Hi my name is Judy and I cant clean my house.....there I said it....Isnt admission the first step? :LOL I seriously am challenged when it comes to keeping my house clean and I dont know how to solve this problem. I am on a "simplify" mission right now.....I'm getting rid of tons of clothes....we're all going to have limited clothing (as I cant keep up on my laundry). I'm also getting rid of "stuff" as we have limited space right now.
Im a total germ freak so i disinfect my toilet all day long and yet I dont notice the food splatters on my floor or cabinets....
My question to you all is.....what do you do on a daily basis to keep your house clean looking? Do you use a schedule?? help....
dont know im in the same boat. with 2 active kids a toddler and a preschooler (thats not in preschool lol) i get 1 room clean go to next and the previous room is trashed. i do most of my work when they are in bed.
As for laundry i usually end up doing 6 or so loads all at once. im much more productive in winter though
Weekends: nothing unless the hamper is full or dishwasher needs attending. It is more important to be together as a family.
Monday: major pick-up from the weekend. Sweep and mop floors. Vacuum.
Thursdayish: Clean both bathrooms. Vacuum again.
Friday: Clean kitchen, dust.
Daily: pick-up, wipe off kitchen counter tops, dishes.
Laundry: whenever the hamper is full.
3x a week: keep up with the checkbook, write out bills. When a bill comes in I write the name of the bill a week before it is due on the calendar and it goes in my bill folder.
I clean right before the weekends so if we invite someone over I don't need to worry about it.
Honestly, the only thing that works for me is to clean up and then spend as much time as possible away from the house to avoid messing it up again! But then my car, stoller, and bag look like crap.
The first thing you need to do is assess yourself and the situation. Know your personality on what works and what doesn't. Are you a morning person? Are you a procrastinator? What makes you procrastinate? A certain tv show? The internet /snicker?
I really liked www.flylady.net I do not do all her games nor do I follow her to the letter nor do I do all her heavy cleaning. One thing though after reading through it is it works best if you have a routine. So your post sounds like mine would have a year ago or so until I met fly lady.
In short this is what I do:
I look at a calendar for the week.
1) I choose two days to bless my home for an hour. During that hour I dust, sweep, wipe down cabinets, vacuum. Once a week I choose to mop and wipe down mirrors and change bedsheets also.
2) I choose two days to do laundry. I placed hampers strategically around my place so that all I have to say is..hubby please get everything you need into the hampers so I can do laundry. Makes my life easy.
3) I choose a room to declutter for the week. I take 15 mins per day and declutter it and find a home for everything. Things go into 3 piles: Garbage, good will, or find a home.
Before I go to bed, I always do the dishes..either load them up into the dishwasher and get it going..or hand wash them. If something doesn't work for you, figure out how to make it better. Let me give you some examples. I wasn't vacuuming because my vacuum cleaner is huge. So I got a stick vacuum and use that twice a week then use the big one once every few months. I hated to scrub mob and it wasn't getting done, so I got a swifferjet and use that once a week and only scrub mop once every few months. I was not liking to do laundry because clothes were everywhere, so I got hampers in strategic places so my hubby has no reason to strew them everywhere. I was not doing dishes because I hated to be out of spoons all the time so I got some more spoons. Sounds silly but all of these things I found to be obstacles...I removed them and I removed my reasons to procrastinate.
Those simple tasks have turned my home into something presentable..not perfect, but presentable. After awhile the routine grows on you..but it has to be a routine that fits you and your wants/needs for it to work. Allow 2 to 4 months for a change to take effect. This isn't about discipline trust me if it was..I'd have failed..it is about establishing a routine.
I like reading how these women get their houses together whether it be flylady or another one..and then I take what works for me..and adapt it to a schedule that I will have more success at doing.
HAving company or house guests gets me motivated too---but now that I'll have some time in day with out 2 little boys home all day (kindergarten)--I think I'll make some strides on a daily basis rather than a stressed out catch up of 10 days of mess........
Distraction & hobbies keep me from really staying on task---I'll start say clearing counters then decide to start a compost bucket--look up a recipe---go get a bouquet--visit MDC etc.
I've been having so much trouble keeping it up lately. It seems as though no-one around here is doing their fair share and the minute I clean up a room, it's a mess again
:
We had a routine but it has gone astray since having dd#2.
but we'll keep on hammering away at it. I do have to keep up on laundry as we cd but everything else is pretty much a mess at this point...
Originally Posted by slacker_mom
Honestly, the only thing that works for me is to clean up and then spend as much time as possible away from the house to avoid messing it up again! But then my car, stoller, and bag look like crap.
Hmm I guess this was the thread I needed. I struggle all the time with keeping things cleanish. I know thet biggest part is routine, I don't have a system yet, but my perfectionism, and distractibility are part of the problem too. I tried flylady, took some good ideas and had to leave the rest cause I was overwhelmed.
It seems to me that there is ALWAYS something to be cleaned, it is never done. The good part is that I find great joy in fresh laundry, a clean sink and spotless bathroom. BUT if I don't stay on top of things the clutter, mess depresses me and I'd rather act as if I don't see things piling up and they'll remain that way until I get over my denial and just do something anything no matter how small to get back on top.
I dunno know if its kind of a nesting thing going on but my house is freakin me out. I can't seem to keep my floors clean, very dusty, I would love for the kids socks to be able to stay white while wearing them in the house. I am trying to get a dust mop, swiffer type of thing but I mean sheesh..we don't wear shoes in the house, I sweep LR and BR twice a week and wet mop 1x a week. Socks r still gross. Kitchen gets a lite mop and sweep everynite. I finally just realized that with 2 lil crumb snatchers..plus my clumsy self the kitchen needs a hit everynite.
My toilet has a leak right now which is grossing me out..still waiting on super to come fix it. I have to keep putting rags there everyday to sop up the filthy leaking water. Plus there is a missing floor tile behind the heater and I've noticed 2 centipedes come out of there..who knows what else..i don't even wanna walk on the floor.....I'm gonna try to putting some boric acid down to see if that keeps the critters away.
Thanks for letting me vent....I hope everyone finds a solution to help stay on top of their cleaning. Oh and I guess I can take this from FlyLady...baby steps...don't try and tackle everything at once. Pick one or two things and try staying on tops of those, then add something else.
Originally Posted by slacker_mom
Honestly, the only thing that works for me is to clean up and then spend as much time as possible away from the house to avoid messing it up again! But then my car, stoller, and bag look like crap.
I wash the dishes after every meal, I don't start a new load of laundry until the last one is put away, I take out the trash every Mon-Wed-Fri afternoon, and I make the bed every morning.
That doesn't keep the house clean, but it does keep it manageable enough that it doesn't take so much effort to clean it.
Well I don't have any kids so there really shouldn't be any reason why my house gets dirty,but it does, so this is what helps me out:
Make bed every morning
Spend 15 minutes before I go to bed and pick up
Allow myself extra time in the am to gather dirty clothes and run a load
At night when I watch TV, usually in the bedroom, I hang up all the clothes to avoid them sitting in the basket
Try to sweep a room or two every couple days
Load the dishwasher at night, I hate seeing dirty dishes in the sink
Its really not so bad, usually one night a week DH has something going on so thats when I get the majority of stuff done or caught up on
And it helps that DH is in charge of cleaning both mine and his bathrooms :LOL
i do one small job everyday, and a general pick up at night, when kids are in bed , and nothing on the weekends. dh washes dishes at night. i try to only spend 15 or 20 mins on the activities during the day... hard at first, but after you get into a routine, it's not as dirty, so less work to do. like so:
monday: clean bathrooms (i have one small bath, one full bath)
tues: vaccum
wed: dusting (kids often help with this, they love it)
thurs: wash kitchen floor/wipe cabinets (if they are really bad, i'll do a small section of cabinets every day until they are done)
fri: laundry
that way, all the major stuff is getting done every week without much hassle. if there is a big job to do, i plan time for it on the weekend when dh can watch kids
Thanks for the GREAT ideas everyone!!!! YOu guys are awesome!!!! I think "routine" is key......although I HATE having a routine...I like doing what I want, when I want to do it.... :LOL I think establishing certain chores on certain days will help and also delegating certain chores to the kids.....that helps as well......"It's a dirty house, but somebody's gotta clean it" (my personal quote...maybe I should add it to my siggy.... :LOL )
Our house is for sale so that's helped me out a lot!! I always have to have it somewhat picked up so that in case I get a call I'm not in a complete panic. It's hard though. My kiddo's go right behind me and fling out twice as much as I've just picked up. When we have had house showings, I have to get someone to have the kids outside (or put them in the van) so I can get that one last run-through through house
Originally Posted by mykdsmomy
Hi my name is Judy and I cant clean my house.....there I said it....Isnt admission the first step? :LOL I seriously am challenged when it comes to keeping my house clean and I dont know how to solve this problem.
Wow. That's me to a tee -- down to the name even (creepy, isn't it?!)... well, except that I'm not a constant-toilet-disenfecterer
Great tips everybody!! I read through flylady quite a while ago (like two years maybe?).. I've taken a tip or two, but that was while I was still working and I got completely overwhelmed. Now that I'm home, I really should look through it again.... though I struggle even with doing the dishes daily -- but I'm trying!!!!
I read fly lady and I take some ideas and leave others behind. I think its some good stuff though.
She helped me declutter, realize that my home can look good w baby steps, and get me organized.
But, I do not wear shoes all the time, have different zones each week, and read her too many emails daily.
But my house is not up side down anymore, its clutter free and staying that way, and it only takes about 20 minutes to tidy up if company is on the way.
Ok everyone....here is my "problem" with Flylady.....I want my entire house clean TODAY...not in baby steps....and while I know it's never ever happened l cant bring myself to implement a program that I know will take several days, weeks, months to set in motion.......which is why I havent lost weight
:
I have started to really get things together in my house but it's on my terms and with my motivation.....
I love hearing how everyone else manages their housekeeping......it totally helps me...
I figured out my problem with Flylady, too (other than the constant covert advertising). A lot of her tips are really, really, really useful--I give her full credit for getting me off my Franny and into a routine. However, I just plain prefer to get things done my own way. I prefer to get dressed and make the bed after breakfast instead of before. A lot of household chores I prefer to do on an as-needed basis instead of when she tells me to; it's a waste of energy to be constantly cleaning things that aren't dirty, and yes, I can tell when something is starting to get dirty and yes, I can get off my Franny and clean it then. Instead of getting up 15 minutes earlier than my husband and then planning a Friday date night, I spend those daily 15 minutes snuggling with him in bed and by Friday we're still in love.
For me, Flylady was an excellent launching pad, but now I like to be my own boss and I don't even have to e-mail myself to get myself to follow the routines.
Also, Judy, (Judys?
), I've discovered that having the motivation to do a whole lot right now is really not a bad thing at all. You're not going to get the whole house clean at once, but if you follow that inspiration every time you have it, you will make a big difference eventually. You don't have to take baby steps timed in 15 minute segments. What matters is that you get up and move, not that you do it every day at a certain time for a certain length of time. At least that's what works for me, and I no longer live in CHAOS!
We leave the house alot and that keeps our home cleaner
I also keep 99% of the toys in my kids rooms and the last 1% are toys that are easy to clean up in my family room. I play with my kids in their rooms and we bring toys out to the living area, but I make sure to bring them back into their bedrooms. I make sure to always do the dishes at night and before we leave the house. Kinda like a Flylady thing, I guess. I keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my bathroom for last minute shining incase people stop by. IT works great on the faucets.
Organization really helps me, as in everything has a place to call home. So cleaning up pretty much just means everything goes back home and I dust, vacuum, mop, laundry, etc. I do the majority of my cleaning during my dd's 'quiet time' (she doens't nap much anymore so she has quiet rest time). I clean a room a day on the week days, and just do basic upkeep and laundry if needed on the weekends. But when I clean up a room I do a good cleaning top to bottom. This usually helps keep that room decent for a week until I hit it again. The majority of our mess is in the living room with toys, but thats easy to pick up, just sort everything into its cubby. I do that at night before sitting down to watch a show. I also do dishes at the end of the day. I have a dish pan that I put all dirty dishes into as they are used during the day and at the end of the day I just throw them in the dishwasher. Since they soaked all day they don't need to be rinsed, its really easy. Then I wipe down the counters, table and swiffer the floor and I'm done for the day. I spend an average of 30 minutes on the room of the day and 20 minutes in the evening (plus 10 minutes on laundry days) on the kitchen and living room. That hour a day frees up my time in the evenings and weekends to spend with dh, who is in the Navy and works 24 hour days every 4th day. So it just helps everything all around to keep up on it all. Organization is a huge factor though!
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