really horrible chores

[songbird45]

I know that everyone has these... really awful, horrible chores that they don't want to do, so they put them off. What are your strategies for just doing them? And does anyone have strategies for my particular ones?

Mine are:
1) Dusting. I don't mind dusting furniture, but I have a table of knicknacks that I HATE dusting. YOu have ot pick every one of them up and dust individually, then dust the table they're on, then put them all back... UGH. It takes forever. And it's the same amount of work regardless of if I just dusted last week vs. if I wait 6 months and dust, so I basically never do it. I also hate dusting blinds, just because getting to each individual slat takes forever.

2) Ironing saris. If I were ironing normal clothes I'd just do it, because I can say "I'll do it for 15 minutes then come back later" but each sari takes a half hour to iron. I want to iron them all and put them away, then after I wear each one I just have that one to iron before I wear it next time. But to set up this system I have 5-6 hours of ironing ahead of me! *groan* help?

Looking at these, I see that the problem is that the 15-minute timer method, which works so well for everything else, doesn't work on these two chores. I can't just leave the blinds half-done, you know? What do you all do for these situations?

[SAHDS]

I HATE folding clothes so I do all of my laundry in one shot (WAY too many stairs to be constantly running up and down). On one day I'll do about 9 loads. When they come out of the dryer, I sort them into piles (laid out nicely as to not wrinkle) - one for socks and undies, one for the kids's clothes that are going on hangers, one for mine and DH's clothes that are going on hangers, one for all clothes that need to be folded.

During loads I'll run and get all of the small hangers and large hangers (checking all 5 closets for empties) and sort them into piles. I'll also match the socks and sort those into piles with the undies (one for each room - DD's, DS's, mine).

I'll start putting things on hangers and then work on the folding (I start with towels and blankets because it makes the pile noticeably smaller and that's good for morale), placing them all into very specific piles. BUT, I won't take anything out of the family room until every piece of laundry is done.

I don't use hampers or laundry baskets either (yuck, don't like them) so I may make 40 trips but oh well, it's exercise. In one swoop, I'll try to take up as much as I can. I'll put DD's hangers on my forearm, grab her pajamas (I don't fold those) in one arm, grab all of her folded pants and skirts in the other arm and then cradle the undies and socks under my chin, praying not to drop any on the way to her room which is literally on the other side of the house, LOL.

I know others do some laundry each day but I HATE that, it doesn't work for me. I like having it absolutely done. Plus we have tons of clothes so it's not like I have to keep right on top of it ()

My other HATE is unloading the dishwasher. I have no idea why but I loathe it. So, DH works graveyard and unloads it when he gets home. Then, throughout the day, I just toss dirty dishes in there and run it at night. Rinse and repeat.

[Coconut Chronicles]

Cleaning the windows definitely... There's 29 windows in our house and most of them are large. It just feels like an endless task. It takes me two days once a month to get them all done and I have to break it down to rooms. Our windows tilt in though which makes it easier.

And I totally hear you on dusting. I hate cleaning all the bookcases we have and having to take down all the books (we have waaayy too many books), dust and then put them all back.

[AngieB]

Originally Posted by songbird45

1) Dusting. I don't mind dusting furniture, but I have a table of knicknacks that I HATE dusting. YOu have ot pick every one of them up and dust individually, then dust the table they're on, then put them all back... UGH. It takes forever. And it's the same amount of work regardless of if I just dusted last week vs. if I wait 6 months and dust, so I basically never do it. I also hate dusting blinds, just because getting to each individual slat takes forever.

I got rid of all knicknacks and now dusting is a snap. Do you really need them? Could you cut the collecting in half or more?

I also hate folding clothes. I was trying to do laundry everyday but them I had to fold clothes everyday or usually baskets of clean clothes would pile up all over my bedroom. Now I do laundry once a week. I wait until everything is washed and dry and then fold and put everything away all at once. Now I only have to do it once a week.

[OakBerry]

Dusting is the worst for me. The dust makes me sneeze and any dusting spray gives me a headache. If you just use a feather duster it just re-distributes the dust, plus sends it airborne.

I also hate unloading the dishwasher, most of the stuff needs to be towel dried before you can put it in the cabinet, otherwise it gets moldy. PITA!

[kirstenb]

I abhor doing the dishes. We have a horrible dishwasher that doesn't get them clean so we wash them all by hand. Horrible horrible horrible. All too often I leave dirty dishes in the sink so I don't have to deal with them, which doesn't make much sense as I will have to wash them eventually.

[nolansmummy]

Dusting and windows. I'm with songbird45, it doesn't matter if you do it every week or every year , it seems they are always dusty/dirty.

[hibana]

Songbird45, you can solve your sari problem by sending them all to me!

I loathe doing dishes. Even with a portable dishwasher that can wash some items, it's a huge headache. Part of the problem is that I do all of the cooking, and dh only ever does the dishes when they pile up to the point that the kitchen can't be used. We also have a housemate/freeloader who cooks his own stuff and doesn't clean up after himself. (He's afraid to put anything in the dishwasher, because it has to be loaded a certain way or nothing gets clean. Rather than do his few dishes by hand, he just leaves them in the sink)

I should announce that I don't do dishes, and that if people want to eat, the dishes need to happen.

[99lauren]

Dusting is by far my worst chore. I don't reall have that much knick-knacky stuff, but we have a LOT of books - such a pain.

I probably would have said windows, but I just won't do them. I'll do the glass in the doors when the nose prints from my dog get REALLY bad, but I find that eventually my DH will cave in and do them if I wait long enough. Maybe thats why it seems so dark in here?:

I actually don't mind laundry as long as I get it folded as soon as it comes out of the dryer or off the line. If the clean stuff piles up, I get aggravated, and will just start getting dressed out of the pile My DH won't do this, so I eventually have to fold his stuff.
I'm with the PP who folds the big stuff first. Definetly good for morale!
I do sheets, towels, pants, then shirts. The left over stuff is no big deal once I get those things out of the pile.

[songbird45]

lol, I love laundry. Dh puts it in the washer and dryer, and I fold. I can sit on the bed, surrounded by a huge pile of laundry (one weeks' worth), and it only takes 20 minutes to do.

I would love to get rid of the knicknacks, but it's actually my puja room, which means that at least for appearances sake it has to exist. I never use it and I am more atheist than anything but it's a nod in the direction of tradition and keeps my mom off my back.

I'm glad everyone else hates dusting too! I feel I now have permission to dust once or twice a year.

The saris... I guess I just have to do it. Maybe if I put on some good music it'll go faster.

Oh, washing windows happens once a year in the summer. I couldn't imagine trying to do them once a month!

[LilWin]

Cleaning the bathroom. I hate it! It's all scrubbing while hanging upside down into the bathtub, floor or toiletbowl and one person uses it a minute later and it's all dirty again.
I don't do it often enough because I hate it so much. In fact, because of my strong dislike I have kept track of how many times DH has done it since we lived here (7 yrs last week): two times. 2!!
I also hate ironing but I just never do it. Nothing ever looks bad enough to get out the ironing board.

[KyleAnn]

I am with SAHDS...

I loathe folding laundry & also putting it all away. I would rather scrub toilets all day long than do this...

I HATE emptying the dishwasher...I'll leave a clean load in there for days and handwash everything else just so I don't have to do it. It's supposed to be dh's job (that and taking out the trash), but he always says, "later...later..."

My last one is scrubbing the shower doors. I love the idea of glass shower doors but they are a b!tch to clean. I scrub those doors and tracks all the time but there is still always some gross mildew that gunks up in the tracks, then I sit there with q-tips & a toothbrush trying to clean it out...and two days later they look just as streaky/soap scummy.

Maybe we just need to stop bathing??

[broodymama]

Cleaning the shower & shower doors here too, ugh. Laundry I don't mind so much, I just take the basket upstairs as soon as the dryer is done and put it away. Most stuff gets hung up, and the few things that need to be folded I do as I come to them.

[Tangled Hill]

• I hate scrubbing the bathroom.
• I hate switching the litter in the kitty box.
• I hate washing dishes with meat on them (we have a roommate - wash your own darned dishes!).
• I hate yard work - all of it.

Okay, that's enough hate.

• I enjoy picking up.
• I enjoy rearranging things.
• I enjoy decluttering.
• I enjoy sweeping and vacuuming when I'm in the right mood.
• I enjoy doing dishes when I'm in the right mood.
• I enjoy doing laundry when I'm in the right mood.

Ah, I feel better, now. :

Mostly, I just have to make myself do the things I hate. Force myself, I guess. Sometimes, I'll do the task in spurts - like when I'm watching a television show, I'll hop up during the commercial and scrub the toilet. I'll use the next commercial break to clean off the bathroom counter. That sort of thing.... It seems to help a little, but I still loathe these tasks.

Yard work, I put off as long as possible. Hubby told me in the beginning that he would do all the yard work, but it NEVER gets done. : Eventually, I end up doing it myself, but only after I've waited as long as suburbanly possible for him to do it, first.

[rere]

[quote=songbird45;13126801
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The saris... I guess I just have to do it. Maybe if I put on some good music it'll go faster.

[/quote]
Do you really have to iron them?If the wrinkles really bother you,could you steam them instead?

[Amylcd]

- Dishes - I have to handwash them.
- Laundry - I hate putting the clean clothes away (hate it!)

[SuzyLee]

You guys wash windows? Hmmm... if I ever actually did that it might be my least favorite chore.

I hate doing bathrooms, which is why H and negotiated that he cleans bathrooms and I do laundry.

[songbird45]

Originally Posted by rere

Do you really have to iron them?If the wrinkles really bother you,could you steam them instead?

Here's the problem. It's six yards of heavy silk. If it's not ironed, it doesn't drape correctly when you try to put it on (and putting it on is a complicated affair that involves pleats and tucks and dh to help, since I'm not talented enough to do it myself.) I am afraid to put them in the dryer with a damp towel (my strategy for everything else) because I don't know what it will do to the fabric. I have no idea how else one might go about steaming them. It's a LOT of fabric.

To be fair, there are lots of chores I don't mind doing. I sort of enjoy dishes and folding laundry - a good thing, because those are endless chores! There are some I don't mind too much because they're very infrequent, such as washing the shower curtain (um, once in two years, anyone?) or washing windows (once a year). I have a reel mower and love doing the lawn. I imagine myself wearing the baby and mowing the lawn once I've healed up post partum; it's so quiet and relaxing.

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by KyleAnn

and handwash everything else just so I don't have to do it.

Yes, me too!

My last one is scrubbing the shower doors. I love the idea of glass shower doors but they are a b!tch to clean. I scrub those doors and tracks all the time but there is still always some gross mildew that gunks up in the tracks, then I sit there with q-tips & a toothbrush trying to clean it out...and two days later they look just as streaky/soap scummy.

In the master, we have the full-size glass doors (so pretty) and DH and I squeegee them after each use. It keeps them incredibly clean. As for the tracks, I spray them w/ Method bathroom and let them set and then rinse them out. Works well.

As for what I LOVE:

ironing and vacuuming. I vacuum multiple times daily and iron everything (even undershirts and sometimes socks

:

[Drummer's Wife]

I hate everything that's been mentioned :

oh, except vacuuming. I also do it multiple times a day (including the edges of the windows and the skylights).

I hate laundry, dishes, mopping, bathrooms, dusting... pretty much everything related to cleaning.