I don't know how to clean!

[elsa_elsa]

And I really need some guidance. Okay, I guess I know *how* to clean but I'm having a really hard time developing some kind of rhythm.

Background: I don't remember ever seeing my mother clean as a child (beyond washing the dishes) Our house was impeccably clean, so I suppose she did it when my brother and I were sleeping. We weren't really ever asked/forced/coerced into doing any chores (which I'm sure meant alot of work for my mother, which I have since thanked her profusely and sincerely for). I never cooked any meals or did any of my own laundry until I went to university.

When I was at university I lived in crazy messy, disgusting, homes that you certainly wouldn't want to bring a child into and were probably a health hazard (I had a roommate once who's parents came up four times a year to do her laundry for her she had A LOT of clothes). Then I moved into a community house which was run alot better and we had a really clean and tidy place because everyone took responsibility for one chore and their own dishes.

Now: DH, DS and I have our own small apartment. We're doing pretty well with cleaning but I've been realizing lately that I really have no idea how to run a household smoothly and how/when to clean certain things.

My specific areas of improvement/questions, which seem to be mostly to do with timing:

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week? Mine are forever becoming gross because I don't have enough to make a whole load of laundry.

The Bathroom:
Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? (also how did I make through 26 years without learning this!?!? ) I can never seem to get enough pressure to clean it without actually getting inside and risking slipping on the water/natural cleaner mixture. How often do you clean it?

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?

Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?

Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?

I know I must sound really stupid in this post but I'm so tired of the frustration and anxiety I have surrounding cleaning. I feel like I've never been taught how to clean things and was never really asked to do so before - now I'm completely overwhelmed with all the things that need to be done and I need a little support. Thanks mamas!

[elsie]

I throw my dish towels in with the regular laundry as needed. Sometimes I go through several in a day, sometimes I keep the same one for a few days. Just depends on how things go. I have some that are dark and some that are light so I wash them either with the darks or whites.

Bathtub - Once a week is good. A lot will depend on what kind of tub it is (porcelin, acrylic, etc) and what kind of cleaners you use. I find the cleaners that attack mineral deposits to be the best for me since our water has a lot of those. I usually spray it down and then let it sit for 10 minutes to loosen up the dirt. I use the scrubby side of the sponge and it seems to work fine.

Once a week on the toilet is fine unless it smells or looks particularly bad.

I sweep daily and mop as needed. I prefer to mop with a rag on my hands and knees than with an actual mop with warm water. I think a lot of this depends on how much dirt is tracked in. We don't usually wear shoes inside and this cuts down on the need for excessive mopping.

I change the sheets when I think about it. MIL changes them religiously on Fridays.

Sink - depends on what material it is. We have stainless steel and I use dish soap and the scrubby side of a sponge and that works well. To make it really shine, towel dry it (or even use windex).

I think you can do a good job with few products. Warm water really goes a long way. Towel drying things you clean does make them shine more, especially chrome and stainless steel. I also find cleaning the kitchen after supper makes me a lot happier when I wake up the next morning to a relatively clean space.

[Picturesque]

Subbing. My mom has many wonderful qualities, but being a good housekeeper isn't one of them. I've never known the proper way to clean a house or how to maintain a workable schedule. Most of the time I feel very overwhelmed and have a hard time breaking the work down into manageable jobs. I hope some skilled housekeepers will help us out!

[mama_ani]

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week?
Every day.

The Bathroom: Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? How often do you clean it?
Spray it down, let it sit, scrub it off. Once a week or more if it seems like it needs it.

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?
Mine gets done 3-5x week but I think with a smaller family than mine (there are 5 of the 7 of us using the toilet) once a week would be fine.

Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?
My entire house has linoleum, frequency of mopping varies by room:
bathrooms - daily, kitchen - daily, main living area - twice a week, dining room - three to four times a week, bedrooms - once a week (sometimes less)

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?
Weekly - biweekly at absolute most.

Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?
I don't shine my sink. I wash it after the last dishes of the night every day.

[mija y mijo]

Dish Towels: Wash them every other day or more if I think they get "gross." I just throw them in with the towels or blue jeans.

The Bathroom: I clean it about twice a week. I use Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend and use a scrub brush and sponge. I just lean over the tub - never get inside it unless I'm cleaning the walls, which probably isn't often enough.

I clean the toilet 2 or 3 times a week and wipe it down in between if I notice it needs it. I'm anal about a clean toilet.

Mopping: Once a week.

Sheets: Once a week.

Kitchen Sink: I use Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend as needed.

HTH!

[nathansmum]

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week?
We go through several a day - they get used by the kids to also wipe up spills, wipe faces etc so go straight in the wash after that. I have a heap that I have on hand in a drawer in the kitchen.

The Bathroom: Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? How often do you clean it?
I sprinkle baking soda onto a microfibre cloth and gently rub around the entire surface (saves heaps of pressure and not tiring) and rinse with water.

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?
I don't have a routine - probably about once a week, but more often when I notice it needs a clean or if we are having visitors.

Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?
I'm a slob and don't often mop my floors despite having wooden floorboards...

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?
A slob here too and probably every 3wks.

Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?
Sink just gets a rough scrub down daily, but don't worry about shining.

[Denvergirlie]

Dish towels get washed with normal clothing as needed. I toss them into the machine as they get dirty, they are there awaiting the next load. Once a week I gather up the ones still hanging about and wash them as well just as a fail safe.

Bathroom - Maybe once a week? Sometimes as long as 2 weeks but it's on an as needed basis.

Mop - My biggest downfall..... seriously it's gross in the kitchen I simply can not keep it clean, thus it gets really bad and then attacked. Even clean as a whistle it never looks clean as the flooring is just awful. I got on my hands and knees and scrubbed each tile one day, it never looked any better after 2 hours of work, so I've just let it go as it never will be clean... perhaps the next house.

sheets - maybe every 2-3 weeks... more often if one of us is sick or were really dirty when we went to bed, but most times we are fresh from the shower when we go to bed, so sheets stay pretty clean.

Kitchen sink - ours would never shine as it's not stainless, we scrub as needed. Flylady recommends cleaning it every night with windex to make it shine.... I'll admit it's nice in the mornings when it's all clean, but honeslty I'm just happy if there are not dishes piled in it still come morning.

So much of this stuff will depend on your family habits. There is no right way to do any of this stuff, so try a few different ways/ habits and pick the one that works best for you.

[Leisha]

I'm trying to get a bit of a routine going as well, so this is an interesting topic for me! Definitely not stupid questions I think

For now:
Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week? Mine are forever becoming gross because I don't have enough to make a whole load of laundry.
I have a couple and I like to wash them every couple of days at least. I throw them in with other stuff I wash on the same temperatur (60°c - for example cloth diapers, some burp cloths or other towels. Once a month or so a do a "boil wash" on 90°c for all things that can take that temperature. Apparently it's also good for your washing machine if you do that once a month!).

The Bathroom:
Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? (also how did I make through 26 years without learning this!?!? ) I can never seem to get enough pressure to clean it without actually getting inside and risking slipping on the water/natural cleaner mixture. How often do you clean it?
Hmm a bathtub I'd clean with "Chemico" it's a very mild and biodegradable product I use for all sinks and the bathtub. But I have to admit it rarely happens ahem.
WHen I do clean it, I lean over it, that works for me. But it's a fairly new bath so it's very "smooth" and doesn't get very dirty.

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?
Yeah that's about the same as me. I'll pay more attention when we're having visitors


Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?
About once every two weeks I think. Just with hot water, a microfibre floor-cleaning-cloth and a tiny tiny bit (like, a tablespoon or so, lol) of eco friendly all purpose cleaner.

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?
Eek. About once every couple of weeks?? I hate changing the sheets and washing and drying them. Argh and folding them. Such a hassle


Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?
I use that "chemico" product for it every few days to clean it, then, when I want to make it shiney (not always) spray it with half water/half vinegar and wipe with paper towel. That makes it shiney. (Vinegar takes away the "water stains" )

[JamieCatheryn]

Bathtub hint for you: I found that baking soda scrubbed with an old bath poof cleans the tub sooo easily. I don't even have to get in it, but if I did it's ok because there's no fumes or slipperiness to worry about.

Unless you notice and ignore a stink, visible dirtiness, or grittiness in the sheets, I'm sure you're keeping up fine.

[Elecampane]

:

[Masel]

Here are two things I've made easy for myself.

I have a small mesh hamper in my kitchen just for dish towels and washcloths (we're avoiding paper towels and napkins). They end up being about a third of a load of "whites" about once a week.

Our bathtub is one of those inserts and has the same material from the drain all the way up to the ceiling. My DH squeeges the flat part every day and I use a regular wash cloth and go over the scalloped bit and around the faucets once a week or so. I use up the left over bits of soap for this. This happens with me in the shower. It's easy to clean the floor by putting the wash cloth down and scooting it with my feet.

The mopping, sheet changing, and toilet cleaning don't get done nearly as often as I should.

I really wish I could figure out a way to like mopping. I've tried everything from hands and knees to a Swiffer wet jet. My floor is gross!

[aprons_and_acorns]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

Bathtub hint for you: I found that baking soda scrubbed with an old bath poof cleans the tub sooo easily. I don't even have to get in it, but if I did it's ok because there's no fumes or slipperiness to worry about.

What a great idea! I have an old bath pouf under our sink so I'll be sure to try that.

[elsa_elsa]

wow! Thanks alot mamas! I'm learning alot. :

[Hilarity N. Suze]

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week?

I have two different sets of dish towels, hand towels and microfiber for general cleaning all over the house. I usually throw the used towels in a basket on top of the dryer (laundry room is right off the kitchen) or I pile them by the sink to take to the basket later. I've found a pile of two or three kinda of used towels is great for the unexpected floors spills toddlers seem to always be making, thus saving my "clean" towels. Sometimes I have enough for a load in a day sometimes I just throw them in with whatever.


The Bathroom:
Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub?

I cheat and use one of those automotive brushes (it has about a two foot long handle so I don't have to get in the tub) with some baking soda paste and EO. Once a week at least. It usually depends on how dirty the men folk get.


I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?

I usually do a wipe down with soap and water every day or every other day. Aiming is a problem in this house. I have very seriously considered putting a decal in the bowl so they would have something to aim at.


Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?

Once a week, usually Monday. Spot cleaning as needed around the table and the kitchen.


Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?

Wash once a week unless something gross happens to the bed.


Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow?

I wash the sink after the dishes, dry it. Once a month I rub in a baking soda paste and buff with a microfiber cloth then rinse with a damp cloth. Instant sparkle.

[bec28]

I'm 23, and still learning about this housekeeping thing

I don't do the bathtub as often as I should, this is what I've started doing for the sink and toilet. I keep a basket of rags on the back of the toilet, and every morning I take a rag and just wipe down the sink with it. Then I wipe down the toilet and then it goes underneath the sink in the dirty rag pile. Then, I'll swish the toilet bowl about once a week.

For kitchen towels and things, I keep a basket for clean and one for dirty in the kitchen. About once a week, I grab the dirty basket (and the dirty rags under the sink in my bathroom) and wash those in a small load.

Still working on the other things, but those are some things that works for me.

[jeliphish]

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week?
Every 2-3 days.

The Bathroom: Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? How often do you clean it?
I clean the bathtub out everynight before DD takes a bath. The shower walls get cleaned 2-3 times a week.

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?
Everyother day

Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?
We vacuume daily and the hardwoods get mopped once a week (more if I am off work during the week)

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?
Weekly - biweekly at absolute most.

Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?
Most cleaners are harsh on the sink so after I do the dishes I clean the sink with dawn. After it is clean I dry it out - that's what helps it not to be streaky



I just figure that I spend so much time worrying about keeping our bodies safe- that leaving the homefront "unclean" would be directly negating all the other healthy stuff I try to do.
I was lucky because my mom is OCD about cleaning and I was taught well.
The more you make yourself practice though, the easier it gets.

One other thing: If you have pets as I do...what has motivated me the most is thinking about my cats using the litterbox and then seeing all the places they lay on and jump on. I spend about an hour a day after work disinfecting countertops and kitchen tables because of this. There was an episode on discovery health about toddler who contracted a virus from her cat (who was an inside cat) and it lead to brain damage- all because she was directly eating from/licking areas where the cat's poopie feet had been.

[aprildawn]

Dish Towels: Do you wash them everyday? How many times a week?
Depends on how dirty they get in a day. I gather up and wash all towels/washcloths once a week.

The Bathroom: Seriously - how do you clean a bathtub? How often do you clean it?
I'd like to scrub my tub 1x/week, but it reality it happens 1x/2 weeks. Four of us share one shower/tub and it seems to be working fine that way. It doesn't get excessively dirty.

I've been cleaning my toilet once a week - do you think that's enough?
1x/week here. Same with wiping down the bathroom mirror and sink.

Mopping: Do you mop every week? Every two weeks? Once a month?
Mopping happens 1x/week unless it gets excessively dirty in the kitchen or dining room. Bathrooms get mopped 1x/week.

Sweeping, however, is a daily task, sometimes several times a day.

Sheets: How often do you change/wash them?
Weekly - biweekly at absolute most.

Kitchen Sink: Do you shine it somehow? How do you get it to be not streak-y? Is this possible?
My sink is white porcelain. It gets surface cleaned during evening dinner clean up. But I scrub it back to shiny white every couple of weeks.

As for routine, I clean downstairs on Mondays and upstairs on Thursdays. Laundry gets done on Tuesdays except for towels and sheets which are washed on Wednesdays.

I also dust every 2-3 weeks depending on how much it looks like it needs to be done. Our upstairs is carpet. I vacuum 1x/week.

Before kids I kept a very clean house. I just can't keep it as clean as I used to, so I do my best to keep everything clean at least 1x/week.