I know this is ^very^ dull, but, I'm having to sack my cleaner <sob> and I need a weekly/monthly cleaning plan.

[norktasticninja]

Damn recession

I'm going to have to sack my cleaner, she's a luxury we just can't afford any longer. TBH she's not the worlds best cleaner by a long chalk, but I like her and she's been with us for a couple of years. I feel really crap that I'm going to have to sack her.

So, I need a plan. A damn good one. She does 3 hours a week but doesn't have time to do everything (obviously) I slot the other jobs that need doing in as and when or ignore them and hope she'll have/make time at some point.

I've got two DC under two and I like the place to be properly clean and relatively tidy (once the DC are in bed). The daily stuff isn't really an issue but I don't know how best to fit the weekly/monthly jobs in. Things that I can ignore when they are someone else's responsibility really bug me when I am the one that hasn't done them IYSWIM.

So, does anyone have a plan they would share? I know a weekly cleaning blitz would be best but I don't think I could persuade the DC to give me more than half an hour (max) at a time...

[norktasticninja]

Yeah, am SAHM. I do a lot of stuff as I see it but I've been let off actual weekly cleaning since I've been a mum so I don't really know where to start

[BonsoirAnna]

What does your cleaner do currently?

[mathanxiety]

Try to identify your important rooms, like the kitchen and the bathroom and do these every day. I find I function much better if my kitchen is under control so I treat it like an office and keep it clean, tidy and functional. Means cleaning up right after myself every time and I feel like a robot occasionally, but then I avoid having to tackle a huge job later. Same for bathroom -- a wipe every day is more sanitary than letting it all build up, and easier on your back than having to scrub the tub and around the back of the toilet in one big cleaning binge. If you have carpets, frequent hoovering will keep your hoover from clapping out when confronted with a lot of undisturbed grime. Other floors you can sweep daily, mop weekly. Save the weekends for washing sheets and towels (buy plenty of towels). Buy a lot of big storage boxes for the toys and toss them in with DCs' 'help'. Microfibre cloths are great for a daily dust wipe, save the polishing for less frequent intervals, if at all.
If you can keep up with the daily stuff your weekly and monthly jobs will be smaller. Concentrate on health and safety as opposed to 'immaculate'. If you don't do this already, removing shoes in the house can really cut down on grime and germs on the floor for your LOs.

[BertieBotts]

I'm trying to make a list at the moment. I am going to get a big sheet of paper and walk around the rooms in my head thinking of everything which needs to be cleaned in each room, then writing down how often it needs doing and how long it should take (also will probably look up how to do stuff as well )

I will post it here if it ever makes it onto the computer But I think this should be a good starting point.

[snorkie]

The FLY lady control journal might be something to look at.
The house is broken into 5 zones that get visited once a month and there are daily/weekly tasks etc.
You're supposed to build your own up, but you could take a look at the FLYlady ones and adapt them...

FLY zones (detailed cleaning lists for each zone in link at bottom of page)

FLYlady's basic weekly plan

Some bits are rather cringeful - I just ignore them.

[norktasticninja]

Good question Anna! Just a general clean through really, I make sure I've tided up properly before she starts. She only comes for 3 hours and we have a decent coffee brake (sometimes two) so I guess it isn't that much more work really. It's just how best to spread it out.

I suspect I need to totally change the way I'm doing things if it's going to work. Having a cleaner has made me lazy more relaxed about things. I just noticed that the skirting boards on the stairs are grotty and my first thought, 'Oh, never mind, Txxxx's probably planning to do it on Friday', then I realised I though the same thing last week and the week before. I never used to be like that, I'd just do it more or less straight away whilst feeling embarreded I'd let it get into that state.

But, DD (DC1), the cleaner and MN all entered my life within a couple of months of one another...

I think lists is probably the best way to start, I'd hoped I'd be able to get my hands on some sort of standard spreadsheet type thing. Couldn't find anything on google though. Ho hum.

Thanks all.

[abra1d]

Just one small point: when you said you were 'sacking' her it makes it sound as though it's because she hasn't been doing her job properly or has been nicking stuff.

'Letting her go', perhaps...?

I agree with the posters above who say that keeping a daily grip on things is much easier than having weekly/twice-weekly blitzes.

If I can hoover every day or every other day downstairs (small house) it really helps. Ditto cleaning the family bathroom.

[norktasticninja]

snorkie - sorry forgot to refresh before posting. I've heard of FLY lady but was put off by the assumption that my house is some sort of grotty, cluttered hell (which it isn't). That and the twee stuff. It seemed like a Good Plan but I couldn't find my way to the sort of information I wanted for waffle!

But, I'll have a look at the links, they sound a bit like the sort of thing I was looking for, thanks!

[wonderingwondering]

Can you reduce your cleaner to a good blitz every 2 or 3 weeks? It is a lot easier to whip round a duster, hoover and disinfectant wipe the bathroom and kitchen if it get a proper clean every fortnight.

[norktasticninja]

abra1d X

It's just semantics. I said sacking because I don't often speak English anymore (except for to the DC) and couldn't think of a better way of putting it.

Actually, I have thought of 'letting her go' because she's actually not a very good cleaning at all, but as I said, I like her. I trust her too, she has a key to our house. She even came to feed the cats when we were on holiday once!

I keep a good grip on the daily stuff, it's a lot easier knowing everything going to be done properly each week.

Maybe she could come once a month and do a couple of big jobs. That could work quite well.I'll see if I can get DP to agree

[norktasticninja]

Gah. Sorry wonderingwondering. DS is having a tough time and I keep going to him and not refreshing when I get back

[fruitstick]

nork, come and join our fledgling flyers thread - it's just started again for October.

I could never get on with flylady as she doesn't write in bloody English and you want to smack her but with MNetters explaining it properly it really is good - and a bit of Dunkirk spirit goes a long way.

here

[cikecaka]

Nork, you could come over to the slatterns, where we post our list of what we need to do that day and mark them off as they are done. Can be quite satisfying

[fruitstick]

ooh look, rival cleaning groups

scrap scrap scrap

with microfibre cloths obviously

[norktasticninja]

Thanks for the group offers!

I don't really need any more encouragement to spend more time on MN, I suspect I'd just spent far to long reading and posting on said threads and get behind with actually doing the cleaning! I'll see how it goes, maybe I'll join up anyway!

Thanks for the links snorkie - there's some useful stuff on there! Soooo irritating though

[cikecaka]

[norktasticninja]

I had a look a the Fly thread but it's really not my bag (sorry ladies), there are some good tricks that I'm hoping to use though!

cikecaka could you link to the slatterns thread so I can waste some more time take a peek at how you lot do things?

I'm making some lists with an eye to producing some sort of Master Plan but it's going to take a while...

[cikecaka]

Cant link unfortunately! . But if you look at the good housekeeping topics. You will see us under September Slatterns How Clean is your skirting boards??

[norktasticninja]

Found it, thanks! Linking is really easy, it's explained next to the box were you type posts. Done a quick C&P for you...

Links The simplest way to insert a link is to enter the link itself, surrounded by and . So if you type www.mumsnet.com, the link will display as www.mumsnet.com. If you want your link to display text other than the web address itself, leave a space after the address then add the text before the ]]. So "Look at this page", would display "Look at this page".

[wiseowl02]

Hi every one, I have been reading quite a lot of your comments, and thought i should tell you that i am full time self employed cleaner, with a full Enhanced Disclosure (CRB) check.
If anyone is looking for a cleaner in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, please point them in my direction.
I love cleaning and have a great attention to detail.
I offer weekly, two weekly, monthly cleans, all aspects of house cleaning undertaken, no job is too small.
I also do spring cleans, one off cleans, end of tenancy cleans etc, the list is endless.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.

[juneybean]

Re: FlyLady

How on earth do you do the weekly home blessing in an hour....or is it one thing off the list!?