Tuesday, March 17, 2009

So it has come to this...

Another alternate title that would be just lovely and so apropos is I have issues.

Let me preface this post with a little tidbit:

When I was about 7 years old, I got my first job. A couple of ladies in our church hired my sister and me to come and clean their houses. We were paid $1 an hour, and I proudly hoarded every penny I made. Looking back, I don't know exactly how good of a job we did, but we certainly worked hard - scrubbing big kitchen floors on hands and knees, cleaning showers and bathrooms, the whole shebang. My mama had taught us how to work.

I remember after working for one year, my sister and I put our heads together and decided we were worth more than just a dollar an hour. Did we dare ask for a raise? The thought of such a confrontation made me shudder even back then. I wasn't brave enough, but my sister, far more fearless than I, marched up and told them that we thought we needed a fifty cent raise.

The ladies laughed, and then agreed. We got the raise.

Fast-forward 7 or 8 years, and now we lived in Indiana. We decided to start up another cleaning business, and somehow managed to land a job cleaning a house up in the higher-end area of Indianapolis. And when I say house, I mean a 36-room mansion that had 2 people rattling around in it.

Obviously, this house didn't get very dirty on a day to day basis, yet we were hired to go three days a week. The only time that I remember seeing it dirty was when the owners' grown son would come to visit and bring two huge stinkin' dogs with him, black-haired beasts who shook themselves violently and shed over our freshly scrubbed floors.

We were not fond of visits from the son.

Every week, we were asked to clean out the refrigerator. I don't mean just casually swab all the surfaces whereupon nothing was resting, I mean take-every-single-item-out kind of cleaning. It seemed like a colossal waste of time to me, and I remember being particularly bugged by the fact that she had enough drinks in there to stock a restaurant. Cans and cans of soda and juice, water and milk. And nectar. I clearly remember nectar. All of which had a precise placement in the refrigerator, and boy, would we hear about it if we didn't get it all put back just so.

So all of that to tell you this:

I still hate cleaning out my refrigerator.

Of course, when the forgotten bag of celery in the deep dark corner of the drawer starts to putrefy and ooze yellow juice everywhere, or when I grab one too many eggs and one flies out of my hand and crash-lands inside one of the door shelves (yep, happened to me just tonight), do I take it out and clean it? Of course. But as far as removing every single item out of the fridge and washing it top to bottom?

I haven't done it in....are you ready for this?

An entire year.

I know. Gulp. Gasp.

Almost daily I think, "Hmmm, I really need to clean out this mess. No, really, I do. No more excuses." And then I quickly shut the door and conveniently think about something else.

But now I cannot stand it any longer, which is why I am shaming myself into revealing this dirty little secret.

So, a deadline is what I need. I am giving myself one week. One week from today, and I declare that my refrigerator shall be sparkling clean. One week seems like ample time, don't you think? Probably too much time, when you figure I can just get in there and get 'er done in about an hour. But given my past track record, I need to allow for some leeway here.

Told you. I have issues.

Care to make me feel better and tell me what one thing you absolutely despise doing?

35 comments:

Rach@In His Hands said...

I loved this story! I'm super impressed that you had a job when you were 7! Go little girlie! :-) Kuddos to your sis for asking for the raise....I would've been too chicken, also!

You're SO not alone, friend. Cleaning out and scrubbing ANY appliance - fridge, microwave, oven - only gets done around here when it absolutely has to. Maybe I'll give myself a week deadline, too. :-)

The Fritz Facts said...

I HATE cleaning out the fridge. I do my once a year spring clean, and then ignore it. And, with us moving this spring, it is hard to get the motivation to do it before then.

Tracey said...

I only clean out refrigerator....maybe 3 times a year....BUT I ABSOLUTELLY HATE BATHROOMS!!! Thank God hubby takes care of those! Lucky me!

Carpool Queen said...

I'm with Tracey. Cleaning the bathroom is my least favorite task. And I have four males in the house with me. Let me digress from my comment for one minute to ask "How do they manage to pee BEHIND the toilet?"

My fridge gets cleaned about every six months, and it's only because my mom's coming to visit.

Grace Acres said...

don't feel bad I am going on 3 years since I have completely emptied and cleaned out my fridge. We are still living so I am not to worried.

Lauren said...

I hate, hate cleaning the bathroom, detest it!!!! :o)

Tracy's Porch said...

I'm with you - the frige is the pitts to clean. As well as the bathroom which has to be done WAY more often. We have a shower that is such a pain especially since we have hard water.

Unknown said...

I only clean my fridge out totally once a year in the spring. Its one of those spring cleaning jobs I don't really like to do, but its a must after a whole year.

Anonymous said...

Along with cleaning out my fridge, I also hate scrubbing the shower. I feel like I never learned the right technique to clean it really well, so I have this weird thing where if I can't do it perfectly I don't do it at all. It's a sickness, really. So then what do I do? Wait months and months and months, then finally call a cleaning lady. She's an awesome shower scrubber.

Anonymous said...

Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I cleaned out my fridge. I remember thinking as I emptied it last year when we evacuated for Gustav that if my house was still there after the hurricane then I should probably clean it. But I don't remember if I did.

My LEAST favorite chore is dishes, because for a year and a half we didn't have a dishwasher, and it's amazing how many dishes three people can go through. It was a never-ending stack. And of course, because I'm a serious germ-phobe (I have my issues, too) I could just do a quick wash and be done. It would take me over an hour to wash one sinkful, because I had to disinfect, then rewash, then scald in hot water. Thankfully my hubby bought me a countertop dishwasher for my birthday last year, so I don't loathe it quite as much. But it's still my least favorite.

If another hurricane blows through this year, it can have my fridge, but if something happens to my dishwasher I might just have to hurt someone.

Sara@iSass said...

You are suppose to clean the fridge?
Huh, who've thought.
Kidding, I'm a once a season gal. I am so dreaming of a new one, I would like hubby to invent a self cleaning one!
Chore I most hate:
Cleaning up the poo in the back yard that has been out there all winter and needs to be cleaned up before kiddos can play outside. It is HENIOUS!
That and any poo related mess/clean-up like my 4 year-old son not making it to the potty! ARGH. Hate the poo.

Wendi@EveryDayMiracles said...

Well, thanks for making ME feel better. :) I'm really with ya here. Cleaning out the fridge is a rather despised job here too. Our fridge needed a repair a couple of weeks ago and every thing had to be emptied out. Due to that, it got a thorough cleaning. I can not believe how long it took! Uggghh. :)

Don't feel bad girl - you are in good company.

Gretchen said...

I'm not so hot on mopping floors, Jackie. I mean, I do it on a semi-annual basis, but it's such.a.drag.

Also, I hear your fridge angst. I abhor that job, too. My fridge is already in need of a good scrubbin', and I just cleaned it (deeply) for probably the first time in about a year, right before we left for Maui.

Okay...another one. I strongly dislike cleaning out my car. It's just not in my nature. :)

Wendy said...

I really need to clean out both my fridge and the freezer. Ugh. I only clean them really, really well once or twice a year.

Chel's Leaving a Legacy said...

Okay, first, I LOVE YOUR NEW BACKGROUND! So sweet and springy!

Secondly, I was laughing through this whole post. Too funny!

My thing is cleaning the oven. I hate to do that. I know it's not very often, but it's just a painful, gross, time-consuming thing. Thankfully, I NOW have a SELF-CLEANING oven!! Yay!

I'm sorry they don't make self-cleaning refrigerators. :-( Maybe that's something that Savannah can aspire to invent! :-)

Elizabeth said...

I hate, despise, abhor mopping my floors. I put it off as long as possible, and then force myself to do it. Strangely enough, my house never feels clean unless the floors are freshly mopped. Maybe that's why it never feels clean!

I actually don't mind cleaning my fridge b/c t makes the food look so much prettier. I think I'll go do it now!

Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt said...

You know, it really depends on the week - I have rotating things that I detest the most. HA. Currently it's paying bills and organizing the paper clutter.

Amber said...

Ew. Cleaning the fridge. Hate it.

I also hate mopping my floors and cleaning bathroom floors. Ugh.

You just reminded me that I need to go do those jobs, but I'll forgive you!!

StephieAnne said...

I have been putting this chore off too! It REALLY needs done too. Sometimes my husband has even gotten so tired of it, he'll clean it out. And, then, I feel like I've really dropped the ball as a good wife (but am thankful the chore is done, nonetheless). Maybe I'll adopt your deadline too......

Mrs. H said...

I too hate cleaning out the fridge! I always say I am going to do it before I buy my big bill of groceries...but that never seems to happen! Maybe I'll try too within the week to clean mine out good too! Good luck!

Jamie said...

Do not go grocery shopping before you clean out your fridge. I put off my grocery shopping til my fridge shelves are nearly bare, then it makes it fairly easy to clean.

My least favorite chore...mopping the kitchen floor. UGH! It doesn't get done nearly often enough.

Unknown said...

Wow, I don't know how to pick just one, but I recently realized I've only mopped our bathroom floors once in the past year. I will disinfect the floor around the toilet when needed, but I seriously need to mop the whole thing just a wee bit more often. So I guess that's my least favorite chore.

And I'm not so good at cleaning out the fridge either. I used to wipe it out really well before going to the grocery store, but can't remember the last time that actually happened.

RosyRose said...

ME TOO! I knew we had a connection! I HATE cleaning the fridge. See I don't even call it by it's full name!!!
I put it off as LONG as I can!
I have learned to put leftovers in throw away containers so I don't have to clean out yucky food!
HA! I have outwitted the mold!
You aren't so strange...or maybe I'm just in the strange group with you!

Elena said...

I don't like cleaning my fridge either:)

Lisa said...

I'm with Jamie, I try to do it on garbage night and before I've gone grocery shopping and find that makes it not too bad. Plus, I am in that thing 10? 15? times a day, so the reward is always there for me to look at. And its one of the few things my husband notices as being clean and occasionally he'll comment.

My trouble is in the office. My desk is the drop off point for just about everything for the entire family and its hard for me to keep it organized.

I used to hoard every penny of my earning before I was married, too. I mean, I was TIGHT with my $2.50/hr babysitting money. AND I have a sister 22 months younger than me who has more guts than I. Funny stories!

Erin K. said...

I don't know if this will make you feel better, but when reading your post I was (for some weird reason) suddenly reminded that two nights ago, I heated up some leftover peas in the microwave for Kaitlyn.

Those peas are still in the microwave.

I probably should get them out tonight and throw them away before the mutate and take over our house.

How does this stuff happen? How could I forget about the peas for two entire days??

And, also, cleaning the refrigerator is not my strong suit. About two weeks ago I finally pulled out all the leftover containers to investigate them, and found that most were in some state of decay.

(I obviously have issues with managing leftovers.)

ttm said...

Yay Rachel! A dish washing disliking buddy! Glad to see I'm not the only one!

His Girl said...

oh, there is not one thing about housecleaning that I can stand. not.one.thing.

if you ever want to feel better about your housekeeping habits, you come on over to the HisGirl house!

Becky said...

Do you know how many people you are going to make clean out their refrigerators now?! Thanks (grrrr!) Haha!! No really, I absolutely hate that chore too. Now, let me go find the Clorox Clean-up and get busy...

Growin' With It said...

you are a hoot. confessions of a cleaner!!

Alana said...

Oh, I have so many! I call them IRH (irrational hate chores). Definitely don't like cleaning out the fridge. I hate folding the whites (laundry), peeling apples, vacuuming, dusting. The list goes on an on!!!

Rachelle said...

I hate laundry!!!! Lucky I have Phil to do it for me ;)

Mrs. H said...

Just checking in to see how the fridge cleaning was going! Everytime I look into mine I think about cleaning it! Also since your post, I feel the urge to clean my laundry room...everytime I open that door I feel the need to clean it! But it is spring break here and with all 3 kids at home that is not going to happen! Happy Cleaning!

Unknown said...

I have resisted commenting on this post because something has died in my fridge in the last week, and I wanted to comment saying that I cleaned it.

I haven't. Because I just cleaned it completely like a month ago.

But I figure I 11 months left!

;)

Melissa Stover said...

i'm so glad to know i'm not the only one with cleaning issues.
i have never cleaned my oven.