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Amy Bates
Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean ...

When GoodHousekeeping.com asked me to stop doing housework for two weeks, I was terrified. For starters, we're your typical, busy Midwestern family with two teenage sons and two dogs. My husband Alan is a tidy and fastidious civil engineer, and I am the proud owner of a Merry Maids office and the founder of the Don't Look Under the Rug blog. The two of us divide the chores (Alan washes dishes, cooks, and vacuums; while I handle laundry, grocery shopping, and monitoring general clutter) and the boys are expected to pick up after themselves. That said, I do feel I handle more than my fair share of housework after a day at the office.

I don't think my standards are unrealistic. I love things to be clean, but I also enjoy living in my home. We do have a mail pile and a "take it up the stairs" collection. So, eventually, I felt cautiously optimistic about taking a two-week hiatus from housework. My boys are well-behaved, helpful, and only slightly sloth-like when it comes to picking up after themselves — how bad could it be? 

Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean the House for Two Weeks

Dirty Dishwasher

How To Fix A Slow Draining, Poorly Rinsing Dishwasher

Around the holidays, I find myself double checking my dishes for dried on food before I hand them to guests. If you wonder why your dishwasher is leaving your dishes less than spotless or you have standing water in the bottom of the tub, try this tip before calling the repairman. It may save you a few dollars... and the embarrassment of stuck on food!

I hope you enjoyed this quick cleaning tip for the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays! #happycleaning - Amy Bates

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