guilty mama syndrome

So I've been thinking I need to have this painted on my front door to warn all who enter... who's with me? :)

But really though, cleaning house is one of my biggest challenges. I was raised in a spotless house by a mother who was raised in a spotless house by a mother who... well, you get the picture. And then there was me.

And my house? It ain't spotless. It's kind of the opposite of spotless.

This is one of my biggest guilts. When I sit, I feel guilty that I'm not cleaning something. When I'm cleaning something, I feel guilty that I'm not cleaning it more thoroughly. I was raised by a generation of women who used bleach & toothbrushes. "A swipe & a promise" wasn't/isn't in their vocabulary.

So how do I find a balance? How do I make peace with my house & stop the cleaning-inspired guilt? How do I shut up the little voice? Or is the little voice right?

Does anyone else feel guilty every time you open your microwave & see the splatters that so shouldn't be there?

Do you agree with the above sign, or do you strive for a house that sparkles with cleanliness?

Have you made peace with your house? If so, how?