We all know what happened as two-career couples became the norm over the last several decades: Scores of new duties came rushing onto our to-do lists like a tsunami. In the days of yore, Ozzie-and-Harriet families had one adult who went into the world to make money and another who managed the home front. Today, most families would collapse without two incomes. It's time to rewrite the rules your mother taught you for housecleaning. Nothing less than your sanity is at stake.
New Rules for Cleaning
New goals require new pathways for reaching them and a new mindset. Rather than perpetually marching toward perfection, we need real-world approaches—corner-cutting, time-saving, minimal-effort techniques for cleaning. Yes, we need ways of cheating.
The new rules for doing this are divided into two categories: mindset, to get you properly focused, and procedures, to make sure you expend no more time or energy than absolutely necessary. These general principles will serve as valuable background as you proceed to all the specific corner-cutting advice in the coming chapters.
Your Cheatin' Heart
Just what is it you spend so much time cleaning? Your material possessions. By redefining your whole approach to ownership, you can seriously reduce the time and effort you devote to cleaning. Here are some rules to put you into the cheat-at-cleaning frame of mind.Be brave enough to throw things out. Some of us actually have trouble throwing stuff away even when it's worn out, beyond repair and has no conceivable value to anyone. I contend you should dispose of possessions that are in good repair, too, if you haven't used them within the last year. This goes for clothing, appliances, kitchenware and more. Few of us have the extra physical and mental capacity to manage these unproductive items that clutter our homes.
Be willing to spend money in exchange for convenience. Tolerance for spending varies from one individual to another, but remember that convenience items virtually allow you to "buy" time—often for a surprisingly small cost. Keep in mind also that any cleaning challenge is an invitation—I say outright permission—to buy cool gear.
Acquire the right stuff, little by little.Your wardrobe is probably rife with clothes that stain easily, wrinkle readily or require special care, such as hand washing and dry cleaning. Cumulatively, these clothes are an enormous hidden burden in your life. But no one expects you to toss them all out today.
Just make sure that you replace worn-out clothes with stain- and wrinkle-resistant ones—items you can pull out of the dryer, hang and wear without further care. This Materials On a Program (MOP) philosophy applies to virtually everything you own—not only clothing but also furniture, flooring, vehicles, appliances, building materials and more. When it's time to buy something new, make easy care and easy cleaning priorities in your decision.
Don't buy things that cause you anxiety. Do you have a car that's so pricey you feel compelled to wash and wax it every weekend? Furniture that's so fine you use it only for special occasions? A suit that's so delicate you're on tenterhooks every time you wear it? These possessions are Anxiety-Inducing Luxuries (AILments), and your own ego is making your life miserable. Gravitate toward modest, easy-care, functional possessions, even when you can afford the high-ticket stuff.
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