DEAR HARRIETTE: My grandmother gets on my case all the time because I don’t clean the bathroom every day. She grew up in the ’50s and was a stay-at-home mom to three girls. However, I am a graduate student with a part-time job. I spend hours studying, and when I get some free time, I use it to do things I actually want to do.
My grandmother insists that everyone she knows cleans their house every day, and when she talks about cleaning the bathroom, she doesn’t mean just picking things up; she means spraying down all surfaces and thoroughly cleaning everything. I don’t think she understands that no one I know cleans their house that way every single day, and that because I’m busy most days and often tired, I don’t want to come home and clean the whole house.
Am I lazy, or am I right in telling her that I will not deep-clean my bathroom or apartment every day? The free time I have is precious. How often is appropriate? -- Deep-Cleaning Granny Issues, Milwaukee
DEAR DEEP-CLEANING GRANNY ISSUES: If you at least wipe up the bathroom daily, it will stay presentable and hygienic. Perhaps the compromise can be a daily wipe and a weekly deep clean?
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)