---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The darn trouble with cleaning the house…"
description: "\"The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have to. The children are the most important thing..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png"
---

#  The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty…

![“The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have to. The children are the most important thing.” quote by Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png)

> “The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have to. The children are the most important thing.”

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Household chores quickly become messy, so occasional neglect is understandable; children’s wellbeing takes priority.

**In simple terms:** Cleaning can be postponed; kids matter most.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize family over perfection.

Themes

parenting household management priorities

Mood

practical realistic

Type

advice reflective

When to use this quote

- daily cleaning
- family time
- budgeting chores

Key Concepts

family values practicality stress relief

Questions to Reflect On

- What minimal cleaning routine could work for busy families?
- How to balance cleanliness with family time?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting cleaning can affect health and hygiene.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cleaning House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleaning-house/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/)

## Related quotes

> [I visited those friends who'd just had a baby, and she was washing dishes and he was cleaning the house, and I burst with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lucas/i-visited-those-friends-who-d-just-had-a-baby-and-she-was-washing/)

[Josh Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lucas/)

> [“Society gives the image of sexual violators as weird, ugly, anti-social, alcoholics. Society gives the impression that violators kidnap children are out of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosenna-bakari/society-gives-the-image-of-sexual-violators-as-weird-ugly-anti-social/)

Rosenna Bakari

> [I grew up kind of fast. I had a lot of responsibilities-cleaning the house, going to school on my own, making good grades on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hines-ward/i-grew-up-kind-of-fast-i-had-a-lot-of-responsibilities-cleaning-the/)

[Hines Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hines-ward/)

> [in the day after humans disappear, nature takes over and immediately begins cleaning house - our houses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-weisman/in-the-day-after-humans-disappear-nature-takes-over-and-immediately/)

[Alan Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-weisman/)

> [When all else fails, cleaning house is the perfect antidote to most of life's ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/when-all-else-fails-cleaning-house-is-the-perfect-antidote-to-most-of/)

[Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/)

> [I'm great at washing dishes and I'm great at cleaning the house and all that kind of stuff. I don't like doing it, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/i-m-great-at-washing-dishes-and-i-m-great-at-cleaning-the-house-and/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [What I'm hoping for is something that goes much, much further than the conservative enablers of dog-eat-dog capitalism putting on a puppet show of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/what-i-m-hoping-for-is-something-that-goes-much-much-further-than-the/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [I love cleaning the house. I'd never have a cleaner - I wouldn't trust them to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-sevigny/i-love-cleaning-the-house-i-d-never-have-a-cleaner-i-wouldn-t-trust/)

[Chloe Sevigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-sevigny/)

> [we learn the process of emptying out, cleaning house, both within and without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-shoshanna/we-learn-the-process-of-emptying-out-cleaning-house-both-within-and/)

[Brenda Shoshanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-shoshanna/)

> [Cleaning the house while the children are home is like shoveling while it's still snowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/cleaning-the-house-while-the-children-are-home-is-like-shoveling/)

[Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/)

> [In my house every Sunday, everybody was cleaning the house. There was always music, and everybody was dancing, sometimes naked around the house. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/in-my-house-every-sunday-everybody-was-cleaning-the-house-there-was/)

[Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/)

> [Whether you are cooking, cleaning house, or planting flowers, try to concentrate on the textures, the smells, colors, tastes, sounds, all Zen moments of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-lynch/whether-you-are-cooking-cleaning-house-or-planting-flowers-try-to/)

Jerry Lynch

> [I think that we are in a very strange time, when everybody is thinking about what is going to happen, and everybody is kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alber-elbaz/i-think-that-we-are-in-a-very-strange-time-when-everybody-is-thinking/)

[Alber Elbaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alber-elbaz/)

> [I think cleaning house at the CIA needed to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hoekstra/i-think-cleaning-house-at-the-cia-needed-to-happen/)

[Pete Hoekstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hoekstra/)

> [“It’s often said that cleaning your house is like polishing yourself. I think that this is a golden rule. It isn’t just dust and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-sasaki/it-s-often-said-that-cleaning-your-house-is-like-polishing-yourself-i/)

[Fumio Sasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-sasaki/)

## More by Barbara Bush

> [“War is not nice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/war-is-not-nice/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [I'm not being outspoken or pro or con abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/i-m-not-being-outspoken-or-pro-or-con-abortion/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [Believe in something larger than yourself... get involved in the big ideas of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/believe-in-something-larger-than-yourself-get-involved-in-the-big/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [Future of his nation does not depend on what happens at the White House, but what happens at your house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/future-of-his-nation-does-not-depend-on-what-happens-at-the-white/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [“I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell my children that, they just about throw up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/i-married-the-first-man-i-ever-kissed-when-i-tell-my-children-that/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [You don't just luck into things as much as you would like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/you-don-t-just-luck-into-things-as-much-as-you-would-like-to-think/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/clinton-lied-a-man-might-forget-where-he-parks-or-where-he-lives-but/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [I'm a great believer that the most important years are the sort of early years but the preschool years and then into the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/i-m-a-great-believer-that-the-most-important-years-are-the-sort-of/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [You have to love your children unselfishly. That's hard. But it's the only way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/you-have-to-love-your-children-unselfishly-that-s-hard-but-it-s-the/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/to-us-family-means-putting-your-arms-around-each-other-and-being-there/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [“As important as your obligations as a doctor, lawyer or business leader will be, you are a human being first. And these human connections…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/as-important-as-your-obligations-as-a-doctor-lawyer-or-business/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [I really feel very strongly that the person who runs for office is the courageous one, and the one who everybody has to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/i-really-feel-very-strongly-that-the-person-who-runs-for-office-is/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [To this day George Sr. is the soft touch and I'm the enforcer. I'm the one who writes them a letter and says 'Shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/to-this-day-george-sr-is-the-soft-touch-and-i-m-the-enforcer-i-m-the/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [Raising five boys is a handful, trust me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/raising-five-boys-is-a-handful-trust-me/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [I'm not saying to be happy you must be married. Nor am I saying that to be happy you need children. I'm saying that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/i-m-not-saying-to-be-happy-you-must-be-married-nor-am-i-saying-that/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

[Explore all 109 Barbara Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have to. The children are the most important thing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Bush"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house-is-it-gets-dirty-the-next/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house-is-it-gets-dirty-the-next/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/barbara-bush-4569_children_the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house_280552.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have…” — Barbara Bush",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Barbara Bush",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The darn trouble with cleaning the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house-is-it-gets-dirty-the-next/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/the-darn-trouble-with-cleaning-the-house-is-it-gets-dirty-the-next/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
