Growing up, my parents had us clean every Sunday. My brother, sister and I would rotate what we cleaned. One week I’d vacuum, the next I’d clean the kitchen and the next I’d clean the bathroom. It was a good system that kept the house in good order. However, the habit never really seemed to catch on. After moving out, I never wanted to clean regularly.

I used to clean only when I had to. I’d wipe down the counters and stove, sweep and vacuum, and scrub the toilet all in an evening when I knew I’d have guests in a day or two. It kept things presentable when needed. But my apartments were pretty messy otherwise.

Recent events, namely the mold, has got me to go back to the ways I was taught. It helps having Ellie ready to help as well. Finding all that mold made me realize how dirty our apartment is. So dirty that so much mold can build up and we don’t even notice. It wasn’t just the bedroom either, it was scattered here and there throughout the apartment. We have a plastic set of drawers where we keep cat stuff, because Marley would help herself to treats if we didn’t. In one drawer we keep cat food. I pulled the drawer out a few weeks ago to find that the kibbles we had dropped while scooping food for the cats had become blobs of green mold.

So now, I’m making it my habit to vacuum everything on Sunday. Ellie kindly wipes down the bathroom. Through the week, I’m taking care of dishes and counters in the kitchen, trying to not get behind. Even with weekly cleanings, things still are rather dirty. We track in dirty and leaves and crud from outside. The cats shed everywhere. We drop food in the kitchen. It needs weekly attention.

How gross is the place you live? Are you good at cleaning? Or are you like I was, only when needed?