Doing Housework

I can teach eight hours in a row and I'm not tired, I can exercise two hours in a row and I'm not tired, I can climb up or run down stairs four times daily and I'm not tired....But ask me to do housework and I need a break every ten minutes. Indeed, housework is not my cup of tea, I hate it! This is why I employ a cleaning lady to keep my flat clean. This is why I do not know how to use the vacuum cleaner or the ironing board and, what's worse, I have no idea how to steam iron clothes. 

I sometimes wish I could:

• Make my bed every morning!
• Sweep and mop the floor. Well, I know that you must never mop the floor if you haven't swept it first.
• Empty the dishwasher if it's full. Thank God, Alkis helps!
• Wipe the sink basin clean after I've used it in the bathroom. Thank God we've got two bathrooms, so Alkis never complains.
• Load the washing machine! Or even worse...clean the filters every month or so...
• Give the kitchen floor a quick sweep every day! What a chore!
• Line dry my laundy which takes a couple of days to dry in the winter. However, when Mrs Giorgoula - my cleaning lady - and  occasionally Alkis line dry the laundry, I love watching my clothes flap about in the breeze while enjoying my espresso, knowing I've made my bit for the planet and saved money. It just makes me feel virtuous!
• Straighten all pillows and blankets on the sofa.
• Toss the dirty dishtowel in the wash and replace it with a clean one. I hardly ever remember to do so!
• Empty the sink of any dirty dishes, and give it a quick scrub. Whatever doesn't go in the dishwasher lies in my sink... Alkis can't stand the sight, so he usually does the washing up.

My cleaning lady is off at weekends, so I had to do the daily cleaning today.  I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart my husband Alkis who greatly contributed to finishing the daily household chores by 6:00 pm today!

Comments

[FaithB]

Anastasia, I can do all those things you described because I was taught to do them, but I hate to clean. I do it because it must be done. I have thought of hiring someone to clean but it is so expensive and I would have to clean before I allowed someone else to "really" clean. We are currently working at putting our home back into order after working 28 1/2 yrs and letting things go. It is a chore for sure but it must be done. Grrrrrr! I wish I was rich instead of beautiful. Haha!

[Tipper]

Loved this post Anastasia : ) Very well written!

[Anastasia]

I am completely wreckless at housework chores but, as you say, they have to be done whether we like it or not. My cleaning lady comes three times a week and Alkis helps at weekends, so I shouldn't be complaining really.

[Anastasia]

Thanks for stopping by, Tipper. Glad you liked my post.

[Faith Barndt]

Anastasia, as I have been going through my day of cooking and cleaning up, I am reminded of my grandmother's "pattern" for housework. Somethings were done every day (dishes, cooking, making the beds) but on Mondays you did laundry; Tuesday you ironed; Wednesday you dusted; Thursday you swept and Friday, you mopped, Saturdays you changed the sheets...Sunday was a day of rest and it began again on Monday.

[Stefania]

I hate housework but I have to do it, and unfortunately no one helps! I sometimes have to beg the boys to tidy up their rooms, which are permanently in a mess.

[Agnes]

I'm not a fan of house work either. But I have to make my bed every morning & have things fairly neat around me… not too neat but fairly neat. Fresh mess doesn't bother me at all -- stale mess on the other hand...

[Anastasia]

This is a good organisation of household chores and that's what my cleaning lady usually does. However, at the weekend I have to do everything except ironing!

[Anastasia]

Boys are usually messier than girls, aren't they? You could try tempting them with some small reward, for example €5 if they tidy up their rooms, €8 if they do the washing up.

[Anastasia]

I'm not a cleanliness freak, but I hate messy rooms. I'm generally very neat and tidy, so even if I don't have the time to do housework properly, at least I tidy up.