What’s the honest answer to this? It’s very simple. When she says to clean the house, then you clean the house. She’s not your maid and she doesn’t have to pick up after you. You are a grownup and you should act like one. That means cleaning when you need to clean. However, that doesn’t mean that the cleaning should always fall just on you. If you are in a relationship, it’s really a partnership, and that means the both of you have to put in effort to make it work. If she’s not cleaning the house ever, and she expects you to do it all of the time, then it’s something you should talk about.
Top five rules to consider for making house cleaning easier and fair:
Good luck.
Top five rules to consider for making house cleaning easier and fair:
- Don't Get Defensive Of course, there are a lot of men out there who overreact when they’re asked to get off the couch and do something. Resist the instinct of making the mental list of all the things you have done. If you suddenly feel that you’re the only one cleaning the house, take a step back to see all of the other things that she’s actually doing. Chances are good that you might be blowing things out of proportion. If she cleaned the house a couple of days ago, it’s now time for you to do it. If she hasn’t done anything to help around the house in months, then it could be a problem since you aren’t her housekeeper either. As always, if you feel there’s a problem or unfairness in the duties, talk about it openly and calmly.
- Create a Chore Schedule. One of the best ways to make sure that she doesn’t have to tell you that it’s time to clean the house is to come up with a chore schedule. This way, there is no question of who needs to take care of the different cleaning duties around the house. There might be some things that you hate to do and others that she hates to do. Figure out who is best at what and divvy up the work. When the two of you are working toward a common goal, you will get things done much faster.
- Learn to Clean Better. If you haven’t been much of a cleaner throughout your life, it’s time that you learn. Look at it as a challenge. There are a number of different types of cleaning products and devices out there today that are actually interesting and fun to use. We’re not trying to pull a Tom Sawyer here; it’s true. Find some cool cleaning products, and you’ll not only be able to clean faster, but you’ll do a better job. That’s going to make the house clean and her happy. Those are both good things.
- Get it Done without Being Asked A surefire way to find yourself in the DawgHouse is by not living up to your cleaning commitments. If you have a chore schedule, stick to it! If you committed to a task then finish it. Build good habits and take a moment each morning to pick-up around the house. A little cleaning each morning means more time on the weekends to watch the big game.
- Be Quick with Thank Yous and Sorry Let’s face it, we’re guys and were going to screw-up this cleaning thing every so often. In those rare moments, it is best to listen and say sorry. Don’t respond with excuses or explanations. Arguing is not going to get the dishes done or the carpet vacuumed. Most importantly, recognize the work she has done and give thanks. A compliment costs you nothing and may even help reduce your workload.
Good luck.
