How do you WOH and keep your house clean?

[cristeen]

I have never learned to clean house. I know how to do the actual cleaning, but it's always been more of a "oh crap, guests will be here tomorrow" kind of thing, rather than an ongoing thing. I've tried Flylady, and it really wasn't for me... too many emails, too many rules. My grandmother's house is always guest ready, and has been that way my entire life, even when she worked FT. I really have to say I'm jealous of that. I have no idea how she manages it. My DH is at the point that he's really frustrated with the chaos our house is always in... and while I am too, I have no idea how to go about fixing it.

My responsibilities for housework are pretty much everything except the bathroom and the cat boxes. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, garden, all of that is mine responsibility. On top of my 40 hr/week job (before anyone gets up in arms about the inequity, DH works 60 hrs/wk or more).

So how do you WOH women keep your houses clean? What's your strategy? Help me out here, ladies.

[loitering]

I find that the key is to maximize the time after ds goes to bed but before I do. In that time, I can pack lunch, set the coffee, clean up from dinner, and just generally tidy up. I feel so much better in the morning when the counters are clear and the floor is swept. It also helps my attitude when I come home from picking up ds; if the house is dirty, I go into a crazy frenzy to clean, but if the house is clean, I play with ds and we cuddle.

Other ideas I've heard but haven't necessarily done: schedule time for things (gardening Saturday mornings), cook & freeze meals on the weekends, start laundry before you leave for work and switch it when you get home.

[waiflywaif]

We have a housecleaner come every three weeks to do the "big stuff." I feel like we can keep reasonably tidy on the in-between weeks. I'm the declutterer and my husband wipes down the counters and the bathroom, and he mops/vacuums about once a week.

[zeldabee]

The short answer to your question is that I don't.

The slightly longer answer is that I don't keep it nearly as clean as I would like. I wish I could afford to pay someone to clean now and then, but that's not possible. I catch up as best I can on weekends, freeze meals, clean bathroom, etc. About half the time I'm behind on folding laundry. Sometimes I push the envelope with the cat box. When I slack on washing dishes, it's really awful and drives me crazy, so I try to stay on top of that. It's more work to get back up to speed when I get behind in general, but sometimes I can't help it.

[texmati]

I would like to know this as well. I know it's possible, I see other people do it.

I guess cleaning just needs to be more of a priority?

[zeldabee]

I think you have to be super organized. The key for me is not to procrastinate. When I get on a roll with it, it's easier. It's just hard to remember that when I'm exhausted and just want to veg out and do it all later.

[kewb]

I don't. I do have a cleaning lady that comes every other week. In between I live in chaos. Dh used to complain. He now knows that if he does not like something he can just do it himself and keep his mouth shut.

I used to be upset that my house was not as spotless as others. I am secretly envious of my friends museum quality homes but I got over it. The memories I want my children to have is of a mom who put them first above things such as a spotless house. Now that my kids are older they help with some of the housework but it is still always last on my priority list. My mother taught me that the dust bunnies will still be there later and that they make the best pets. You don't have to feed them or walk them. They take care of themselves.

[YesandNo]

Twice a month cleaning lady is a godsend.

We have to keep things tidy, do laundry, dishes, wipe the occasional counter. But we don't worry about floors, tubs, toilets, windows, inside the microwave, etc anymore. We made it a budget priority. We don't fight over it anymore, it gets done, and we get all that time back.

[texmati]

ok-- another question. Do you all do floors/bathrooms/kitchen's everyday as well? I was reading this in the other thread.

[Caneel]

We have a cleaner. Originally she was every other week, then once a week and now back to every other week.

I have been slowly tackling the clutter and wow, what a difference it is making. For me, it is easier to keep things clean with less stuff around.

Basically, I started forcing myself to do something house management/cleaning related every day. I find even 15 minutes per day makes a huge difference between order and disorder in our house.

Dh picks up ds from daycare so literally from the time I walk thru the door until they get home (usually 10 to 20 minute gap) I am on the move. I don't go up or down the stairs empty handed, etc.

[zeldabee]

Originally Posted by aquarian

ok-- another question. Do you all do floors/bathrooms/kitchen's everyday as well? I was reading this in the other thread.

:

No.

[PreciousTreasures]

Well, if you saw my house you wouldn't think it was guest ready but it's better than if I didn't do anything.
I understand about the inequity - DH doesn't work that much but everything is still my responsibility...
Anyway, here's my strategies. Hope some of them help:
- I get up 45 min before everyone else. In this time I switch the laundry (dry into baskets, wet into dryer, dirty into washer. I also do any dishes that didn't get done the night before. I get things done for the day (make lunches, prep the bags, wash my breast pump if I hadn't already done it.) Then I make breakfast. I also take out the meat from the freezer for whatever I'm going to cook for supper.
- Once I get the girls up all housework goes out the window. We focus on getting up, dressed and out.
- After we return in the evening I hit the ground running. I fix dinner and straigten the kitchen and dining room from breakfast all at one time (stir, wash, stir, wipe, throw away, flip, check, wash, ...etc.) I also switch the laundry here.
- Feed the crew, including bfing the baby and eat
- Change diapers after supper and send DD1 to play and put dd2 on floor to play.
- While they're playing I wash the supper dishes. I try to do next day prep here but I often don't make it.
- After I'm done in the kitchen I go to their room to play with them. While doing that I fold and hang their clothes and straigten their toys and books.
- When bed time is approaching we all go to my and dh's bedroom (we co-sleep) While the girls play on the bed I fold and hang laundry and straigten our bedroom and bathroom (basically just pick things up in the bathroom - laundry etc. I don't do any wiping or real cleaning).
- Then we all go to sleep.
- On saturdays I clean the floors (sweep) and straigten anything that didn't get done during the week. I dust/vaccum. I clean the bathrooms and change the beds. I use saturdays and my major cleaning day and do most everything on that day.

I hope this helps.

[Mosaic]

Heh, we got a house with a LR/DR in the front that we can keep clean, and the kitchen/family room a mess in the back.

Actually, we do reasonably well in the cleaning department. ITA with the pp who said to maximize the "between bedtimes" time... that helps a lot. Here are the things that I concentrate on:

Daily:
1) Go through the mail. Most of it gets trashed/recycled immediately, bills get separated out, coupons clipped and put away, and then the other stuff is essentially flagged to go "somewhere else" if needed, but may not make it to that "place" until the weekend.

2) Clean kitchen. By this I just mean go to bed with the sink and counters clean: that means no dirty dishes, leftovers put away, and clean dishes are even put away. Also wipe down some of the kitchen floor and/or vacuum it daily.

3) Declutter. Honestly, I seems to spend every spare second of the day putting things in their correct place. I always have things near the stairs to go up or down on my next trip, and I do NOT let myself take the stairs without taking some of that stuff to the right place.

Weekly:
Clean kitchen floor (the REAL way, broom followed by mop) and do laundry. Some light vacuuming of the places that really need it that weekend. I wouldn't do the floors as much if I didn't have a toddler making so many messes!

Monthly:
Clean bathrooms! YES, I clean them more than once a month, but honestly, it's just when they start to look a little dingy, and I don't always do everything at once, so I figure it evens out to once a month. For example, one day I'll clean all the sinks, then the next day I'll clean one bathroom top to bottom, then a week later I'll scrub all the toilets, then eventually I'll get sick of my shower and clean that, etc. With 3 bathrooms, it all gets done but not necessarily on a nice schedule.

For company only!
Dust (ohmigosh we never dust!). Vacuum even clean-looking areas. Re-clean the guest bathroom as needed, do extra decluttering, clean mirrors/windows of fingerprints and cat snot, Magic Eraser the walls. When all else fails, hide stuff in drawers and close some of the doors.

Oh, one good thing that I've done is that I started cleaning up guest stuff right after they leave: immediately strip the bed, wash the sheets/towels, remake the bed, and scrub down the bathroom. Then everything is ready for the next visit!

[Mosaic]

More tips:

Outside stuff: I pull weeds while DD is exploring outside, but I don't feel comfortable trimming hedges or anything else with kids around (big blades, snakes, etc... no good)! So that kind of thing happens 2-3 times a season as needed, and DH has to take DD elsewhere. We also mulch a lot and focus on tending the plants we have (all perenials!) to minimize gardening needs.

Cooking: I cook while DD eats. I only go for recipes that take 30 min or less during the week, and I'll prep produce over the weekend or whenever I get time (wiping/slicing mushrooms, washing greens, etc.) in a big batch and store them clean and read-to-go. All weekday lunches and at least one other weekend meal is planned as leftovers (i.e., I cook for 4-8 people and serve/freeze/transform as needed into additional meals).

Groceries: We keep a running list of things that we need on the fridge, and we always have a back-up in the pantry. If you open the back-up, write it on the list! Then on Friday I figure out my meals for the week and add a few things to the list, as well as checking staples like milk, etc. that may expire mid-week. We shop once, at 2-3 stores, all in one morning and while DD is in the best mood for the day. And we buy in bulk so we can skip a store or two once in a while.

Laundry: usually done on the weekends, and I can have it running while I do other things. I fold things while DH and I watch a movie in the evening and put them in good piles so that they're really easy to put away. Ironing usually lingers hung up in my closet for an embarassing long time, probably a month before the pile gets too big to hang on my door anymore, and that's when I do it.

[YesandNo]

PreciousTreasures I got exhausted just reading your list! Wow! Good for you.

[loitering]

Originally Posted by aquarian

ok-- another question. Do you all do floors/bathrooms/kitchen's everyday as well? I was reading this in the other thread.

I was feeling a bit insecure from the other thread too But when you're at work all day, the house does NOT get as dirty. I try to sweep once a day, and I mop 2x per week. Bathrooms get maybe once a week.

[Alyantavid]

I live very close to work so I'll do laundry or pick up or whatever on my lunch breaks. The kids help pick up their stuff before bed. Once something comes in the house, it goes where its supposed to go instead of just dumped on the floor or the table. I have routines that work well for me. Laundry 2 days a week, clean on Friday night or Saturday morning, meal plan, etc. Also my kids go to bed at 8 or 8:30 so I use that time to do things as well.

[His Own]

Some years ago I bought the book "Speed Cleaning" by Jeff Campbell. WOW! I set myself up with the essential tools he recommended, then went at it. His plan is so organized, and genuinely easy that my house was clean every single week.

We have since moved to a new house, and I have not used his methods to deal with the new house. Believe me it shows! I'm glad you asked this question, because I now plan to use the speed cleaning method on this place. I know from experience that it works!

[kewb]

Floors, kitchen, bathroom cleaning everyday! Goodness, no. The other really useful advice from my mother: When people speak of how their floors are so clean you can eat off of them the correct response is: Thank goodness we can afford a table to eat off of.

Life is too short to spend it on obsessive cleaning. Your true friends will not care if they have to move your laundry basket to sit down.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by zeldabee

:

No.

Thank god!!! I was starting to feel just awful.