I like to clean.
It’s not that I like it when things or dirty, or that I like doing dishes or vacuuming or cleaning toilets. It’s a hassle that takes time but has to be done (eventually).
And yet, I like to clean. That is, when I clean, I enjoy it. I believe many others share these unlikely happy times, so for those of you who don’t, or for those who do but don’t understand, I will outline the joys of cleaning.
#1 - Move Your Body
Life happens. And when you find you have some free time, you fill it up. Depending on your job, your responsibilities, and your favorite pastimes, it can happen that you spend a lot of time physically doing nothing. And no, going to the gym or yoga for one hour once a week doesn’t cut it. I’m talking about moving about every day... that doesn’t always happen. Admit it.
Cleaning, however, requires movement. If you’re doing dishes, you are moving your hands and arms, and probably standing. (Invest in a squishy mat, by the way, it’s worth it. And put on some music. Then sway.) Sweeping or mopping requires more vigorous movement, as vacuuming can. Countertop cleans mean strong circular arm movements, and it’s similar for windows and mirrors. Also, if you get into that cleaning groove and just have to clean EVERYTHING — and don’t finish one task before moving on to the next so you end up working around the house like 5 times — you can get hot and sweaty even in the winter. (Cleaning isn’t only for spring!) In order to clean more efficiently, you’ll find yourself tidying up everything, which moves you more and makes things look even nicer.
#2 - Brain Break
Cleaning requires lots of movement, but not so much brain work. You’ve probably done these tasks a hundred times, or if it’s your first time (say, the oven), you can figure it out pretty easily. It doesn’t take a genius to clean. You can be thorough and rough with that dirty stuff, and still your brain can take a quiet break from the toils of the day (or week or month). Engaging in these menial, mindless chores is like meditation. Go to your happy place. Even if you put on music and sing along, your brain is happily cruising on low. It’s a good thing in this busy world to give your brain a rest.
#3 - Constructive, Productive
But you aren’t just meditating. In fact, you may have a hard time meditating because each time you sit down to rest or do something you really want to do, you feel guilty because there’s just SO MUCH TO BE DONE!!!!!!
Thank goodness for cleaning. You can be productive AND rest, at the same time. If you’re getting stuff done, your little worry-wart nerves aren’t firing off, and that’s what I call relaxation. Well. Kind of.
#4 - Instant Gratification
Cleaning is rewarding in itself... yeah, but it’s best when it’s finished! You can look around you and know that you accomplished something, the kitchen is sparkling because you set your mind to it and did it. Often we must do things in our lives in hopes of gratifying consequences. We go work because we are counting on the reward to outweigh the labor, we know that we’ll need money and we hope for better opportunities to come with experience. But we always have to WAIT. Put your kids through school in hopes it gives them an education sufficient to become the next Einstein, Gates, or Jobs, but we won’t know if it was worth it until later. (In fact, look at the education those guys got.) Cleaning, like cooking, leads to an immediate positive result. As you are working you can see that result clearly, and it’s fairly easy to make sure it turns out that way (as long as nothing burns. Tip: Don’t use a flame torch on spiderwebs.).
#5 - No Demands
No one told you to clean. Maybe you told yourself, ok, I really gotta do the dishes today, but you not only did the dishes but cleaned the stove and wiped down the mixer. You didn’t have to. In fact you really didn’t need to do the dishes today. In so many parts of our lives, there are specific demands were are trying to fill. In your work of course, in your role as filial child, or spouse, or parent. Dishes and mixers and litter boxes make no demands on you. You can clean when you want, how much you want.
#6 - No Max, No Min
No one told you how much to clean. You could have done half of those dishes. You could scrub the walls, clean every handle, vacuum the corners, steam-clean the carpets, shampoo the cat — any or all of these things can be done, and they can be done in their entirety or in parts. (But don’t leave the shampoo on the cat. She’ll get it everywhere.) You don’t need to clean 8 hours. It’s not like you can only park in the kitchen for 2 hours. The time is yours to do with as you wish.
#7 - No Pain for Failure
If you don’t clean that pot perfectly, kittens in Africa will die. Not. If you miss a spot on the handle of the pot, it’s OK. If you don’t vacuum the stairs because it’s a pain not worth the meditative gain of lugging the vacuum cleaner up and down — it’s OK. Unlike cooking (which can also be therapeutic and stuff), if you cut a few corners, you can always do it next time, it’s not going to make what you do clean any less clean. (Unless you forget to clean the pot before you dry it. That’s not going to work out.)
#8 - Dueling Dirt or Sweeping Solo
Many hands make short work. If you have a cleaning buddy, it can be fun to clean while gossiping or in a companionable silence. If you want some alone-time, cleaning is a good place to find it. If you are angry, taking the time to clean by yourself will calm you down.
#9 - Healthy House, Healthy Life
(No louse, no mice.)
Last of all, good hygiene is, well, good. I read it in a book somewhere. If we believe what people tell us (not always a good idea, but that’s a different topic), then we know that there are millions and billions and guzillions of horrible little germs running about the place, intent on their world domination by infecting us with head colds or stomach flus. Death to the germs. Clean clean clean. And larger bugs, like spiders and cockroaches and weevils, they like dirty houses. Don’t encourage them. Remember that keeping something clean is often easier than letting it get so horribly filthy you have to devote a lot of time and ickiness-apathy to get it clean.
Whether you like to spend a half-hour every day cleaning something, or if you only clean on the second and fourth Sundays of the month and thus devote the entire day to it, you will find peace, health, and happiness in this moving meditation.
That’s all I have to say. Finally! Now we can get to it.
