Cleaning little and often

[Bearplumapple]

Couple with no children, share cleaning pretty equally. For along time we've done a weekly clean on a Thursday or Wednesday evening so we don't have to spend the weekend cleaning. As we spend more time at home now it gets messier so we now do a little top up clean on a Saturday or Sunday.

I'd like to move to the little and often approach as we both work from home and this will continue for the foreseeable as we both partly did this anyway. I think now could be a good time to get into this method. I know people here talk about fly lady a lot is it any good?

I'm wondering if anyone has any good tips or methods? Also does it feel like you're always cleaning? Finally I like the feeling of a clean house do you get this with cleaning little and often rather than a big clean?

[Didntgetmydiamondring]

The organised mum method
www.theorganisedmum.blog/

[YorkshireParentalPerson]

The TOMM method is your friend, she's got a face book page, website and app, gives you a tick list of things to follow, couldn't be easier and it's half an hour every day. You can customise to suit your self, break it down into chunks if you prefer allocate tasks to people, get your weekend back and keep on top of it all. I love it!

[Noitjustwontdo]

I tend to clean as I go so it doesn’t build up. I sweep and mop the floors daily (wood flooring) and I wash up as I go so it never builds up. I bleach the sinks and toilets daily and do a deep clean of the bathroom and kitchen once a week. Wipe the kitchen worktops down as I go too. Laundry is endless because I have 5 DC (two in reusable nappies as well) so my washing machine and dryer are almost always running but I keep on top of it that way.

[Bearplumapple]

Those of you doing tomm do you feel you miss out on that fresh house feel?

[LER83]

Came on to recommend TOMM! The longer you do it, the cleaner your house gets, so eventually it feels clean all the time. When I was religiously doing it my house felt clean and presentable all the time, despite having 3 dc and 2 cats.

[limesoda]

We do TOMM (and ignore the name) and the house always feels clean, its great.

[Bearplumapple]

I've had a look and tomm looks good. Is the app worth it? I know its only a fiver!

[YorkshireParentalPerson]

I love TOMM and as someone else said, the more you do it the cleaner your house feels I think because its a light touch every day in your most heavily used areas. Also because you have a list of stuff to do and there's things on there like cleaning windows and skirting boards that are easy to skip, it just nudges you to remember those things!
I resisted the app for ages, it cost £4.99 and I was using the free printables so didn't think it would be worth it, however I did eventually take the plunge and I love it. I know I'm sad but I get a kick out of seeing the list completed. You can completely customise it for your house, but if you follow it daily your house does get really clean. It's even encouraged me to dust my blinds, a job that I detest doing!
I know how to clean (obviously), but this has really allowed me to structure my cleaning properly so nothing gets forgotten, everything gets touched in the week and because it really doesn't take long I don't feel like I spend my whole life cleaning. Win win as far as I can see😊

[jomaIone]

Doing TOMM, my house always feels fresh and clean, I have a toddler and a cat and of course it's sometimes messy with toys everywhere but it's clean, and organised, and ready for visitors are any time. Bathrooms always look good. I do my half hour in the morning (and usually evening too!), before my shower and then it's done. The only thing that annoys me about it is the kitchen day, I do most of the kitchen jobs daily anyway but at least it's not such a hard day of cleaning cause it's cleaned all the time anyway.

[jomaIone]

Oh I also have a microfibre duster stick that you can put in the washing machine, makes dusting skirting boards, window sills, pictures etc soooo easy

[Chottie]

Another vote for TOMM - there is a TOMM FB group too, full of advice and hints.

[Believehope]

We recently had our house on the market, so I cleaned and tidied every day. It took about 15 mins max. You don't need a website or app!

[SebastianTheCrab]

I spend at least an hour and a half a day putting away/cleaning up after breakfast, lunch, dinner, toys, laundry and other random bits - would the TOMM half an hour be in addition to that?

[SebastianTheCrab]

(Or is that sort of stuff included in the half an hour?)

[Bearplumapple]

I have only had a bit of a look at it but I get the impression the making of meals and clearing up afterwards is in addition. But then things like a toy pick up and laundry would be in the 15 min clean?

It seems you can customise it for your home and family. I think it's so you get the stuff done that's not day to day cooking cleaning up and tidying.

[bootygirl]

Is TOMM similiar to the flylady method?

[MessAllOver]

Clean while the kettle is boiling. I can unpack and fill the dishwasher in this time. Also hoover. Also wipe down the surfaces and clean the fridge. If you make 4-5 hot drinks a day, you can practically clean your entire kitchen in this time (admittedly, my kitchen is quite small).