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Do you ever have your whole house clean and tidy at one time?

89 replies

Stringsattached · 21/07/2020 17:03

I’ve got a small house, only one dc at home and no work until September so I shouldn’t have any excuse but I can never get my whole house clean and tidy.

Today I have done a general tidy up, made the beds, cleaned around the kitchen, put the food shopping away, done one load of washing, put the dishwasher on and defrosted the freezer. That’s quite a lot for one day around the other things I’ve had to do but I haven’t hoovered or dusted or cleaned the kitchen or bathroom floor so it doesn’t look or feel clean as a whole. I haven’t been in the dc’s room either so that is probably a tip although I can turn a blind eye to that.

I feel like the whole house needs a good scrub and then a hoover and washed floors every day. Do some people do that? Do you enjoy it if you do? I would love to sit down In the evenings to a clean and tidy house but is that achievable?

OP posts:
TimeWastingButFun · 21/07/2020 17:36

Only when I rigorously follow my version of TOMM but the principle is the same - certain rooms on certain days so two bedrooms- wash bedding, hoover and dust on a Monday, other two on a Tuesday, Kitchen and Dining room on a Wednesday, living room Thursday etc. Then daily tasks are to hoover downstairs (dog), quick clean of bathrooms, empty bins and decant everyone's laundry bags in the laundry room and a general tidy every eve. I also have a seagrass basket in each room so things that 'don't belong' can go there till the eve. Put used cups straight in the dishwasher, never put them down anywhere and never leave a room empty handed (literally look for things to take!). It's amazing how quickly it can get messy though if it's left! And edit your stuff all the time - if it's not useful or loved then put it straight into a donation box in a cupboard then take it to the charity shop when it's full.

isabellerossignol · 21/07/2020 17:40

If clean and tidy means absolutely everything hoovered and mopped then no.

But to me, clean and tidy means nothing on the floor or on the seats or on the stairs, all the dishes done, the kitchen worktops wiped down, that sort of thing. And in that case, it's always like that because we don't want to spend loads of time doing housework.

bellsbuss · 21/07/2020 17:41

Yes everyday as otherwise it makes me feel anxious. I clean and tidy twice a day but it doesn't actually take very long as I keep in top of things.

Rockbird · 21/07/2020 17:43

Nope. Tiny house, four of us. Too much stuff, not enough storage. We usually have one room tidy at the most. Thankfully at the moment it's my bedroom so I work up here and try not to look at the rest of the house. I've given up with it.

MaggotFatcha · 21/07/2020 17:45

Yes, it takes me about 45 minutes to do my 2 bed house once a week. Everything wiped down, windows cleaned, kitchen and bathroom tiles wiped down etc.

It stays clean enough to last a week apart from the kitchen and bathrooms. They are wiped over daily and the washing up is done, toilet is bleached. And I hoover and mop daily too.

My house is always 'clean', but not always tidy. I do a tidy of upstairs and bring down any cups/laundry and make the beds in the morning, and then night time I will do a quick tidy of the downstairs before I retire to the sofa for the evening. Never more than 10 minutes a day. DC tidy own toys away before bed.

A deep clean however, takes fucking hours!

Impatientwino · 21/07/2020 17:45

Mine is clean and tidy for about 8.2 seconds after the cleaner leaves once a week.

I do a complete tidy through before she arrives and then it rapidly deteriorates!

BillywigSting · 21/07/2020 17:50

Yes but I have one school aged child who is reasonably tidy for a six year old, a partner who pulls his weight and a small three bed terrace (read two bed and a broom cupboard) with a tiny shower room and no bath, so it doesn't take long.
The spare room hasn't actually been properly unpacked from moving last year though so it doesn't count.

DanniArthur · 21/07/2020 17:56

Just before my sister comes over. DP entertains DD while I scrub the house top to bottom. My sister is OCD and cant sit in any mess without honestly starting to clean.
Apart from that my house is generally ok, DD tends to put toys away as we go and she likes to sweep for me 😁

DianaT1969 · 21/07/2020 17:57

This is why I liked having a cleaner. The whole place was clean all at the same time after she left. She worked 3 hours every 2 weeks and it was always tidy when she arrived, so that she could concentrate on surfaces.

TreacherousPissFlap · 21/07/2020 18:02

Nope, we have a small dusty little cottage, 3 dogs and (as of today!) a cat, as well as DS, DH and I.
We've worked our way through the rooms, upgraded the storage and bought furniture to fit the poky spaces, which has made the world of difference. It doesn't change the fact that DH and DS haemorrhage items wherever they go, and there is a constant light layer of dust on the window sills.
My new RoboVac OTOH has revolutionised the tumbleweeds of dog hair, so that's something!

EatsShootsAndRuns · 21/07/2020 18:05

I try to keep the hall, stairs, lounge, dining room downstairs loo and kitchen visitor ready.

The upstairs is in the process of being blitzed but my intent is to have every room so it maybe only needs quick dust and vac before guests stay.

Titsywoo · 21/07/2020 18:11

Yes once a week I do a full tidy and clean - well I did before covid anyway but haven't since then as there are always people here now! Thankfully "school" is now over and I'm dispatching the kids to the MILs tomorrow so I can clean upstairs (it's just them up there with their own bathroom). They do keep their rooms tidy but they aren't so good at the cleaning - not to my standard anyway! Over the next two days I'll be scrubbing every inch of the house within an inch of it's life! Can't wait. I need to have order and cleanliness to be at peace. I do all the washing/dishwashing and cleaning surfaces a few times again across the week but proper cleaning is only one time. It takes about 6-7 hours to do properly.

Couchbettato · 21/07/2020 18:19

Our house is never showroom clean but it is always tidy. We do a spring clean every day or every other day.

I don't count toddler toys as mess though, and they get everywhere. It's like shovelling shit in a farmyard

RednaxelasLunch · 21/07/2020 18:35

The secret is to have zero clutter on surfaces. Not even decorative stuff or plants. Then it's quick and easy to whizz over it with Pledge or whatever. Likewise furniture. Have as little as possible to vacuum dead quick.

Unfortunately I seem incapable of living without clutter or furniture. It breeds.

And that's even before mentioning the constant mounds of washing. The solution there would be to employ a laundry lackey Sad

amusedtodeath1 · 21/07/2020 18:48

Once a year in the run up to Christmas (usually), but to that's the only time I'd say my house is both tidy and clean as a whole. Life is too busy to do it all the time.

dollypops15 · 21/07/2020 18:57

I try to get through it daily. I have 3 children and currently off work until september. Whilst mine are eating breakfast I clean all the kichen, put a wash on, fold anything left in the dryer, then I'll hoover all down stairs. Then we go up stairs and I'll clean all the bathroom, make bed, wipes all the surfaces upstairs in each room and hoover and mop. My girls one aged 6 with asd and ADHD and one aged 2 are VERY messy. So once tea is over whilst they are playing I will then wipe down all kichen again, get another wash load done then mop and hoover all downstairs. My most hated job is putting the washing away. Which I have started doing once my 2 youngest are asleep. Hope this helps

Stringsattached · 21/07/2020 18:59

Wow, you’re hoovering three times a day?

OP posts:
Stringsattached · 21/07/2020 19:01

I think if I hoovered and washed the floors each day everything would feel cleaner so I might make the effort to do it.

OP posts:
dollypops15 · 21/07/2020 19:02

Yes with my 2 youngest and a teenage son it needs it. Although I must admit a couple of days a week my son will hoover all upstairs (3 big bedrooms) and mop the bathroom

Clumsyduck · 21/07/2020 19:03

On occasion ,
For around 3 minutes before it starts getting messy again , I have indeed achieved this

dollypops15 · 21/07/2020 19:03

I like the satisfaction of a clean and tidy house. I think everything in its place just makes a house look tidy

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 21/07/2020 19:04

Yes when Ds is at his dad's! Then I waft about from room to room looking and the clean and tidy rooms lol I always burn a scented candle then too .

megletthesecond · 21/07/2020 19:05

Never.

Clumsyduck · 21/07/2020 19:06

@Dontforgetyourbrolly Grin I do this , I like to step out the room and back in to get a proper look at how nice it looks

853690525d · 21/07/2020 19:07

When we had a cleaner, that was the one time. Now, never.