MONSTER LAIR

They say that home is where the heart is. One's home should definitely be a happy, clean, and organized place.  Out of all the cultures I have studied, the Japanese have the best mindset about merging aesthetics and functionality in regards to home keeping.  If you are wondering how the heck this ties in with Operation Human Monster, there is a method to my madness. Be patient, grasshopper. 

The fundamental mindset of someone who works out is that he has his life in order and is happy doing his own thing. Focus and concentration flow from this wellspring of organization, cleanliness, and happiness.  Your home is a reflection of yourself, so if it is in order, then the rest of your life is likely in order as well. At least, one hopes so! To the contrary, a disorganized, unclean, and sad home will likely seep into other areas of your life, and people will notice.  Basically, HYST (Have Your Shit Together).

I have to admit that I used to not be the best home keeper. So I can attest to the perils of letting clutter seep into every other aspect of my life. Admittedly, it is not my disposition to be a neat freak, but I do possess discipline, so I can make myself do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals. It just so happens that everything starts at home and spreads outward, so I have taken this lesson to heart.

Here are some of the things I have borrowed from the Japanese to keep my home clean, organized, and happy. If the eyes are the gateway to the soul, then the entrance to your home is also very important - it is the face of your home.  Thus, the genkan, an area where one removes his shoes and stores them facing the door or in a getabako.  I do not need a getabako, so I merely store my shoes in the genkan.

How the genkan works is straightforward. You remove your shoes in this area, then make sure your feet do not touch it. So take a shoe off, place it on the floor of the genkan. Step over with the bare foot to the clean side of the floor. Then remove the other shoe and step over with it to the clean side of the floor. You get it. The idea is to not step on the genkan with your bare feet, because this is a high-traffic area that is dirty. Most Japanese homes have the genkan as a depression in the floor so that you step up to the clean side, but if this is not an option, just a designated area you will not walk across barefooted will suffice.  

As for the restroom, I keep a pair of crocs in there. So when I enter the restroom I put on the crocs making sure not to touch the bathroom floor with my bare feet.  So I've gone Howard Hughes on a lot of stuff. Nothing wrong with that. At least the place is clean!

As for other areas of aesthetics in the home, I am working on collecting a lot of authentic Japanese woodblock prints and screens, and I really like this site: FUJI ARTS

Any who, I always feel weird when I visit some one's home and am allowed to wear my shoes indoors. No-one has visited my home since I implemented the no-shoe policy, but they simply won't get in if they insist on wearing outdoor shoes indoors. Not going to happen.  

EDIT:

In regard to maintenance workers, and how to deal with them, I figured out a pretty classy way to not offend them and still keep my floors spic and span. (I rent, so the last thing I want to do is make the maintenance folks angry! I might need their help someday!)   Set up a telescoping pet gate that closes off the genkan. Arrange a small table with a bowl of candies and shoe covers, aka, booties. Put a note on the table stating: "Please wear the shoe covers past this point. Thank you, and take some candy for your kind cooperation."