For those who have tried different housekeeping methods (Flylady, Kondo, UFYH etc) which worked best for you and why?

[nicknamenonsense]

DH & I both work, we have two DC aged 9 & 10 and a dog. Our house isn't a tip but it is certainly not as clean or tidy as we would like it to be. I'm thinking about really trying to follow a thread or way of organising our home and wondering which you knowledgeable (and judging from posts I've read, infinitely cleaner!) MNs would recommend.
Also how long do people spend each day cleaning (including laundry and clearing up after meals)? DH is really good at doing his bit, often doing more than me so I think it should be achievable but by the time we've got in, sorted dinner, spellings / homework, walked the dog, supervised bedtime etc etc the evening just seems to go!

[homeaway]

Kondo is not a cleaning method as such , the aim is to sort your stuff and only do it once. The idea is that you only keep things that make you happy and that everything has a place. If you get rid of the excess stuff your house automatically becomes easier to clean and keep tidy . You sort things by category starting with an easy category first, most people start with clothes . Marie Kondo advocates folding things and standing them on their side as it takes up less room. I had already decluttered a lot when i started kondoing, i still got rid of a lot, it has been 8 months and my sheet drawer is still tidy. I think it works because it makes you consider what you are buying and bringing into the house.

[lightningstrikes]

Kondo for me. My drawers and the kids drawers are still tidy after 8 months. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to clean, the more inclined you are to clean as it doesn't take so much effort! My downstairs is very easy to keep tidy and clean. There are still areas that need constant vigilance - kids toys is the big one in this house. I'm home today doing a sweep for anything that no longer brings joy. It isn't perfect and does still take effort, but it is much easier to wipe clear surfaces, hoover under furniture that has nothing stored under it, put clothes away when there is a space where they go. It is also harder to ignore areas that are starting to build up clutter as they are in such contrast to the rest of the house IYSWIM.

[ginorwine]

I use fly lady . I have a book in the kitchen to do day jobs plus one other - which I forget to look at !
Basically the day is split into 3 parts - morning , teatime , evening .tiny bits each part . I've adapted it to our house needs .
Also there can be a daily set additional job such as shopping Thursday and meal plan day before . I tend to do the daily set routines and forget the additional 5 min missions as they annoy me !
So my basic am routine is .
Wash bathroom down
Washing from prev night to dry
Kitchen wipe n tidy
Check if need to re frost for tea
Teatime . Make tea wash up as go along .fold laundry . Sweep floor . Kitchen tops .laundry away .

Bedtime . Check kitchen .shine sink . Laundry in on delayed wash ,

On Wednesday i meal plan and shop next eve .
Best trick do massive on line shop payday for basics for the month like x 4 pasta . Mince .tins .tea bags etc .
I'm less organised with bed changing etc but I have a list of daily jobs and it's supposed to be teens strip beds tue .
I have a cleaner each week for all floor s and bathroom . Twenty pounds which I budget for my a cheap meal each week much to teens annoyance but major help
So it's daily routine then a set job a day for me . ???? .

[ginorwine]

Ps I roast a chicken large or two small on Sunday . We have Aldi Thai curry then the next day stir fry or pasta with chicken in . Saves lot time . We have a chippy tea on thur and a non cook buffet on Friday . This helps my brain cope !!!!

[ginorwine]

I am not naturally organised and a dreamy person these routines make my life much easier as otherwise we can end up in a mess !

[nicknamenonsense]

Thanks for the replies
I have did the January Cure which did help me get a lot of stuff out of the house but I need to get rid of more I think. My Mum volunteers in a charity shop and she took a couple of bags with her when she left today. Think I need to be more like you gin and have a list of daily tasks to do, not sure I am realistically going to get anything done in the morning before getting me & 2 DC out of the house (DH leaves very early) but perhaps I should aim to try!!
Am going to take a look at the Kondo thread before doing some ironing!!

[ginorwine]

Good luck !
It takes less than half hr to hr daily and it helps and can be quite soothing in a funny way .

[krisskross]

Hi, watching with interest!
I've read kondo and in theory found it brilliant and I got it, but needed a quicker fix.

I've also looked a fly lady and think I've missed something . Firstly , I signed up to beginners emails and now get about 15 a day.....????? And if ever I look whilst I find the short list of tasks useful, I find the other stuff annoying and always seems,to try and sell me stuff.

Also, the time scales are crazy....i don't think you can do the tasks she suggests in 15 min....if I could the house wouldn't be a tip!!

Please tell me what I've got wrong!

Is there another method ?? Thanks

[QuiteQuietly]

I am mid-Kondo. I have decluttered fairly ruthlessly before, but it feels different this time and I really understand how much I have, which has slowed down the rate of acquiring new stuff. I definitely think it helps with the mess, and less mess makes cleaning easier.

Flylady and UFYH both annoyed me. I use Home Routines app from time to time, but after a while I just drift off it.

Now trying a plan from this blog:- www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/the-reasonably-clean-house/
It's not complicated, she's not selling anything, it's very adaptable. The mindset of just accepting you need to do a bit every day is good for me. There is some religion in there, but less than Flylady in my opinion.

Flylady's 15 minutes is because actually lots of jobs DO take less than 15 minutes - it's just the perception is that it will take longer which stops us starting. And once you've decluttered, it does get a lot easier. So declutter first.

[prettymess]

I am very much into Kondo at the moment, but I pace myself a la UFYH and I still clear hotspots like Flylady. You take bits from everything and learn.

[CalmYoBadSelf]

I used to do Flylady when the DCs were younger. Great as it breaks things into such small chunks

[Mintyy]

Dh and I both work part time and spend a lot of time at home. We have two children aged 14 and 11 and a cat and a guinea pig. Our house is basically a mess with a few respectable rooms (living room, kitchen and bathroom) and we would totally sink in the mire without our cleaner.

Between us we find that our social life, commitments to seeing family, having fun with the dc, shopping, cooking, laundry, admin and school-based requirements take up all of our spare time.

How people with full time jobs keeps on top of it all I just simply cannot understand.

[Outinthegarden]

I used Flylady properly for a few months but now I've adapted it to suit me better . I'm sad enough to really love setting my cooker timer for 15mins and getting a cleaning task done. I find it really helpful to do a different bit of the house each week.

[Fizrim]

Flylady recommends that you declutter first and then do the detail cleaning, doing things in 15 min bursts is a great idea as it keeps you focused but doing actual cleaning in 15 mins comes after the decluttering.

I have done Flylady when I was off work long term sick, working full time and now as a SAHM and it really is my attitude that makes a difference. When you are out all day the house is not getting as messy as it does when you have children playing at home all day. I still go back to Flylady as I find it the best for me, but I don't get all the emails (try the Flylady light) and I have read the Kondo book but not put it into practice yet (sadly).

If you don't like the myriad emails of Flylady, then habithacker used to do something similar (also free) but it now seems to have turned into an app called HomeRoutines. Habithacker used to send one email a day for 90 days.

It's the decluttering that is my downfall. And stopping and starting! The first organisation book I read was the Messie Manual, which I bought when I was on holiday in the States. That talks about little minutes, jobs you can do in 2 mins or less - that made/makes a big difference. Things do take less time than you think!

[KillmeNow]

Kondo for me! I have read most of the popular books on house clearing and decluttering. I have been trying to manage it all for years and thought I was a lost cause. With Kondo though I can see that its not a quick fix but that I can do a little at a time which all goes towards the greater good.

I havent stuck to her routine as it doesnt suit my lifestyle but I do follow the general principles. The house is getting so much clearer and easier to clean. I have thrown away so much stuff and love looking in my cupboards that stay looking good as I dont overfill them with more crap lovely things.

I decided on a whim to do my underwear drawer yesterday so took the drawer out of the runners and put the whole thing on my bed. Each item I took out I decided to instantly like or dislike. The dislikes all went into the bin- while the likes were folded and placed neatly in the drawer. Oh how wonderful it was this morning to open a neatly arranged drawer and pick out a random pair of knickers and a bra without having to discard anything first. I only have lovely knickers now and can happily wear anything left in the drawer.

[Heck5897]

Kondo

I read the book, did a mass 4 month declutter and now have one of the tidiest easiest houses I know.

The kids and grown ups both have three clothes drawers each and everything in them is as tidy as the day I originally sorted them. That's particularly amazing considering just how awfully cluttered and messy we were.

I'm now looking at how to organise myself daily. Something like fly lady might be helpful now I've completed the major kondo declutter