A Room-By-Room Guide To Cleaning Every Filthy Thing In Your Home

The first time I ever felt like a real, genuine adult was not the moment I signed my first lease or chose my first 401(k) allocation or did my taxes. These were all required of me, so they lacked the sheen of chosen responsibility. Nope, the first time I felt like I had truly become a grown-up was the moment I found myself on my hands and knees on the floor of my bathroom, scrubbing the floor of my bathtub — even though I wasn’t expecting company.

No one was making me clean my tub. No one else ever used it. I could’ve let the scum build up as long as I could tolerate it and beyond, with virtually no consequences. I could’ve half-assed the job and sprayed the floor with some generic bathroom cleaner and let the showerhead wash it away. But my 22-year-old self chose to scrub it down as soon as I saw the slightest hint of pink buildup on the side of the tub, and I felt about as smug as one can feel while wearing a ratty t-shirt, hand-me-down basketball shorts from my brother, and hot pink rubber gloves on a Friday night.

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’ve experienced a similar moment or are in pursuit of your own adulthood benchmark. Now that I’m about to turn thirty, I’ve learned enough about keeping a home clean that I feel entitled to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of grown-ups. Let’s take it room by room. Just do yourself a favor and buy some good rubber gloves first. It really does make this whole process much more palatable. 

Read the full article on The Financial Diet.