Cleaning

I am not the neatest of people.  I don’t really know how to stay organized.  I think part of the reason is I am cheap therefore I don’t like to spend lots of money on shelves, baskets, and other organizing tools.  I have learned that to be organized everything must have a place but that doesn’t happen in my house.  I am working on this problem a little at a time but its even worse here with no storage!! 

It would surprise my mother that I am really working hard on being neat.  As my husband says, I try to “tidy then chill.”  I run the vacuum multiple times a week.  I do laundry and fold it the same day (MOST of the time!!).  I unload the dishwasher when it is clean, not when I need the dish! I sweep (and actually enjoy it!) often and mop once or twice a week.  I put the baby's toys away every night, even though I am just going to get them back out the next day. I even make my bed! If you have met me, this is a BIG improvement.  In previous apartments, I would vacuum when I moved out and maybe once every three months.  I am pretty sure I did not mop in any of my apartments.  I would just spot clean when I spilled on the floor.  And an occasional swiffer.  I know this makes me sound really gross but I am not.  I am messy, not dirty. 

In Italy, I am feeling like things are ALWAYS dirty.  I am not sure if there is more dirt or dust in the air, if it’s the tile floors, or if my cleaning abilities are seriously subpar.  I feel like immediately after mopping, the floor looks dirty again.  Or after dusting the tables, there seems to be another layer of dust that reappears.  It’s like the trick birthday candles that go out and immediately re-light.  You clean and immediately its time to do it again.

One area of cleaning that I know is not my fault is the dishwasher.  Italians don’t typically use dishwashers so they don’t work as well as American ones.  We wash the dishes by hand (where they are probably clean enough to be dried and put away) before we put them in the dishwasher.  And somehow, they still aren’t necessarily clean when the dishwasher is finished!  How do your dishes get dirty in the dishwasher??? 

Even if you clean the bathroom, it doesn’t seem to get clean.  Part of the problem in the bathroom is the water is so harsh and leaves calcium deposits on everything.  I mean, we have to clean our showerhead with vinegar once every three months.  I clean the bathtub after every bath and it still seems to have a feeling of a layer of calcium.

I hope that guests who come to my house don’t feel like the house is as dirty as I feel like it is.  It is a hopeless case!