Did your mom teach you to keep house?

[Rewind_Selector]

My mother [B]is[B] a neat freak.
I was never taught. I learned by example.
I remember my mother saying one time that she never had to ask me to clean my room or help with anything because I would just do it. By 8yrs I was cooking dinner for the family. Granted it was hamburgers, salad and corn or something but I took the initiative. Same with doing my laundry, keeping my room nice or vacuuming.
Dishes were an issue though. My poor mommy. She worked all day as a bartender washing other peoples dirty glasses all day and came home to a clean house with dinner cooked but a sink full of dishes. I hated doing them. Still do but not as much now as then. As much as I hate doing dishes I hate a sink full of dirty ones even more.
The one thing my mother didn't teach was to iron. I love the neat look of fresh pressed clothes but never learned to do it. I still don't leave the house in anything wrinkled or sloppy looking.

[Sydsmom]

No, my mom wasn't too great about cleaning. She just waitied until it was filthy to clean. I use this system and it has literally changed my life. Ny house is always neat and ready for company

//www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php

[marvelous]

Nope. Didn't have many chores except we were expect to keep our rooms clean and somewhere along the way I learned to do my own laundry (maybe around 12?) My mom did not clean much at all to the point that her hoarding starting spilling over into other areas of the house. I was embarrassed to have friends over as a teen.

I learned some basics when I would visit my aunt and cousins. She is a home economics teacher and we were included in chores like cleaning up the kitchen whenever we visited. (No guest privileges there!) Somehow I knew how to keep a clean room and apt in college and was an excellent roommate, but now that I'm married and have a family I just can't keep up with it. I never know where to start, I get overwhelmed, and I don't have a system. Fly Lady overwhelmed me. I couldn't keep up with it.

We've had a service come in lately just once a month. We managed to keep things looking good for about a week or two after they do their job and then it starts to go south again. Then we hurry and try to pick up before they come so it helps, but its still not the way I want it.

I dunno. I'm not a hoarder like my mom, but I just can't seem to get it together.

[Greenebean214]

I didn't have chores, and my Mom never exactly taught us how to clean except by example. I was a slob until I moved in with DH, and now I get teased how I'm obsessed with cleaning! I guess growing up in a clutter free, clean home rubbed off on me.

[boysniris]

Originally Posted by Hillargh I find it FAR easier to do minor tidying each day, rather than one huge clean up a week

I really liked your post, especially how you describe your day w/your son. Sorry to shorten the quote to just one part but it's the essence of what you do.

And this is generally what I do, little things through the day. AND I would say that I learned this type of system, no from mom, but from McDonald's LOL! They trained "Clean as you go" and it makes a lot of sense. When I cook, there is not a disaster when the meal is ready, there are a few dirty dishes. I generally wipe up, etc, as it happens.

Unfortunately, sometimes this type of thing leaves me very derailed, especially if I"m trying to organize.

very interesting to read how other people rate their cleaning skills. Now that I'm thinking about it more, there are some chores that I haven't done for a long time...they are part of "deep cleaning" and generally when I have time to get them done they are not on my mind.

[DalesWidda]

Originally Posted by ouchienurse My mom taught me and then she forced me to clean the whole house from the time I was about 8. I got the help of a step brother at 13. I cleaned houses for a living because I was great at it due to my mothers exacting standards. However, I suck at keeping up with my own house. It's generally picked up and nothing is gross but I procrastinate like crazy when it comes to proper deep cleaning and I'd rather get my eyes gouged out with a dull spoon than do the dishes. (I think that's because if you left a spot on a dish my mom would pull every single dish out of the cabinets and you got to wash them all) Sent from my iPhone using DS Forum

Gah! Me too! Except my mom would do this in the middle of the night! I hate hate hate dishes with a passion

[EmilytheStrange]

Technically my dad taught us. My mom is not the clean one.

We were never allowed to have a friend over if there were dishes in the sink, we hadn't freshly vacuumed, etc.

He criticized the way we cleaned everything as well. What order we washed the dishes, etc.

I get extremely embarrassed if anyone sees my house less than perfect, but it is almost always less than perfect. The cat hair ensures that.

[TwinKristi]

Originally Posted by Sydsmom No, my mom wasn't too great about cleaning. She just waitied until it was filthy to clean. I use this system and it has literally changed my life. Ny house is always neat and ready for company //www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php

I Like it!!! I printed it out and did yesterday AND today! :-) yay! I have clear dry erase folders I put it in and can mark it off and see it all the time! No falling off the fridge, cabinet, etc!

[Hillargh]

Originally Posted by boysniris I really liked your post, especially how you describe your day w/your son. Sorry to shorten the quote to just one part but it's the essence of what you do. And this is generally what I do, little things through the day. AND I would say that I learned this type of system, no from mom, but from McDonald's LOL! They trained "Clean as you go" and it makes a lot of sense. When I cook, there is not a disaster when the meal is ready, there are a few dirty dishes. I generally wipe up, etc, as it happens. Unfortunately, sometimes this type of thing leaves me very derailed, especially if I"m trying to organize. very interesting to read how other people rate their cleaning skills. Now that I'm thinking about it more, there are some chores that I haven't done for a long time...they are part of "deep cleaning" and generally when I have time to get them done they are not on my mind.

Thanks It's my sanity saver to clean as I go. I've tried designated days for things. It just doesn't work for me. It ends up disastrous and overwhelming.

I'm the same way when I cook. Like making pizza from scratch. Pft. If I didn't clean as I went with that, my kitchen would be one big cloud of flour! Haha. I actually learned the do as you go thing from working in retail at Walgreens. Stocking in between customers was the only way to get truck day done. And it totally helped my multi-tasking skills.

Deep cleaning I do occasionally. And that I do on different days. Usually once a month each room will get a deep clean. It's random, and on days where I end up with a little more time than usual. I always hit the bathroom and kitchen first, though.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DS Forum

[kcassemom]

My mom had a housekeeper, so no, I didn't really learn how to keep house- which is probably why it's pretty messy around here :-D