I don’t know how I managed to grow up for 18 years in a clean, orderly home without picking up any housekeeping skills, but somehow I did. I wasn’t forced to clean my parents’ house, just encouraged to keep my room clean and wash dishes every once in a while. But I was present and somehow missed how to organize a closet, how often to mop and dust, how to clean blinds, and so on. I am a fairly competent person in many other ways, but housekeeping is not one of them.
But instead of wallowing in my ignorance (and cluttered home), this year, I’m trying to learn new skills. Nothing is less appealing to me (INFJ here) than repetitive, daily tasks. But a brightly Cloroxed sink, the ability to find a pair of matching sox, and dust bunny-free corners are attractive enough to motivate me, so I have begun the journey.
And here is a tip that everyone in the world probably already knows. I just learned that you can keep your linens organized by folding up a set of sheets and stuffing it inside one of the pillowcases. It’s like a little bedding packet all ready to go when you change the sheets (as opposed to the avalanche of bedding that used to crush me each time I opened the hall closet door)! Isn’t that amazing?
I’m also reading Get Organized with Heloise at the moment, so watch out!
ohcrapimover35 
Oh, Joni, sweet Joni! You have put into words a feeling I have always had. My father’s shirts always appeared crisply ironed, my underwear folded, socks sorted, and watermelon seeded and cubed. This–I must have thought–was a kind of “house magic” performed by a Kreacher-like elf while we all slept peacefully. Turns out it was my Mama.
To be fair, we have different lives than our mothers, but that is probably the excuse it sounds like. Trying to think that I am busier than my mother was makes me blush with shame. On top of that, my mother had virtually zero, zilcho, no help at all with this stuff and she had more kids and responsibilities than I do. Sigh. I even have a fully helpful husband who cooks, helps to clean, does laundry, and . . . oh, maybe I should help more.
Well, at any rate, I am on the wagon with you, sister! 🙂
Best of luck with your efforts too, Patty! I think I’m coming to realize that my mother just never EVER sat down — lol! That must be the trick :-).
Um, confession – I’m the same exact way. The Container Store was a revelation. I still need to buy a bookshelf and de-box all of my books. I should sweep and mop my floors more regularly, but some days it’s all I can do to keep the cats in clean litter. Lord knows what I would do with a husband and children. So, you’re not alone, Joni. A lot of us need some “hints from Heloise.” Ha! My only tip? Turn up the music while cleaning. Otherwise, why bother?
Thanks for the music tip, Kella 🙂 Very true! And I’ll have to check out the Container Store some day. I read a Good Housekeeping article recently about Jamie Lee Curtis and her gift for home organization. There was this fantastic picture of a kitchen cabinet with rows and rows of dry goods in perfectly labeled glass jars.