Do you have an order of how you do the housework?

[samy23]

I hate feeling like im not keeping on top of that stuff, because then it seems overwhelming and im even less likely to get it done.

So im wondering how you other moms do it, do you maybe have one day where you get all the bigger jobs done, or something? Im thinking of trying that, because I also HATE to feel I have housework all day everyday kwim? So If I got the main stuff done all on one day, then just washed dishes and vacumed daily...it might seem easier.

Maybe im weird, I just feel like if I do all of it in one day, then the place is finally completely (as much as possible anyway) clean! yk? otherwise if I do only a couple of household chores, its like theres still a hundred more to do before I can feel its properly clean. Am I going nuts? LOL

[Devaya]

Yes, I've been struggling with the same thing. When we moved house I decided to have a fresh start. I now 'deep-clean' downstairs on the Saturday and deep clean upstairs on the Sunday, and the rest of the week I just do (daily) laundry, wash dishes and wipe down kitchen surfaces. It's working well so far, and I don't feel like Im 'always' doing housework. Like you I also always felt the 'whole' house was never tidy, this way at least it's all looking nice for a brief period before it's unravelled again

[louloubean]

my sahm sister got my into "flylady"

just google her, she also has a daily email digest through yahoo to give you a daily chore.

it's a system that breaks down the whole house into sections, so you do a little at a time and don't get too overwhelmed.

of course, now that i am nine months pregnant with babe the second, i've fallen off the cleaning wagon, but vow to get back to it when we're a little more settled in!

good luck!

[crazyeight]

i don't quite have a plan per say but i do alot one day and then less most days. i usually do a load of laundry every other day, clean kitchen (dishes, wipe counters) daily, vacume 2-3x a week. then i do toilets, sweeping, mopping, wiping down tables, computer tables, couches, cleaning up our bedrooms in one day (usually whatever day i don't have anything planned or saterday/sunday when dh helps me. i have wanted to do DEEP cleaning but i HATE starting a project and not being able to finish it. but on the flip side all the closets are fairly organized and not alot of stuff to get rid of either. its mostly clutter related to computers/bills and coupons that make the house look yucky. its working pretty well and i have been staying caught up for the most part now. i used to put it all off or try to do one or 2 things a day and i hated it!

[karemore]

My problem is I do the "public" areas first, the rooms company will be in. Then the bedrooms and office and our bath never get done!

Right now my house is relatively clean and I want to figure out how to stay on top of it. My inlaws came today for the first time in ages so I did a massive cleaning.....of the rooms they were in.

I'm going to check out flylady. I've heard of that before.

[Emmeline II]

My dh and dcn go through so many clothes that I do laundry nearly every day. I also vacuum the family room everyday as that is the only room the dog is in. Otherwise I divide up things, like bathrooms in one day.

Dh works and goes to school and finds in very relaxing to have things neat when he gets home. Decluttering and having a place for everything really helps. Having the children pick up their toys and putting them into rubbermaid bins helps.

[Vancouver Mommy]

I used to have a "schedule" when I just had one kid, but I have to admit since having the second I've never really been able to get it going again. In addition to the daily chores (sweep kitchen, unload dishwasher, hand wash dishes that don't go in dishwasher, one load of laundry) I would do one "big" job. On Monday I would dust and vacuum, on Tuesday I mopped floors and thoroughly cleaned the highchair, on Wednesday I cleaned the bathrooms, Thursday I would catch up on any additional laundry. On Fridays I would try and finish up anything that I didn't want to do on the weekend. It wasn't an exact science, but it helped to break the work down into manageable chunks.

[kmb9906]

Originally Posted by karemore

My problem is I do the "public" areas first, the rooms company will be in. Then the bedrooms and office and our bath never get done!

Right now my house is relatively clean and I want to figure out how to stay on top of it. My inlaws came today for the first time in ages so I did a massive cleaning.....of the rooms they were in.

I'm going to check out flylady. I've heard of that before.

:

At the end of the day, I am so tired. I never show our bedroom to guests, so that is always neglected. I don't remember the last time I made the bed. Even after I wash the sheets, I put them back on and just throw the down comforter and pillows on.

FYI about Flylady ... she will FLOOD your inbox. I used to subscribe, but I had to unsubscribe because I couldn't keep up with the emails.

[rootzdawta]

I found that if I didn't have some kind of daily goal, a lot of chores got neglected because I get caught up in the day. Now, I know I could be better because the windows have needed to be cleaned for ages now and I only get around to dusting every once in a blue moon. But the house is relatively tidy. Generally, here's my schedule which is posted on the fridge:

Monday--Vacuum
Tuesday--Change and launder all bedding
Wednesday--Clean all appliances
Thursday--Vacuum and organize kids' bookshelf, toy box and drawers
Friday--Clean Bathroom
Saturday--Change and launder all towels, cloth napkins, place mats, etc
Friday--Thoroughly clean stove and cabinets
Every day, however I do light clean-up in the kitchen. I wipe the stove and the counters down and I never go to sleep without having cleaned the sink and swept the floor and set the table for breakfast the next day (correctly setting the table requires that I also plan for the next day's breakfast)
I wash laundry (including diapers) every 2-3 days. I try to fold and put away laundry the same day I wash it. I cannot stand for clean laundry to sit around.
I pick up the children's toys and and anything out of place nightly before I get the kids ready for bed. I make sure to go around the house before bed at night and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be--that means there's a place for everything. . I also lay out the children's clothes for the next day the night before.
I make up the beds every morning after opening the curtains/blinds and windows to air the house.
All this in addition to trying to get my sons out to the playground, library or other activity in the morning right after breakfast.

I am decidedly exhausted at the end of most days but a neat house helps to keep me sane and calms my nerves

[Desert Jen]

I just briefly checked out the Flylady site. It's a little overwhelming! I do have one question for those of you who use it. On my brief look at the site I saw several mentions of blessings. Is the site connected with any religion/church? Just wondering. It looks like there is so much good informations there.

[zebrachick83]

Originally Posted by rootzdawta

I found that if I didn't have some kind of daily goal, a lot of chores got neglected because I get caught up in the day. Now, I know I could be better because the windows have needed to be cleaned for ages now and I only get around to dusting every once in a blue moon. But the house is relatively tidy. Generally, here's my schedule which is posted on the fridge:

Monday--Vacuum
Tuesday--Change and launder all bedding
Wednesday--Clean all appliances
Thursday--Vacuum and organize kids' bookshelf, toy box and drawers
Friday--Clean Bathroom
Saturday--Change and launder all towels, cloth napkins, place mats, etc
Friday--Thoroughly clean stove and cabinets
Every day, however I do light clean-up in the kitchen. I wipe the stove and the counters down and I never go to sleep without having cleaned the sink and swept the floor and set the table for breakfast the next day (correctly setting the table requires that I also plan for the next day's breakfast)
I wash laundry (including diapers) every 2-3 days. I try to fold and put away laundry the same day I wash it. I cannot stand for clean laundry to sit around.
I pick up the children's toys and and anything out of place nightly before I get the kids ready for bed. I make sure to go around the house before bed at night and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be--that means there's a place for everything. . I also lay out the children's clothes for the next day the night before.
I make up the beds every morning after opening the curtains/blinds and windows to air the house.
All this in addition to trying to get my sons out to the playground, library or other activity in the morning right after breakfast.

I am decidedly exhausted at the end of most days but a neat house helps to keep me sane and calms my nerves

wow.....when i grow up, i want to be just like you!

[DeerMother]

Every day I do diaper and clothes laundry, try to tidy kitchen/living room, vacuum about every other day. Oh dear - I dusted yesterday - yikes! Let's try to do that a bit more often. I don't really like my system of a massive cleaning on the weekends, b/c I feel it cuts into time with dh and my personal time. I try to make dinner the night before or during morning nap since evenings just seem so hectic. I checked out fly lady, but it seemed like I had to commit to the website for a while before I got the actual schedule, I've been meaning to write my own. This thread is good motivation for me to do that!

I will share this - I have quit working around 6:30/7 each night. This is around when the babies go to bed. I feel that dh is done with work at a specific time and I should be too. There is no reason why I should be working from sun up until 9 or 10 at night. Even if something is left undone, I need to "clock out". Especially since I am up about every hour and a half at night.

Off to write my schedule!

[AniellasMommy]

I just wanted to add my two cents about FlyLady. Yes it is CRAZY at first and yes there is a TON of emails, but after following it for a while I realized that really her system is about getting a house to a clean and clutter free state. When a house is completely clean it is SOOO much easier to maintain than to constantly be behind. (that is the idea behind scheduling.) I have a quick daily schedule now (I don't subscribe to the emails anymore) and it takes me 20 min a day to completely clean my house (I do it while DH gives the girls a bath at night) I do dishes and laundry 2x a day and put the laundry away at the end of the day. Fri is declutter day and Sat is big cleaning project day (like, clean out fridge, or garage or something that takes a good chunk of time.) I spend less than an hour on that and I just do whatever needs to be done that week. I can concentrate on more important things than cleaning because my house is clean, (or will be when I KNOW I will clean tonight.) It is a commitment at first and for a while but once you have it under control its pretty much all on auto-pilot.

[gromero]

nak

I just wanted to share my schedule...I found it online, and then adapted it to our house.

Monday
Entry and Kitchen
Put away all shoes, mail, newspapers, items on the stairs
Sweep stairs from top to bottom and dust baseboards and window frame
Sweep and mop first floor
Wash all dishes and run dishwasher, leaving a clean sink
Put away all hand-washed dishes
Spray counters and backsplash of sink and stove with AP cleaner and wipe down with warm washcloth
Move coffeepot, tools, etc. (everything off the counter) and wash counters
Wipe down cupboards, and drawer tops
Wipe down microwave, appliances, refrigerator and stove
Change dish towels
In the afternoon, unload dishwasher
General Weekend Cleanup
Put away books, games and magazines
All dishes/glasses to the sink, wash and put away
Clear tables and put away all items from tables and countertops
Clip and file coupons and throw away newspapers
Pick up any dirty clothes and put in laundry basket

Tuesday
Bathrooms
Toilet bowl and outside of toilet
Mirrors
Counters
Wash off cabinets
Shower/bath scouring
Replace hand towels
Sweep & Mop floors
Plan out menus/shopping list & clean out fridge for tomorrow's shopping day

Wednesday
Weekly grocery shopping & Farmer's Market
Dining Room/Living Room
Dining Rom
Clean off and put away anything on buffet
Clean off and put away anything on table
Wash buffet and table with AP cleaner
Dust chairs highchair with hot washcloths
Spot clean floor, especially around highchair

LIVING ROOM
Clean off and put away anything on side table and sofa table
Spray with wood cleaner and dust tables, TV armoire and leather sofa
Dust bookshelves
Put away all toys
Dust/clean TV
Review drawers in side tables, armoire and white buffet and organize.

Thursday
Bedrooms & Linens
Change bedsheets first thing in the morning when making bed and throw in laundry
Change towels in main bathroom and throw in laundry
Pick up any dirty clothes on floor and put in laundry basket
Close all drawers
Organize and clean all dresser tops and nightstands
Dust dressers, desk and nightstand
Sweep and mop second floor
In addition, every other Thursday I've set aside a reminder to do Thank you notes and other correspondence.

Friday
General Weekend Prep
Clean off counters in kitchen, leaving a clean sink
Put away all shoes, magazines, books, etc. where they go
Make sure entry is clean
Put out a new, clean kitchen towel
Dust living room table and put away any DVDs or anything from on top of TV armoire
Consider weekend breakfast preparation (special bread? Cinnamon rolls? Sausage to defrost?)
Clean out coffee pot with vinegar and water
Sweep and mop lower level
On a daily basis, I also do the dishes, leaving my sink and counters clean before going to bed, laundry and try to sweep the floor on our lower level and have developed my morning routine to include making the bed and starting a load of laundry.

Then here are my monthly zones:

KITCHEN ZONE - First Monday through Friday of the month
Clean Fridge - remove all food and clean and sanitize all shelves, doors, etc. Throw away any food that needs to be thrown away. Update grocery list.
Clean and dust off the top of the fridge
Clean inside and outside of oven and de-grease vent and hood
Scrub grout
Reorganize pantry, sweep floor and update grocery list

DUSTING ZONE - Second Monday through Friday of the month
Dust blinds
Wash/dust fans
Wash, iron and replace curtains
Clean baseboards and walls
Take all books off bookshelves and dust

UPSTAIRS ZONE - Third Monday through Friday of the month
Flip mattress when changing sheets
Remove everything from linen closet and reorganize.
Clean washing machine & dryer with AP cleaner
Restock under sinks and re-organize
Clean walls of any marks

OUTSIDE ZONE - Fourth Monday through Friday of the month
Sweep front and back porches
Sweep off any cobwebs, etc.
Clean off front door of dirt
Wash windows on screen door
Add/update any seasonal decor

And then, once a quarter, I set up the following Quarterly Zone for the last week of the month of March, June, etc.:
QUARTERLY ZONE
Change seasonal flowers/decor/change candles
Move out off-season, too-small clothes. Store or give-away
Review magazines, tear out and file any good articles and recycle
Check status of medicine chest and buy any needed supplies
Check status of cleaning supplies and buy any needed supplies
Reorganize/clean kitchen cabinets


It SEEMS like a lot in one day, but I break them down into 5-10 minute chores that I do throughout the day.

When I had my 4th dc, I NEEDED some sort of schedule, because my house....let's just say that that it was out of control....dishes piling up, clutter areas everywhere, dirty laundry up to the ceiling, just filth everywhere. But now....ahhh...so much better!

[Freedom~Mama]

I need to start doing the flylady routine again! Most days I do a pretty good job at staying on top of doing the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, cleaning up etc. but I don't really get to the deep cleaning and the bedrooms are usually always somewhat messy.

[StormySar]

Before I lost control of the house again (mainly because dh was home again for a few weeks after a trip, when he came home it took him almost a week to unpack so we had open boxes of stuff all over the house, cluttering it) I took 2 or 3 days to get everything done. The kids helped me and we got the house spotless.

Once the bulk was over, it was so easy to keep the house clean.

A clean house = less things for young hands to get into = fewer messes = less time cleaning.

I couldn't do the zone cleaning, because I'd start and end up feeling the same way you did - how int he world will the whole house ever become clean if I'm only working on a certain part each day?

So for me, when I loose control and the house gets cluttered, I start in one room and try not to stop until the whole house is clean. My older kids help, I keep the younger ones occupied with things they enjoy but in my sight so I'm not finding myself with additional messes to keep up after.

Once the main house is done, then there are just the daily chores, and THEN i feel like zone cleaning might work, to take care of the odds and ends I might not have time for during the day.

[LisainCalifornia]

You don't have to get fly lady--I think that website is a waste of time and emails.

You just have to accept that keeping a house clean requires a great amount of work and time. There is no getting around it. If you are lazy about it or disorganized or hang on to too much useless clutter, your home will never be clean. It truly is a "choice". Either you do the work and have clean house, or you chose not to do it and your house is messy.

I use to be messy when I was growing up, and even in my college years. After I had my first child I decided to make the choice to have a clean home to live in. It makes it more homey and comforting to me and to everyone else in my family to keep it neat. It is not like a museum, but cozy and clean and comfortable. Things are easy to find, and I never let clutter build up.

I do the dishes within the first hour after eating (every single meal), and make the kitchen look really clean. I don't neglect my sink or my counters. This makes it very easy for me to go on to cook the next meal. I clean very quickly, and have become very good at doing things at a fast pace. I always say that cleaning is my cardio--and I actually mean that. I am a very active housecleaning--rushing around and energetic about it. I always have the house cleaned before my husband gets home from work--(he gets home around 9:00 ish each night, and is gone by 7:00 each morning). Each day I clean the kitchen several times, I vacuum at least once, and I wipe down countertops. I pick up clothes and toys, and organize the mail and homework for the kids.

I save the big "clean" for Fridays. That is my day sweep and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, and change the linens on all the beds. I do extra dusting and will take extra time on Friday to organize things that need organizing. It makes for a good start to the weekend, and that way I can rest more on Sat. and Sunday (but of course I still do my usual jobs of dishes and laundry).

It is a big job--and once you can just admit it is and requires a lot of work, then you can just accept it and take care of what needs to be done.

[mkarntz]

I dont think I could ever get control of my house....we are a five person family in a one story 1,300 sq ft modular home...we have "outgrown" our home

[TinkerBelle]

My children have weekly and daily chores. I have daily and weekly chores. My husband pitches in.

I did follow Flylady and found her to be quite helpful in getting perspective. Not a waste of time, IMHO, but whatever floats your boat, is my motto.

[mamasaurus]

Originally Posted by LisainCalifornia

You don't have to get fly lady--I think that website is a waste of time and emails.

You just have to accept that keeping a house clean requires a great amount of work and time. There is no getting around it. If you are lazy about it or disorganized or hang on to too much useless clutter, your home will never be clean. It truly is a "choice". Either you do the work and have clean house, or you chose not to do it and your house is messy.

I use to be messy when I was growing up, and even in my college years. After I had my first child I decided to make the choice to have a clean home to live in. It makes it more homey and comforting to me and to everyone else in my family to keep it neat. It is not like a museum, but cozy and clean and comfortable. Things are easy to find, and I never let clutter build up.

I do the dishes within the first hour after eating (every single meal), and make the kitchen look really clean. I don't neglect my sink or my counters. This makes it very easy for me to go on to cook the next meal. I clean very quickly, and have become very good at doing things at a fast pace. I always say that cleaning is my cardio--and I actually mean that. I am a very active housecleaning--rushing around and energetic about it. I always have the house cleaned before my husband gets home from work--(he gets home around 9:00 ish each night, and is gone by 7:00 each morning). Each day I clean the kitchen several times, I vacuum at least once, and I wipe down countertops. I pick up clothes and toys, and organize the mail and homework for the kids.

I save the big "clean" for Fridays. That is my day sweep and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, and change the linens on all the beds. I do extra dusting and will take extra time on Friday to organize things that need organizing. It makes for a good start to the weekend, and that way I can rest more on Sat. and Sunday (but of course I still do my usual jobs of dishes and laundry).

It is a big job--and once you can just admit it is and requires a lot of work, then you can just accept it and take care of what needs to be done.

Very inspiring! I have a genuine question - and I know it will sound snarky, but I do not mean it to! But, how did you do this with young children? (You said you started this after your first child was born...)

Again - NOT a snarky question! I'm really interested...