12 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Ignore Your Stupid Housework

When I was growing up, my mother worked about 70 hours a week waitressing. She would return at ungodly hours in the night, and enter our home through the garage, into the kitchen. Because I knew a messy kitchen stressed her out, I would always be sure that the kitchen was clean before I went to bed. It’s amazing what behaviors stay with you – to this day I can’t fall asleep with a dish in the sink.

Today is National No Housework Day. I don’t know who thought this up, but I think it’s pretty telling that we need a day to remind us all it’s okay to look the other way at a messy house. Sometimes I find myself frantically cleaning in the morning before my kids get up, just to look up an hour after they’ve been awake to see a disaster area. I’ll borrow a sentiment I saw on an Internet meme once that said cleaning a house with small children is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. Yup.

In honor of this housework amnesty day, I rounded up some amazing quotes about keeping a clean house, by some pretty smart women. Hopefully they will give you the motivation you need to give yourself a break and look the other way occasionally.