I am the housekeeper at my house, like many women who live in heterosexual couples with dual incomes. I didn’t mind so much as a single woman and my husband living in our tiny home. However, since having children and relocating to a larger home, cleaning and chores are never-ending.
All of this to declare I’m exhausted. When I was first presented with the concept of”cleaning vacations “by Katie Berry, who wrote ” 30 Days to a Clean and Organized House,” I was fascinated. It is said that being the housekeeper’s primary responsibility is also a job like any other job. And like all jobs, it allows you to take time off. So why not take some time off from the chores? Of course, there are certain essential tasks you’ll have to accomplish; however, in general, you should you can take a week or two off to “[fill] your soul with things that make you happy.”
How to Take a Cleaning Vacation
As with any trip, you should prepare before your trip and “figure out the least you can do to stay sane and do that,” Berry advises.
Choose an appointment
Similar to a typical vacation, it is essential to be prepared. Choose a date and duration based on what’s practical for you and other upcoming events.
Choose your non-negotiables
“It’s going to be different for every home,” Berry says, based on the household’s needs and care responsibilities. Some of your non-negotiables could include keeping the food preparation areas and bathrooms clean to ensure hygiene. These could also have the search for alternatives that could be waste or costly to be used constantly. However, it will simplify your non-negotiables during your time off from cleaning, like eating from plates made of paper or wiping the toilets using disposable bathroom wipes.
Prepare
Similar to how you’d gather items and gear up for your regular trip, You may also need to complete some pre-planning in preparation for your clean-up vacation. Berry suggested I “pre-load” some cleaning tasks, such as finishing laundry or preparing and freezing some meals.
For many, are there unanswered questions when it comes to planning? Do you need to discuss your clean-up vacation with others in your household? “If you talk about it ahead of time, it’s a vacation; if you don’t, then it may be perceived as a strike,” Berry says. Berry. If the people you share a home with are already taking an active role in keeping the house clean, it is necessary to discuss whether they’ll go on a cleaning break in the same manner or if they’ll help you on your cleaning holiday.
Suppose that the distribution of household work is currently unfair or your efforts to clean don’t seem to be appreciated by other adults living in your household. If you’re not getting the recognition you deserve, a “cleaning strike” might be an option to restore this imbalance. “Sometimes it’s good to remind our partners that we’re doing this voluntarily,” Berry says. Berry.
Go on an excursion
If you’re ready to go, choose your vacation’s duration as long as two weeks; then, it’s time to enjoy your much-needed break.
My One-Week Cleaning Vacation Plans
I went on a cleaning break and established my non-negotiables like the following:
Dishes and counters in the kitchen (maximum every day to wash).
Cleaning up toys (leading once daily and only if it’s the baby’s mess).
Bathroom surfaces (as required with disposable wipes).
Before my clean-up vacation, I ensured that the house was cleaned, dusted, and mopped, and I was up to date with laundry. I also ensured we had all the ingredients needed for a variety of one-pot meals that were easy to prepare to give our daughter healthy food while minimizing the dishes.
I alerted my friend before taking my time cleaning, and he was helpful. He has a greater tolerance for messes than I do, and he had a busy time at work during the week I scheduled for my cleaning holiday. We decided not to intervene if the mess was troubling him, but the task would be completed by his assigned jobs (like cleaning up garbage).
How It Went
On the first day of my life, I made the non-negotiables for myself and decided that any chores I performed would only be done every day and then at night. Making our breakfast dishes go in the sink and not feeling guilty was a pleasant surprise. I also enjoyed more time and brain space to spend time with my daughter during the day when I’m not stressing about how to complete the chores.
As the evening wore on, I was overwhelmed by the mess, including the counters and dishes, and touched only once rather than cleaning them as I went. The lot can accumulate fast when you have a child. While it was nice that I had more time during the day to concentrate on her needs, I did not feel at ease.
A couple of days later the past, I gave up on vacuuming my living space. My daughter began walking, and mud was tracked into the garden. It wasn’t right to force her to crawl through the mud. I only cleaned the area where she plays rather than cleaning all the downstairs as I would typically do if I had a vacuum cleaner out.
Also, I did a tiny laundry because my daughter needed clean clothes. Watching the remainder of the laundry pile up indeed gave me some anxiety. I was sure I’d finish it, but while it was good to get away, I could not think about the laundry I’d need to complete.