How I Trick My Husband Into Thinking I Cleaned (when I didn't).
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My husband will call and tell me he's on the way home from work. I look around the house and it's a disaster. There are a few things I do around the house that make the house look clean even though I didn't get a chance to REALLY clean.
How I Trick My Husband Into Thinking I Cleaned
Change the table cloth. I keep a table cloth on our table so the kids won't damage the wood. It only takes one meal to get messy but I like to leave it on for a day or 2. Just changing this makes the entire area look clean. Now there are no crumbs or spaghetti stains from last night.
Make the bed. When your bed is made your room looks clean. You don't even have to do anything else. It will already look better.
Go through the mail. The mail at our house can pile up very fast. If I miss a day I feel like it is all over the house. Just going through it everyday will keep that clutter off the desk or counters.
Clean out the kitchen sink. It is so easy to let the dishes pile up when you are busy. I just throw everything in the dishwasher and wash the pots and pans. Once it's empty, rinse out the bottom and run the disposal.
Remove junk from the counter. It takes about 2 minutes to do this at my house. There always seems to be sunglasses, hats, pencils, homework, and snacks laying all over. Getting that put away does not take long and makes a HUGE difference. Below is a picture of my kitchen counter. It is right when you walk in from the garage and the first thing you see. It's so nice to have this area clutter free when you walk in.
Pick stuff off the living room floor. Just getting the little toys off the floor can make the living room look clean. I keep a bag on my stair that I put everything that needs to go up. That way the stairs are not cluttered either and I don't have to keep running up and down. I clean out the bag every couple of days.
Bonus- If I have time I run the vacuum in the middle of the floor. (This is the vacuum I have.) Seeing the lines from the vacuum cleaner make you think CLEAN!
I love this quote!
My best trick past down from my Grandmother is to through a little butter and garlic in a fry pan. Sauté it for a couple minutes and let it flow through the whole house. Smells like you've been home hours cooking. My Grandfather never got wise til one day Grandmother left her little hat and hat pin on her head.
I'll sometimes rearrange the living room, works every time, like i just REALLY did something lol
This is great!! I am definitely guilty of running around crazy right before hubby gets home. Thanks for sharing!
LOL I don't have to do this right now because my husband is deployed but I am definitely pinning this so I can use it later! I post my cleaning projects on my blog so that when he complains that I spend too much time on my blog, I can shoot him a link like a boss.
If you actually do these couple of things each day when you should, you're not running around crazy at the last minute. Make your bed when you get up. Clean the sink out after each meal. Throw out your junk mail before toy set it down. Then you have time to do stuff that really matters. And yes. I work full-time and have kids and this is possible.
I try but sometimes the day just gets away from me. 🙂 The mail is the thing at my house. I feel like it's everywhere!
I think it is easier said than done when everyone is home all day. When you work outside the home, your kids are also outside the home... it's easier to keep the house up when no one is home all day to mess it up, eating, drinking and playing. As a stay at home Mom of 3 kids, I know how crazy it is and how the day gets away from you... one tip I have for quick clean up is sweeping everything into a pile and have the kids separate everything and put it away... I set a timer and any toys left on the ground go up in my closet for a few weeks... works every time...the pile of toys disappears quickly.
Power to you momma. I am glad you have a system that works for you and your family situation. It sounds very logical and easy. But sometimes I find with a 1.5 and 3 year old it isn't so black and white. But maybe I just have a more chaotic personality. Either way, I feel like I relate to the author's post. Your comment makes me feel like I should feel guilty for having a less than perfect house.
Believe me you should NOT feel guilty! There are people that like to clean and others who don't. I definitely DON'T like to. 🙂
That said, my husband can't tell me anything about a messy house. What was I doing all day? Keeping the kids alive and while teaching them some life skills.
You sound just like my husband!! Lol
Ha ha! Those are really cool! A few of them I too try to do! My home too gets really messy with my little boy!!! But then it would be a little refreshing for hubby to come home to a relatively cleaner room!!!
I hope he doesn't read this and know how you've been fooling him. LOL!
Me too! 🙂
Running the vacuum for sure! So many times I get a "the house looks nice" when all I did was vacuum the hardwoods and carpet downstairs!
haha! I can see Phil saying that!
I love these tips! I'm also a quick cleaner when time is short.
Lol! I do this too! Mad dash through the house 5 minutes before he gets home.
We must be on the same mental wavelength today. I did spring cleaning 🙂
I did actually clean today too!