someone came over unexpected.
Yes, when someone was expected I would make sure it looked good. But more then not visitors would come without an invite. That’s because my house was always the house to get together and have fun.
So, that is where my neighbor knew how to keep a clean house. No one came over without being invited. She cleaned it before we came. Realizing, whenever someone would drop by, she was never home. (just didn’t answer the door)
It felt good when I realized I wasn’t doing something wrong. Even the people we think are perfect and have it all together aren’t. I realized it then that a picked up house isn’t the norm. Toys and clutter is.
Our house was the go to house for fun and enjoyment. No one cared if there were toys or items laying around. It made it more welcoming , more homey.
So if you have a home like mine a little messy, enjoy it. Clean when you have the time. Enjoy life and the children when they want to be home with you. They grow up too fast.
I know you probably came here looking for a post on how to clean your home. Hopefully this will help you be less critical about your home and enjoy the time with your family. Don’t worry about what others think. You are worrying for no reason. Still want tips on cleaning and picking up?
Look below for post to cleaning house.
Want to clear some of that clutter to make room for more fun? Check out my Clutter Free posts.
Also a few cleaning websites that give great ideas to keeping a clean home easily.
