Weekly cleaning timetable - please can you help?

[laurasmiles]

Calling all organised and 'on-top-of-it' mums to be strict with me and offer me a weekly timetable to live and stick by with regards to cleaning a regular four bedroom house. I didn't have a mum growing up and my stepdad was hardly bothered with the cleaning and so I have not done very well at learning how it's done - or perhaps accepting that it has to be done! I know it's a state of mind and I'm in a negaitive one about it and so don't know where to start.

So I'm asking please on some 'mumsy' guidance to set me straight and back on track. Can you let me know how you organise your day or week so that it all gets done with time to spare.

I feel very inadequate at the moment but I just cannot seem to fit household chores into my day. I know I feel shattered because I'm not sleeping well and my two children are 2 and 3 and a half and I feel for them as the house is a bombsite!

Many thanks for all or any advice you can sapre.

[Katiekins83]

hi! have you joined flylady? i would advise it, it got me back on the path to cleanliness. failing that i would start in the kitchen, and get your DCs to help.
bumping for you!

[missingtheaction]

Routine as follows:

1. phone cleaning service and arrange them to come and quote
   
2. write cheque
   
3. go out for coffee when the arrive
   
   More realistically, with two small kids and a big house it's not going to be clean. Two tips
   

• with 4 bedrooms presumably the dcs can have somewhere that's a playroom and you can have a separate living area? if so then keep their stuff in the playroom, and if it drifts into the house then move it all back there at the end of teh day. the playroom can be a pigsty as long as the door shuts. they don't care. the grown up living spaces can stay nice.
• prioritise and do what makes YOU feel good. for me it's laundry and dinner (although I hate cooking I like everyone to eat together so it's a priority). IMO nobody died of a somewhat scummy downstairs loo. you can scrub that when they go to university.

Next time you feel the need to clean read these instead www.quotegarden.com/housework.html

[laurasmiles]

Thanks will try flylady - what does that mean by the way?

missingtheaction - pmsl - love the quotes!! That really puts it into perspective.

Anymore helpful advice out there???

[Gemzooks]

I would really, seriously think about getting a cleaner. It is not a luxury, with 2 small kids you need it. If you didn't have kids you'd be spending 30 pounds on a takeaway or night out at least every week.

These years are precious: why spend them cleaning? Really mean it...

[laurasmiles]

That's a good point there Gem. I think I shall have a look into it.....it always feels like a luxury. But then, who doesn't deserve a little luxury occassionally. Maybe it would be good to get someone in just to do a good once over once a week - for the areas I never get round to at all.