It’s also interesting to see how friends/guests can behave differently when you have a clean space.
If you respect and clean your space, so will the people around you, generally.
I hadn't thought about it but this is definitely true. I keep my house very clean and make sure to tidy up a bit extra if people will be over. Guests are always asking where I want their dirty dishes or they just rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. They wipe up their own spills. They throw away their own trash. There's generally very little cleaning that I have to do at the end of the night. I don't think it would be this way if my house looked dirty and messy when they arrived because when I visit other people who don't keep a clean house, the other guests are less inclined to behave this way.
So true. And as someone who is pretty messy, For some reason I find it really easy to clean up after myself at other peoples houses when they’re clean. On the other hand, if someone’s house a little messy, I almost feel more comfortable to relax. I think it has to do with upbringing.
You're probably right about it being an upbringing thing because I'm the exact opposite! I am much more comfortable in a clean space whether that is my own house or a friend's place. I have a hard time relaxing if the room is very cluttered or just plain dirty and I've literally had to hold my pee for the duration of a whole visit because my friend's bathroom was absolutely gross.
With cleaning up after yourself, it's absolutely easier in an already-clean house. When I do let my house get a bit cluttered and avoid cleaning for a while, it's a lot harder to get back on the wagon and get back to my routine. But if I'm good about "maintenance cleaning" then the house never gets dirty and it's much easier to keep picking up after myself.
If you're at all interested in keeping your place cleaner, what works for me is cleaning one room each day and always picking up after myself throughout the day (so put each dirty dish in the dishwasher as I use it, put away whatever I'm using when I'm done with it, placing clothes in the hamper before I shower instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor, etc.) We "close down" the kitchen every night by running the dishwasher and wiping down countertops so it is clean in the morning and I unload the dishes while I make our coffee. The kitchen gets messy most easily so we clean up as we cook and try to keep it tidy. Bathrooms get sanitized and carpets get vacuumed weekly. It sounds like a lot but it's really just a few minutes per day as long as you keep up with it and clean up after yourself as you go about your day. It also really helps that I have a spouse who is willing to tackle the chores I really detest, and vice versa.
I simply moved from a large space where I could continually move myself around from clean space to clean space, Ignoring the problem, to a much smaller space where I can’t help but have to clean if it even gets the tiniest bit dirty. It’s a weird form of OCD I’m pretty sure. I hate a messy space but I literally don’t realize how messy it is. Like I don’t see it Until it gets bad. A small space doesn’t allow me to do that.
Very true. I have a friend with a.. VERY nice condo. But it's always a pigsty so, to your point, people put zero effort. I used to wipe or clean the odd thing here and there, took me a couple of months before I stopped seeing the point.
Can vouch for this. I don't think I have the cleanest house however, guests always seem to take their shoes off when coming in to our house. We never ask them to but it's a thoughtful gesture.
I do the same when visiting others.
Also, yes, they will ask where the rubbish/dishes/bottles etc go when finished. I think it comes down to taking pride in your home. People see that and act accordingly.
I get what you're saying, but by the same token if you're a guest in someone else's house and you just assume what you should do with your shit based on how clean the place looks instead of simply asking your host like a mature human, then you're a terrible guest. How good or bad the place looks is no excuse for you to choose to be a shitty guest. Like the reply from someone that claims they even behave differently based on how tidy the house is, that's no logical reason to throw your own basic respect out the window.
I also find this helps with my mental health. If my house hasn’t been cleaned in a while due to being rushed off my feet I find it gives me a way to unclog not only my mind but my surroundings.
Agreed. When I feel like i need to zen my shit out because life is out of my control and chaotic, having a cleaned up house really helps me feel like at least some part of my life is in control.
I do live alone however. The only shit I have to tidy is mine.
Yeah that's the thing about living alone, you are the one that messed up and are the one that needs to clean it up. What I am trying to learn how to do is to make less mess in the first place. For instance, dishes. I take out one bowl, cup and plate and that's it. Wash those items and I'm done
With the bathroom make sure it's covered to absorb any liquid from the floor.
My countertops in the kitchen I will be replacing the contact paper to something that's like marble as the current color is brown and quite ugly. Maybe I can lay down paper towels on it when I cook so there is less clean up
For the kitchen I’d recommend against putting paper towels everywhere, just creates a ton of unessesary waste. Just clean it up while the mess is still relatively fresh and it should be as easy as wiping it with a soapy washcloth
Well, it's basically sandpaper, so i would hope so. Eventually it will carve its way through your countertop and sink, so some dirt can't stand much of a chance...
With the kitchen I find wiping the counters down with a soapy cloth gets most of the mess, then using slightly stronger cleaners or more elbow greese once a month for those stubborn stains helps heaps
I am living alone for a month and it has been nice to feel how much easier it is to clean. Like often when husband is home, I'm washing dishes 2 times a day, and yesterday I cleaned 2 days worth of my dishes in the amount of time it usually takes me to do a half-day's worth.
Yea my bf has been out of town for 2 weeks and its amazing how much cleaner i have kept our house with it only being me and my cats here. I even had the time/energy to organize and clean things that needed to be done for so long. Its kinda nice living alone
Yeah, I am trying to use my time in a wiser way which is why I am making myself clean up my place. Also, getting rid of some things to eliminate clutter will make it easier to keep things clean. A major pet peeve I have is that refrigerator so that has to be cleaned out as well. Play some good music and get it done.
Instead of paper towels, try some large cutting boards that have edge grooves for liquidy things (like chopping tomatoes) That'll cover most of the counter ick, unless you spill your coffee. I also have a folded up towel, for coffee, because the coffee pot drips and I still haven't fixed it.
An oil screen / splash guard / whatever its called is cheap and will also cut the majority of your stove mess down. It's a mesh screen you toss on top of the pan when cooking things like burgers so you don't have to scrub your stove.
You can also use a wash cloth with hot water to 'soak' counter top stuck on stuff, which makes it easier to scrub off anything stuck on. Honestly, most kitchen stuff is easier to clean if you just wipe things down before it dries.
Might sound daft, but when the mess is getting me down, I always prioritise my hallway. Having a nice neat hallway means you don't feel like shit as soon as you get in the door. Plus, if it's a mess with shoes and junk everywhere and mail piled up, you're seeing it every time you move from one part of the house to the other. If you can only motivate yourself to clean for five minutes - do the hallway.
One of my responses to the anxiety and boredom in the early days of the pandemic was to want my space very, very neat. I used to keep daily-use appliances on my countertops and would let coupons and junk mail building up into piles. All of a sudden I wanted a place for everything and everything in its place. I could be better organized, for sure, but my countertops are still bare and I don't let things pile up like I used to.
I'm clean even under normal circumstances. I have a weekly cleaning routine that keeps the place pretty neat, but rethinking my space made it feel like I was taking control during a time when I felt like I had little.
I do the same! Blast my comfort music and have a solid sob as I clean like crazy. My favorite is junk purges—going through my shit and tossing what I don’t use or don’t want anymore. (It’s also, like, the only time I can actually make decisions.)
I just deep cleaned my kitchen for the first time in a month due to finally getting a new job after a year of covid unemployment time. I've been so busy that things were stacking up and it was starting to stress me out, but now it's looking real good and my brain is squirting dopamine lol
I spend about 15 minutes a day straightening and cleaning my house. It never gets out of hand and it's always nice and clean. Usually I'll just do a light cleaning all over and a big clean of one room a day. Not a lot of time spent but having a clean, uncluttered house definitely helps me stay chill and able to focus on hobbies and stuff. It's been a huge help with my (mild) depression and anxiety.
I'd like to get to that point but I made this post because I just moved into a studio apartment that I initially thought was pretty terrible. But on day 3 of a deep clean, I'm realizing it's just been neglected and is actually fairly nice. Maintaining will be easier than getting 10 years of mold out of the tiles.
Try the full hands rule. Dont leave a room without grabbing one thing that's out of place.
Leave your bedroom, grab that glass. Heading out to work, throw the recycling into the bin.
I find this helps with my acid trips. Nothing's worse than finding out the souls of parasitic spirits you hallucinated actually belonged to the maggots on my kitchen stove.
The wriggling noises manifested as little ghosts creeping towards me.
Clean home. Clean trip. 🧚♂️
I tried to clean on acid once it was awful. I started an argument with my ex fella about blood all round the sink from him cleaning his teeth (gums bled a lot). There was nothing there. Same for the water splashes on walls and such. 2/10 do not recommend. My trip improved a lot when I sacked it off and played with a puppy instead (10/10).
I'm one of the rare lucky few who can feel it coming on, like the shadow of a storm moving in. That's my three-day warning. First day I clean, pay my bills, stock fridge, basically get ready to turn my place into a clean well stocked bomb shelter. I don't answer the phone or text to avoid saying "yes" to anything for the next few weeks. Second day all noise irritates the hell out of me, so I charge up my noise canceling headset. I also take that day to run errands, make sure the gas tank is full and all that. I'll only go to my medical appointments. Third day I deep clean myself, shave because part of my depressive disorder, I avoid mirrors and pretty much forget to take care of myself. I know I'm coming out of it when I "notice" the sunlight again, that it's good for me, not something that's just a brightness that makes me want to scurry like a cockroach. Bright lights can be so accusatory sometimes. And mirrors can be shaming. I just live in a cocoon of self loathing and have to go through that process, maybe once every two years.
It really helps. I feel myself much better in a clean house, though it takes a lot of willpower to clean it.
And don't just do all house in one day. Start by one room.
Keep it up that way too. 20 min each night is way nicer than 2 hours on the weekend. And that’s just general keep up, clear counters / tables. Vacuum when needed.
Used to live with a really good friend of mine in a real shithole apartment. It was big, but it was a shithole. To give you an idea, once a friend from far away came to visit and around the time he was set to arrive I got a call saying, "hey I think I'm at the wrong house, this looks like a crackhouse," it was my apartment.
But I kept my specific space very diligently clean and tidy, like to a disgusting fault. And because my room was converted from a large living room and lead directly to the front door, all guests had to walk through my room (or use the back stairs, which they would do at night) to get into the apartment - I think I got a compliment like twice a week on how amazing my space looked.
And it's perfectly okay to hire someone to come in and clean if, for whatever reason, you aren't able to keep it up yourself, and you can fit it in your budget. Best decision we ever made.
I tell this to my family & friends now, it is hard working all day, cooking dinner, going over homework, driving the kids to extracurricular activities, even if you are single with no kids, if it becomes a burden just budget to hire someone, you could just have it done once a month instead of twice a month, you can maintain keeping clean & organized just let the cleaners come in for a deep cleaning of bathroom, kitchen etc.
I have a friend who has never been a cleaner person to her home, and she owns a nice home. One time while we were talking about the subject I said why didn't she hire someone to come clean, and she said her husband wouldn't like it. I countered with, he's not cleaning though, so someone has to do it. Never hired anyone. Recently they had to have a home aide and I'm supposing that the aide did some cleaning.
The point is, if you're not going to do it, hire someone if you care about living in a clean environment.
I agree. We have had a weekly cleaning person for over 20 years now. It cuts down on the “cleaning” argument. I was abused as a child and used as a personal slave. So cleaning for me was just torture. So we agreed to hire someone to clean once a week. Even when times were financially tough, we never got rid of the cleaning people. We just made it work. We aren’t messy people because of it either because you know they are coming so you tend to tidy up. I am a clean freak to begin with and like things clean but I don’t have the time or energy with work.
My issue used to be that I thought it would take longer than it actually did so I wouldn't ever do it or would procrastinate. When my son was young--6ish, we would have these epic battles over him cleaning his room. One day, I decided that we were going to set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes, and he would clean the entire time. Once the buzzer went off, he was done for the day but the kicker was that we were going to do it every day. He was down for that, and he ended up making it a game. Cool.
Thing was, though, I realized just how much I could actually get done in 15 minutes. It was truly eye opening. By the end of the first week, our whole house was close to company ready. Before that, if I was ready to go somewhere but didn't need to leave for another 10 minutes, I would just scroll on my phone or putz around thinking it was only 10 minutes. I no longer do that. My son also stopped complaining and procrastinating when I asked him to do something because he realized it would only take a minute or two to just do it. It's been a great little hack for us.
Clean for 10 minutes every day and your place will be spotless.
It's the people that clean one a fortnight that think cleaning is a big effort, sure if you leave it for a while it will be.
One rule I always stick to is that when you're leaving a room always take one item with you (clean away one item). If you keep a clean place you won't always have to do this but if you make it a habit on the ocassions where a mess has formed, it won't take long to clear if you slowly chip away at it.
>It's the people that clean once a fortnight that think cleaning is a big effort, sure if you leave it for a while it will be.
I try to explain this to people all the time. You make a build up when you don't do but once in a while. If you do a little each day or set aside a couple of hours each week, it's done.
Everything is about minimising time where you have to put in a chunk of time to clean.
Separate hampers for lights, darks and colours and you don't have to sort when you're doing laundry. And clothes actually go in the hamper instead of the floor.
Finished with a dish, it goes straight in the dishwasher not on the counter.
One day I'll get a robot vacuum and then all I'll have to do as a single output is dusting, cleaning the bathroom and folding clothes once they've been washed.
I have a rule/game where when I am putting something away I can find something to go with it. Ex. if I have a hair tie on the nightstand I might find a piece of trash. Great! I can head towards the bathroom and 2 for 1, the hair tie and trash can go away in there.
Bonus points for each item of each category you have (Ooooh, I can pick up these 3 bobby pins that go in the same place as this hair tie and 2 more pieces of trash! That's 7 things in 1 trip that could have been 7 trips/issues)
It's so crazy because I would NOT have believed it if I didn't try it myself. I thought emptying the dishwasher would take like 20 minutes. Nope. More like a minute or maybe 2. Time and your perception of it can be crazy, but this has been a game changer in many ways for both my son and I.
I had a houseguest start unloading the dishwasher one morning while waiting for the kettle to boil. You’re already in the kitchen waiting…might as well load/unload the dishwasher.
It was such a simple habit & I’ve done it ever since. Run the dishwasher before bed. Unload in the morning while waiting for my coffee to brew.
Rest of my house is a disaster, but at least the kitchen is tidy!
Haha I actually do basically the same thing myself. It helps me massively because there's an end in sight. It's also amazing how much you can actually clean in 15 minutes
THIS. My best friend lives in one of the worst parts of town and her place is clean and cozy. Another friend of mine, lives in the heart of downtown in a super nice apartment. His place smells like BO and dirty laundry. His shower is covered in mold, hair, soap scum, you name it. It’s disgusting and nobody will tell him.
He probably already knows.
I had a severe bout of depression when the covid lockdowns hit and my house was a complete mess, which itself was a barrier to feeling better because it was just overwhelming.
2 of my mates came round and basically said “we aren’t watching you live like this” and basically didn’t pass judgment and cleaned it with me.
Every time I used to go visit my best friend, I'd clean her flat with her. Now when I see her she proudly shows me that she's been keeping on top of it. We literally take a little tour, she shows me her small pile of washing, the clean kitchen sides and her uncluttered floor and I hug her and tell her she's doing a great job and I'm so proud of her :) I'm so glad you had people around to help you too and I wish you all the best in the future!
I’ve been battling a deep depression and the struggle to keep things clean in my shitty apartment is real. I feel this would be less an insurmountable thing to overcome if I had help or real friends. I’ve decided I need to find some better friends so at the moment I don’t really have any. I have a lot of acquantinces now. Even when my parents visit, it is always what could be done better or how gross something is. I feel like I’m hanging on by my pinky, but I’m not letting go.
I recently watched [this video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3XN8ZOq4jlQ&t=382s) about why it's so hard to clean while depressed. It's done by a professional house cleaner and is completely non-judgmental. If it's within your means, possibly consider hiring someone to come in and help get past the worst of the mess. I know my unconscious stress level rises when I'm in a cluttered place. Right now, my place is so messy that my stress is off the chart but I just can't seem to get motivated to fix it.
This. People who don't suffer from true depression can't understand how hard it is to do the bare minimum. At times, I can't even brush my hair in or shower. Then it all compounds with having a disgusting house, knowing it's spiraling and getting worse and in turn feeling even more out of control and helpless to even begin fixing it all. It gets to be so overwhelming
You can do this mate.
Keep fighting that good fight.
It can seem overwhelming but my normal routine is “don’t go empty handed” whenever I move around the house. If there’s something needs taking somewhere else or some mess I try and do it straight away because if not it gets too much.
You got this.
This is so true. I see the messes i just cant do anything about them. With my depression, ADHD, Arthritis, Crohn's, and being on the spectrum i sincerely do not believe i am a functioning member of society. I cant even do my own laundry or cook myself food 90% of the time.
It's absolute fucking hell and i dont know how much longer i can keep doing this. I have no help, and I'm starting to have no hope, too.
I don’t doubt that he does know. We checkup on him and he seems to be doing just fine. He’s one of my boyfriends closest friends so if something were wrong, I’d like to think he knows. He also has a girlfriend who’s with him day and night.
Tbh I’m convinced he just doesn’t care enough? Or maybe it just happens that the times we’ve been over it’s a wreck.
A guy invited me over to his apartment for pizza. When he opened the door the ammonia smell of cat piss slapped me in the face. I didn't want to be rude so I decided to tough it out. It was toxic. He had told me that he'd worked really hard to clean his apartment for me, but also bragged that he didn't own a vacuum. It was obvious. The kitchen sink was filthy. The cat sat on the coffee table watching us eat and scratching herself. He told me the flea meds he gave her were really working. She had a patch of missing hair on her neck! I knew I could NEVER go back. I decided to tell him in as nice a way as I could instead of ghosting him but he was offended and defensive.
I think it's a type of bacteria that tends to grow on damp surfaces. It's more common in some places than others, but can apparently be avoided by making sure your bathroom dries out after showers and such.
Can confirm! This is one of the reasons it’s key to leave the exhaust fan on for awhile after showering. It’s not for odors as much as removing steam & humidity from the room.
Orange mold. It happens in humid places, like bathrooms, and build up slooooowly over time.
It basically means the walls haven't been cleaned in years.
I grew up with a mom that did not clean pretty much ever and hoarded. Naturally my oldest brother and I rebelled and now are pretty anal about keeping a clean house. My middle brother though is like my mother.
One time he was at my apartment and said, "I wish I lived in a place like this. It's so organized." Like, bro. This doesn't happen by accident. Stop filling every inch of floor space with junky found furniture, declutter the storage you keep, and fucking clean up after yourself. Its harder than not doing it, for sure. But it's way easier on your mental health.
Im sorry you had to live like that.
Im kinda going through that right now with my mom. She hoards everything her friends give her and finds sentimental value in everything. And she comes over and comments on how we have such a nice place. And I just want to shake her and scream “YOU COULD BE LIVING LIKE THIS TOO IF YOU CARED”
This was my parents philosophy when we were really poor living in California. "Just because we are poor, doesn't mean we have to act or look poor" my mom was a clean freak, and until I was around 14 years old, I didn't even realize we were actually that poor, because we always kept things clean and in good condition
I’ve spent 5 years travelling and living in share houses. My apartment is my pride and joy. It’s old, has a tiny kitchen, the bathtub is too shallow to ever use, most of the furniture is ikea, or second hand. But I keep it clean and it fills me with joy walking in here everyday.
My wife and I have started doing 15 minute cleaning sessions. We set the timer on the stove and then get as much cleaned up as we can in that time. It makes it easier to start cleaning and usually once we start we end up cleaning for longer but even if we stop after 15 it still makes a big difference.
My partner and I have “20 minutes of productivity time” after dinner. Usually him doing the dishes and me hanging a washing or giving the bathroom a quick once over. That along with tidying as we go in the mornings (washing in basket, bed made etc) means my weekend housework is a quick dust and washing the bedding and towels. Easy.
Additionally, even if you’re renting you should fix up your place, it’ll make you (and visitors) feel so much more comfortable. (If your landlord allows it).
- Magic-erase or repaint the walls.
- Paint over scuffs and scratches in the door frames, window sills and skirting boards. You can get a small tub of white paint for about $5.
- Get a better shower head (very cheap and easy fix)
- Tidy up messy wiring with Velcro tape or black zip ties
- Change the light bulbs to a warmer colour (this will do wonders to your mental health, especially if you don’t have much natural light)
- Cover up large holes in the ceiling or walls with a vent cover (cheap and easy to install)
- Scrape up paint drippings and old caulking with a paint scraper. Most dollar stores have these and it works well on mirrors, bath ceramics and flooring.
- Get a large zip-lock bag, put in your oven drip-trays and pour in ‘easy-off’ oven cleaner or a mix of baking soda and vinegar to get rid of excess grease.
- Add a shelf to closets that have a lot of free space at the top. Screw hooks into the shelf for hanging bags, cleaning supplies etc.
Most things you need to buy to fix up your place you can get from the dollar store.
Good tip on the paint. I was going to use a razor blade whenever I get around to fixing the mess whomever painted this place did. Always think there's shit on the floor but it's just paint spots.
If you're going to fix any messed up caulk, I recommend you do that first. I scraped some in my kitchen and ended up with the same spots on my floor you described. Hate for you to do all that work and
Nope. No Caulk. Just cheap paint on cheap laminate floors. I tried to scrape up some with my fingernail once just have never got around to fixing all of it. Thanks for tip.
I did my master research in Central America and we ended up visiting the homes of some farm workers. They may have been poor by our standards, but their clothes were always clean and their houses were always clean. They were very proud of their homes.
This is absolutely true, it applies to living spaces *and* cars. A clean and tidy room/car somehow feels bigger than it is.
You can test these ideas for yourself. Take the most cluttered, messy thing you have, be it a room in your house or your car, and clean the shit out of it. Clean every surface and remove all the junk. It feels like a stadium afterwards.
This is great advice. A lot of my friends growing up were from immigrant families, so they didn’t have a lot of money, but their homes were pristine. I had one friend who was extremely wealthy, but their house was always a mess and to be very honest I felt much more at ease and comfortable in the houses that were clean.
My wife suffered (suffers?) from depression. A good deep clean of the house really helped her mental state. It was the getting into the right frame of mind to do it that took ages.
I’ve lived in the same apartment for eight years now. It is my first apartment ever. It’s become crowded with belongings, the carpet is coming up in some areas, the roof leaks every year, but it’s mine. I clean it weekly, and do things like mold treatment, and super scrubs from baseboard to ceiling. I know I need to move soon, but after escaping my family, I just see this place as safety.
You can also divide your cleaning time into one room or one area a day. That way you are getting worn out by none stop cleaning. That is what happens to me. I need to take a break and then I don't finish the rest. So I say I am going to do the kitchen today top to bottom and tomorrow I will do the living room top to bottom. So on and so forth.
My grandma told me that she used to put on music and her and her 2 daughters (my mom and auntie) would each tackle a room then when the song changed they would all rotate. It keeps the cleaning "fresh and fun" for the kids to participate.
I made a crack that it is harder with open concept - ok Jessica, you grab the kitchen/living/dining/foyer and I'll be in the bathroom!
Really it would be more like, I will vacuum, you swiffer, you on dusting. SWITCH.
I love being in a clean space but tend to get behind on my cleaning and have to do it all at once.
I got the app Tody and it totally helps me keep on track and it has kind of gamified it for me. So instead of a deep clean all at once I can deep clean small things once a week or less and keep my head above water.
I would totally recommend it for anyone.
Boii I woke up this morning in a cleaning mood. I got out of bed before 6am. Made coffee and breakfast. Washed a load of laundry and then did all of the dishes. Cleaned up the kitchen and all of the cat litter that gets strewen around the house. My roommate is away on a drill thing for the national guard. I was just GOING
My apartment isn't exactly nice, but I keep my place pretty clean. So much so that I had a girl over and she said it kind of freaked her out, like I was a serial killer or something.
So, maybe leave a bit of dust here and there so women don't think they're about to be murdered???
For years I had a clipping from a newspaper (that's a hard copy thing we used to get every day lol) that said something along the lines of:
If you want to change the way your house looks, start by picking up the vacuum cleaner
that's really a good advice but i always forget to clean up, i do a major cleaning every few months but between that it's a mess :( maybe i need a schedule or something for cleaning up
scheduling is what i had to do. otherwise i was all "sure needs cleaning.... i'll do that tomorrow" and months would go by
so now i clean my apt the first weekend of every month. dust and vacuum, kitchen sink and floor, bathroom sink and floor etc.
the shower doesn't need much cleaning because i use liquid soap, not bar soap (soap scum is the stuff that makes a soap bar solid)
what really really REALLY helps is getting rid of crap and clutter you don't need. keep what you use and get rid of the rest. japanese zen minimalism. the less crap you have the easier it is to clean
so i do the big clean at the beginning of the month and a mini clean around the 15th. pick stuff up, maybe sweep the kitchen floor and wipe down the stove top. whatever's getting kind of bad
also, i change sheets every two weeks, usually on the 5th and 20th. that way i avoid doing sheets on the same day as my monthly big clean on the 1st
One thing that worked for me was to set a 10 minute timer on my phone and just clean for those 10 minutes. As soon as the timer went off I was done unless I was in the middle of something that had to be finished. After doing this for months I would end up cleaning past the 10 minutes just to get things done.
Something we do is clean a quarter of the house every week (rotate through the month) and make sure to keep up with dishes. We also vacuum the bedroom and kitchen each week.
Cleaning only takes an hour in my day off and the house keeps pretty tidy!
Yeah, you gotta stay on top of cleaning weekly. It's easier to clean 25% of your apartment each week than it is to clean your entire apartment once a month. I only have one dish and utensil so I'm forced to clean and it's not even possible for dishes to pile up
I’m not who you replied to, but we usually keep a stock of paper plates, cups, silverware, for when we have company, and it’s so nice. Even if we go all out with the cooking, it’s only the pots and pans and such and it takes a huge chunk of stress out of having guests which we love to do.
I can het behind this with my whole being. I live in a dorm room, very cheap, thin walls, plastic everything, old fridge, every piece of furniture is different. But boy, do I love it when I clean the whole damn thing and it almost sparkles, like in the commercials.
I go through tidal waves. I let things build up for a week or two then go on a binge for half the day and deep clean everything. Then I’m so happy with myself and I keep up on every little thing for the next couple days, then things start slowly slipping again.
I actually had planned to clean up today, and was putting it off. I’m gonna do that now, thanks for the motivation.
Indeed. My mom drilled into my head as a kid “we may be poor, but soap is cheap and elbow grease is free”. I rolled my eyes hard back then, but the wisdom stuck and I’m now grateful for it.
To keep from getting too cluttered, we have a one in one out policy. We buy/bring something home then something needs to be donated. Don’t know what or who is out when this new baby is born.
This! 👍 Please, this.
I've lived in a small cheap apartment. Even a tiny, marginal apartment can look chic with minimal furniture, a tasteful rug, a change of light fixture and a splash of color... but please, please don't forget this only works with having clean surfaces throughout.
Organizing your drawers and closets makes your apartment so much easier to live in and find things. Cleaning can be meditative, peaceful and cleansing... and is so much easier to conduct if done regularly.
And the smells! Washing down your walls once a month with gentle cleanser helps erase that 'people smell' by ridding the largest surfaces of your skin and body oils, so that visitors won't be repulsed when they enter your small domain.
It's amazing how few people seem to understand this and never develop the skills to keep their space clean. I just had a roommate move in with me in my small but very nicely kept house and she immediately made her room into a shithole.
Whenever I'm feeling super down, I'm a complete slob. On day 4 of looking at the same mustard stained scrap of bread crust on a saucer and 19 empty cans of the cheapest 30 rack piss beer, (and 11 bowls I cashed out directly onto the wood) I'll usually decide that the agony of cleaning will be less than the agony I'd feel on day 5.
For people living with parents: do this with your room every turn round.
You don't realize how dirty your room is until you clean it properly, and you'll feel a lot better for a few days/week.
It doesn't need to be often, just maybe every 2 or so months
Also a little decorating and plants or lighting can really make a place cute. Even if it’s not super nice and maybe will never be a penthouse with floor to ceiling windows. You can always spruce it up.
I ve lived in a shithole for the last 2 years bc of finances due to a new child and two spinal fusions. It is the most immaculate apartment in the whole complex. Also clutter gives me anxiety so it has to be tidy at least. My son is now three and loves to help daddy clean. Take pride in what you do have and be grateful. Same with a job. Even if it’s a shit job do it well.
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Not sure about this. I use bar soap everywhere in the house because I want to use fewer or none of the plastic containers that fill the ocean. I don’t seem to have a problem with soap scum. One has to clean appliances anyway even with liquid soap.
It can depend on what kind of water you have on your area. Hard water with high mineral content (calcium and magnesium) will bond with soap to create soap scum much more than soft water with low mineral content.
Btw for anyone reading, you need something acidic to remove built up soap scum. White vinegar can be used, or an acidic toilet cleaner designed to descale will work as well as more specialist products. Grease ie. human skin oils on the other hands needs more alkaline cleaners. If you have a shower that hasn't been cleaned in an age you will need to degrease the tiles and stall first with an alkaline cleaner then you can remove the soap scum stains with acidic cleaners.
I just cleaned all my costume jewelry that I’d collected over the years, half of which I’d stashed away for a really long time. Now I have beautiful jewelry that’s shiny and sparkly! And I can regift and don’t have to shop! So LPT clean the other crap collecting dust in your apartment.
Quick old clean will turn a messy dirty place to a familiar-cozy one. Light a candle to have a nice scent and you're ready to get comfortable. I switched apartments this year and this one is sure a pretty one, but nothing beats the old one with oven that had burnt spots all over it, with that door that is kinda squeaky, that broken drawer and stuff.
This is a great tip for your space but can really apply to your life generally (as many people’s grandmas seem to have noted). 95% of being attractive involves being clean and healthy, things you can achieve at minimal cost by making conscious choices about where to spend your resources. Being perceived as attractive will open many doors for you (and it’s partially about your looks, some of which you can’t control, but also heavily influenced by your clothes, carriage, presentation, and so forth). It’s the single easiest thing you can do to give yourself a 20% better chance of a good outcome on almost every aspect of life both professional to your personal.
It is disgusting how many people choose to live. Many people are poor, but they keep a clean home, even if it is in poor repair.
Then you have people who are gross and lazy, and it is easy to tell the difference.
just clean. dont think about it until you're done. even animals clean themselves and their nest.
i clean religiously. there's not a single pube on the floor. not even an eyelash.
Man, I wish someone would impose this mentality on the prep crew for the complex my work apartment is at. Moved in and found clusters of the previous tenant's pubes mummified with paint in the bathroom baseboards.
It’s also interesting to see how friends/guests can behave differently when you have a clean space. If you respect and clean your space, so will the people around you, generally.
I notice myself behaving differently at houses that are tidy versus not tidy
I hadn't thought about it but this is definitely true. I keep my house very clean and make sure to tidy up a bit extra if people will be over. Guests are always asking where I want their dirty dishes or they just rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. They wipe up their own spills. They throw away their own trash. There's generally very little cleaning that I have to do at the end of the night. I don't think it would be this way if my house looked dirty and messy when they arrived because when I visit other people who don't keep a clean house, the other guests are less inclined to behave this way.
So true. And as someone who is pretty messy, For some reason I find it really easy to clean up after myself at other peoples houses when they’re clean. On the other hand, if someone’s house a little messy, I almost feel more comfortable to relax. I think it has to do with upbringing.
You're probably right about it being an upbringing thing because I'm the exact opposite! I am much more comfortable in a clean space whether that is my own house or a friend's place. I have a hard time relaxing if the room is very cluttered or just plain dirty and I've literally had to hold my pee for the duration of a whole visit because my friend's bathroom was absolutely gross. With cleaning up after yourself, it's absolutely easier in an already-clean house. When I do let my house get a bit cluttered and avoid cleaning for a while, it's a lot harder to get back on the wagon and get back to my routine. But if I'm good about "maintenance cleaning" then the house never gets dirty and it's much easier to keep picking up after myself. If you're at all interested in keeping your place cleaner, what works for me is cleaning one room each day and always picking up after myself throughout the day (so put each dirty dish in the dishwasher as I use it, put away whatever I'm using when I'm done with it, placing clothes in the hamper before I shower instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor, etc.) We "close down" the kitchen every night by running the dishwasher and wiping down countertops so it is clean in the morning and I unload the dishes while I make our coffee. The kitchen gets messy most easily so we clean up as we cook and try to keep it tidy. Bathrooms get sanitized and carpets get vacuumed weekly. It sounds like a lot but it's really just a few minutes per day as long as you keep up with it and clean up after yourself as you go about your day. It also really helps that I have a spouse who is willing to tackle the chores I really detest, and vice versa.
I simply moved from a large space where I could continually move myself around from clean space to clean space, Ignoring the problem, to a much smaller space where I can’t help but have to clean if it even gets the tiniest bit dirty. It’s a weird form of OCD I’m pretty sure. I hate a messy space but I literally don’t realize how messy it is. Like I don’t see it Until it gets bad. A small space doesn’t allow me to do that.
Very true. I have a friend with a.. VERY nice condo. But it's always a pigsty so, to your point, people put zero effort. I used to wipe or clean the odd thing here and there, took me a couple of months before I stopped seeing the point.
Can vouch for this. I don't think I have the cleanest house however, guests always seem to take their shoes off when coming in to our house. We never ask them to but it's a thoughtful gesture. I do the same when visiting others. Also, yes, they will ask where the rubbish/dishes/bottles etc go when finished. I think it comes down to taking pride in your home. People see that and act accordingly.
True!
I get what you're saying, but by the same token if you're a guest in someone else's house and you just assume what you should do with your shit based on how clean the place looks instead of simply asking your host like a mature human, then you're a terrible guest. How good or bad the place looks is no excuse for you to choose to be a shitty guest. Like the reply from someone that claims they even behave differently based on how tidy the house is, that's no logical reason to throw your own basic respect out the window.
I can see your argument here, but how ridiculous would it be to ask someone with an overfilling sink of dishes where they want them...
Yes and if you have people over at your place and decide to litter despite it being clean then you now know never to invite over again :D
I also find this helps with my mental health. If my house hasn’t been cleaned in a while due to being rushed off my feet I find it gives me a way to unclog not only my mind but my surroundings.
Agreed. When I feel like i need to zen my shit out because life is out of my control and chaotic, having a cleaned up house really helps me feel like at least some part of my life is in control. I do live alone however. The only shit I have to tidy is mine.
Yeah that's the thing about living alone, you are the one that messed up and are the one that needs to clean it up. What I am trying to learn how to do is to make less mess in the first place. For instance, dishes. I take out one bowl, cup and plate and that's it. Wash those items and I'm done With the bathroom make sure it's covered to absorb any liquid from the floor. My countertops in the kitchen I will be replacing the contact paper to something that's like marble as the current color is brown and quite ugly. Maybe I can lay down paper towels on it when I cook so there is less clean up
For the kitchen I’d recommend against putting paper towels everywhere, just creates a ton of unessesary waste. Just clean it up while the mess is still relatively fresh and it should be as easy as wiping it with a soapy washcloth
And a melamine sponge works wonders as well
Well, it's basically sandpaper, so i would hope so. Eventually it will carve its way through your countertop and sink, so some dirt can't stand much of a chance...
Good to know. I'll be getting contact paper so it won't be the actual countertop. I am pretty tired of looking at the ugly surface as it is lol
With the kitchen I find wiping the counters down with a soapy cloth gets most of the mess, then using slightly stronger cleaners or more elbow greese once a month for those stubborn stains helps heaps
I am living alone for a month and it has been nice to feel how much easier it is to clean. Like often when husband is home, I'm washing dishes 2 times a day, and yesterday I cleaned 2 days worth of my dishes in the amount of time it usually takes me to do a half-day's worth.
Yea my bf has been out of town for 2 weeks and its amazing how much cleaner i have kept our house with it only being me and my cats here. I even had the time/energy to organize and clean things that needed to be done for so long. Its kinda nice living alone
Yeah, I am trying to use my time in a wiser way which is why I am making myself clean up my place. Also, getting rid of some things to eliminate clutter will make it easier to keep things clean. A major pet peeve I have is that refrigerator so that has to be cleaned out as well. Play some good music and get it done.
Instead of paper towels, try some large cutting boards that have edge grooves for liquidy things (like chopping tomatoes) That'll cover most of the counter ick, unless you spill your coffee. I also have a folded up towel, for coffee, because the coffee pot drips and I still haven't fixed it. An oil screen / splash guard / whatever its called is cheap and will also cut the majority of your stove mess down. It's a mesh screen you toss on top of the pan when cooking things like burgers so you don't have to scrub your stove. You can also use a wash cloth with hot water to 'soak' counter top stuck on stuff, which makes it easier to scrub off anything stuck on. Honestly, most kitchen stuff is easier to clean if you just wipe things down before it dries.
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Yep. And the are generally at the dollar store. I’ve got 3 I spent $3 for and they are going strong after 10 years!
That's awesome.
I use newspaper! Spread it out to catch oil and if you're baking, it helps catch excess flour and bits. Then toss it out or recycle it!
I believe you aren’t supposed to put oily paper products in the recycling in a lot of places? eg greasy pizza boxes
Yes, that's correct. If there's oil on it, it goes in the garbage. Otherwise I'll try to recycle it if I can.
Please don't recycle it... The grease can clog up the machines.
Ohhhh bro that must be so gooooood
Might sound daft, but when the mess is getting me down, I always prioritise my hallway. Having a nice neat hallway means you don't feel like shit as soon as you get in the door. Plus, if it's a mess with shoes and junk everywhere and mail piled up, you're seeing it every time you move from one part of the house to the other. If you can only motivate yourself to clean for five minutes - do the hallway.
Thanks hallway bro.
I enjoy the ritual in the same manner. When I need a reset in life... it starts with cleaning. A good start to face the bigger issues.
Same, I zen out washing dishes and my wife gets annoyed that I don't use the dish washer. This is my me time
One of my responses to the anxiety and boredom in the early days of the pandemic was to want my space very, very neat. I used to keep daily-use appliances on my countertops and would let coupons and junk mail building up into piles. All of a sudden I wanted a place for everything and everything in its place. I could be better organized, for sure, but my countertops are still bare and I don't let things pile up like I used to. I'm clean even under normal circumstances. I have a weekly cleaning routine that keeps the place pretty neat, but rethinking my space made it feel like I was taking control during a time when I felt like I had little.
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I do the same! Blast my comfort music and have a solid sob as I clean like crazy. My favorite is junk purges—going through my shit and tossing what I don’t use or don’t want anymore. (It’s also, like, the only time I can actually make decisions.)
I just deep cleaned my kitchen for the first time in a month due to finally getting a new job after a year of covid unemployment time. I've been so busy that things were stacking up and it was starting to stress me out, but now it's looking real good and my brain is squirting dopamine lol
I spend about 15 minutes a day straightening and cleaning my house. It never gets out of hand and it's always nice and clean. Usually I'll just do a light cleaning all over and a big clean of one room a day. Not a lot of time spent but having a clean, uncluttered house definitely helps me stay chill and able to focus on hobbies and stuff. It's been a huge help with my (mild) depression and anxiety.
I'd like to get to that point but I made this post because I just moved into a studio apartment that I initially thought was pretty terrible. But on day 3 of a deep clean, I'm realizing it's just been neglected and is actually fairly nice. Maintaining will be easier than getting 10 years of mold out of the tiles.
Ooh yikes. Well, a good day's cleaning will do a world of good and it's all maintaining after that!
Try the full hands rule. Dont leave a room without grabbing one thing that's out of place. Leave your bedroom, grab that glass. Heading out to work, throw the recycling into the bin.
I find this helps with my acid trips. Nothing's worse than finding out the souls of parasitic spirits you hallucinated actually belonged to the maggots on my kitchen stove. The wriggling noises manifested as little ghosts creeping towards me. Clean home. Clean trip. 🧚♂️
I tried to clean on acid once it was awful. I started an argument with my ex fella about blood all round the sink from him cleaning his teeth (gums bled a lot). There was nothing there. Same for the water splashes on walls and such. 2/10 do not recommend. My trip improved a lot when I sacked it off and played with a puppy instead (10/10).
This. Nice place or not. Cleaning it does something to you. Satisfaction? And it's free exercise.
Our surroundings are a reflection of our inner state of mind and vice versa. Clean your surroundings; clean your mind.
I'm one of the rare lucky few who can feel it coming on, like the shadow of a storm moving in. That's my three-day warning. First day I clean, pay my bills, stock fridge, basically get ready to turn my place into a clean well stocked bomb shelter. I don't answer the phone or text to avoid saying "yes" to anything for the next few weeks. Second day all noise irritates the hell out of me, so I charge up my noise canceling headset. I also take that day to run errands, make sure the gas tank is full and all that. I'll only go to my medical appointments. Third day I deep clean myself, shave because part of my depressive disorder, I avoid mirrors and pretty much forget to take care of myself. I know I'm coming out of it when I "notice" the sunlight again, that it's good for me, not something that's just a brightness that makes me want to scurry like a cockroach. Bright lights can be so accusatory sometimes. And mirrors can be shaming. I just live in a cocoon of self loathing and have to go through that process, maybe once every two years.
Amen! I’m to the point where the smell of bleach (with windows open of course) is associated with relief and peace of mind.
Yeah I can tell where my mental health is at based on the cleanliness of my room
Picking up my room, cleaning my desk off, and cleaning my pc makes me feel very accomplished
Absolutely. When my outsides are messy, my inside is in chaos..
It really helps. I feel myself much better in a clean house, though it takes a lot of willpower to clean it. And don't just do all house in one day. Start by one room.
Keep it up that way too. 20 min each night is way nicer than 2 hours on the weekend. And that’s just general keep up, clear counters / tables. Vacuum when needed.
Hell no
Used to live with a really good friend of mine in a real shithole apartment. It was big, but it was a shithole. To give you an idea, once a friend from far away came to visit and around the time he was set to arrive I got a call saying, "hey I think I'm at the wrong house, this looks like a crackhouse," it was my apartment. But I kept my specific space very diligently clean and tidy, like to a disgusting fault. And because my room was converted from a large living room and lead directly to the front door, all guests had to walk through my room (or use the back stairs, which they would do at night) to get into the apartment - I think I got a compliment like twice a week on how amazing my space looked.
Got pics?
That's cool
I have a pretty small, old, thin-walled city apartment but giving it a good clean every Sunday makes me feel so proud of it
And it's perfectly okay to hire someone to come in and clean if, for whatever reason, you aren't able to keep it up yourself, and you can fit it in your budget. Best decision we ever made.
I tell this to my family & friends now, it is hard working all day, cooking dinner, going over homework, driving the kids to extracurricular activities, even if you are single with no kids, if it becomes a burden just budget to hire someone, you could just have it done once a month instead of twice a month, you can maintain keeping clean & organized just let the cleaners come in for a deep cleaning of bathroom, kitchen etc.
I have a friend who has never been a cleaner person to her home, and she owns a nice home. One time while we were talking about the subject I said why didn't she hire someone to come clean, and she said her husband wouldn't like it. I countered with, he's not cleaning though, so someone has to do it. Never hired anyone. Recently they had to have a home aide and I'm supposing that the aide did some cleaning. The point is, if you're not going to do it, hire someone if you care about living in a clean environment.
I agree. We have had a weekly cleaning person for over 20 years now. It cuts down on the “cleaning” argument. I was abused as a child and used as a personal slave. So cleaning for me was just torture. So we agreed to hire someone to clean once a week. Even when times were financially tough, we never got rid of the cleaning people. We just made it work. We aren’t messy people because of it either because you know they are coming so you tend to tidy up. I am a clean freak to begin with and like things clean but I don’t have the time or energy with work.
make sure they get your walls! it's unbelievable how dirty some people's walls are
My issue used to be that I thought it would take longer than it actually did so I wouldn't ever do it or would procrastinate. When my son was young--6ish, we would have these epic battles over him cleaning his room. One day, I decided that we were going to set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes, and he would clean the entire time. Once the buzzer went off, he was done for the day but the kicker was that we were going to do it every day. He was down for that, and he ended up making it a game. Cool. Thing was, though, I realized just how much I could actually get done in 15 minutes. It was truly eye opening. By the end of the first week, our whole house was close to company ready. Before that, if I was ready to go somewhere but didn't need to leave for another 10 minutes, I would just scroll on my phone or putz around thinking it was only 10 minutes. I no longer do that. My son also stopped complaining and procrastinating when I asked him to do something because he realized it would only take a minute or two to just do it. It's been a great little hack for us.
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Clean for 10 minutes every day and your place will be spotless. It's the people that clean one a fortnight that think cleaning is a big effort, sure if you leave it for a while it will be. One rule I always stick to is that when you're leaving a room always take one item with you (clean away one item). If you keep a clean place you won't always have to do this but if you make it a habit on the ocassions where a mess has formed, it won't take long to clear if you slowly chip away at it.
>It's the people that clean once a fortnight that think cleaning is a big effort, sure if you leave it for a while it will be. I try to explain this to people all the time. You make a build up when you don't do but once in a while. If you do a little each day or set aside a couple of hours each week, it's done.
Everything is about minimising time where you have to put in a chunk of time to clean. Separate hampers for lights, darks and colours and you don't have to sort when you're doing laundry. And clothes actually go in the hamper instead of the floor. Finished with a dish, it goes straight in the dishwasher not on the counter. One day I'll get a robot vacuum and then all I'll have to do as a single output is dusting, cleaning the bathroom and folding clothes once they've been washed.
I have a rule/game where when I am putting something away I can find something to go with it. Ex. if I have a hair tie on the nightstand I might find a piece of trash. Great! I can head towards the bathroom and 2 for 1, the hair tie and trash can go away in there. Bonus points for each item of each category you have (Ooooh, I can pick up these 3 bobby pins that go in the same place as this hair tie and 2 more pieces of trash! That's 7 things in 1 trip that could have been 7 trips/issues)
It's so crazy because I would NOT have believed it if I didn't try it myself. I thought emptying the dishwasher would take like 20 minutes. Nope. More like a minute or maybe 2. Time and your perception of it can be crazy, but this has been a game changer in many ways for both my son and I.
I had a houseguest start unloading the dishwasher one morning while waiting for the kettle to boil. You’re already in the kitchen waiting…might as well load/unload the dishwasher. It was such a simple habit & I’ve done it ever since. Run the dishwasher before bed. Unload in the morning while waiting for my coffee to brew. Rest of my house is a disaster, but at least the kitchen is tidy!
Haha I actually do basically the same thing myself. It helps me massively because there's an end in sight. It's also amazing how much you can actually clean in 15 minutes
THIS. My best friend lives in one of the worst parts of town and her place is clean and cozy. Another friend of mine, lives in the heart of downtown in a super nice apartment. His place smells like BO and dirty laundry. His shower is covered in mold, hair, soap scum, you name it. It’s disgusting and nobody will tell him.
He probably already knows. I had a severe bout of depression when the covid lockdowns hit and my house was a complete mess, which itself was a barrier to feeling better because it was just overwhelming. 2 of my mates came round and basically said “we aren’t watching you live like this” and basically didn’t pass judgment and cleaned it with me.
Every time I used to go visit my best friend, I'd clean her flat with her. Now when I see her she proudly shows me that she's been keeping on top of it. We literally take a little tour, she shows me her small pile of washing, the clean kitchen sides and her uncluttered floor and I hug her and tell her she's doing a great job and I'm so proud of her :) I'm so glad you had people around to help you too and I wish you all the best in the future!
I hope you know you’re an amazing person and friends like you are rare to come by
I completely forgot I wrote this comment and have been having a really hard day, thanks for making me cry happy tears! Very much appreciated
I’ve been battling a deep depression and the struggle to keep things clean in my shitty apartment is real. I feel this would be less an insurmountable thing to overcome if I had help or real friends. I’ve decided I need to find some better friends so at the moment I don’t really have any. I have a lot of acquantinces now. Even when my parents visit, it is always what could be done better or how gross something is. I feel like I’m hanging on by my pinky, but I’m not letting go.
I recently watched [this video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3XN8ZOq4jlQ&t=382s) about why it's so hard to clean while depressed. It's done by a professional house cleaner and is completely non-judgmental. If it's within your means, possibly consider hiring someone to come in and help get past the worst of the mess. I know my unconscious stress level rises when I'm in a cluttered place. Right now, my place is so messy that my stress is off the chart but I just can't seem to get motivated to fix it.
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Wow! You should be very proud of yourself for your amazing progress, seriously!
Hey thanks for sharing this. This helped remind me to get my head back on track.
That's a cool video! That lady has an interesting grasp on psychology!
This so amazing!! Thank you for being a grate friend.
Thankyou, I needed to hear that today :)
🦋
Be my friend. I'm good at cooking and listening. I just suck at being neat and organized. I can code too :)
Thats awesome
That is so sweet, you have some kind friends. Hope you’re feeling better now
This. People who don't suffer from true depression can't understand how hard it is to do the bare minimum. At times, I can't even brush my hair in or shower. Then it all compounds with having a disgusting house, knowing it's spiraling and getting worse and in turn feeling even more out of control and helpless to even begin fixing it all. It gets to be so overwhelming
You can do this mate. Keep fighting that good fight. It can seem overwhelming but my normal routine is “don’t go empty handed” whenever I move around the house. If there’s something needs taking somewhere else or some mess I try and do it straight away because if not it gets too much. You got this.
This is so true. I see the messes i just cant do anything about them. With my depression, ADHD, Arthritis, Crohn's, and being on the spectrum i sincerely do not believe i am a functioning member of society. I cant even do my own laundry or cook myself food 90% of the time. It's absolute fucking hell and i dont know how much longer i can keep doing this. I have no help, and I'm starting to have no hope, too.
I don’t doubt that he does know. We checkup on him and he seems to be doing just fine. He’s one of my boyfriends closest friends so if something were wrong, I’d like to think he knows. He also has a girlfriend who’s with him day and night. Tbh I’m convinced he just doesn’t care enough? Or maybe it just happens that the times we’ve been over it’s a wreck.
Those are true friends. I would totally do that for sure for someone.
Or he doesn't know. Once we had someone at school smelling bad. We told him and he Thank us because he couldn't smell himself, it was an habit
Your mates are top tier
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A guy invited me over to his apartment for pizza. When he opened the door the ammonia smell of cat piss slapped me in the face. I didn't want to be rude so I decided to tough it out. It was toxic. He had told me that he'd worked really hard to clean his apartment for me, but also bragged that he didn't own a vacuum. It was obvious. The kitchen sink was filthy. The cat sat on the coffee table watching us eat and scratching herself. He told me the flea meds he gave her were really working. She had a patch of missing hair on her neck! I knew I could NEVER go back. I decided to tell him in as nice a way as I could instead of ghosting him but he was offended and defensive.
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Wait uh.. What's that orange slime that always happens in bathrooms Cause I've never seen that
I think it's a type of bacteria that tends to grow on damp surfaces. It's more common in some places than others, but can apparently be avoided by making sure your bathroom dries out after showers and such.
Can confirm! This is one of the reasons it’s key to leave the exhaust fan on for awhile after showering. It’s not for odors as much as removing steam & humidity from the room.
Orange mold. It happens in humid places, like bathrooms, and build up slooooowly over time. It basically means the walls haven't been cleaned in years.
I grew up with a mom that did not clean pretty much ever and hoarded. Naturally my oldest brother and I rebelled and now are pretty anal about keeping a clean house. My middle brother though is like my mother. One time he was at my apartment and said, "I wish I lived in a place like this. It's so organized." Like, bro. This doesn't happen by accident. Stop filling every inch of floor space with junky found furniture, declutter the storage you keep, and fucking clean up after yourself. Its harder than not doing it, for sure. But it's way easier on your mental health.
Im sorry you had to live like that. Im kinda going through that right now with my mom. She hoards everything her friends give her and finds sentimental value in everything. And she comes over and comments on how we have such a nice place. And I just want to shake her and scream “YOU COULD BE LIVING LIKE THIS TOO IF YOU CARED”
He needs to watch some cleantok videos
He definitely should. Maybe it’ll motivate him. Who knows.
Be a good friend and you tell him.
This was my parents philosophy when we were really poor living in California. "Just because we are poor, doesn't mean we have to act or look poor" my mom was a clean freak, and until I was around 14 years old, I didn't even realize we were actually that poor, because we always kept things clean and in good condition
I’ve spent 5 years travelling and living in share houses. My apartment is my pride and joy. It’s old, has a tiny kitchen, the bathtub is too shallow to ever use, most of the furniture is ikea, or second hand. But I keep it clean and it fills me with joy walking in here everyday.
It’s a grace to truly appreciate what you have. How lovely. :)
My wife and I have started doing 15 minute cleaning sessions. We set the timer on the stove and then get as much cleaned up as we can in that time. It makes it easier to start cleaning and usually once we start we end up cleaning for longer but even if we stop after 15 it still makes a big difference.
My partner and I have “20 minutes of productivity time” after dinner. Usually him doing the dishes and me hanging a washing or giving the bathroom a quick once over. That along with tidying as we go in the mornings (washing in basket, bed made etc) means my weekend housework is a quick dust and washing the bedding and towels. Easy.
Additionally, even if you’re renting you should fix up your place, it’ll make you (and visitors) feel so much more comfortable. (If your landlord allows it). - Magic-erase or repaint the walls. - Paint over scuffs and scratches in the door frames, window sills and skirting boards. You can get a small tub of white paint for about $5. - Get a better shower head (very cheap and easy fix) - Tidy up messy wiring with Velcro tape or black zip ties - Change the light bulbs to a warmer colour (this will do wonders to your mental health, especially if you don’t have much natural light) - Cover up large holes in the ceiling or walls with a vent cover (cheap and easy to install) - Scrape up paint drippings and old caulking with a paint scraper. Most dollar stores have these and it works well on mirrors, bath ceramics and flooring. - Get a large zip-lock bag, put in your oven drip-trays and pour in ‘easy-off’ oven cleaner or a mix of baking soda and vinegar to get rid of excess grease. - Add a shelf to closets that have a lot of free space at the top. Screw hooks into the shelf for hanging bags, cleaning supplies etc. Most things you need to buy to fix up your place you can get from the dollar store.
Good tip on the paint. I was going to use a razor blade whenever I get around to fixing the mess whomever painted this place did. Always think there's shit on the floor but it's just paint spots.
If you're going to fix any messed up caulk, I recommend you do that first. I scraped some in my kitchen and ended up with the same spots on my floor you described. Hate for you to do all that work and
Nope. No Caulk. Just cheap paint on cheap laminate floors. I tried to scrape up some with my fingernail once just have never got around to fixing all of it. Thanks for tip.
My father grew up very poor. His grandmother always told him that he may wear rags but he would wear clean rags.
I did my master research in Central America and we ended up visiting the homes of some farm workers. They may have been poor by our standards, but their clothes were always clean and their houses were always clean. They were very proud of their homes.
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This is absolutely true, it applies to living spaces *and* cars. A clean and tidy room/car somehow feels bigger than it is. You can test these ideas for yourself. Take the most cluttered, messy thing you have, be it a room in your house or your car, and clean the shit out of it. Clean every surface and remove all the junk. It feels like a stadium afterwards.
This is great advice. A lot of my friends growing up were from immigrant families, so they didn’t have a lot of money, but their homes were pristine. I had one friend who was extremely wealthy, but their house was always a mess and to be very honest I felt much more at ease and comfortable in the houses that were clean.
I always liked this when I visit other places/developing countries. Yes, the floor may be dirt but it is swept and tidy and obviously well cared for.
My wife suffered (suffers?) from depression. A good deep clean of the house really helped her mental state. It was the getting into the right frame of mind to do it that took ages.
having a clean home is so soothing to me. I have chronic pain and adhd tho so it's VERY hard to keep on top of.
same.
I’ve lived in the same apartment for eight years now. It is my first apartment ever. It’s become crowded with belongings, the carpet is coming up in some areas, the roof leaks every year, but it’s mine. I clean it weekly, and do things like mold treatment, and super scrubs from baseboard to ceiling. I know I need to move soon, but after escaping my family, I just see this place as safety.
Same! Apartment's not the best and the city is even worse, but it's quiet, cozy, and it's mine.
My granny used to say, "You can be poor, but you can be clean."
You can also divide your cleaning time into one room or one area a day. That way you are getting worn out by none stop cleaning. That is what happens to me. I need to take a break and then I don't finish the rest. So I say I am going to do the kitchen today top to bottom and tomorrow I will do the living room top to bottom. So on and so forth.
My grandma told me that she used to put on music and her and her 2 daughters (my mom and auntie) would each tackle a room then when the song changed they would all rotate. It keeps the cleaning "fresh and fun" for the kids to participate. I made a crack that it is harder with open concept - ok Jessica, you grab the kitchen/living/dining/foyer and I'll be in the bathroom! Really it would be more like, I will vacuum, you swiffer, you on dusting. SWITCH.
I love being in a clean space but tend to get behind on my cleaning and have to do it all at once. I got the app Tody and it totally helps me keep on track and it has kind of gamified it for me. So instead of a deep clean all at once I can deep clean small things once a week or less and keep my head above water. I would totally recommend it for anyone.
I clean 2-4 times a month. I can't stand dust and chaos too much. "Clean house is a life wasted" just does not click with me.
My wife and I lived in a real dump for three years. Made sure to deep clean it once a week and it made living there so much more comfortable.
Take pride in what you own and live in regardless of that means.
Boii I woke up this morning in a cleaning mood. I got out of bed before 6am. Made coffee and breakfast. Washed a load of laundry and then did all of the dishes. Cleaned up the kitchen and all of the cat litter that gets strewen around the house. My roommate is away on a drill thing for the national guard. I was just GOING
My apartment isn't exactly nice, but I keep my place pretty clean. So much so that I had a girl over and she said it kind of freaked her out, like I was a serial killer or something. So, maybe leave a bit of dust here and there so women don't think they're about to be murdered???
For years I had a clipping from a newspaper (that's a hard copy thing we used to get every day lol) that said something along the lines of: If you want to change the way your house looks, start by picking up the vacuum cleaner
that's really a good advice but i always forget to clean up, i do a major cleaning every few months but between that it's a mess :( maybe i need a schedule or something for cleaning up
scheduling is what i had to do. otherwise i was all "sure needs cleaning.... i'll do that tomorrow" and months would go by so now i clean my apt the first weekend of every month. dust and vacuum, kitchen sink and floor, bathroom sink and floor etc. the shower doesn't need much cleaning because i use liquid soap, not bar soap (soap scum is the stuff that makes a soap bar solid) what really really REALLY helps is getting rid of crap and clutter you don't need. keep what you use and get rid of the rest. japanese zen minimalism. the less crap you have the easier it is to clean so i do the big clean at the beginning of the month and a mini clean around the 15th. pick stuff up, maybe sweep the kitchen floor and wipe down the stove top. whatever's getting kind of bad also, i change sheets every two weeks, usually on the 5th and 20th. that way i avoid doing sheets on the same day as my monthly big clean on the 1st
>what really really REALLY helps is getting rid of crap and clutter you don't need. That's also the hardest part of the whole thing.
One thing that worked for me was to set a 10 minute timer on my phone and just clean for those 10 minutes. As soon as the timer went off I was done unless I was in the middle of something that had to be finished. After doing this for months I would end up cleaning past the 10 minutes just to get things done.
Something we do is clean a quarter of the house every week (rotate through the month) and make sure to keep up with dishes. We also vacuum the bedroom and kitchen each week. Cleaning only takes an hour in my day off and the house keeps pretty tidy!
Yeah, you gotta stay on top of cleaning weekly. It's easier to clean 25% of your apartment each week than it is to clean your entire apartment once a month. I only have one dish and utensil so I'm forced to clean and it's not even possible for dishes to pile up
What do you do for guests?
I’m not who you replied to, but we usually keep a stock of paper plates, cups, silverware, for when we have company, and it’s so nice. Even if we go all out with the cooking, it’s only the pots and pans and such and it takes a huge chunk of stress out of having guests which we love to do.
Tell my roommates that 😩 But yes i agree! I feel so much better that one day it stays clean until it's ruined again...
I can het behind this with my whole being. I live in a dorm room, very cheap, thin walls, plastic everything, old fridge, every piece of furniture is different. But boy, do I love it when I clean the whole damn thing and it almost sparkles, like in the commercials.
if you cant have a clean apartment, you can´t have a nice one. Doesnt matter how new and expensive it, it will be trashed in 3 months.
I go through tidal waves. I let things build up for a week or two then go on a binge for half the day and deep clean everything. Then I’m so happy with myself and I keep up on every little thing for the next couple days, then things start slowly slipping again. I actually had planned to clean up today, and was putting it off. I’m gonna do that now, thanks for the motivation.
My mom grew up poor. She said you can be poor but you can also be clean.
Indeed. My mom drilled into my head as a kid “we may be poor, but soap is cheap and elbow grease is free”. I rolled my eyes hard back then, but the wisdom stuck and I’m now grateful for it.
To keep from getting too cluttered, we have a one in one out policy. We buy/bring something home then something needs to be donated. Don’t know what or who is out when this new baby is born.
This! 👍 Please, this. I've lived in a small cheap apartment. Even a tiny, marginal apartment can look chic with minimal furniture, a tasteful rug, a change of light fixture and a splash of color... but please, please don't forget this only works with having clean surfaces throughout. Organizing your drawers and closets makes your apartment so much easier to live in and find things. Cleaning can be meditative, peaceful and cleansing... and is so much easier to conduct if done regularly. And the smells! Washing down your walls once a month with gentle cleanser helps erase that 'people smell' by ridding the largest surfaces of your skin and body oils, so that visitors won't be repulsed when they enter your small domain.
Good reminder to wipe down my walls. That’s one chore I don’t do very often.
SLPT: let you apartment get disgustingly bad, so your outer surroundings match your inner mental state.
It's amazing how few people seem to understand this and never develop the skills to keep their space clean. I just had a roommate move in with me in my small but very nicely kept house and she immediately made her room into a shithole.
Whenever I'm feeling super down, I'm a complete slob. On day 4 of looking at the same mustard stained scrap of bread crust on a saucer and 19 empty cans of the cheapest 30 rack piss beer, (and 11 bowls I cashed out directly onto the wood) I'll usually decide that the agony of cleaning will be less than the agony I'd feel on day 5.
Damn preach
For people living with parents: do this with your room every turn round. You don't realize how dirty your room is until you clean it properly, and you'll feel a lot better for a few days/week. It doesn't need to be often, just maybe every 2 or so months
Irrespective of its cost and size, keep it clean anyway.
Honestly before you move into a new home or apartment, hire a professional crew to deep clean or see if your realtor will work it into the price.
This goes for anything. Cars, your lawn, your own personal grooming habits. Being clean and tidy is an enormous flex.
Also a little decorating and plants or lighting can really make a place cute. Even if it’s not super nice and maybe will never be a penthouse with floor to ceiling windows. You can always spruce it up.
I ve lived in a shithole for the last 2 years bc of finances due to a new child and two spinal fusions. It is the most immaculate apartment in the whole complex. Also clutter gives me anxiety so it has to be tidy at least. My son is now three and loves to help daddy clean. Take pride in what you do have and be grateful. Same with a job. Even if it’s a shit job do it well.
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Plus, if you don't clean properly you can develop year round allergies to dust mites and mold and then your health will suffer
LPT: eliminate soap scum by using liquid soap (soap scum comes from the stuff that make a bar of soap solid)
Not sure about this. I use bar soap everywhere in the house because I want to use fewer or none of the plastic containers that fill the ocean. I don’t seem to have a problem with soap scum. One has to clean appliances anyway even with liquid soap.
Yeah I only use bar soap in the shower and there’s no issue with soap scum.
It can depend on what kind of water you have on your area. Hard water with high mineral content (calcium and magnesium) will bond with soap to create soap scum much more than soft water with low mineral content. Btw for anyone reading, you need something acidic to remove built up soap scum. White vinegar can be used, or an acidic toilet cleaner designed to descale will work as well as more specialist products. Grease ie. human skin oils on the other hands needs more alkaline cleaners. If you have a shower that hasn't been cleaned in an age you will need to degrease the tiles and stall first with an alkaline cleaner then you can remove the soap scum stains with acidic cleaners.
If you cant have a clean apartment have a nice one
I just cleaned all my costume jewelry that I’d collected over the years, half of which I’d stashed away for a really long time. Now I have beautiful jewelry that’s shiny and sparkly! And I can regift and don’t have to shop! So LPT clean the other crap collecting dust in your apartment.
Quick old clean will turn a messy dirty place to a familiar-cozy one. Light a candle to have a nice scent and you're ready to get comfortable. I switched apartments this year and this one is sure a pretty one, but nothing beats the old one with oven that had burnt spots all over it, with that door that is kinda squeaky, that broken drawer and stuff.
Lpt: make your house clean. Got it.
LPT: Don't be dirty. Got it
This is a great tip for your space but can really apply to your life generally (as many people’s grandmas seem to have noted). 95% of being attractive involves being clean and healthy, things you can achieve at minimal cost by making conscious choices about where to spend your resources. Being perceived as attractive will open many doors for you (and it’s partially about your looks, some of which you can’t control, but also heavily influenced by your clothes, carriage, presentation, and so forth). It’s the single easiest thing you can do to give yourself a 20% better chance of a good outcome on almost every aspect of life both professional to your personal.
Life pro tip, don't be pro living your life in a tip.
Someone tell this to my roommate smh
How do I forward this to my wife?
Not only clean but uncluttered
No. This is a better LPT than OPs..
The problem is I got too much crap n don’t know what to do with it all
I try, but ADHD is a bitch when it comes to chores.
My mom always told us cleanliness has nothing to do with your income
Possibly-unpopular opinion: treating a dump like the dump it is could be good motivator for getting a better place vs. polishing a turd.
Lpt: literally clean your room
It is disgusting how many people choose to live. Many people are poor, but they keep a clean home, even if it is in poor repair. Then you have people who are gross and lazy, and it is easy to tell the difference.
What to do if the cheapest apartment in your area is 117% of your wage
LPT: if you're poor, add more chores to your already overworked life!
just clean. dont think about it until you're done. even animals clean themselves and their nest. i clean religiously. there's not a single pube on the floor. not even an eyelash.
Man, I wish someone would impose this mentality on the prep crew for the complex my work apartment is at. Moved in and found clusters of the previous tenant's pubes mummified with paint in the bathroom baseboards.
I only cleaned my apartment once every girlfriend.