Cleaning Catharsis

I had an urge to clean the other day. I had a billion things I could have been doing. I had a billion things I needed to do. But I couldn’t get past my urge to clean. I started with the bedroom, and then I moved into the bathrooms. I thought I was just going to do a quick once over, but then couldn’t stop myself. I started deep cleaning, and scrubbing, almost compulsively. I cleaned the bath tubs and the shower. I even cleaned the walls. I polished the furniture. And it felt so liberating. I told myself that was it, and I would stop and do all the other things I needed to do. But before I knew it, I was polishing the furniture in the living room and den. I scrubbed the kids’ room until it shined. I did the windows and the floors. I cleaned the couches and chairs. I swept and vacuumed, and mopped. I was exhausted but couldn’t stop. I cleaned the kitchen, polished the table, scrubbed the counters and stove. I cleaned the refrigerator. I swept and mopped the floors. I even did the tiles. Then I was done, and there was nothing left to clean. I looked around and I realized I had not felt so liberated in months. I mean, I have cleaned since then, but this was different. It took everything out of me, and if felt good.

Ironically, at the end of it all, I was a mess. My hair was all over the place. I found a leaf in it. And I don’t’ know why because I didn’t go outside, and we don’t have any trees in the house. I was dirty and sweaty. My make up was running. I broke a couple of nails, and the polish was chipping off the rest. My body ached, and I felt like I had been whipped and beaten.

I went outside to get some air, and I realized how loud I had had the music on. My poor neighbors had been forced to listen to Ani DiFranco on repeat for the past three hours. I guess it could have been worse. I could have been on Joni Mitchell kick.

I need to clean like this more often. I need the endorphins.

ChristeneC

Christene (@ChristeneDanca) is a mom to two very small and extremely hyper children, daughter Munchie, short for Munchkin, two years old, and son Ducky, one year old. She goes to work because she likes having something to do in the morning. She writes because she loves it. Oh, and she has 4 cats. Soon to be 5. Which is like having at least one more kid.

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Tags: catharsis, clean, Cleaning, house, housework