The definition of clean...

clean    verb –adjective
1.free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained: She bathed and put on a clean dress.
2.free from foreign or extraneous matter: clean sand.
3.free from pollution; unadulterated; pure: clean air; clean water.
4.habitually free of dirt: Cats are considered clean animals.
5.characterized by a fresh, wholesome quality: the clean smell of pine.
9.not ornate; gracefully spare; forceful and simple; trim; streamlined: a clean literary style; the clean lines of a ship.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged.  It has been a very busy week.  I subbed a couple of days and spent the rest of the week cleaning the house.  For the first time in 20 years, I haven't had a kid in the house to follow me around and mess up what I've cleaned.

As I walked around smiling and satisfied on Friday afternoon, I wondered, just what is the definition of clean?  It has got to be different for everyone.  When my kids were toddlers, my definition of clean was when there were less than 10 toys strewn around the floor and no more than 3-4 sippy cups out on the surfaces.  As they got older, clean meant their dirty clothes were not thrown around where everyone could see them, and there were only a few pairs of shoes littering the downstairs (instead of in the laundry room where they passed through and then took them off mid-stride through the kitchen / dining room / living room...)

My house looked lovely, warm, and homey to me.  Everything was picked up.  The vacuum and swiffer had done their jobs.  The bathrooms were clean (shower, tub and all!!), as was the kitchen and all its counters.  The laundry was done and put away, and the laundry room was clean.  Lots of extra "deep cleaning" had been done.  I even painted the back doors.  To me it was paradise. 

Here's the kicker.  Most of my house was not dusted.  The closets are less than cleaned and organized.  My pantry could use a good cleaning out.  Most of my baseboards need a good scrubbing.  There are hundreds of areas around my house that need deep cleaning.  But you know what?  To me, my house was still wonderfully clean.  It was GOOD ENOUGH!  I would have been proud if someone would have dropped by (of course, no-one did...they'll wait til it's a mess!)  If I were a "type A" personality, would I have seen my house as nice and clean, or would I focus on all the things that "are left to do to make it perfect?"  All I can say is, thank God I'm not "type A."

**You'll notice I used the past tense...My ds came home from college late Friday night, and my beautifully clean house quickly became no more!!  That's ok - it's great to see him, and I can pick it up after he leaves tomorrow.

Remember - clean enough is clean enough.  I don't think you can ever get every spot completely cleaned at the same time.  Who would want to spend their time worrying about that, anyway?  You'd never enjoy your home.  What a waste that would be.