Thursday, August 16, 2007

Cleaning for the Cleaning Lady

I have to admit it - I am not a clean freak. And the sad thing is that I HAD the potential to become a clean freak growing up in my parents' house...but I rebelled.

After 2 or 3 years of being baffled how many of my "Mommy Friends" keep their houses so clean, I have discovered the truth...many have cleaning ladies! Not all of them --- but many do. How sweet is that - someone to pick up the toys, clean the bathrooms, wash the floors, the list could go on for pages. I sit here in the computer room that is in disarray...thinking of the unwashed dishes in the kitchen, and the unfolded laundry on my dresser, and in the playpen! Fantasizing of hiring someone to tidy and clean and organize my house.....awe........

But that wonderful image suddenly explodes into a million pieces of Lego, thousands of dinky cars, and heaps of clean/dirty laundry with a vivid memory...cleaning for the cleaning lady!

Yep...while my mother kept a remarkably clean house (still does) she and my father opted for a cleaning lady once a week when I was in high school. I guess they must have given up on me ever inheriting my mom's clean-gene. And to give my mother and father a break on the tedious particulars of keeping a house tidy with two teenagers, they hired a cleaning lady. And every Thursday morning I would hear - "Laura Louise, clean for the cleaning lady - I do not want her to see how messy your room is".

WHAT?!?!?!?!? Clean for the CLEANING lady? How ridiculous is that?!?!?!?! But we did it - and it was all worth it when we returned from school to find the house sparkly and clean.

After hearing the tales of 3 of my Mommy Friends and how much they appreciate their cleaning lady (and the fact that one is accepting new clients!) I started wondering if we could afford someone to come in and clean once a week.

Then, I remembered the rush to "clean for the cleaning lady" and totally related to my mother's desire to not let the cleaning lady see how messy my room was...there is no way I could hire someone to come clean my house...I would have to clean too much!

So, instead, as I type the last line of this post I yell out to my 2 and 3 year old...."guess what- the cleaning lady is coming - let's clean for the cleaning lady..." (If they can have imaginary friends...I can have an imaginary cleaning lady!)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I used to have a cleaning lady, but she was that, a cleaning lady, not a pick up after me lady.... I keep my house picked up, but I despise scrubbing the shower, toilets, floors and dusting. This is what she did and she did it so well....she was so nice and fast and good and cheap. And she moved and now I do it myself again. Sigh.

Katy said...

oh wow! A cleaning lady!! That sounds lovely! LOL
Although...i AM a neat freak. I am not ridiculously so..but i do like having things clean. But i guess that is cuz i am a SAHM and i feel like that is my job..i mean, not a perfect house (although, i TRY...and fail to make it perfect). I like the feeling after i am done cleaning of the fact that i did it! LOL does that sound crazy? But oh the stress that would be lifted from me if I had a cleaning lady! LOL

wendybird said...

It sounds like you grew up in a house like mine. LOL! I was raised by a neat freak my mother even ironed the sheets.We had a cleaning lady and I was always made to clean my room before she came.I used to be a neat freak but at 42 and after many years I choose to relax. It doesn't bother me so muchanymore when things aren't put away etc. I walk by and say-LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT.
I really do wish I could have the luxury of a cleaning person though :)

Unknown said...

Yes, I remember we did that too. When I was young, both my parents were working so they had a cleaning lady come once/week. AND, we had to clean for the cleaning lady. And we joked about having to do it.
Now, I couldn't imagine having a stranger come in & try to sort through my paperwork messes. It would be nice if she could file too!