To wonder how the hell people keep their homes clean?

[NoGoodAtCleaning]

DP and I both work full time and have an 8mo. When I'm off work I want to spend the time with my baby, and my DP.

So the cleaning is getting behind and I'm really down about it. I'm sick of being embarressed of our home. And I'm sick of having to allocate days where I gut the whole house because the mess has built up.

Everyone else's houses are clean! My friend just had a baby and hers is spotless.

I just want to cry about it.

How do people do it?

[WewishyouaBUMPERLICIOUS]

[TheProvincialLady]

Everyone else's houses are not always clean, honest. Most people struggle when they have young children. Do you think they invite you over when their houses are at their worst? Of course not!

If you want to keep on top of housework you need to get rid of the stuff you don't need, and then get into a routine of doing a little bit every single day. Like never going to bed until the kitchen is clean and the dishwasher is on, or always emptying the bathroom bin and cleaning the loo before work on a Tuesday and Thursday IYSWIM? Those whole day cleanathons are too knackering!

[TrinityRhino]

sorry butterfly but my 3 year old is a constant mess maker

[TheProvincialLady]

Oh, and the very minute you can, start training your DC to tidy up after themselves and help out round the house. My 2.4 DS puts his own dirty clothes in his laundry basket and dusts the skirting boards for me, and he loves loading and emptying the washing machine. He is actually better at putting the (plastic) dishes away than DH as DH always puts things in the wrong place

[Podrick]

It is a tall order to have 2 parents working full time and a happy baby and a clean house.

Could you get a cleaner?

If not then I think it will only work if your dh pulls his weight and ideally if you both do 45 mins hour in the evening every day and an hour at the weekend that would be 11 1/2 hours of cleaning a week - would that be enough?

If you are comparing yourself to folk who work less than you do this is an unfair comparison. If you are comparing yourself to other couples with 8 month old babies then they must be spending most of their time cleaning to the detriment of other areas of their lives imho.

[pippylongstockings]

I have come to accept that with a 2year old and a 4 year old our house will never be very clean.

I work p-t and I too spend my days at home doing the dishes in the am, cleaning the kitchen, hoovering upstairs and down and then doing just one other thing like - clean bathroom, change sheets, clean out fridge.

Over all it is fairly presentable but never what I would call very clean. I don't even think about things like cleaning a skirting board or windows etc just the large floor spaces.
Just one day off makes it look more messy but I figure most people I know have small kids and therefor will not judge.

[wahwah]

Something always has to give. Far better that it's the cleaning, rather than your relationships. Can you get a cleaner to take the pressure off? I shall be taking my own advice and looking for one shortly.

[NoGoodAtCleaning]

Dp does stuff sometimes, but other times he says it's my job as I'm the mum! Which really annoys me as I'm also studying at nightschool and have a lot of lengthy assignments to do and I'm very behind with the work.

[Podrick]

If you are working full time and studying then actually I think your dp should be doing all the cleaning.

[ilovemydog]

Here's what I've noticed about friend's houses that I consider clean:

1. They don't have books
2. They don't have dogs
3. They only give their kids minimal toys
4. They don't spend much time in the kitchen cooking
5. They have lots of storage space where ufos (random pieces of garbage go)

1. They have a mil who comes to clean
2. They send at least one child to day care
3. They get their groceries delivered
4. They work part time and don't do have outside activites - i.e. no volunteer work

[southernbelle77]

Definitely hire a cleaner! I've just done it and it's the best thing I've done!! Such a weight taken off my mind and hence the reason I am on here rather than scrubbing the toilet

[Quattrocento]

I think this is to do with what happens at night. My children always slept well so I was lucky, We had from 8-12 in hte evenings to straighten every room up and clean and polish etc. It only actually takes less than an hour a night to keep it all straight.

[prettybutterfly]

Yanbu. not only wonder HOW people keep their houses clean - I also wonder WHY!!

My house regularly gets awful and I don't always notice, or remember when I last did things like clean the shower.

I do have to catch up all in one go sometimes, which isn't very nice.

It's just easier now that the kids are at school, and sleeping well too. Having a baby is so hard. Especially the first one, which is a shock to the system in every possible way!

In time it will be easier and then you can do more. If you are not like me and you can be bothered. Maybe you basically feel you have better things to do, and maybe you always will.

[ruddynorah]

mine is clean.

but then, as someone mentioned, i work part time, and dd goes to nursery sometimes when i'm at home. and we don't have a dog. but we do have books.

PLUS, dh does alot.

[NoGoodAtCleaning]

The list of things I could do and when I could do them is very useful, thanks.

So could we develop that a little further. Things I can think that need doing on a daily basis are:

Hoovering, washing up, putting the washing on, making the bed and cot, tidying around, polishing.

What else?

What things should be done on a weekly or couple of day basis? I can think of: Cleaning bathroom, mopping, emptying the fridge of old foods, putting away the piles of clothes (actually I should do that daily but it's my most hated chore).

[Myrrhcy]

Your house can't be that unclean if you are all out most of the day surely?

Hoovering/dusting only needs to be done a couple of times a week max (upstairs even less frequently in this house!)

Washing up must be done every day.

Laundry I do every other day.

I clean the bathroom once a week, the toilet maybe twice a week, kitchen floor once a week (and often less - only the toilet and sink are kept clean at all times)

I find it's the tidying which takes up a lot of time rather than cleaning (my 7 and 4 year old dc create so much mess, not on purpose, it's mainly just their ages)

[WeWishEWEaMerryXmas]

My house is messy because after a long day in the office, a couple of hours with baby, eat dinner, pack bags for next day etc I don't want to clean. I want to talk to DP, have a glass of wine etc.

I am getting a cleaner because I don't want to spend my precious free time cleaning!