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The Clean/Messy Continuum>Beware, graphic hoarder talk lurks therein
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RandomAnthony
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Oct 19, 2008 04:59PM
Where do you fit on the clean/messy continuum? I ask because this woman with whom I work wipes down her entire office, I swear, every time somebody enters. God bless her, she's a good person, but she's addicted to that disinfectant you don't need to wash off your hands.
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I haven't swept my floors in months.Messy. Very messy.
I'm sorry, what was the question? I couldn't hear you over the vaccum cleaner.
I'm more messy than clean. It depends, though, on a variety of factors. I have good hygeine, for example, but my car is an amazing disaster. I have no OCD compulsions to clean. I'd rather do just about anything else.
Not neat, but compulsive. I have trash piled all over my floor, but organized by color and material.
I don't clean it as much as I should, but I LOVE being in my house when it's sparking clean. The whole house is rarely clean at the same time, though.
I go in spurts - it's like the mess can build to a certain point without me doing anything about it, but once it gets to a tipping point, I can't stand it anymore, and I clean intensively until the frenzy passes.I really should be vacuuming right now.
Mod
Oh, I'm pretty messy, Sally. My laundry is all over the place all the time.
I'm the same way, Jackie. I'm neat, and don't like clutter, but the heavy duty stuff like cleaning the floors, tubs, toilets, sinks etc. can get to the point where I can't take it anymore and won't be able to sleep until they're taken care of.
Mod
Dirty kitchen just makes me feel ick. I usually scrub away while the coffee brews in the morning.
I like to do a quick kitchen cleaning while I boil the kettle for tea, Sally.
I love it when other people clean my kitchen. Yeah, that's good.
Yes! I like that idea very much, Sarah! :)
My husband doesn't like clutter, but doesn't mind filth. I don't mind clutter, but don't like dirt. So we share the duties and it works out pretty well.
Sarah, that's exactly how it is with us! Richard hates clutter, but if left to his own devices, wouldn't change the sheets on the bed for a year. I'm very messy, but I hate when things get filthy. Cleaning is the lowest of my priorities, but like others said, when it reaches the tipping point, I can't stand it and can't even relax. The kitchen is the most important.But usually when people come here, and I mean even someone fixing something, I get truly embarrassed at the state of my house. My husband leaves a wake of dirt behind him, even tho his piles of paper are neatly stacked and cornered exactly, and my son UGH! Like Pigpen - dirty and messy. 3 cats and a dog so the dust bunnies/furballs drift here and there in the breeze. I always feel like Sisyphus. I clean and 2 hours later it's a mess again. So I let it slide and slide because why bother. Then the frenzy hits me.
When I peer into the past, pre-child, my house was clean. Things have changed!
I don't clean it as much as I should, but I LOVE being in my house when it's sparking clean. I agree completely with this...
This summer I went on a massive cleaning/tossing binge...I threw out about thirty bags worth of garbage from a basement that became the place where everything was stored that we wanted to pretend didn't exist...goddamn, that felt good. And that was stage one.
I work at a hospital clinic... I tend to be more conscientious of being sanitary than not, but I still have my clutter around my desk. I don't like clutter, though. It only happens when I'm busy. Otherwise, I keep neat, organized piles... and I'm the same way at home. I tend to follow the credo "Everything has its place. If it doesn't, make one for it."
I don't think it works that way; while there is a negative health effect for people who are excessively clean, you can actually overload your immune system when you are not practicing reasonable hygiene.The book actually looks at evolution ... for which exposure to a given bacteria or virus is a gmable individually but is necessary for creating a diverse population upon which selective pressure works (despite the premise of the book, deseased individuals rarely survive such pressure).
I'm a completely organized slob. I am lazy, so I pile things up for a week or two until I can't stand it anymore, then I have to sort it all out. But, underneath the piles of shite are very well organized drawers/shelves. Everything has to have a home and it has to be logical. My sister is my opposite. If you open a drawer or closet there is just rubbish stuffed in everywhere...but on the surface, it all looks really tidy. I consider that a lie.
RA, about the anti-bac hand gunk...I have this neurotic hand washer friend and I asked him once why he didn't use that stuff. He said that if you use that then the dead little carcasses are still there on your hands. You might want to inform your co-worker about the dead carcasses she's carrying around.
RA, about the anti-bac hand gunk...I have this neurotic hand washer friend and I asked him once why he didn't use that stuff. He said that if you use that then the dead little carcasses are still there on your hands. You might want to inform your co-worker about the dead carcasses she's carrying around.
We're having a party this weekend, and I'm in the middle of a much-needed deep cleaning of my house. I'm supposed to be cleaning it right now, in fact, but here I am on GoodReads. I think that pretty much sums up my cleaning habits.
Mod
My wife beats me if I leave one of the towels hanging crooked. No, not really.
I am dirt-wise pretty clean, though if someone else does it for me, I will gladly let them.But I am a huge clutter-bug!
Right now I have this massive amount of styrofoam sheets in the back seat of my car.
Don't even ask what I am doing with them, I don't even know yet.
Wow...I forgot about this thread.I work better when things are clean around me. My desk has to be clean. But sometimes that just means I moved a pile to the desk on the other side of the office:)
I have piles, piles of books and papers and stuff and a lot of time cleaning just means moving the piles around into a more pleasing, less annoying pattern. It sometimes means actually eliminating them, but not too often. I'm bad about the actual cleaning--mopping, dusting, the bathroom, etc. Now that there is no one around to fuss about it, I let it go way too long. And one thing about a terazzo floor--very forgiving! You drop something and can't find it. I can't even tell my floor is dirty until my feet start sticking to it and stuff start sticking to my feet. Then I sweep and get this huge pile of dust and lint and all kinds of stuff and it's like--all that was on the floor!?!?
I love terazzo!!
I'm cleaning big time today. I'm up for a big Sunday cleaning.
Yesterday my daughter and I cleaned out the computer area of the art studio--wow, it looks so nice, it's making me want to get the rest of the house like this! We did this because I am going to be working at home 3 or 4 days a week soon! Yea!! I'm pretty excited about it!
My apartment and car are most often complete and utter disasters. Health hazards. Boobie traps. When I was little I was basically expected to do all the housework and now at work cleaning is a big part of my job, so I think I resent having to do it in my own space. I also tend to keep very busy (I'm at class and/or work 7 days/ week, often until 7, 8, or 9 PM), so when I'm home I just want to space out. But every few days I'll freak out and do a quick cleanup- do the dished in the sink, sweep, take out the garbage... then I feel a little better. But the not wanting to clean is something I desperately want to get over because for one thing, I don't like to have anyone over, or even in my car, which is highly inconvenient. But more importantly, every once in a while when I do go on a cleaning rampage and my apartment ends up looking sparkly and new, and it's comfortable and suits my personality... that is such an amazing feeling, so calming. Coming home to a clean, organized apartment is one of my absolute favorite things. There may be a cleaning rampage this coming week... during which I will probably be listening to some fantastic mix CDs :D
I went on a massive cleaning rampage this morning, Danielle...felt damn good. Of course, I will now walk around the house grumbling as soon as the kids mess things up...I love when the house looks sparkly and new, too...I feel so much calmer.
We always clean the house before we go on vacation, my (female sweeter] says that she wants to come home to a clean house, I always figure the burglars aren't going to care
I am definitely not a domestic goddess. I love having things clean, I love it when everything is organized and in its place, but I hate, hate, hate doing it. I get too overwhelmed, it makes me exhausted & my body hurt, and I find all kinds of better things to do if the opportunity pops up. (Yea, I think I need to watch the grass grow right now) Isn't this what servants are for? I should have been born rich instead of smart.
and i should have been born rich and smart rather than charming
Mod
You and my wife are probably right Sally, it would be way worse to come home from vacation and have to clean the house, it just seems that with getting ready for vacation cleaning the house just adds an extra burden.
At least you have charming going for you Kevin.
At least you have charming going for you Kevin.
my new roommate apparently likes to clean. she moved in monday and already the house is cleaner and new cleaning products have appeared. that's good, because i like clean, but don't really like cleaning. we'll see how long it lasts.
Janine I hope you are enjoying your new roommate. Just so she's not obsessive-compulsive. I had a roommate once in college who would get up every morning and run five miles. Then, she would come home and vacumn the whole apartment and scour the kitchen. Her hands were always red from the cleanser. She was also anorexic. Bundle of laughs, that one.
Mod
Hmm. Sounds a little passive-aggressive.
I'm like Valerie: the entire house is never the same degree of clean. I'll clean one room at a time, or I'll vacuum but put off scrubbing the tub till later. And if I can't decide what to do with a stack of papers....they might end up at the top of a closet. Forever.
Cynthia wrote: "Janine I hope you are enjoying your new roommate. Just so she's not obsessive-compulsive. I had a roommate once in college who would get up every morning and run five miles. Then, she would come ho..."i'm pretty sure she's normal. i've seen her eat. not obsessive-compulsive at all, just clean.
Lobstergirl wrote: "I'm like Valerie: the entire house is never the same degree of clean. I'll clean one room at a time, or I'll vacuum but put off scrubbing the tub till later. And if I can't decide what to do with a stack of papers....they might end up at the top of a closet. Forever."Sounds like my house, especially the part about the stack of papers.
Mod
When I lived alone I was quite house-proud but since I acquired a husband, stepsons, and 5 additional cats I have more or less given up.
Five additional cats? Wow, you must have superhuman powers.I have my hands full with just three cats, a (large) dog, a hamster and a fish. Are your cats indoor only, or do they roam outside?
Indoor only, Phil, and the total number is a hoardalicious ten, hence the abandonment of my dream to live in a sparkling clean house. Just ain't happening.
Mod
Dirty, messy cars really bother me for some reason. Food crumbs on seats...people who would never tolerate it on a living room sofa have no problem with junk and crumb-filled cars.
Mod
I don't like clutter, but I can't make myself clean up a mess that is just going to return, or a mess that was left for me.If I were on my own, I would have a very clean house. Minimal clutter and fairly sterile. I love the spartan, sterile look. But in my own home, there's no point because the rest of my family would just foul it up instantly.
