In Defense of a Spotless Home

Here is a “dirty” confession for you. If you come over to my house to visit, it is going to be spotless. There won’t be dishes in the sink, the counters will be clear, and my kids’ toys will have already relegated to their playroom or bedrooms. Call me a perfectionist, dub me a neat freak, but, whatever you do, please don’t spill that red wine.

Despite all the magazine articles and well-meaning relatives telling (“warning,” perhaps is a better word) me that I would need to let all the household chores go once I had children, I have never really wanted to do that. Usually, I blame my slight OCD for my organizational obsession, but the truth is, I just feel better and more relaxed when everything is put away and clean.

Life is all about priorities, and I’m not saying that having an impeccable house at the top of the list is necessarily something to strive for; however, I will admit that I spend hours each week tidying up and making sure it looks nice at all times.

Anyone who has lived with a tiny human under the age of eighteen knows that cleaning up after them is often a futile task. These tiny tornados of devastation never slow down and are always leaving a path of sticky, dirty destruction. I thought it was hard to clean up when it was just my husband and schnauzer, but man…I had no idea what was to come!

Despite all the time I put into it, I find that I am getting a lot out of it too. In fact, I have found that being organized does save me some time in the long run. I have labeled bins in the kid’s toy room, so I can usually easily find the one Star Wars toy my son “must have” before bed. I know exactly where the bills are that need to be paid, and an organized closet comes in handy for early morning outfit changes.

I think there is something to the principle of feng shui and having good energy in your house. Think about the last time you went through your closet and came out with bags upon bags for donation items. It physically feels like a weight has lifted and makes you feel lighter.

The same principal flows throughout my house. When the kid’s toys are picked up, the kitchen counter is clean, and the laundry is put away, I feel lighter and more relaxed. Having a tidy house is my happy place.

And you know what? If having a ship-shape house all the time isn’t your thing, that is fine, too! I don’t judge anyone or compare his or her level of clean to mine. Maybe you are team “don’t care about it” and I’m team “way too clean” and that is OK. Home is where the heart is (not a mop) after all.

I will happily sit with you amongst the piles of laundry and caked-on casserole dishes in your sink. I promise I won’t pull out the Windex and start spraying away…well…at least I will try.