I don't like cleaning.

But I also don't like a messy, dirty home. It is usually my dislike for a messy home that motivates me to clean up. If I am gonna have company over that is a good motivator too as I don't want to have my guests judge me on the state of my mess.

Part of my problem is that I also have a cat and a dog who shed like crazy! The cat hair sticks to everything and the dog hair gathers together in small little puffs in the corners. With the amount of animal hair I can collect in one week I could make myself a pair of hair socks or a hair vest. Now that Spring is here the pet hair is increasing as they both shed the 'winter' layer they both built up last year in preparation for the colder weather.

I often wonder why nature makes my indoor cat grow a winter coat. She rarely goes outside and it is usually only when it is warm enough to be comfortable. She is not a fan of cold weather any more than I am. She doesn't like snow, hail, sleet, rain or any other cold & wet winter like weather. There are even days when it is fresh, sunny and warm out and she still won't cross the door threshold to run outside. She just sits about a foot away and sniffs the breeze that is blowing into the house for a minute or two then walks away, with that typical cat attitude.

I love my cat and the dog but the hair they constantly leave lying around is a constant ordeal to clean up. It likes to hide behind and under things as well, not just in the corners. When we vacuum we move some of the lighter furniture around so the little clumps of hair can be found and sucked up. If the cat would let me I would take the vacuum to her on a weekly basis with one of the brush attachments to see if I could remove the hair before it collects everywhere else. Alas, the cat has declined that option, quite vehemently.

Another problem with the house cleaning is my boyfriend. He doesn't mind doing some vacuuming, sweeping or washing laundry. He does have a problem with dishes, kitchens in general, bathrooms and folding laundry.  I am the one that does the majority of the cooking so I figure that when I cook he can clean the kitchen. When he cooks I will clean. I believe that is a fair deal. I don't make big messes when I cook as I tend to clean a little as I go along. He on the other hand makes a bigger mess than me anytime he cooks. He doesn't agree with this deal because he just doesn't want to do the dishes. He will straighten up the kitchen a bit but will go as far as he can without actually washing the dishes unless I refuse or the pile has gotten more than he can handle.

In our small kitchen it doesn't take long for the dishes to pile up. After 1-2 meals there is a pile that looks huge in the teeny tiny kitchen that we use. There are also some meals that tend to use more dishes in the process of prepping and cooking than others. In this small kitchen it definitely does not take much to fill the sink and blanket the counters with the dirty dishes.

It all gets done eventually. We typically don't let the mess pile up too much as we both do not like living in a mess. For the most part the bathroom is my job with the vacuuming, sweeping and general tidying up is his job and we both grumble & complain about the kitchen but it is done on a regular basis. With the laundry we pretty much do our own clothes. If I start doing his then he will expect it all the time. He is a little spoiled that way. If you do something for him he expects you to keep it up. If he can get away with some one else doing it then he will. He grew up with others doing much of it for him so as an adult he wants the same. Too bad the big wide world doesn't quite work that way, at least not in this household!

I was raised to do it on my own. So I expect him to show his independence and use his skills by doing it by himself as well. I was also taught that if you don't like something then do it well the first time so you don't have to redo it again later. This works for cleaning too. Do it well then you won't have to redo it until the next time it is due!

And as we all know, there will always be a next time!