kitchen cleaning obsession

in talking to friends last night i realizied that i have to have a tidy kitchen in the morning and when i get home from work. i really don't like to wake up to/come home to unwashed dishes, dirty counters and the smell of undumped trash. i tidy up before i go to bed and right after breakfast/dinner. my best friends have 2 kids and their kitchen is a disaster area, daily, and when i go visit, i'm hard pressed to sit on my hands and not clean it up. i can live with a lived in front room and my bathroom counter is littered with beauty supplies, but the kitchen is clean. i grew up in a 'very relaxed' housekeeping style, but mine is more rigid :p i guess. anyone else got a quirk like this?

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Originally Posted by joycenalex

I have to have a tidy kitchen ... ??

Anyone else got a quirk like this?

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:p

Dad's learned to not "obsess" so much ...
Since HE's in charge of da K.P. detail!

We still help out wiff "warshin" da Plates and Tools;
but we have trubbel doin da Kounters and inside da Nuke-Box.

We wuz kinda **AMAZED** at how he *spiffed up* da Ranch
just affore Aunt Nancy (his Sista) kame fur her visit a year ago ...
He 'bout hadda stroke tryin ta skrub stuff an toss junque affore she got here!

/s/ da Dish Warshers
:D

**raises hand** :o :o
I've pissed off more than one person with my anal ways......

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

:p We still help out wiff "warshin" da Plates and Tools;

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alex and peanut are theunofficial stretch-in-the-dishwasher-and-get-as-many-licks-as-can-champs of central ohio. :p

I like to keep my kitchen tidy and clean, but I'm not obsessed with it anymore. I can leave a few plates and cups until the next morning - I do rinse them though and pile them up. I have this beautiful old ceramic jar standing there, where I put cutlery in, and later I wash it all. I don't have a dishwasher.

I HATE ANYTHING LEFT IN THE SINK!!

My mom would have NOTHING sitting in the kitchen that was not clean - and not a crumb anywhere!

When I have time, I like to empty out the cupbourds and clean it all (did half of them recently), that also give me the benefit of remembering where everything is.

Joycenalex and Slick- you are always welcome here- and don't think you have to sit on your hands just to be polite :D

I am the exact opposite. I could truly care less about how my house looks inside! It's not horribly dirty, no nasty smells, but it's cluttered. I like to see my stuff! I have been known to leave dishes for days! I keep the counters fairly clear, but only because Onyx likes to pee on the them and he's worse about it if there is stuff left out, also slows down the huskies' counter surfing!

I intentionally leave the picture window dirty when my Mom is coming to visit. Drives her nuts! She cleans the dog nose prints off almost every day! It's become a running joke between us. She'd probably be offended if I cleaned if for her!

I clean the dog yards and litterboxes way more often than I clean the house! Stuart does much of the indoor housework, but he's never home so it gets done less often lately!

Stuart is amused to no end by my glass workbench--I clean it after every session, glass rods all sorted(although in a system only I understand!), little bits swept away, tools put back in their spots. It's the most organized, clean spot in my world!

I've always thought it would be nice to be obsessive about cleaning, but sadly, I'm not.

I do like a clean kitchen, but I have to admit I forget about the microwave
half the time. Noticed it just today, wow is it cruddy in there. :eek:

I'm not as good about cleaning in general as my Mom.There were 6
kids in my family & she cleaned all day long, god love her. :)

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Originally Posted by joycenalex

the unofficial stretch-in-the-dishwasher-and-get-as-many-licks-as-can-champs

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:D
My little Pomeranian/mix Mutt (during High School) used to "help" Mom with the dishes ...
An assistance that Mom couldn't STAND to observe or allow.

Now if MOM loaded the dishwasher, Lady din't even bother to check ... she KNEW that
Mom was a compulsive "dish rinser" and that not a smidgen of food would be left
clinging to a plate, dish, or tool when it was loaded in the dishwasher - by MOM.
She didn't really need the dishwasher ... her pre-rinse was as good as a wash!

But if my Sis or I was in charge of the pre-wash "rinse" in the sink and loading
of the d-washer ... then Lady had an extra meal commin up. :D
And of course WE knew that Lady could do a 100% Complete "pre-wash rinse"
that could pass Mom's dishwasher pre-run inspection.
The only trick was to buy enough TIME that Lady could get everything Lick-Rinsed
BEFORE Mom came in the kitchen and busted us!

WOE be unto us if Inspector Mom interrupted the dog-assisted rinse & load operation! :eek:
Gettin caught resulted in UN-loading everything and RE-rinsing - with HOT water.

:D

I've always seen the both ends of the stick as far as kitchens are concerned, being a builder, I access a lot of peoples homes, and some kitchens I see are like as if they are straight out of a magazine they are that clean. But others are so filthy, that one wouldn't want to touch anything.
Wom

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Originally Posted by joycenalex

anyone else got a quirk like this?

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pretty much :p I am not as anal as I was at one time but yes, I really like everything cleaned up at night so I can wake up to a clean kitchen. When I have it the worst is before *leaving* for several days....I want to come home to a neat and clean house. OTOH, my bathroom vanity sounds like yours. It is *very* cluttered.

When I leave the kitchen at night it is spic and span. Since hubby stays up much later than I do (and EATS :rolleyes: ) I often come down in the morning to dishes in the sink. Sometimes it is interesting just to try and see what he has eaten by what is left on the plate/bowl. :p Of course my kids learned at an early age to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Hubby has not mastered that ability yet. :rolleyes: :mad:

I don't have a cleaning obsession. But I do have an obsession with things being put back where they belong. This is something I have not trained Bruce on......yet. I did train him on closing the toilet lid so Taz doesn't drink out of it. So there's hope for him yet! :)

I'm pretty loose where this sort of thing is concerned, but I like clean, even if I'm not achieving it everytime. Helen is great about unloading a dishwasher full of clean dishes and putting dirty ones in. Thank goodness for Helen! She doesn't like clutter and neighter do I, but I can count on her to make sure some of it is gone!!!! :)

The 16 year old girl that I have is priceless. Really. She is one of those who can handle a lot of stuff on her own and help keep our home neater and cleaner while she is on her summer break.

Logan

I haven't but would you like my front door key to get a bit more practise???

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Originally Posted by slick

**raises hand** :o :o
I've pissed off more than one person with my anal ways......

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But it wasn't me!!!:D :D :D

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Originally Posted by gini

But it wasn't me!!!:D :D :D

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Are you kidding???? You were ready to string me up...... :p ;)

today we started the long planned kitchen repainting. eileen, zach (a young friend) and i pulled down the late 1980s' wall paper, washed the walls of glue, mostly, and tore out the false ceiling above the cabinets, and moved 2 cabinets so i can switch the stove and fridge locations. next week i'm having a remodeler come out to install a heavy duty kitchen vent and a bathroom vent. the kitchen will be painted behrs' green tea with white trim. i can't replace the cabinets or flooring this year, but getting this done will hold off the bigger remodeling for a few more years. and i really need to learn how to post pictures :eek: so i can show off my work here. there is at least an hours worth of work ahead of me tonight. sigh.

Joyce, I'd like to invite you to come tidy up our kitchen anytime you'd like to. ;)

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Originally Posted by joycenalex

today we started the long planned kitchen repainting. eileen, zach (a young friend) and i pulled down the late 1980s' wall paper, washed the walls of glue, mostly, and tore out the false ceiling above the cabinets, and moved 2 cabinets so i can switch the stove and fridge locations. next week i'm having a remodeler come out to install a heavy duty kitchen vent and a bathroom vent. the kitchen will be painted behrs' green tea with white trim. i can't replace the cabinets or flooring this year, but getting this done will hold off the bigger remodeling for a few more years. and i really need to learn how to post pictures :eek: so i can show off my work here. there is at least an hours worth of work ahead of me tonight. sigh.

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Oh I hope you can post some pictures. I just love before and after shots. I am an HGTV addict and watch all of the shows that deal with remodeling. I love to watch the ones especially where the homeowners roll up their sleeves and do the work themselves. :)

pam, most of the work is being done with the assistance of tylenol, home depot, band aids, murphys' oil soap and colorful language. last night, the kitchen was tidy before i could sleep. this am i came in, pushed the button, dripped strong coffee and started up again....anyone got some tylenol? ;)

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Originally Posted by Barbara

Joycenalex and Slick- you are always welcome here- and don't think you have to sit on your hands just to be polite :D

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Same here!!