‘We Keep Our Homes Clean Despite the Neighborhood!’
“SOME of them just don’t care,” sighed the discouraged social worker. “They complain that nobody’s going to make the neighborhood any better, yet some won’t even try to help themselves and at least keep their own homes clean.”
This woman had just spent several months visiting her neighbors as part of an organized effort to clean up the neighborhood. The effort failed. The area is still peppered with vacant lots cluttered with loose bricks and shattered glass, boarded-up apartment houses—empty and burned out—and debris-lined streets.
Yet despite this, a few homes in the neighborhood are delightfully clean. Those who live in them have met the challenge of the dust, the grime, the bugs and the mice. What made the difference?
The Need to Care
“Although I’m living in a poor neighborhood and don’t have many of the things I would like,” stated one mother of seven, “I was taught by my mother that whatever you have, keep it clean. At that time we didn’t have much furniture, but the floor was spotless.” This woman cares, and her home reflects that concern.
Another homemaker, who lives nearby, agreed. She said: “You don’t need plenty of money to make a home look nice. Even something very modest, if clean, looks nice.” Then, reflecting on her childhood, she continued: “When I was growing up, my aunt, who raised us, used to get the empty fertilizer bags and make our sheets and pillowcases out of these. These big sacks were a yellow white, but she would boil them until they were milk white. Then we would sew them together and embroider the pillowcases. They were so pretty, and we would wash them often enough that they always stayed clean and white.”
Regardless of how little they had, these persons took pride in their possessions. “There’s a lot of pride in keeping things clean,” reported one housewife who has been cleaning for 40 years. “For me it’s a challenge to go into a room and look for dirt and clean it out. You see, I like to see things sparkle.”
Why do some care? Sometimes it’s because they have appreciatively taken notice of the evidence of a Creator who cares and who is clean. “When I was younger I would watch the clouds,” admitted one homemaker. “I saw how clean they appeared. I thought, ‘Well, God made those puffy clouds so white. Surely, then, he must like things clean.’ Therefore, I wanted to keep my clothing and my home just as neat and clean.” She did, and her immaculate home now stands in stark contrast to the neighborhood.
The world around us does give evidence of a Designer who is conscious of cleanliness. The natural cycles are so arranged that no waste remains untreated. Just think, trees are never for long covered by a layer of dust. Rain and wind see to that. Plant residue does not keep building up because billions of tiny organisms turn it back into fertile soil. Orderliness is evident in both the large and the small things in the universe. The Creator’s example has moved some housewives to show similar care.—Rom. 1:20; 1 Cor. 14:33.
But it takes more than simply caring to have a clean house.
“Without a Schedule My Whole Day Is Backward”
“I find that working without a schedule, I don’t get a thing done. Without a schedule my whole day is backward,” confessed a housewife whose home, despite the neighborhood, sparkles. Some women dislike the thought of a schedule, for it involves self-discipline. Regardless of what you call it—a routine, schedule, plan or guide, its purpose is to give you an idea of what to do and when. You may not accomplish everything on the schedule, but it will help.
“I know of no job, whether it’s running a factory or bathing a baby,” reports the British journalist Shirley Conran, “that isn’t easier, quicker, and more enjoyable if you think about it logically in advance—and that’s all that efficient organization is.” Other experts and housewives with much experience heartily agree.
Some women write the schedule down and others keep it in their head. They list the tasks to be done daily, weekly, monthly or seasonally. They may determine how much time they have (or want to spend) for cleaning and then organize a routine. Interruptions are bound to occur, but at least they have a general “battle plan,” and once a reasonable routine is established the results are amazing.
Facing It Day After Day
Of course, the best plan is a flop unless it is followed. Even all the proper tools —dust rags, mop, broom, feather duster, sponges, vacuum cleaner and soaps—will not clean the house by themselves. Frankly, cleaning is hard work! And if there are certain chores that you don’t like, real effort is going to be needed to get them done.
“My hardest problem in keeping the house clean was disciplining myself,” acknowledged a mother of three who also works full time outside the home. “I really have to work continually on disciplining myself.”
The box showing “Daily Incentives” contains some things that several longtime homemakers listed that have helped them to cope with the day-by-day grind of cleaning a house.
Not all persons are motivated by the same thing. However, by your keeping a positive attitude toward housework not only will your house stay clean but you will grow to enjoy the work more. Those who do enjoy caring for their homes are also usually alert to ways in which to lighten the load.
Make It Easier for Yourself
Children who are properly trained can make it easier for a homemaker by helping to keep the house clean and tidy. Such training requires firmness on the parent’s part, but it results in good for both the parent and the child. As the Bible states: “If one is pampering one’s servant from youth on, in his later life he will even become a thankless one.”—Prov. 29:21.
The type of material you select to cover your walls, floors and furniture can also lighten your work, making cleaning easier. Semigloss paint can easily be washed and will still look nice. Floors that do not require constant waxing may also save work. “But dark velvets on furniture seem to reach out and grab lint!” declared one housekeeper. She would choose in-between colors, preferably speckled, that will not show dirt so easily. Before buying furniture, it is always good to check on the serviceability of the fabric. A few more dollars spent initially may result in obtaining something that will be easier to clean and will hold up to normal wear much longer.
Something else that can make your work easier is orderliness. “That old saying, ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ sounds trite, but it’s Survival Rule No. 1 if you want to get your house under control,” states the book How to Run Your House. Clutter can be harder to deal with than mud! Usually, if unneeded items are discarded and the house is regularly straightened up, it will have a clean appearance—even if it has not been thoroughly scrubbed for some time.
In neighborhoods with many abandoned buildings, mice may present a problem for you. “We tried traps and all kinds of poisons,” bemoaned one woman, “but nothing really stopped them. It was so bad I felt I would have to leave. Then I got rid of the poisons and got a cat, and now I haven’t seen a mouse or a rat in three months.” The cat surely made it easier and brought a lot of fun as well. What about roaches? They can be a problem. Yet, if you keep your home free of food crumbs and clutter and exterminate regularly, they, too, can be controlled. A sense of humor will also help, because an occasional one or two may still venture out to greet your guests.
Naturally, circumstances vary considerably from one home to another. What might make things easier for one person would burden another. But look for ways to lighten your load. Every little bit helps!
From Sloppy to Spotless—“I Made the Change”
“When I was growing up, our house was a mess!” stated a mother of three. “Though I loved my mother dearly, she just was not a housekeeper. So we never learned to make our beds, straighten up our room or clean the house.” Such an upbringing affected this woman’s adult life. As she explained: “After marriage, I watched my house become dirtier and dirtier, but I thought to myself, ‘There’s so much to do. Let me rest today. I’ll get around to it sometime.”’ But “sometime” rarely came and this caused real marital problems.
“My husband is really a neat person. He would complain about the condition of the house,” she admitted. “One word would lead to another till we had a real argument going, and then he would walk out.”
Finally, something changed this woman’s life. She began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and associate with them. Most people realize the truthfulness of this press report that followed one of the big international conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses: “Their cleanliness is now almost legendary. A week ago a corp of volunteer Witnesses washed down every seat in the Yankee Stadium. When they leave on Sunday night, the ball park will be spotless.” Such good habits began to rub off on this woman. In addition, she said: “The more I learned about Jehovah God, the more I wanted to please him. At the large conventions there were talks, even skits acted out, to help us see the need of keeping our homes clean. Though improved, my house was still far from really clean.”
Then came the turning point. While helping to clean a stadium in preparation for a large convention, she overheard someone ask: “Why clean up before the assembly?” The answer she overheard deeply impressed her: “We want the spirit of the holy God to be here; so the place has to be clean!” (Compare Deuteronomy 23:13, 14.) She then reflected on her own untidy home and got busy. Now, with the help of her husband and three young children, it is spotless.
Rewards That Are Worth the Effort
Cleanliness can save time, money and needless aggravation. Furniture and floor coverings last longer. When one cannot find things or does not have clean clothing, tensions can build and tempers can flare. Yet, a clean, orderly home is a haven where one can find comfort.
“It makes life more enjoyable.” “You don’t have a guilty conscience.” “If anyone rings my bell, regardless of the time, I can always let him in and not feel embarrassed.” “My family can relax.” These too are rewards mentioned by housewives who struggle against the neighborhood environment to keep their homes clean.
In the face of neglect and indifference on the part of many of their neighbors and the relentless surrounding dirt, these diligent homemakers, by the example of their own immaculate homes, forcefully say: ‘It’s really possible to keep your home clean despite the neighborhood!’
[Box on page 14]
DAILY INCENTIVES
REWARD YOURSELF AFTER FINISHING A TASK. Perhaps sit down and relax a few minutes or have a snack. You can do this after a prescribed step is completed during your cleaning routine, rather than when the whole job is finished.
SET DEADLINES. Determine how long a job or each step should take and try to time yourself.
DO THE HARDEST JOB, either first thing, or at a time when you are at peak energy.
NEVER FORGET WHY. It is a means to an end, not the end in itself. You want to show love for your family by making their living conditions as pleasant as possible.
[Chart on page 13]
A WRITTEN SCHEDULE MAY HELP KEEP TASKS IN ORDER
Each Day Weekly Monthly or Occasionally
Monday January
February
Tuesday March
Wednesday April