"MY WIFE IS DIRTY"
When it comes to measuring a good "wife material", cleanliness is an important yardstick. The level of cleanliness of the woman is directly reflected on the children and the entire family. However, you can't really know how clean a person is until you have lived with them for a while. The ability to maintain a clean home also changes as the family dynamics changes. For example, your cleaning tasks increase when you move from a one-room apartment to a three-bedroom flat, or as you have more children, pets, gadgets etc.
Couples should anticipate these challenges and make adequate provisions to keep the home clean. Cleaning should be a joint task for every member of the family. No one is too big or too small to participate.
Dear wife,
The cleanliness of your home lies on your shoulders. Plan a routine and divide your tasks into small bits. Don't allow things to pile up. Work at a steady pace and take rests in-between. Don't feel shy to assign some tasks to your husband as well. "Sweetheart, please help me clean the ceiling fan while I wipe the windows". "Baby, please take the garbage on your way out"....… If you have children, catch them young on how to clean after themselves. Teach them how to eat and play nicely without making everywhere messed up. Reward them when they clean up and punish them (mildly) when they fail to do so. Don't try to fake a sparkling clean house when you have a guest. Let them know that you do a lot of work to keep the house clean and (after the first few days of welcome) let them help you in the cleaning. If you need extra hands, don't hesitate to ask for help - don't form superwoman.
Dear husband,
Keeping the house clean is not child's play. Assist your wife as much as possible. Don't cross your legs in front of the television while she is struggling to cook, clean, take care of the children...all at the same time. We know you have been hustling all day and you just want to eat dinner and sleep. But a little help with the chores wouldn't hurt you. Provide tools and devices that will make the work faster and ergonomically easier (such as vacuum cleaner, washing machine, mopping stick with bowl, etc.). If you can afford it, hire a cleaner, either as part time or live-in. Supervise and give thumbs up when they do well, as much as you complain when they don't.
Cleanliness requires both individual and collective effort because it is considered to be "half of our faith".
