Housework/ cleanliness

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Is anyone here who also cleans often, brushes teeth and washes clothes?

I could have written your post, and I'm also recently diagnosed. Things just pile up in my house, almost inexplicably. I'm a serial hobbyist, losing interest after a few months, never really finishing anything but unable to throw it away. And I have a four year-old who also has AS. Even when I get things reasonably tidy (for me), he seems to dislike it and go out of his way to create a mess. I often wonder if I spend less time cleaning -- I hate engaging in any kind of futile effort -- or if I'm less efficient. In the end, I have pretty much decided that I'm bothered far less by the mess than I am the cleaning of it; I don't especially mind the smell of rotting food in the fridge but Lysol makes me sick. I do find it embarrassing though.

There are a few older threads here on this topic -- it's called executive dysfunction.

One thing that works for me -- buy as many disposable products as possible. Paper plates, frozen dinners, boxed/bottled/canned drinks. The green people would hate me but it's how I roll. I would buy disposable clothes if they were available. (I do the laundry but never manage to fold it and put it away. We live out of a pile in the laundry room.)

I really think it has something to do with seratonin. I've done several clinical trials over the years of SSRIs that are being investigated and it's crazy -- during the first week to ten days on any new drug, I have an incredible burst of energy and get everything done. Then it wears off and I just feel dull again. I just bought a bottle of 5-HTP -- it's basically pure L-tryptophan and is supposed to naturally increase your seratonin levels. I took my first dose today and found myself cleaning my desk at work without even thinking about it and I actually got all the trash cleaned out of my car over lunch (that could have something to do with the fact that this is the first day in months that the temperature has been above freezing). Not enough evidence yet to make a recommendation, but I will keep you posted.

I have stuff on my bedroom's dresser, and shoes on the floor, but other than that, I try to keep things somewhat clean. I can be a bit OCD when it comes to the kitchen, as I spray the counters with a bleach solution daily to kill bacteria that causes food poisoning.

As for personal hygiene, I have no issues there since I shower daily, use deodorant both at night and after my morning shower, and brush my teeth often. I also do a lot of laundry because once I wear something once, I have to wash it before I can wear it again.

I dunno. I am weird about it. Like my bedroom is currently a disaster, but if anyone touched it, I'd be quite upset. Although I can throw things away. Once in a while, I'll decide it's too messy and I'll get things thrown out. Really the problem is lack of storage.

Oh, who am I kidding, I'm a bit of a slob.

At work, my desk is usually kinda messy, but I know where everything is and it's certainly NOT the messiest in the office. I keep my computer files, though, *extremely* well-organized.

I am terribly messy and disorganized but my computer files are pristine. I was often praised at work for my digital filing system. My desk and office were quite horrifying, however.

My house is quite clean, it's just a mess, heaps of clothes, toys, books and papers everywhere. I dust with a feather duster or a damp cloth and vacuum regularly. I try to do it often enough so I will never see the dirt.

The one thing that has helped me is FlyLady. She has a website and a mailing list and she emails you tasks to do every day. I can't follow the tasks, but I got the book "Sink Reflections" and I work from the book. You start by cleaning the kitchen sink. Once you've done that, everything else is easier. Then you gradually build up morning and evening routines and weekly task rotas. The only slight problem I have is that my husband doesn't like me having menus and routines pinned up in the kitchen. He thinks it seems a bit bonkers. But I checked with a couple of very organised women I know and they said "how could you ever get anything done if you don't have written lists and routines?" So I guess it's okay.

Keeping one's place neat is a matter of picking up the mess every day and not letting it get ahead of you. Do daily cleaning up (it won't take long) and do a major cleaning once every few weeks. That is what my wife and I do. We have a good cleaner come in one every two weeks and we do the incremental pickup on a daily basis.

ruveyn