While She’s Away – Make the House Ready

Well, my wife is still away, so I’m still talking about how to be romantic while she’s gone. I’m expecting her back soon, so I need to think about preparing for that. It’s important that her homecoming be romantic as well, something where she can unwind from her trip and get back into the groove of being home once again.

Probably the worst thing for a woman to come home to is a messy house. Any projects that were in process (see Saturday’s post) need to be wrapped up, or at least cleaned up, if they can’t be finished. But, there’s more to it than that. Yes, as scary as it may seem, it’s time to put on the maid’s apron and clean up the house.

Most guys aren’t so picky about how the house looks or how clean it is. Unless you’re one of those super-organized types (I am) things lying around don’t bother you. I mean, what’s wrong with the spare tire from the truck leaning up against the sofa? Why not keep the fishing rod on the dining room table? Who cares if the Sunday newspaper sits on the floor until next week’s arrives? Right?

Okay, maybe you and I don’t care all that much about those things, but you can be sure that your wife does. Leaving things lying around like that makes the home look like a garage in her eyes. Since she doesn’t like spending time in the garage, why would she want her home to look that way?

Then there’s the cleaning. Yes, I know, its’ easier to just ignore it. Those dishes which have been stacking up all week need to get washed. The floors need to be swept and vacuumed. The bathroom even needs to get cleaned. While I realize that it sounds like a lot, you can actually get it all done in a couple of hours. All you need is a plan and a little bit of organization.

Remember, your wife does all that stuff every week; so if she’s been gone a week, it needs to be done. Get the kids to help (a reward always helps) and clean the place up. That way, she won’t feel like she’s got to start working as soon as she walks in the door.

If you’ve ever done any traveling, you know that everyone is tired when they get home. The last thing that you want, when you walk in the door, is to have to fix the plugged up kitchen sink or mow the yard. Well, why should it be any different for your wife? Besides, if she’s been gone, I’m sure you’ve got other activities in mind, besides her cleaning. Well, if you want her to be interested, you need to make sure that she’s not going to be exhausted from cleaning the house.