How to Get Your Husband to Clean

Basically, I am a clean freak. Everyone tells me I am. I like things in order and I like things clean. I clean everyday. It is just my husband and me. I vacuum, mop, clean bathrooms everyday. I do it all in a routine fashion. Then I also do extra cleaning things on certain days such as cleaning the fridge out and wiping it all down, windows etc. I do it for me. Call it what you want,, but it is me.
I probably should not mention this, but I color code my clothes in my closet. Again, I do it for me.

My husband has learned that I am anal about cleaning and he is really good about picking up his clothes and putting dishes in the sink. He doesn't go as far as putting them in the dishwasher, but he does rinse them and he sets them in the sink. Believe me, I am right behind him to put them in the dishwasher. He has never done laundry, nor has he ever vacuumed or cleaned a toliet.

My house is under construction which drives me in another direction. I won't even go there. During this time, my husband has boxes of his things of which he needs to go through. I have fought with him over and over because I know that he will throw more than half of these things away once he goes through them. I can not stand this anymore so I gave him an ultimatium at New Years. I told him that this house is getting done this year. He needs to go through his things. He could do it, I would do it (which he would never want me to do), or we could do it together. Let me say, I was shocked. He started going through his boxes. He actually got rid of a lot of "junk".

Now, I just need to get him to do the garage! That may take a month because he has a lot to go through. We moved from a bigger house to a bit smaller one. He never went through his stuff. He has this TR7 that has never ran in the 21 years we have been together. It has sat in the garage taking up space. It will never run, I am sure of this, but he says he is not getting rid of it. Some people have a hard time letting things go. Like that show "Hoarders". How can people live that way? I can't bare to watch it.

I save things worth saving that mean something to me. But darn him, he has these big old speakers from the 70's that he never has used. I am always telling him to throw them out. This is 2010 and they have much better speakers today, like Bose. He knows this, but he has got to get rid of them. I think once he starts going through the garage he will. Yes, I have to push and bitch and give ultimatiums but it seems to be working. I will help him if he needs me to. From his words to me, he doesn't need me to help him. He knows I would throw more of his "junk" out or complain about it as he is doing it. So it is best to leave him alone and let him toss and organize his possesions his way.