This isn't a whinge. She just made a comment about how I cleaned the cooktop. It was pretty messy, and being gas tends to 'cook' spills onto it.

Now the whole kitchen is a mess this morning. But rather than clean the dishes away, clean all the benches etc etc then move onto the cooktop when there was some room. I shoved some stuff out of the way, lifted off the nobs, burner thingies and the thingies the pots sit on, then coated it in spray, sprayed the splashback and also decided to to the microwave.

So it's not that she's not happy that I cleaned it. She just can't understand how I can do that one little thing, and have to move stuff out of the way to get to it, rather than start at the beginning and move onto the cooktop as things clear away from it. Well Der - how else does she think I do things!

Case in point - I was back on the net on another forum when she pointed it out to me - having done nothing else in the kitchen but the cooktop (sans nobs and all the other bits that go with it) and microwave. Well Der again - what else does she expect!!!

Just to clear up - this post is tongue in cheek.. :)

See, I keep saying my wife is ADD.
She cleans 1 room, taking 4hrs to do so.
I clean the whole house in that time.
Being ADD, my mind shifts around to several things at one time.
So I can spray down the bathroom, go soak some dishes in the sink (don't have a dishwasher), and spray down the countertops (and stove) in the kitchen.
By that time, I work my way back to the bathroom, and clean everything I've sprayed or soaked.
Then I have 2 rooms cleaned in 30 minutes.
I guess I just move so quickly because of the hyperactivity early in the day, that it's actually a good thing.
Hey, she should be happy you are cleaning something!

My thoughts exactly!!

The only difference is my good cleaning time is usually occurs after 10pm at night when people are expected the next day!!

I tend to clean the whole house at once. Here is an example:

I'll be in the kitchen and see something that needs to go upstairs to our bedroom so I take it up there. While there I fold some clothes. Half way through I stop and take some dirty clothes downstairs to the laundry room. I start a load. I then see that my son's crib sheets are dry so I take them back up stairs to his room and I make the crib. I remember that I had to get back to cleaning the kitchen so I start back down stairs. On the way I not that the bathroom is a mess so I stop in there and pick up some towels. They need to go to the laundry room so off I go. I pass through the living room on the way and see some dirty sippy cups I pick those up so now I am holding towels and cups. I notice dust on the TV so I dust the tv with one of the towels. I then see my shoes in the middle of the floor. I take them back upstairs along with the towels and the cups. I drop them in our room. Finally, I realize my arms are hurting so I return to the laundry room, drop the towels and put in a new load of laundry. Lastly, I go to the kitchen with the cups. But while I am loading the dishwasher, I remember that I was folding clothes upstairs and there were dish towels that need to go to the kitchen so I go back upstairs. At the top of the stairs I look down at my hand and wonder why I am holding a handful of dirty silverware.... I could go on and on and on...

My daughter can't just clean the visible kitchen; if she's cleaning the kitchen, she's emptying alllllllllll the cabinets; I kinda do the dishes and let the countertops sit, unless the moment is right and I can actually see how to do it, then I do the whole visible kitchen and then I close the cabinet doors and I'm done. My husband will choose one tiny part of the messy house and devote his entire being to making it exemplary, and when he is overstressed that the house is a mess, he will go and open the door of the linen closet he's made perfect, and gaze into it until he attains peace of mind. My son is still learning that, first of all, when the dishwasher is broken (as it is now), that he becomes my dishwasher :D and that washing the dishes means washing both the eating surface AND the back of the plates, and washing between the tines of the forks.

I tend to clean the whole house at once. Here is an example:

I'll be in the kitchen and see something that needs to go upstairs to our bedroom so I take it up there. While there I fold some clothes. Half way through I stop and take some dirty clothes downstairs to the laundry room. I start a load. I then see that my son's crib sheets are dry so I take them back up stairs to his room and I make the crib. I remember that I had to get back to cleaning the kitchen so I start back down stairs. On the way I not that the bathroom is a mess so I stop in there and pick up some towels. They need to go to the laundry room so off I go. I pass through the living room on the way and see some dirty sippy cups I pick those up so now I am holding towels and cups. I notice dust on the TV so I dust the tv with one of the towels. I then see my shoes in the middle of the floor. I take them back upstairs along with the towels and the cups. I drop them in our room. Finally, I realize my arms are hurting so I return to the laundry room, drop the towels and put in a new load of laundry. Lastly, I go to the kitchen with the cups. But while I am loading the dishwasher, I remember that I was folding clothes upstairs and there were dish towels that need to go to the kitchen so I go back upstairs. At the top of the stairs I look down at my hand and wonder why I am holding a handful of dirty silverware.... I could go on and on and on... That is me to a T. Too funny!:p

Hey Hardyhar.....thats a bit like me too.....I've my own way of cleaning.....leave things for a long time ...and then go on a hyperfocussed cleaning binge.

Unfortunately my non-ADD partner can't understand this and wonders why i never clean, its not that i can't...its just the house never gets to the point where i think it needs cleaned.....and if i try and start...I get distracted.

now having a non-cleaning spouse has ramifications in any relationship.....and it gets worse....my partners kitchen cleaning involves moving things around while cleaning under them.....so I can never find anything.......so I don't cook either....even though i love it...because I'm a "Ready Steady Cook" type cook and need to be able to lay my hands on implements and ingredients in a flash of a flaming flambee.

so no cleaning....no cooking....Hmmmm hardly surprising she feels a little put upon...and when I say I need someone to look after the family finances....well you can guess the rest!

kilt

OMG..this is the way I pretend to clean the house too..its uncanny.

I tend to clean the whole house at once. Here is an example:

I'll be in the kitchen and see something that needs to go upstairs to our bedroom so I take it up there. While there I fold some clothes. Half way through I stop and take some dirty clothes downstairs to the laundry room. I start a load. I then see that my son's crib sheets are dry so I take them back up stairs to his room and I make the crib. I remember that I had to get back to cleaning the kitchen so I start back down stairs. On the way I not that the bathroom is a mess so I stop in there and pick up some towels. They need to go to the laundry room so off I go. I pass through the living room on the way and see some dirty sippy cups I pick those up so now I am holding towels and cups. I notice dust on the TV so I dust the tv with one of the towels. I then see my shoes in the middle of the floor. I take them back upstairs along with the towels and the cups. I drop them in our room. Finally, I realize my arms are hurting so I return to the laundry room, drop the towels and put in a new load of laundry. Lastly, I go to the kitchen with the cups. But while I am loading the dishwasher, I remember that I was folding clothes upstairs and there were dish towels that need to go to the kitchen so I go back upstairs. At the top of the stairs I look down at my hand and wonder why I am holding a handful of dirty silverware.... I could go on and on and on...
And I thought I was the only one who cleaned this way.....made me chuckle to see so much of myself in your post.

Cheers,

ozgal :)

Tell her to toss your salad, or toss anything else on your body she wants. You can give some people a job eating ice cream all day long and they would still find a way to *****. OOh its too cold, this is the wrong flavor, why dont you take out the trash or have sex with me more often.

Zeb

I agree at least you do try to help. . . Gary makes an intersting mess cleaning but heck as long as I don't have to clean up after his cleaning I apprecite what he has done and the last thing I would do is complain. . . . .My half medicated had a mixed drink response to some one who doesn't even appreciate the effort is not even approapiate for a family orientated forum. . . . . .

My husband is ADHD (well controlled mind you, no meds) and he cleans well...me on the otherhand...I'm probably ADD but I hate cleaning...so what takes 1 person an hour takes me twice as long...procratination maybe...but if I needed to I could do it faster but I hate doing it so lol.

I'm blessed to have the husband I do.

My first weekend on meds my wife and I tried cleaning the house together.

first a little about my way of cleaning...

My family often let the house get really dirty when I was growing up. At a certain point someone would get tired of it and the family would be switched into crisis mode. We would spend an entire day cleaning from the roof to the floor and organizing like crazy. When we were done it wouldnt look like the same house. it was quite a satifying feeling. However, more often than not several weeks would go by and we would be nearing crisis level again.
So this is how I learned to clean. Well that and working in kitchens throughout my twenties. Lets just say I have an industrial approach.

My wife had a similar upbringing but with a different reaction. She would try and cajole her family to clean consistently during the day. The oldest sister,she would work in vain to bring order and stabilty to her chaotic household.

You can see the comedy shaping up cant you?

Seriously though, it was my wife who convinced me to seek treatment for ADD. My first week on Concerta went so well I wanted to show her my appreciation.
I devised a hybid house cleaning plan that utilized the most effective elements of both of our styles. I organized the overall plan of attack and did most of the heavy lifting. My wife helped keep us to the plan and made sure that we did not overlook important details.

At the end of the day, it was perhaps the most satifying day we have spent doing chores together.
And soon we will be looking to buy our first house.

comedy gold! ;)

p.s. I also use the above mentioned "HardyHar Whole House" technique

I suck at cleaning while unmedicated because I get too stressed out about it. I think about every single item in the room that needs to be cleaned and put away instead of just one item at a time which can be very overwhelming!

If it is dirty enough to bug me I clean it, and I expect the same from all house hold members. However if I trip over it and it is yours I get to do with it as I see fit at the time. . . . keeps things orderly enough to not be embarrassed when unexpected company comes over. . . .and I can walk from room to room without falling over some thing or having to climb over things. . . . close enough.

Never heard of any one laying on their death bed saying

"Gee I wish I had spent more time cleaning house and less time enjoying my family."

Household Tips and Tricks (http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=276&page=1&pp=25&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=30)

My add husband and I have "cleaning hours" and not very often. But -- company's coming, so we clean as hard as we can for an hour and you can't believe how much gets done. Inbetween times, i cook and he cleans the kitchen. Well, at some point he cleans the kitchen but not every day. His office will start to get out of control, but he's really good about either hiding stuff (don't open the closet doors!!) or stacking it somewhere. I think it would be stupid to have a house that was perfectly clean; who could possibly live there? Oh -- one thing that helps is that I have restless legs syndrome and sometimes get up and night and I clean! Like having a magic maid. That's probably what keeps us under control.