Keeping clean

I've had high hopes in writing a post about Spring cleaning for weeks now. And while, technically, we're still in the season of Spring...I'd say that things are starting to lean more towards summertime. People are ditching their brooms and cobweb dusters and reaching for their beach blankets by now. A post about cleaning for Spring doesn't seem all that timely anymore.

That said, I've been getting a lot of comments and questions lately about how I keep my house looking so clean. My first response is always to chuckle and shrug, because hello-- I have a two year old ragamuffin who enjoys eating crumbly crackers anywhere but at the table. And I have a husband who spills coffee and scatters his dirty socks. And I'm not much better myself, when I consider the long brown hairs found all over the bathroom, and my tendency to let the laundry pile up (and up and up.) Our cupboard doors get grimy, our dressers get dusty, and our bathtub gets gross, just like yours.

Yet, thanks to the rearing of my tidy mother, I do run a pretty tight ship around the house. Perhaps more than others. Cleaning is a big part of my daily routine, and I really, truly love to do it. Some people run marathons, some people cook gourmet meals, and I-- I delight in a spotless kitchen and the challenge of folding a fitted sheet. What I'm trying to say is, if I were to write a book on any subject, housekeeping would probably be the one. I mean, I'm no Martha Stewart, but I know what I'm doing. I suppose I could drum up a few tips to share with you here. And thus, Keeping Clean, a new blog series, has been born.

Now, before I begin, let me say that I realize there are lots of blog posts and articles and books about cleaning. And I am well aware that everyone likes to clean their house differently. These will not be another set of posts on how to use vinegar and essential oils for everything (though I do use them both and think they work wonders.) ((But I also use bleach in the bathroom.)) Nor will these be strict guidelines on the perfect home-keeping schedule that will keep your cleaning to a minimum and your house looking spotless on the daily (and your conscience guilty if you don't manage to accomplish specific tasks each day.) They'll be more of a hodgepodge of prompts-- a bundle of things I've learned along the way that make cleaning my house easier and more enjoyable. I hope they are of some use to you.

Part one is scheduled to come at you tomorrow. See you then!