“The great thing about just-in-time [cleaning] is the standards are set by your feelings which are informed by your theories. Because it occurs naturally and automatically you don’t worry in between tidyings. Your mind becomes freed-up to worry about things that are more important to you.”
– Tom Robinson
From the archives: Posted on 12th December 2002
Annette Abma wrote:
“When you walk by a dirty dish, you take it to the sink and wash it. When you are brushing your teeth and you notice the mirror needs cleaning, you do it then. I find that this works best for myself. I devote larger chunks of time for heavy-duty cleaning (like moving furniture, cleaning closets, tidying drawers, etc) but just clean as I go the rest of the time.”
How incredibly useful this approach is … 3 cheers for the asynchronous lifestyle!
Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, read when it’s interesting, learn the skill for your current project, clean the bathroom when it’s smelly, hoover the carpet when you can’t bear to look at it anymore. Even if you disagree, remember that it’s a short step from timetabling your own life to timetabling other people’s lives, especially if they are children.
The great thing about just-in-time is the standards are set by your feelings which are informed by your theories. Because it occurs naturally and automatically you don’t worry in between tidyings. Your mind becomes freed-up to worry about things that are more important to you.
Just-in-time or walk-by cleaning has another benefit. You find that the threshold of untidiness—say the amount of clothing which has to accumulate on the bedroom floor before you do something about it—gradually gets higher with time. So without any increase in stress, you get more of a life.
See also:
- (Dis)respecting children
- Creativity and untidiness
- Clean freak mother strongly supporting her child’s right to be messy
Tom Robinson, 2002, ‘Three cheers for just-in-time or walk-by cleaning’, https://takingchildrenseriously.com/three-cheers-for-just-in-time-or-walk-by-cleaning