Who had a cleaner house? The Walton's

[Deleted]

or the Cleavers and is your house as clean as or cleaner than either?

I am more like the Walton's. Mine is lived in and mostly hygienic.

Mine is not like the Cleavers. That woman can clean and I don't mean what she wears to do it.

[cinlou]

My house is lived in and I have earned that dust!

[daniela]

I love having a clean house. I cleaned today, and I'm actually so excited to go to bed tonight, because I switched my room around, and cleaned everything! I love clean sheets too!

My mom always tells me that a good housekeeper has clean corners. I always make sure that I clean the corners now too!

Our house is not immaculate, it's lived in by 4 people, and 2 dogs ( they don't shed), but, it's not filthy. I would say it's like the Walton house.

[ForeverWaltons]

I think mine is more like Yancy Tucker's. LOL!

[patriciaanne]

Oh dear...definitely not a Cleaver household here. Probably a cross between Yancy Tucker and the Waltons. My dog and cats live inside with me, but I have no chickens in the house. The horses are strictly outside pets. But sadly, I don't have Grandma here to help me so the house definitely does not get cleaned as often as the Walton household.

[Sussie of Teckelhut Acres]

My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy.

[River]

My house is Walton clean but not Cleaver clean. I work outside the home so everyone must pinch in and help clean. My boys know how to do laundry, do dishes, vacuum and dust, and clean the bathroom. They are also expected to wipe down the doors, blinds, and baseboards. Not to mention they do lawn work. My oldest loves to cook. When I stayed at home, then the home was Cleaver clean although I did not do it in high heels and pearls.

[JeriJet]

Growing up, I never saw anything but immaculately clean houses -- ours and all my friends' homes....

It's quite a different story nowadays.... we can blame it on women/mothers having to work outside the house, but many women did that years ago, too.... And now the claim is that about 10% of folks are "hoarders" -- what's with that ?? (not saying that I'm not !!) .... I think we are all too busy with the "wrong" things.... our priorities are screwed up.... or, maybe, we've gotten quite lazy because all the time/work-saving "machines" have made chores much easier.... and, it's been so many years since we faced much in the way of hardship.... have we lost our ability to "take care of business" ??

Just some of my ponderings....

[twinkle]

Oh boy, my house is clean but not very tidy most of the time. I have five sons, three still at home, a husband and two dogs. This poem has become my mantra over the past 28 years of my career as a mother ......

What did I do Today?

Today I left some dishes dirty;
The bed got made around 3:30.
The nappies soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before,
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall,
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those windowpanes
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?

I held a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while he wept.
I played a game of hide and seek;
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that' s true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone,
With deep blue eyes and soft red hair,
If that is true . . . I've done my share.

[Deleted]

Jul 30, 2014 7:30:01 GMT -5 JeriJet said:

Growing up, I never saw anything but immaculately clean houses -- ours and all my friends' homes....

It's quite a different story nowadays.... we can blame it on women/mothers having to work outside the house, but many women did that years ago, too.... And now the claim is that about 10% of folks are "hoarders" -- what's with that ?? (not saying that I'm not !!) .... I think we are all too busy with the "wrong" things.... our priorities are screwed up.... or, maybe, we've gotten quite lazy because all the time/work-saving "machines" have made chores much easier.... and, it's been so many years since we faced much in the way of hardship.... have we lost our ability to "take care of business" ??

Just some of my ponderings....

If you watch June Cleaver take care of her home, it is a full-time job, it is her job. She did it well.

There is a lot to be said about immaculate. There is more order, you can find things easier and save money because you do not repurchase what you have but can't find. Because of her deep cleaning, she is able to discover what needs to be fixed around the house and get a quick simple repair versus a more detailed repair later. It is easer to get ready to go some where as everything is in its  place etc... I think that it is even a calmer environment. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

If you look at the Cleaver's first home, it was a modest middle class home. The boys were well fed and have several items of decent clothes. Most people wouldn't live in the first house. It would be too small, not grand enough. Not impressive enough.

The clothes today are flimsy and we require many more clothes then we did before. We do not have quality clothes that we repair, but junky ones we throw away instead of mending.

[patriciaanne]

I love it when my home is clean and orderly. But there is only ONE of me and I work more than a full time job and have animals to take care of--along with a farm--a couple of hobbies (including riding) and family and loved ones I want to spend time with. I also have animals who live INside my house and who shed. (I've asked them politely to not shed anymore, but so far to no avail.)

If you have children and your home is "immaculate" for more than 5 minutes at any one time, you're doing something wrong. Either your kids are locked in the closets or you are following them around cleaning 24/7, which means you're not spending any fun time with your kids. 

Like everything else in life...it's all about balance.

[wmfan/waltonsportwriter]

I am not a great cleaner lol. I don't like chemicals phobias etc and I get allergic to the dust. I also hate lifting everything up to clean. But it must be done. I have done so on occasion, but I appreciate good cleaners and cooks. We are spoiled watching the WLtons actually they were spoiled. We don't always get those meals cooked daily like the Waltons did. John and Zeb come barking in Where's the food the men are hungry lol

[JeriJet]

Aug 3, 2014 8:56:02 GMT -5 @tankeryanker said:

Jul 30, 2014 7:30:01 GMT -5 JeriJet said:

Growing up, I never saw anything but immaculately clean houses -- ours and all my friends' homes....

It's quite a different story nowadays.... we can blame it on women/mothers having to work outside the house, but many women did that years ago, too.... And now the claim is that about 10% of folks are "hoarders" -- what's with that ?? (not saying that I'm not !!) .... I think we are all too busy with the "wrong" things.... our priorities are screwed up.... or, maybe, we've gotten quite lazy because all the time/work-saving "machines" have made chores much easier.... and, it's been so many years since we faced much in the way of hardship.... have we lost our ability to "take care of business" ??

Just some of my ponderings....

If you watch June Cleaver take care of her home, it is a full-time job, it is her job. She did it well.

There is a lot to be said about immaculate. There is more order, you can find things easier and save money because you do not repurchase what you have but can't find. Because of her deep cleaning, she is able to discover what needs to be fixed around the house and get a quick simple repair versus a more detailed repair later. It is easer to get ready to go some where as everything is in its  place etc... I think that it is even a calmer environment. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

If you look at the Cleaver's first home, it was a modest middle class home. The boys were well fed and have several items of decent clothes. Most people wouldn't live in the first house. It would be too small, not grand enough. Not impressive enough.

The clothes today are flimsy and we require many more clothes then we did before. We do not have quality clothes that we repair, but junky ones we throw away instead of mending.

Thinking back, I really don't remember my Mom doing a lot of cleaning.... and she had plenty of time to play with us, read to us  kids, etc... And, she did a lot of sewing and even crafts.... As you say, I believe it was a case of keeping up with everything in a timely manner.... even with grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup afterward, there was no problem keeping the house clean.... of course, kids have to be taught that if they get something out to play with, it gets put back !! ... also important to be sure your kids to keep their own rooms tidy and clean.... we weren't allowed to play (inside or outside) until our "chores" were done

Also thinking about the size of houses these days -- ridiculous -- and fosters a certain lack of "getting along together" .... too easy to keep away from each other, not necessary to speak to your own family !! ... the two houses I grew up in were fairly modest, and on small plots of land ... and I loved having neighbors so close by.... there were never any problems.... just a lot of good neighborly interaction..... nowadays, folks strive to keep neighbors as far away as possible.  A shame.

[Deleted]

I clean everyday, but not AS things get dirty. Mornings are crazy, so the cleaning happens in the afternoon. It makes me crazy to go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

I bet if June had the internet to play on... things wouldn't have been tidy ALL the time either.
Did she even have a social life?  In my opinion, you can't be everything to everybody without taking time for yourself too.

[River]

When I stayed at home with my children, I taught them to clean up after themselves. After they ate breakfast, they put their dishes in the dishwasher and we wiped the table down. After they brushed their teeth, they wiped the sink. When they got dressed in the morning, they helped me make the beds. I still had plenty of time to read and play with them. Chores like mopping and vacuuming waited until they took their naps or while they were playing with their blocks and trains. If you teach children when they are young they do it automatically when they are older. Now that they are teenagers, they know how to vacuum and mop and can help out.

Keeping an orderly home is essential for us. I cannot handle chaos and like it when everything is put away. Perhaps that is what is wrong with so many people today. Their house is not orderly. As a teacher I see way too many disorganized children. I spend more of our school time trying to organize children. Then I meet their parents, and realize it is a parental problem. Too many parents are disorganized, so how can their children be organized?

I cannot begin to tell you how many times teachers have to tell parents how to be organized. It is the basic homework rules, like find a quiet place to do homework, put it back in your binder when you are done, pack up the backpack the night before, etc. Last year I had a parent miss her child's yearly 504 meeting because she forgot, for the 3rd time! REALLY? Get a calendar and write it down! Her excuse, I knew I had an appointment, but I thought it was a dental appointment. No wonder your children cannot find anything. She was completely clueless and she is raising several children that are clueless.

I see the same children that are always late to school. The parents all say the same thing, "We just cannot get out of the house on time." Maybe you should set your alarm 30 minutes earlier. Maybe have your children pack up their book bags and put them by the back door the night before. Have them pick out their clothes the night before. It really is not that hard!

Step off soapbox.