Clean freaks versus... ppl like me

...I agree with the 'mentalist'

but even though I'm just a 'mental'...I have to say that equally unmessy woman are as well

...this really does seem to make alot more sense, and I'm really stuffed now trying to understand what the heck compulsive accessories I have attached to my messy brain making it possible for me to be neat?

I wish I could and would just drop everything and let it all go for a change because of the enormous angst in maintaining neatness but if I can't find a stupid sock or something I lose the plot...idiotic

but I also rent my apartment and get inspections quite often otherwise I would go for the mess I reckon there is a comfortable dis-symmetry in it instead of sterile symmetry

i dunno?

oh well

I am a complete neat freak, but when I was growing up, until the age of 12 or so, my room was always utter chaos. Same with my desk at school.

Actually, my bipolar started manifesting when I was 12 or 13, and I wonder if there is a connection … ? It’s become worse the older I have gotten older. I am obsessive about cleaning, actually – it almost gives me a high. It’s like what people who take Adderall have told me – if they take too much, they are detail-cleaning everything in sight. This is me, without Adderall. It’s not so much a mood thing, although I admit it’s worse when I am up.

I think it’s because my brain and my thoughts are so incredibly disorganized that I need my external environment to be impeccable. It’s the only way I can cope / function on any level.

monkey,
you may borrow it after you clean my house, lol.

hamster,
I'm glad you got some stuff done. I also mis-estimate how little? time and effort it actually takes to complete tasks. Like the diswasher only takes 5 minutes to load and 5 minutes to unload so why do I procrastinate so much????

Sometimes I feel resentful, like why is it me who always has to do it.

Anyone have any ideas on how to clean when it is wicked hot and you have no air?

Clean in the nude? Learned that trick from my big sis

LoL, it also would be easier to hop in the shower afterward-no peeling your stuck to your body with sweat clothes off.

Exactly! Way more convenient

This website has helped me a lot: http://flylady.com

I think you are ahead of the game by keeping your house clean, but should you have another depressive episode or anything else overwhelming, this is a good place to start or keep things maintained. Sometimes I think the website owners know about people like you and me.

I hope this helps you!

Maybe I should ask for Adderall to help me move apartments - I need to do a major clean-out before the move

everything that cleans seems to be made of bubbles...just fill home with bubbles, sit and wait

I just checked out the fly lady website and am going to try it out. It is very detailed, which for me is good because sometimes I feel like I don't know how to clean.
Futz how has it helped you? Do you touch base on the site everyday?

So my ex literally made me clean out the mess in the living room. No, I did not declutter, I just moved everything, all the boxes from the storage, into the bedroom. Then he came and vacuumed, god bless his heart, as I would never be able to do that job myself. I cleaned the kitchen, too. It has been several weeks since and I have had my ex and other people over, and am having a couple over for dinner tonight - we used to work together at one of my prior jobs. I am getting to appreciate having a clean space as I love to cook and entertain people.

I go through my spells of being a total slob to being a neat freak. When I do clean, it's usually at 3am and takes a long time to do. Why? Because I get so distracted and end up having little "projects" all around the house. Then when I am depressed, I get so overwhelmed with all the cleaning, that I end up doing nothing, and letting the house become disheveled again. So frustrating.

So, I am getting a new kitty, temporarily. His name is Tommy. He is black. I like black cats. His owner lost his condo, is putting it on the market, and had to find Tommy a home. While the rescue agency looks for a more permanent solution, Tommy will stay in my bathroom. They are coming today at 3PM - the owner to send off Tommy and a volunteer from the rescue agency. So I have motivation to pick up the house. That is what I will do now! Put on Pandora and clean.

since i'm mostly on my own, i mostly don't bother with keeping things clean and tidy.

if i have someone coming round, i may make a little bit of ann effert but really not much.

strangely enough though, i can not stand it when i'm round someone else's or in a pubblic place, and the place isn't clean

so a little of both worlds i guess

I am messy. My place resembles ground zero, but it's organized chaos (I can find most of the important things...). I like to say that if you are going to judge me by mess in my place, then you not a person I would like to have over anyways.