We all have them, right?
Those things around the house – those chores, those foibles, those weird little nooks and crannies that we would really rather avoid.
Would rather put our feet up on the furniture, lick the brownie bowl and pretend we don’t see. Or hope the hubs sees and is moved to pity. You know the ones, right?
Here are a few of mine, since I started keeping track this week and realized I’m either crazy or in good company. Let me know:
- Changing the toilet paper roll. Ugh, why do I hate that so much? Even when I’m traveling and in a hotel room something about having to change a roll drives me batty.
- Cleaning out the lint trap in the dryer – they should really figure out a system to automate that.
- Pulling the plug out of a bathtub of water long after the kids have emerged, dried and been wrestled off to jammies and bed. When the water is all cold and scummy and – yea – a little bit ick.
- Washing out Tupperware that has old pasta sauce in it.
- Unloading the dishwasher.
- Changing the sheets on the top bunk bed.
- Picking up Legos.
- Emptying the diaper genie.
- Sorting socks.
- Taking the dog out for her morning business.
- Washing pee stains out of mattresses.
- Untying knotted shoelaces.
- Clipping the baby’s nails.
- Washing the cheese grater.
- Unpacking groceries.
- Putting away the folded clothes (I don’t mind folding them – weird, no?)
- Finding the library books.
- Dealing with cobwebs.
- Untangling cables and cords from electronics.
- Cleaning mud off carpets.
OK, I’m either crazy or in good company. Which is it, eh?
Definitely don’t like changing sheets, emptying the diaper genie, clipping the baby’s nails (why must they grow sooo fast, I don’t even like clipping my own nails!). I don’t do toilets either. Crusty food crumbs in the fridge. I can probably think of a few more. :p
Definitely in good company! We are currently in a situation where I now have to rewash clothes because I had hope the hubs would hang up and put away, but he didn’t just riffled through, and now I’m not sure what’s clean and what’s dirty….. :) I don’t mind washing, drying, and even folding…. HATE HATE HATE with a Passion HATE putting them away.
Oh and emptying the dishwasher, I’ll do the dishes and wipe everything down nice and sparkling, but hate to empty the dishwasher.
I’d have to add sweeping and mopping to the list… Housework in general… much rather read a good book, do some sewing, crochet, or even go to school full time (which I am doing) than do housework. The horrible part, or at least the one that makes me feel horrible, is that I’m supposedly a stay-at-home mom and housewife…. oops.
Kara
Oh and on the mating socks front, I would buy new socks just to avoid such a task… as is evident by the mountain of socks we have.
You’re in good company–especially on the washing-pasta-sauce-out-of-tupperware front. I don’t use tupperware since we moved to England, but just the memory of orange grease is enough to make me shudder.
I realize you don’t want reams of martha-style household tips–but a word on the bathtub front: Helps to have the kids pull the plug before they step out–and help tidy up the bath mess right then. Directly after warm towel hugs and before pajamas and teeth, if you will. :)
Thanks for a rant with which we can all identify.
I have to say I could have typed most of this list. Past the diaper phase don’t miss that. Legos and hot wheels hurt so much when you step on them.
I also don’t like cleaning bathrooms my least favorite rooms to clean.
As for the sock thing I’m just happy my oldest likesthe mismatched sock craze that
is at their school. One less group of socks I need to match up.
Emptying the diaper genie stinks. Literally.
Unloading the dishwasher drives me bonkers. I just assume use all the clean dishes out of the dishwasher until it is empty and then I can reload it.
I say, you are in pretty good company. Sometimes, I sit on the couch and dream of the day when I can wiggle my nose and the house sparkles. Ahhh! Just the thought makes me smile.
“Sometimes, I sit on the couch and dream of the day when I can wiggle my nose and the house sparkles. Ahhh! Just the thought makes me smile.”
I’ve tried this. Wiggling my nose, that is.
It doesn’t work
:(
I really dislike cleaning up the kitchen (washing dishes, pots and pans, etc) after we have friends over. I love sharing a meal and the wonderful fellowship, but the cleanup afterwards in the kitchen…NO!
YES, YES, YES!
Cleaning gross tupperware, changing the liner in the diaper genie and unloading the dishwasher are all on the top of my list.
Diaper genies: burning eyes, gagging, ggmgmgmhppphhh, need to run outside for air!
Had to empty many as an innkeeper who served families! Talk about a labor of love.
I really dislike cleaning bathrooms, probably because of the same innkeeper years. When a group would leave, my hubbie and I would pair up to do the 15 bathrooms. When I put my current single bathroom up against those endless tiles and toilets, my perspective becomes much brighter!
Folding socks…haaate it. When we would pop off to mom when my sisters and i were little, she would make us sort the sock basket, which was 2-3 laundry baskets of unfolded, un orginized socks. Also, scrubbing tile grout, cleaning the kitchen at mind for company and bathrooms (again childhood chores) I made the mistake once of cleaning the kitchen top to bottom, scrubbing the grout, wiping down the cupboards before we had company and from then on it was my thing to do. Granted, it was the only thing I did while my sisters had the whole house, still hate Ot today thou.
We are sisters from different mothers! I’m with you on ALL of the 20. So, so funny and disconcertingly true.
I agree! Especially the laundry one– I don’t mind doing laundry/folding it, but I hate putting it away. I also hate everything about doing dishes.
2. Cleaning out the lint trap in the dryer – this doesn’t bother me too much… it’s easy in my dryer and something I do automatically after each load.
3. Pulling the plug out of a bathtub of water long after the kids have emerged – Little Spring likes to stay in the bath until all the water’s gone, so we don’t have that problem. The kitchen sink, on the other hand – yuck! I have good intentions of doing the dishes, so fill up the sink with nice, hot, soapy water and load it with some dishes. I get distracted, forget and come back to disgusting cold, greasy water!
6. Changing the sheets on the top bunk bed. – Little Spring doesn’t have bunks, but does have a day bed, so it’s really hard to tuck in at the back, where the side ‘panel’ of the bed is! I hate making it!
8. Emptying the diaper genie. – I hear you!
13. Clipping the baby’s nails. – totally get that. I think I’ve only done it twice. The first time, I was so careful, but I still managed to cut her skin. Remembering that (almost 3 years ago), still makes my stomach sick, how she started crying. I vowed never to do it again. I finally plucked up the courage months later… and was horrified when I did it again. Thankfully I haven’t really had to do it since because they are so soft, they just naturally started to ‘peel’ off and now in her ‘older’ years, my daughter likes to pick her nails, so they always stay short. Not a good habit to be in, but it kind of works in my favour!
18. Dealing with cobwebs. – I like to pretend they aren’t there… if I feel really energised, when I’m doing the vacuuming, I’ll suck them up and consider the job done!
19. Untangling cables and cords from electronics. – a pet peeve!
20. Cleaning mud off carpets. Thankfully we have mostly tiles in the house!
Loved your list!!
I despise emptying the dishwasher; putting sheets on the beds; brushing little ones’ teeth; combing out tangles from waist length hair; and mopping the floor.
Fortunately, several of my children are are starting to get bigger, so I have a LOT of help. We just started a new chore system that I will be posting about next week!
But sometimes I make myself do the things I hate the most, simply because one day these helpers won’t live here anymore and I will HAVE to do it!!
oh, you and so many commenters have diaper genies. here’s a little hope for you – the diaper genie duty will pass away, and in its place you will have children who will unload the dishwasher FOR YOU! and they can be trained to do their own laundry! i’m at the stage where my older only has one more year of high school, so i’m calculating which jobs will fall back to me once he is gone:( my number one most hated chore is cleaning out the fridge. number two is cleaning out the microwave.
You’re TOTALLY in good company! I’m not a fan of unloading the dishwasher or putting away clothes, either!
Have you met me, because I think you might have just written about my life!
Socks (and underwear) are my arch nemesis.
Putting away the laundry – ugh!
I have trained the children to “say goodbye” to the water and pull the plug (eew and chills over the slimy water thoughts.)
Cobwebs, ick that means I have spiders, I had a spider fall on me the other day, it was as big as a quarter, I swear (eew and chills again) NOT cool!
So fun to know I’m not alone in the household battle of the to-do list! Good company makes me feel good today!
You know why I hate changing the toilet paper roll? Because it’s usually empty! I’m the only one that changes it. This irritates me until I remember that on the rare occasion that someone else had stepped up to this “job” they don’t place the toilet paper in the right direction. I know. Weird. I’m not sure which is more irritating ~ an empty toilet paper tube or toilet paper that’s traveling in the wrong direction.
Sometimes it’s really good to share and chuckle over those “icky” but necessary jobs that are our life. ;)
So I would have most of those on my list! You are in good company…or we are crazy together. :) I would also add mopping the kitchen floor. And then a flood of other ones come to mind and I’m thinking “that’s not good!” because it is pretty much all the housecleaning. I do like the actual washing laundry. I am a bit obsessed really, but the rest…I have a lot of those little things I’d like to ignore. Pass the brownie bowl please!
I thought I was the only one who disliked these chores! You are definitely in good company! The only part of laundry I really dread is putting the clothes away, so I’ll often enlist my hubby’s help! :) thanks for sharing this list. :)
I hate emptying the dishwasher too!! I don’t know what it is about doing it, but I absolutely dread it every time! lol
I wish the clean clothes would jump out of the dryer, fold them selves and put them selves away. The dishes should do the same.
My 3 1/2 year old daughter knows how to change the toilet paper roll and is at the stage where she LOVES to help mommy.
As for the pee stains in the mattress – I’ve gotten a waterproof zip on cover for every mattress in the house. Got them at Target. You put it on over the whole mattress and zip ‘er up. Then just put the mattress pad on over that, then the sheets, etc. I wish I’d thought of that BEFORE the mattresses all got pee stained…oh well, at least I got those on the new mattresses in the guest room. :)
As for the rest of your list…yeah, I dislike most of those jobs as well. I’d rather play with the kids, read a book, and tinker around on the computer than do most housework. LOL!
And today when I clean out my lint trap multiple times, I can smile and rest assured I’m not alone…
(and I got rid of all my tupperware because of this pet peeve. Oh yes I did. For some reason, scrubbing pyrex is a tad more tolerable)
now, if someone could figure out how to install an automatic hose down on a toilet after a preschool boy has used it, I might just have time to pick up….gardening? knitting? who really cares as long as I wasn’t bent low over porcelain!
I’m totally with you on the folded clothes peeve. My husband does not understand why there are always neat piles of folded clothes lining the top of the couch that we all have to search through every morning for our clean clothes. He actually wonders why I don’t put them in the drawers, or at least in the rooms! LOL! The answer is….I don’t know! I just hate putting away clothes. I would also like to add vacuuming out the couch cushions and underneath them to this list. Something about how much dirt accumulates there between vacuum runs just creeps me out! I always wonder exactly how it gets there….plus wrestling our big couch cushions makes me work up a sweat! However, the dishwasher doesn’t bother me and I have a cleaning product that makes taking dirt off the carpet kind of fun in a weird satisfying way…..I think I just like the clean carpet afterwards!
In good company friend, in good company. Folding clothes is somewhat therapuetic…putting them away, tedious ;)
I don’t think i like any of my chores, but somebody’s gotta do them.
I hate dishes, they are always there! I wish i had a dish washer ;)
why don’t i deal with the mail right away?
Its been wonderful since the hubby started doing the grocery shopping!!! Wonderful. I would say that was my least favorite chore, i loathed it. Good thing baby came along and the hubby decided thats how he would help me:)
Glad to know I’m not the only wierdo that hates to put the clothes away! My husband thinks I’m nuts– I love to wash/fold/hang the clothes, but I just can’t seem to get them upstairs and put away! More often than I care to admit, we are forced to dress in the laundry room because that’s where everything from underwear to our Sunday best are still hanging out!
I also hate cleaning the dog’s food and water bowls. They are gross and slimey–YUCk!
Socks! Yes! Or no, in truth. I once heard someone say she never matched the socks out of the wash because it wasn’t efficient use of time and would then just wear any two together. While I would love to be that person, it would offend my sense of order so instead I just leave them for my mate to mate.
You said it Susta!
I tell ya… just about every time I read a post by you, I think “I need to have coffee (and maybe chocolate) with that sister someday.” Love your posts and obviously you are in good company if the other comments are any indication.
As for me
1. Changing the toilet paper roll? Whatever do you mean?
When we reno’d the bathroom, I didn’t put in a roll holder. I buy the individual tp packs that come in bulk from Costco and they sit in a basket on the floor all nice like. That’s how much I hated changing the roll. Usually it sat there empty with the TP on the back of the toilet bowl anyway.
3. Mine are older but this was an eww for me too. Now it’s forgotten dishwater. Double eww.
4. I waste water, soap and vinegar in excess until it’s not so ewww. Lots of soap + occasional blops of vinegar while the container sits under the running, pure-hot water tap.
5. Yes! And my horrible glasses have little curved bottoms slightly that hold some water and dont quite dry. So each one needs to be ‘tapped’ with a cloth or they drip all over. grrrr Really need to get new glasses.
8. Don’t miss the diaper genie. The last time, I didn’t even empty it. Just threw the whole thing out at the dump. Shhh
9. Buy everyone one type of sock (different for each person) and dont fold/sort. Just throw them all in a drawer or basket and you’re done. :D
14. Yes dear Lord, yes. And cleaning the cheese from everything after baked mac and cheese. Cheese really is awful to clean up.
15. Unpacking groceries. I have considered paying the neighbor’s children to do it for me. My own kids suddenly disappear when I get home and the bags are inside.
16. I fold very little. It all goes on hangers. But those don’t get put away either. Most of the time we are dressing out of the laundry room in shifts.
18. What is with them? There will be none and suddenly one appears out of nowhere. And it’s huge. Spiders are like the sneaky ninjas of the bug world.
19. Untangling cables and cords from electronics. Seen great tips on pinterest to use empty tp rolls to manage extra cord and bread ties to label cords. Mine are still a mess.
I also have a problem with washing the shower curtain. We have hard water so I need to do it with some regularity or we end up with build up on the curtain. But taking it down and putting it up and all those loopy hooks. Sigh
Cleaning the washing machine nooks and corners of wet icky lint
Taking out the garbage is soooo awful. Thankful for a son who has no choice in the matter.
Picking up after the dog. Like outside in the yard. eww
I better stop now. haha
Thanks for the smile and the vent!
I hate matching socks. I finally bought each kid 12 pairs of identical socks. No mating required.
Don’t you wish your bathrooms had a drain in the floor and a hose hook up? We could just hose it down. And the dishwasher? Total dislike. I also hate re-filling dog water bowls. Does noone else see that?
#4 and #5 are totally me.
#4….I would rather throw it away…I don’t…but I want to. Who wants to reuse tupperware that’s stained with red sauce? Blech!
I’m kind of a freak about housecleaning, so not a lot of these bother me, but…
*So glad to know I’m not the only one who absolutely HATES taking the dishes out of the dishwasher. Though I have to say it is much better to have the dishwasher now than when my son was first born and I seemed to spend all day and night handwashing bottles, nipples, etc along with all the regular glasses and dishes. What were we thinking? My husband doesn’t mind unloading the dishwasher, so that’s his job.
*Putting sheets on the bottom mattress of our IKEA bunk beds requires actual REMOVAL of the mattress each and every time! It’s so awkward and bulky, the ladder’s always in the way – I usually end up in a sweat. Not fun.
*Washing my daughter’s long hair in the shower. A chore (for both of us). I end up standing inside the shower, straddling both sides of the tub (trying – and failing – not to get drenched) to get it done.
*I really don’t mind any part of doing the laundry from washing (in my washing machine of course!) to drying, folding and putting away the clothes. My husband can’t stand folding the laundry so while he gets the dishwasher, I get the laundry.
Thanks for sharing!
For me personally I hate taking out the trash and taking the recycling downtown (we live in a backwards city where you still have to drive and sort it). I also don’t like folding and sorting socks- It’s like a budget that never balances. We also have this corner shower that is all angles and impossible to clean. I have to get down to my bra and underwear to clean it without bleaching my clothes, it’s insane.
The entire way down the list, Im thinking “Yep, hate that one. Yep, that one, too!” You hit the nail on the head with this list!
Sometimes my laundry sits in it’s lovely, clean folded state for so long it starts to become one with the couch. Pretty soon the dog jumps on it or the kids knock it to the ground or we’ve dumped other stuff on top of it, and then guess what? It needs to be washed again—BEFORE it ever hit it’s final resting place. Ug! Now THAT is frustration.
As for your list—my suggestion: show it to your hubby. Maybe there are some of things on the list that he wouldn’t mind, and be willing to help, doing and therefore be able to relieve your “frustrations”. He may just want to bless you in that way. Try it. Let me know what happens.
Good luck—I’ll be praying for you. ;-)
I can agree with many of these. How about cleaning up (you know what) after a toddler has potty trained himself on the floor! Especially when the cleaning involves carpet!
The toilet paper roll made me laugh out loud. That is one of those chores that my hubby says he is going to write out the instructions for me since I clearly don’t know how to do it. Same goes for filling the ice trays. I also hate taking out the trash and will continue to place garbage on top of the teetering pile that is at least 6 inches above the top of the trash can.
I don’t like chores either, especially when I get home from work…or even on a day off. (wait, what’s a day off???) But my all time, #1 hated chore is dusting. It seems like it takes forever because things have to be picked up to avoid the “swipe around” marks. I hate the nasty feel on my hands after dusting, probably a combo of Pledge & dust. And the dust settles again before I finish the entire house.
I don’t mind taking out the garbage or emptying the diaper genie, but I hate cleaning the bathtub and the shower. I wish the lint from the lint trap didn’t disperse itself into the air as a great big dust cloud when I empty it. I wish someone else could fold and put away my laundry – I don’t mind sorting and washing and drying, just can’t seem to find enough time to also fold and put away. Oh, and cleaning up after supper and making lunches, it is so over-rated and I’ve had enough.
Yes! This whole list!
I’d add to it cleaning out the tub. Ugh. Changing the top bunk sheets is the worst – especially since I can barely squeeze up that space at the top of the ladder – haha! And changing all fitted sheets and folding them.
I also would add wiping down the scummy places in the fridge. Cleaning around the bottom of the toilet (hello, three little boys), anything that might reveal spiders, and sorting through the toys…
Good company for sure! The nail clipping? That’s the worst around here too. Followed by pulling the plug from the bathtub, and cleaning under the high chair. Ick.
Hi there! I LOVED this post – definitely could identify with it completely! It inspired me, as well, and I am planning to write a related post on my own blog to be posted tomorrow – about the chores I (strangely enough) DO like to do. As I read your article it made me realize that just as there are things I can’t stand, there are things that bring a sort of peace and familiarity into the chaos of life with little ones. I will send you the link, if you like – I would love to see what you and your readers think :)
Thanks again for such a fun read – your blog is one of my favorites!
Jennah
You are definitely in good company.
Though I? Might be a little weird. I completely adore doing laundry. Really…especially pulling the clothes out of the dryer, folding them, and putting them away while they still smell good. I realize that my dork level just went up a few points. :)
The chore I hate more than anything is grocery shopping. I think living overseas is what did it to me. When you go from four choices of cereal to 400…it can be a little (or a lot!) mind-boggling. It’s always sticker shock to me when I get to the register and have to pay, too. Sometimes I wish again for a grocery store that was a tenth of the size of the ones here where most decisions were made for me. (And where, if they had cheddar cheese in stock, it would not be weird for me to do a happy dance in the dairy aisle!)
Ok, sorry for the tangent. Totally with you on most of these. What a fun post! :)
I think it’s unanimous. You’re in good company. I detest folding fitted sheets. That elastic is such a nuisance. I don’t like folding undershirts or cleaning the broiler pan or any pan. I use aluminum foil to make it easier. I do believe Pyrex is simpler. I don’t like filling ice trays. And I enjoy entertaining but I get overwhelmed by the cleanup. I am working toward reaching a point where I accept these tasks like I accept other undesirable tasks (like dental appointments and annual exams in general). I guess this is what being an adult is all about.
I feel your pain…I’ll share my top 5 because you don’t want the whole list…I promise!
1)Cleaning the floor around the bottom of the toilet –ick!
2)Mopping–anywhere
3)Wiping/washing baseboards down..they just get so yucky grimey
4)Wiping/washing cabinets in the kitchen where food has splattered
5)Cleaning bathrooms (refer to #1) makes me want to scream running from my house. With 4 men in the house…yuck!
I feel your pain!
Yep. I’m with you.
And cleaning that cheese grater (or colander with stuck in dried lettuce)– that just made me laugh, cuz I get it.
You’re in really good company! Add folding washing, delete taking the dog out (we don’t have one), hmmm, better add dusting and vacuming to the list too!
Cleaning the outside and the floor around the toilet. Oh my stinkin grossness!
Yep! Especially the one about putting clothes up but not minding the folding so much.
I’m right there with everyone …don’t mind folding…can’t stand putting the clothes away. They sit for over a week sometimes, petfectly folded in baskets, just waiting to be put away. Ugh. I think it’s because we have two stories and I try to go up and down as little as possible!
Can I add folding fitted sheets to this?! Seriously! There is *no* good way to accomplish that one! Also? Cleaning that spot on the toilet right behind where the seat attaches to the base. Somehow men seem to always hit that area. Ew!
I loathe folding laundry. Loathe it, friends. :)
Janelle
Totally with you on unpacking the groceries. I complain probably every week about it on FB. You take time to make a menu, make a list, gather all the food. You bring it all home, put it all away then 7 days later you have to do it all over again! There has to be a better way! Toilet paper roll changing doesn’t bother me much, but I do often wonder why I seem to be the only one capable of changing it. As for tupperware with nasty pasta sauce, I will let you in on a dirty secret of mine, since mine is usually yard sale found, if it is particularly nasty, I throw it out!
I had to laugh at number 16 because my husband has identified that as one of the things I do very well: avoid putting away folded and clean laundry!
I also really abhor emptying the bag-less vacuum canister and vacuuming carpeted stairs. Dishes is up there too – they were my childhood chore and the automated dishwasher was me! What really makes me groan is when I go to put them away and discover that a re-wash is required on the pots and pans because they’re still greasy.
This post made me laugh!
Chores I’d rather not do: mopping, scrubbing casserole dishes, picking weeds, meal planning, making grocery lists, and cutting baby’s nails (they’re soooo tiny).
RE: #11. That is precisely why we have protective mattress covers on every bed in our house. They’re ingenious.
id rather wash an entire sink full of dishes than empty the dishwasher. i also loathe putting away clean laundry! I CAN NOT WAIT for my daughter to get older so these can be her chores :)
I saw number 18 and had to tell you a trick for keeping the next little cob spider from making his web in your home. After you remove the cob web and kill the little spider, then spray a mix of 1/2 water 1/2 vineagar on the wall in the area of the previous web. Spiders don’t like the vineagar smell and will not web there. The vineagar smell dissapates very quickly for us, but they can smell (can spiders smell? ok, sense) it long after.