No Place Like Home

I love my apartment, I really do, but maintaining it isn't always easy.

No matter how hard I try, there will always be dust seeping through the cracks and a gradual buildup of waste that needs tending.  Regular maintenance is essential to keep it in pristine condition.

Otherwise I very much enjoy my apartment; I like spending time in it, playing games, watching movies, sleeping, eating, writing pointless nothings on the computer...all in all, we spend a lot of quality time together.  Even cleaning can be fun, if one is in the mood for it, play some music, get down to business...a real sense of accomplishment.

The key, as I have noted, is consistency.  The apartment must be cleaned on a REGULAR basis (capitals are mine).  It's amazing how fast something you love can fall apart without regular maintenance.

If I were only to work on it once a year, let's say on an 'anniversary' of cleaning, it would be a total disaster before I could even lift a broom.  Even if I doubled that amount and also made a point of caring on the recurrence of the day I moved in (the apartment's 'birthday', if you will), it would be an uphill battle.

Statutory holidays wouldn't be enough, either.  I also couldn't get away with 'only when there's company coming over'.  No, we're talking a daily basis here...every day I must do something to keep my apartment fresh and alive.

It doesn't always have to be huge; it can be little things like keeping the dishes from piling up or wiping down the sinks after use.  Closing the closet doors is a good habit, as it keeping junk off the floor (if it is, in fact, junk, it should be pitched; otherwise I must determine what the item is for and put it in the appropriate spot).

This is important.  I mean, it's not like I can just move somewhere else.  I've made a commitment; I have rent to pay and lots of furniture to sit on.  I can't just trash the place, get tired of it, and haul my stuff elsewhere because keeping the place clean is too much 'hassle'.  Like I said, I love the place.

Do you have an apartment?  Or a home (mobile or stationary)?  Do you take regular care of it, or do you just expect it to be clean when you get back without having to lift a finger?  Do you expect it to maintain itself?  Pardon me for saying, but that sounds a tad impractical...