How do you clean your house?

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Hire a housekeeper. There is no way I want to clean my 3200 sq ft, 4bed/3.5 bath house. I went to college so I wouldn't have to do manual labor.

Housekeeper comes every Friday, she washes all the bed linens and towels and changes all the sheets along with all the mopping, dusting, vacuuming, toilet cleaning and heavy kitchen cleaning,etc.

I load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters after cooking, but I generally try to make whatever "messy" dish (spaghetti, frying, etc) I am craving on a Thursday night so that the stove will get a nice cleaning before the weekend.

Wow...I have three degrees from an Ivy League school and just tonight I was elbow deep in guinea pig poop.

In addition to my B.A., J.D. and PhD., I am married to a graduate of a top two liberal arts college with an M.B.A. from an Ivy League school. I work in I.B. and she's an executive with a major global financial services company, we have a 5,000 s.f. home with 6.5 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms, and while we do have a housekeeper who comes several times a week, I still manage to clean and hardly consider myself above it. In some ways, I find it rather peaceful...

If you think you are above cleaning, I encourage you to rethink that mindset. My father was Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and he mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms with the best of them, despite the fact that we had housekeepers to help.* Not cleaning doesn't mean you're better educated, it just means you don't clean.

* My father's father, BTW, did manual labor his entire life and I can assure you that I never knew a more intelligent or cultured man than him. Please don't denigrate manual labor or the people who do it. It deserves respect, not contempt.

 

[Planogirl]

I have a college degree and I clean my own house...sometimes.

Seriously, it isn't that hard except for a few big jobs such as cleaning blinds. You just have to take time for it.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

wow...i have three degrees from an ivy league school and just tonight i was elbow deep in guinea pig poop.

In addition to my b.a., j.d. And phd., i am married to a graduate of a top two liberal arts college with an m.b.a. From an ivy league school. I work in i.b. And she's an executive with a major global financial services company, we have a 5,000 s.f. Home with 6.5 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms, and while we do have a housekeeper who comes several times a week, i still manage to clean and hardly consider myself above it. In some ways, i find it rather peaceful...

If you think you are above cleaning, i encourage you to rethink that mindset. My father was chairman and ceo of a fortune 500 company and he mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms with the best of them, despite the fact that we had housekeepers to help.* not cleaning doesn't mean you're better educated, it just means you don't clean.

* my father's father, btw, did manual labor his entire life and i can assure you that i never knew a more intelligent or cultured man than him. Please don't denigrate manual labor or the people who do it. It deserves respect, not contempt.

bravo!!!!!!

 

[moon]

Wow...I have three degrees from an Ivy League school and just tonight I was elbow deep in guinea pig poop.

In addition to my B.A., J.D. and PhD., I am married to a graduate of a top two liberal arts college with an M.B.A. from an Ivy League school. I work in I.B. and she's an executive with a major global financial services company, we have a 5,000 s.f. home with 6.5 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms, and while we do have a housekeeper who comes several times a week, I still manage to clean and hardly consider myself above it. In some ways, I find it rather peaceful...

If you think you are above cleaning, I encourage you to rethink that mindset. My father was Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and he mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms with the best of them, despite the fact that we had housekeepers to help.* Not cleaning doesn't mean you're better educated, it just means you don't clean.

* My father's father, BTW, did manual labor his entire life and I can assure you that I never knew a more intelligent or cultured man than him. Please don't denigrate manual labor or the people who do it. It deserves respect, not contempt.

Wonderful post!!!!

 

[beaucoup]

No one ever told me my college degree exempt me from cleaning up after myself. I want a refund on 4 yrs of college!

 

[runsandjumps]

Cleaning threads are like a hoarding show for me. They give me the push I need to scrub down my entire house. Thanks disboard- I really wanted to clean right before bed. LMAO,

 

[novajeanjellybean]

We have a housekeeper that comes every other Monday. She does the bathrooms, the floors, dusting,and kitchen. While I do have a college degree, I could do it myself, but I don't have the time. The three of us work full time, and I also have a 2nd job. Plus my FIL that lives with us is really, really picky, so I could never keep it clean enough to shut him up. BTW we have 5 bdrms, 2 1/2 baths about 2500 sq ft. No kids.

 

[afnaechiquita]

I have a housekeeper who comes daily. Only while I'm living where it's cheap to have one though! Once I'm back in the states I'll go back to doing it myself. I actually like cleaning a lot. Just like cooking, it's nice to look at something you've cleaned and think "oh I did that!"

I stumbled upon this one day though, and it intrigued me. (and doesn't require shoes!)

www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/cl...eaning-in-20-minutes-a-day-for-30-days-131142

 

[NHdisneylover]

Wow...I have three degrees from an Ivy League school and just tonight I was elbow deep in guinea pig poop.

In addition to my B.A., J.D. and PhD., I am married to a graduate of a top two liberal arts college with an M.B.A. from an Ivy League school. I work in I.B. and she's an executive with a major global financial services company, we have a 5,000 s.f. home with 6.5 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms, and while we do have a housekeeper who comes several times a week, I still manage to clean and hardly consider myself above it. In some ways, I find it rather peaceful...

If you think you are above cleaning, I encourage you to rethink that mindset. My father was Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and he mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms with the best of them, despite the fact that we had housekeepers to help.* Not cleaning doesn't mean you're better educated, it just means you don't clean.

* My father's father, BTW, did manual labor his entire life and I can assure you that I never knew a more intelligent or cultured man than him. Please don't denigrate manual labor or the people who do it. It deserves respect, not contempt.

Fabulous post

 

[the_princess]

Originally Posted by prncess674Well if you choose to spend your limited resource (time) doing low value work (housekeeping) then that is your choice, but part of my analysis for earning a college degree was higher salary that allowed me to spend my limited resource (time) doing things that I value (spending time friends, visiting family) but if you choose to value housework over family and friends then have at it.

:-(

 

[prncess674]

Wow...I have three degrees from an Ivy League school and just tonight I was elbow deep in guinea pig poop.

In addition to my B.A., J.D. and PhD., I am married to a graduate of a top two liberal arts college with an M.B.A. from an Ivy League school. I work in I.B. and she's an executive with a major global financial services company, we have a 5,000 s.f. home with 6.5 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms, and while we do have a housekeeper who comes several times a week, I still manage to clean and hardly consider myself above it. In some ways, I find it rather peaceful...

If you think you are above cleaning, I encourage you to rethink that mindset. My father was Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and he mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms with the best of them, despite the fact that we had housekeepers to help.* Not cleaning doesn't mean you're better educated, it just means you don't clean.

* My father's father, BTW, did manual labor his entire life and I can assure you that I never knew a more intelligent or cultured man than him. Please don't denigrate manual labor or the people who do it. It deserves respect, not contempt.

You are completely missing the point of my post. I never said I don't clean or don't know how to clean, I stated that I don't need to have a cleaning schedule. Just as you admit to having a housekeeper who does all the usual house cleaning maintenance. Of course I know how to run the washing machine or mop a floor but I don't have to do such tasks, since my job affords me the luxury to pay. I am sure somewhere in your many studies you learned time value of money. I am assuming you are an attorney and have admins and paralegals who can assist you, since as an attorney your time is better suited doing high value tasks to the firm ,verses running to the post office to mail an invoice.
If I drop A jar of spaghetti sauce, sure I pick up a mop and clean it up, no I don't just leave it for the housekeeper.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

What if the housekeeper has a college degree?

What if the person hiring the housekeeper doesn't have a college degree, but makes a ton of money? Can they hire a housekeeper? They did go to trade school to learn to do manual labor!

 

[SaraJayne]

You are completely missing the point of my post. I never said I don't clean or don't know how to clean, I stated that I don't need to have a cleaning schedule. Just as you admit to having a housekeeper who does all the usual house cleaning maintenance. Of course I know how to run the washing machine or mop a floor but I don't have to do such tasks, since my job affords me the luxury to pay. I am sure somewhere in your many studies you learned time value of money. I am assuming you are an attorney and have admins and paralegals who can assist you, since as an attorney your time is better suited doing high value tasks to the firm ,verses running to the post office to mail an invoice.
If I drop A jar of spaghetti sauce, sure I pick up a mop and clean it up, no I don't just leave it for the housekeeper.

I've never bought into the idea that just because one person makes more money than another person, the higher earner's time is somehow more important or valuable.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

You are completely missing the point of my post. I never said I don't clean or don't know how to clean, I stated that I don't need to have a cleaning schedule. Just as you admit to having a housekeeper who does all the usual house cleaning maintenance. Of course I know how to run the washing machine or mop a floor but I don't have to do such tasks, since my job affords me the luxury to pay. I am sure somewhere in your many studies you learned time value of money. I am assuming you are an attorney and have admins and paralegals who can assist you, since as an attorney your time is better suited doing high value tasks to the firm ,verses running to the post office to mail an invoice.
If I drop A jar of spaghetti sauce, sure I pick up a mop and clean it up, no I don't just leave it for the housekeeper.

No, trust me, I fully understood the point of your post, and so did the rest of the posters who responded. Your point is that cleaning and manual labor are beneath you because you make, what is I assume to you, a lot of money.

You are correct that I understand the time-value of money; my Ph.D. is is economics. To your point, therefore, you are misunderstanding economic theory as it relates to the time-value of money, both literally (as time-value of money has nothing to do with assigned labor but rather the relative earning ability of invested money over time) and figuratively (since I assume you mean the economic theory colloquially known as "value of time"), and I have neither the time nor the inclination to elucidate you right now. Briefly, the issue with your position is that it is not one of economics, it's that you either don't like to clean or that you don't want to clean because you see having somebody else do it for you as a status symbol. All I am saying is don't denigrate manual labor in the process!

And while I do have a J.D, I have never practiced law a day in my life. I just thought it would be a cool degree to have (OK, there was a bit more to my decision than that, but I truly have never practiced law in the classic sense). So no paralegals, but yes, several administrative professionals, all of whom I deeply respect.

 

[prncess674]

If I make $150 per hour and it takes 6 hours to clean my house, why in the world would I spend the equivalent of $900 to clean my house when I can hire someone for less than $100 to clean my house? It would be a net loss of $800 to take pride and do it myself. I would be doing my family a disservice by wasting my time cleaning when I could be earning a far greater amount of money in that time. No, a degree doesn't always equate to more earning power, but in my case, I specifically picked a degree that would provide a lucrative salary and I choose to spend my money on housekeeper so I can spend my free time on items that I value more, such as spending time with friends and family.

On the flip side, I love grocery shopping and cooking. Yes, it is a task I could easily hire out and since I value spending time on those activities I choose to spend some of my free time doing those activities.

 

[soccerdad72]

If I make $150 per hour and it takes 6 hours to clean my house, why in the world would I spend the equivalent of $900 to clean my house when I can hire someone for less than $100 to clean my house? It would be a net loss of $800 to take pride and do it myself. I would be doing my family a disservice by wasting my time cleaning when I could be earning a far greater amount of money in that time.

This is assuming that you're working 24/7 and that you're hourly and not salaried.

 

[Art 1]

If I make $150 per hour and it takes 6 hours to clean my house, why in the world would I spend the equivalent of $900 to clean my house when I can hire someone for less than $100 to clean my house? It would be a net loss of $800 to take pride and do it myself. I would be doing my family a disservice by wasting my time cleaning when I could be earning a far greater amount of money in that time. No, a degree doesn't always equate to more earning power, but in my case, I specifically picked a degree that would provide a lucrative salary and I choose to spend my money on housekeeper so I can spend my free time on items that I value more, such as spending time with friends and family.

On the flip side, I love grocery shopping and cooking. Yes, it is a task I could easily hire out and since I value spending time on those activities I choose to spend some of my free time doing those activities.

I agree.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

I don't have a college degree.
I clean my own house.
I don't buy my own groceries.
I am left-handed.
I like to go camping.
I own 2 cats.

There is no connection between any of these things.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

DH and I hire a landscaping service to mow the lawn and do related gardening tasks. We suck at yard work and it's a huge yard. We also hire a pool service for the same reason. We can afford to have someone else do those jobs for us and we don't care to do them ourselves.


And I've managed to tell you that without telling you what I do for a living or how much DH and I earn.

 

[kt_mom]

DH and I hire a landscaping service to mow the lawn and do related gardening tasks. We suck at yard work and it's a huge yard. We also hire a pool service for the same reason. We can afford to have someone else do those jobs for us and we don't care to do them ourselves.


And I've managed to tell you that without telling you what I do for a living or how much DH and I earn.