When it comes to a clean house, my husband and myself, well, we tend to be sticklers. We like our home to be at least tidy at all times. Being minimalists, it isn't too hard, and clean up even after the worst our kids and ourselves can manage, it will rarely take more than ten minutes to straighten things up. This is one of the nice side effects of minimalism.
There is one thing, however, that we don't bother cleaning up: our supper mess. This may seem a little controversial, but we habitually leave the kitchen when we're done with supper and don't bother with it that night. We rarely even clear the table.
Why?
Because our kids go to bed and it's adult time. It's not that we hate cleaning - obviously, we don't mind - but being on our feet after we've both had a long day... it feels like drudgery. We've tried one of us cleaning up while the other puts kids to bed. We've tried cleaning up together. We've tried taking turns with the task. No matter what, it just eats up our time - and our moods - in a way that makes our special time alone much less satisfying. So we leave it. The next morning, I get up early and clean up supper mess, which takes about 15 minutes, and I actually enjoy it. We still get the satisfaction of a clean kitchen in the morning, and we don't sacrifice the time together the night before.
It is a common argument that cleaning up doesn't take much effort, it makes your morning brighter, and the fact you're doing it together can be romantic and fun. Maybe it is that way for you, and if so, great! But if it isn't, is it possible you could do things a little differently and be better for it? It does seem counter-intuitive to leave a mess when a clean home relaxes you, but sometimes other things are more important.
Is there a task you do differently than people recommend because it makes sense for your family?
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