Cleaning Maniacs

Way back in the day I wrote a post about not having motivation to clean. Well, as a little follow-up, I wanted to share the plan of action my husband and I came up with to help our apartment stay clean. The great news is that it's working!

First I fashioned a little board to our fridge like so:


On the board I made magnets for all the main chores to be done each week. Each Sunday my husband closes his eyes and pulls four jobs from the "cleaning hat." (Because I have more time at home, I am always responsible for dishes, laundry, and making the bed as well as the three remaining other chores. But you can do whatever's fair for you.) If we do the jobs we are expected to do within the week we get fifteen dollars to spend on whatever we want. If we want something more expensive, we are in "cleaning debt" (hence the negative sign by my husband's name) until we pay it off. The results are two fold: our house has never been cleaner and I have guilt-free money to spend on clothes!

The moral of the story is: When you have a hard time motivating yourself to do something, resort to childish bribes.