Cleaning as therapy: Keeping on top of the mess!

There is something deeply satisfying about cleaning and tidying. Bringing order to chaos, getting rid of dirt and clutter and regaining control gives me a new sense of calm. Maybe cleaning as therapy should be prescribed!

Cleaning as therapy

Of course, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. It is hard work and takes time. However, I can only cope with a certain amount of disorder before I start to twitch.

I’m not an OCD cleaner by any stretch of the imagination or a minimalist. I am not madly house proud, but I need to do a good weekly clean throughout to make me feel that all is right with my little world!

I spent the whole day yesterday doing a deep clean of the house. I hit the cobwebs in all of the corners and cleaned all the woodwork and skirting boards with hot water and my home made cleaning spray. The windows all got a good shine and I washed all of the hard floors. The oven was scrubbed, as were the sink and fridge. I also wiped all of the cupboard fronts in the kitchen. Then the usual hoover and polish throughout, and I felt I had it covered.

Puppy challenge

It’s not easy staying on top of the muck in our house since we got Archie. He is such a naughty pup! He will shred and paper or cardboard he manages to sneak when we aren’t looking and leave bits all over the place. Or he brings in sticks from the garden and destroys them on the carpet.

He is a cockerpoo and they aren’t supposed to shed much of their fur. Archie didn’t read the cockerpoo manual, so he leaves bits of his blonde fluff on every surface. The cats do the same.

Then there are the wet and muddy paws after our regular walks. We wipe them as we come in, and sometimes have to dip them straight into a bowl of warm water. However, it’s hard to get all the muck off.

Mrs Hinch has a dog and her house is always spotless. I can only assume she makes him wear wellies and takes them off at the door!

Get rid of the clutter

I don’t like a lot of clutter either. I tend to keep on top of it as I go. However, there are some drawers and cupboards that need a bit of a clear out. What is the point of keeping loads of stuff you never use that just sits in your house gathering dust? If you leave it too long, you forget you have it!

I do a regular wardrobe declutter, but haven’t done the kitchen cupboards for a while. They are on my hit list.

Now that autumn has arrived I will take advantage of having less to do in the garden and start to go through some of those dark corners. Definitely something for another day I think.

The garden does need a tidy up too to get ready for winter. The veg patch needs clearing and lots of things need cutting back. The greenhouse also needs sorting. 

Cleaning as therapy works for me, even if it is a never ending job. I may not be obsessive about it and I certainly don’t want to spend hours each day doing it, but I do find it soothes my soul to have a clean and ordered house. How about you?