I'm on Annual Leave and my house looks...

[Treadmillmom]

great.
I'm back at work Monday and it'll be downhill from there.
My friend visited this afternoon and the first thing she said was, 'Ooh, your house is tidy', I'm not cross she's right.
I work full time and have 3 primary age kids, I get home with the kids at 5.15pm and do what I can before bed at 11pm.
The house is scruffy, kitchen is clean, bathroom could be better, floors crying for a vac, toys, games and drawn on paper everywhere.
I do what I can at the weekends but I want to spend time with the kids and friends, not chores.
I do plan to rope the kids in more, they're very good to be fair.
Without killing myself, how do I stay on top of it when I return to work?
PS Can't afford a cleaner

[ILikeToClean]

Well done for getting it sorted! I would think now it is clean and tidy it should not take too long to keep that way, maybe an hour a day to whizz round and go into each room and put stuff away, clean the bathroom and kitchen and vacuum which will make it look presentable all of the time. Could dc help with their rooms and their stuff, do you have a dh who could help?

I work 2 days (at the end of the week) and so on Saturday I go and do a food shop whilst dh and dds whizz round and make it look presentable for the weekend, only takes them an hour - although in fairness I do a big clean on Wednesday, but by Saturday it looks really messy (although not particularly dirty) but needs a hoover and generally clear up so we can then all relax.

I think an hour a day (could be less) would be enough to keep on top of it, I know that is a bit rubbish after being at work all day but would free you up at weekends and then you could maybe focus on larger/more intense jobs that you don't get time for in the week and would still only take an hour or so.

[pookamoo]

There's a 15 minutes a day thing.... will find for you

[pookamoo]

here

[Treadmillmom]

Pookamoo, I liked that. A specific task a day on top of the others lol.

[daisydee43]

It's a pain but I get up an extra hr early before work and do what I can then - I normally find that keeps things at bay

[pookamoo]

Ha, no, it is supposed to be only one thing a day - now the house is all tidy, you've broken the back of it and you could stay on top of it.

[Mrswellyboot]

Storage is the key I think. I also go around the house with pack of baby wipes once a week and do switches, fronts of cupboards or whatever I see.

I love large wicker baskets. Have plenty of underbed storage boxes. One thing in, one out.

[Mrswellyboot]

Also I have a flat microfibre mop and lavender spray and before I got to ed I give downstairs a run over. I have a chilli hoover from lakeland that is light and neat to give a quick once over

[Treadmillmom]

OMG I actually had an anxiety dream last night. I dreamt we returned from a vacation to find family had used the house whilst we were away and it was a tip. Wet laundry strewn around, even soil outta plant pots on the sides and on the floors. Dirty plates. I was making a start tidying up but I was so crossed. I cannot tell you my relief when I woke but it also demonstrated how much I'm worrying about returning to work.

[DrNick]

I find the term annual leave very funny

dont people just say "I am on holiday?"

[Treadmillmom]

To me on holiday, means away from home. I'm on annual leave, not at work but at home.