On House-Cleaning...

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There’s something about writing, and posting online those mundane tasks we normally “take for granted” esp. if we have to “nudge” ourselves to accomplish these tasks!

In writing this, it must be asked if difficulties with tasks stem from executive functioning, or aversions, or both; that is difficulties common with the Autism Spectrum?

Take house-cleaning for instance: Writing about cleaning our living-spaces can serve as not only an awesome substitute for that “same-old same-old ‘TO DO-list” - and possibly a motivator of sorts! After all, how much time do we spend on Wrong-Planet, versus the time we spend on TO-DO lists??

On laundry: The light colored garments (yes, I learned long-ago to separate the lights for the darks), and dark colored clothes i.e.,pants, shirts, and towels. I’m glad Spring is here, hence the lighter weight of warmer weather clothes to carry to the laundromat, and load into the front-loading machines (It was learned that front-loading washers use less water than top-loading washers - important to learn during the drought here in CA). I don’t have to “nudge” myself as much as I used to in putting-away and hanging-up the clothes.

Cleaning sheets is often considered the last batch of laundry to clean. Anybody here have an aversion to folding bed-sheets? Anybody tired of those sheets becoming unraveled from the bed during sleep?

On sweeping and vacuuming a one-room apartment: Accept for two rugs, the flooring is faux wood; hence sweeping is the main part of cleaning the floor. A battery-powered vacuum is used to clean the rugs, and parts of the floor. No matter how often I charge-up the vacuum, I could always hear the vacuum ”running out of juice” while in use. I might consider getting a plug-in basic upright plug-in cord floor vacuum, as AC power is well…….. more powerful, and reliable than those battery-powered vacuums.

The kitchen: Being a small kitchen, it’s fairly easy to clean. Those dreaded dishes, and utensils can easily pile-up (two to three times a week doesn’t suffice). I remember my Dad joking by saying that I will only be allotted seven sets of each of forks, spoons, knives, and dishes just to encourage frequent clean-up. The pots and pans are usually soaked, and cleaned withing two-days; as my kitchen-sink, and counter-space are quite small.

The counter-tops, and stove-tops are periodically cleaned. That self-cleaning oven is terrific. Once every six-months (for two-to three hours) is recommended of cleaning; there is something fun about watching, and smelling a self-cleaning oven burning-off all of that grease, and grime!

The bathroom: Another thing easily overlooked. Cleaning the sink, mirror, floor and the bathtub; the tub, and tile must be scrubbed. Some of the cleaners on the market speed-up this process, yet, bending-over with a rime of the bathtub jabbing the stomach is well…unavoidable.

And finally, the most overlooked task……. dusting. I find keeping-up with dusting is worse than keeping-up the cleaning of the kitchen, and even the bathroom. Next on the agenda, dusting.

Thank-you

I suck at cleaning.

I realize its utility, though.

Drinking glasses, reusable plastic food storage containers, and coffee-cups are usually on that 'need-to-clean" agenda in the sink! Coffee-cups temporarily store need-to-clean forks, knives, and spoons.

I gave away all of the narrow, and narrow-tall glasses, and now use wide glasses, and coffee mugs to ease-cleaning.

Anybody prefer using bristle scrubbers instead of sponges to clean dishes, glasses, etc.? Can anybody do without a dishwasher? Actually, I prefer the "old-fashioned-way" of washing over a dishwasher.

Anybody remember the 1990s TV Series 'Home Improvement?' A few of the episodes included house-cleaning. I loved a well though-out comedy, and the Taylor's neighbor Wilson giving his novel advice!

I haven't had a dishwasher in years. I kinda ohm out on washing dishes... my brain goes on auto mindfulness. It calms me down. I tend to wash them with old t-shirts that I cut up into rags, or just use my hands if I'm particularly stressed.

Good call on the tall, narrow glasses. They're nice to look at but a pain in the backside to clean.

As for the op, yeah, to-do lists never manage to be much help for me... not consistently anyhow. I've been trying to create a routine that incorporates cleaning in a daily and consistent way. Been doing pretty good with it for about a month now, slowing adding on one thing a week. I find this to be more productive than random daily tasks.

I feel you on the dusting. I just added that to my routine this week. It tends to set off my ocd stuff and some other issues and it never seems important to me... one of those easy to overlook things that feel like it takes forever to deal with once I finally make myself do it. I started with one room and added a new one each day (just the downstairs though) so today it was just normal maintenance. I was pleasantly surprised with how little time it took today.

Anybody use natural cleaning products? It's sometimes found that the well....toxic cleaners clean better than natural cleaners. The cleaning products applying "oxygen-based cleaning" are a favorite.

It's said that 'fresh-air' and sunshine are the true natural deodorizers! Spring cleaning anybody?

Someone mentioned using bristle brushes instead of sponges. I've realised I'm much better at doing the washing up since I started using a Dishmatic sponge with handle. Not sure why it's made such a difference, but it has. We don't own a dishwasher or have space for one, sadly.

I like the idea of standing cutlery in a cup/mug until I've washed it. Space saver!

I do really struggle and I'm always trying to find ways to improved but I get overwhelmed and shut down so quickly.

You're probably better than me, Ariel

Dusting - takes me 4 hours to do our 3 bedrooms, the family room and the living room.


Deep cleaning -I have to do things in a certain order - It takes me 3 days to get all if it done the weekend and 1 weekday. Apart from the everyday chores - sweeping up, moping, vacuuming, dishes, bathroom, kitchen which I do everyday. I do the inside of the cabinets every other week.

The only thing I hate doing is folding/hanging up the laundry after its done.

I don't use the dishwasher every time but I do use it to steam-sanitize dishes after I clean them the old fashioned way once a while.

I use a brush to clean the glasses. I buy one every week and throw the old one out. With the
sponge I bring out a new sponge every 3 days. Otherwise I keep obsessively thinking about not using a clean sponge or a brush.

^^You have a good system there!

Anybody find themselves picking-up books, newspapers, and other miscellaneous items from tables, and shelves in order to dust-off surfaces?

i'm still getting used to cleaning/taking care of a whole house by myself. not that my house is very big, but there are lots of details that overwhelm me and i end up forgetting or putting them off. the basics are easy enough to remember -- laundry, dishes, vacuuming and sweeping, wiping counter tops, cleaning bathroom appliances.

but things like dusting the ceilings, cleaning out underneath the couch or just moving furniture to clean under and behind in general, wiping down the inside of the fridge, getting the burnt bits out from inside the stove, remembering about the front and back porch, and other similar details are harder for me. i think it's just taking a long time to get used to a more detail-oriented routine.


organizing is the absolute hardest for me. i really have no inherent ability to understand proper organization. i have my own natural chaotic organization system but it isn't practical, useful, or sustainable in the long term. like, i know it isn't logical to have so many bowls and boxes and bins of object medleys...or have three separate places in my house to keep bathroom-type objects, only one of those spots actually located in the bathroom.

there is also a worsening pile-up of stuff in my bathroom/laundry room, specifically on top of the dryer. it's just a mix of random things that go there because i don't know where else to put them, or i tried organizing a different area of my house and put the stuff i wasn't sure about there short-term, until i could figure it out. but never did.

clothing organization is hard because not only do i have to figure out an order for them in the first place, but then as i have to wear clothes every day and wash them its a constant cycle, quite like a tornado! i have a small closet for coats/dresses/nicer items, a bin for regular clothes that never stay folded, and a bin for socks/underwear/hats/misc items (headphones, makeup, an umbrella, a coloring book, a flat head screwdriver, some CDs, and various wires???).

when i write it out it seems a lot more ridiculous than i think about it in my head!