Really, does anyone enjoy doing housework? Like, anyone? I
know there are people who actually make
a living doing housework, like maids and housekeepers and such, and maybe it’s
not quite so horrible when you are getting paid to do it. (Still, cleaning the
house when it’s your own dirt and doing is bad enough, I can’t imagine how much
someone would have to pay me to do it for someone else. I work up an incredible
head of steam of resentment and hatred when I clean up after my own family, and
I LIKE them.)
Like everyone, I have some things I don’t mind doing, and
some things that I hate with the white hot heat of a thousands suns:
Chores I Loathe:
Cleaning the bathrooms. This one I hate the very, very most.
Maybe it’s because the bathrooms are the highest maintenance and most disgusting
part of the house, but cleaning the bathrooms is my number one hated chore.
There’s just SO MUCH to clean! And all the damn time, it never ends! I am very lucky that the Mister doesn’t mind
it as much as I do, and he takes care of it.
Cleaning the closets: I hate cleaning the closets because of
all the decisions you have to make. If all it entailed was taking everything
out and putting everything back in, I wouldn’t mind so much, but no, you have
to take everything out, and then DECIDE what goes back in. And there’s always
way too much to put back in. It’s like you never really did anything when you
are finished.
Cleaning windows: you wipe and wipe and wipe and they are
never ever, really clean. Just cleanish.
Washing and drying lettuce: this isn’t the worst job in the
world, but I loathe it. I always end up with water all over the counter and
bits of lettuce clogging the drain. It seems to take forever.
Drying the dishes: I will happily wash dishes, but I hate
drying them. Why spend your time doing what nature will do for you?
Emptying the dishwasher: how lucky and I to even have a dishwasher?
Very lucky. And you would think I would be much more amiable about only having
to empty the thing, but I feel like it’s the most boring, interminable job on
the planet. Once I timed myself doing it, to really see how long it took and it
was 7 minutes! I couldn’t believe it! What a crybaby I am! But it’s 7 minutes of pure torture.
Cleaning the fridge: There is always about 6 containers in the back of the fridge that have
been there probably since the last time I cleaned the fridge, and whatever is
in those containers has evolved into something so foul and revolting that it’s
easier to just keep the lids on them and not clean the fridge. Also, this is a
cold job, and deeply unpleasant in the winter.
Folding and putting away laundry: in a perfect hell, they
will play rap music, serve me blue cheese and liver, and make me pair up ten
thousand pairs of white socks, each pair with a tiny but significant feature that distinguishes it from the other
the other white socks.
Chores I Don’t Mind
Grocery shopping I actually quite like grocery shopping. I
know lots of people just hate it, but I get a kick out of seeing what’s new,
what deals I can find and deciding what I’m going to get to eat next. I’m also
lucky in that I don’t have to do my grocery
shopping on Saturdays, which would dampen my enthusiasm mightily.
Cooking: I do almost all the cooking here at Chez Loudshoes,
and that’s perfectly fine with me. She who cooks decides the menu. And I like my own cooking, so the
work is rewarding.
Ironing: Ironing is rather mindless, satisfying work….running
hot metal over clean clothes, smoothing out wrinkles and making everything look
nice, with hardly any effort. And it smells nice.
Changing the sheets: again, a chore that really doesn’t take
much time, but has a huge payoff. Sliding into clean sheets, particularly ones
that have dried on the line is thoroughly gratifying.Plus, the cat helps, and that's always fun.
Vacuuming: Vacuuming is pretty easy to do, and again, a huge
payoff. Any room looks SO much better after it’s been vacuumed. And this job
has the advantage of pissing the cat off like no other.
Then there are the Chores I Don’t Even Bother Doing:
Vacuum under furniture: why bother. I will vacuum when I
re-arrange the furniture. Or move out.
Dusting: If anyone in my house was allergic to dust, I’m
afraid they would just have to die or live somewhere else.
Polish silverware: I have some silver, probably given to me
as a wedding gift. I have never used it, because I would have to polish it. I
would rather eat with chopsticks than polish silver.
Clean behind the stove/fridge: I know Martha Stewart says I
should do this every few months, but seriously, can’t see it, won’t clean it.
Cleaning baseboards. Seriously, if you are my friend and you are looking at my baseboards, we are now not friends.
There’s always something I’d rather be doing than housework,
but at least the bare minimum gets done, even if I do swear a blue streak when
I’m doing it.
