Housework - how long would this take you?

[EllieQ]

I’ve been struggling with keeping on top
of housework and laundry recently, despite only having one child, a husband who does his share of day to day stuff, and a fairly small house.

Yesterday DH took DD out for the afternoon, and I got the following done:

• Went to corner shop to get milk (the only time I left the house yesterday).
• Sorted a load of laundry and put it on.
• Ironed DD’s Brownies uniform (a quick iron only).
• Hand washed DD’s dance uniform (all hand wash only!)
• Sorted through a pile of paper on the dining room (ten minutes?)
• Hoovered the bathroom (small) and one bedroom (medium sized)
• Various bits of tidying as I went around.

They were out for 2.5 hours. If that was you, would you have got more/ less/ the same amount done in that time?

I had 5-10 minutes break between each job, which didn’t feel like much,and I feel that I should have got more done.

Weekends are really the only time I have to get on with housework. I work part time but over five days, so I don’t have a day ‘off’ to myself. DH WFH most days, and as he works in the dining room (no spare room), I can’t do much housework when we get home after school as it would disturb him (plus I often don’t feel like doing anything after a day at work!). I also WFH half the week, and try to get a load of laundry done at least on those days, but DH has an amazing talent of getting in the way when I’m trying to get stuff done during my tea break or lunch break 🙄

It’s really stressing me out, and I can’t tell if I should be doing more in the time I have, so I wanted a reality check from MN!

Why would you need a break after sorting through paper work in the dining room ???. Was it really such a tedious job??? Sorry, if that comes across cheeky, but just seems very strange.

I think thats fine. You got loads done.

Im also not very domestic though

I think the thing about how quickly it gets done is was it an enjoyable potter and sort, are the process and result pleasant and worth it? Or did you feel like you wasted time on your own doing chores when you’d rather have read, watched tv, called a friend, made a nice meal, had a bath?

I don’t like cleaning but I do like a clean house. I quite enjoy a good tidy. I spent a couple of hours one day last week sorting out the crap obscuring the books on the bookshelves. Had my toddler playing around my feet and got a huge amount done then was thrilled with the result.

With 2.5 hours entirely on my own I wouldn’t want to do any housework as I’d prefer to have a soak, go for a walk or put my feet up. So I’d prioritise laundry and admin around it at another time.

Everyone has different speeds. I like to go "head down bum up" cleaning style.

For example Saturday morning I put a load of washing on, vacuumed and mopped upstairs, put washing out, put next load on, vacuumed and mopped downstairs, put washing out, cleaned 4 toilets. Took me 1 hour. No breaks.

I find a great 90s RnB playlist helps!

I have not read all the posts, but I think that some are discrimintory, do what you want and as long as it isn't making someones mental health being worse. If you can do a little at a time, that's fantastic! Well done you, do what ever you can x

@CatRatSplat

Working from home should not stop ordinary everyday life to stop. I get that it is income but other than lockdown it is a choice. Stop tip toeing and do more when he is working at your pace you will get loads more done.

WFH is not a choice for everyone - DH’s office is still asking everyone to WFH unless it’s really not possible, and only come in for meetings if necessary. Same with my work - I had to put in a special request to go back into the office two days a week on the grounds we don’t have enough space for both of us to WFH.

Having been the one WFH while he was on furlough and doing all childcare, I know how frustrating it is to be interrupted, especially when you really need to focus, so I try to be considerate.

Id have put the laundry on before popping to the shop, it's already running now while you're doing the something else, a load here takes around 1hr 30.
Vacuuming would take 5 mins,
wouldn't have bothered ironing the one uniform.
The handwash would go on a delicates wash
Sit down with a cup of tea and all the paperwork into piles of bin/keep/needs filing

Various bits of tidying - I never take things upstairs unless I'm going that way, things get put on the stairs until someone is passing - otherwise, as you found, its a lot of backwards and forwards.

I never take things upstairs unless I'm going that way, things get put on the stairs until someone is passing

Yes, I do that! I can’t make out, though, how it’s only ever me who goes upstairs

Working from home isn’t a choice for the 1000’s of us whose employers haven’t reopened their offices, or in DH’s case sold the office space and told everyone they have to permanently work from home!
Anyway… if I had a child free afternoon at home at the weekend I wouldn’t be doing housework!
Like some others upthread, I am quick and efficient at housework precisely because I hate it and it bores me, so I get it done as quickly as possible. I have 2.5 hours ‘free’ every Wednesday morning and in that time I usually do a couple of loads of washing, clean the kitchen, 2 bathrooms and downstairs toilet thoroughly, run the hoover round the rest of the house and wipe down any other surfaces that look particularly dusty.

Oh and I never hand wash anything. All my 2 DD’s dance wear does absolutely fine on a delicates cycle.

Depends.

If it is the only downtime I am getting over the weekend then yes I do take breaks in-between chores. Why would I spend my whole free time doing housework?

If I had plans outside of the house, then I'd crack on minus the breaks

As a rule one day of the weekend DP and I tend to take turns getting the kids out of the house so and the other can get XYZ done.

@PopsicleHustler

Why would you need a break after sorting through paper work in the dining room ???. Was it really such a tedious job??? Sorry, if that comes across cheeky, but just seems very strange.

I didn’t, just didn’t explain well in the OP! . I have a chronic illness so need to take frequents breaks to pace myself, but didn’t need a break after the paperwork. In fact, it counted as a rest as I was sitting down for ten minutes!

I have started getting milk delivered. Game changer!

@HunkyPunk

I never take things upstairs unless I'm going that way, things get put on the stairs until someone is passing

Yes, I do that! I can’t make out, though, how it’s only ever me who goes upstairs

Hah, Same here - the 'someone' passing is always me!

I don't iron and I don't hand wash - just saved you 30 minutes... should you wish

Robot hoover is my recommendation

Specifically one lives upstairs & the other downstairs

I think the issue is how much tidying needs to be done in each room before the hoovering can be done . We can whizz around when the hoover because our house is generally tidy - but if you are having to tidy each room first it will take a lot longer and break the momentum of hoovering .

I think if you can do a daily wash / dry of clothing, clean toilet, wipe sink and put things away when you've finished using them it makes weekly housework a lot easier / quicker .

I’m not gonna berate you for the drip feed- but I think if you have a chronic illness that limits your energy the how you do what you do is fine.

If you hang and air dry the brownie uniform straight from its wash then no need to iron.

Maybe think of all the little jobs like that that could be streamlined?

I am one of those weirdos who LIKE cleaning and organising and see it as a challenge to be fast and efficient.

What someone else can do is irrelevant. You know what your health will allow you to do. Try to simplify things. Do you have a light cordless hoover. A hand wash function on your washing machine?

It would take me about an hour if I’m having a good day, or all day if it’s a bad one. However I wouldn’t ever be hand washing dance uniform. I must have put leotards/tights in the machine to wash multiple times a week for the last ten years, and it’s always come out unscathed.

Get a robovac, as that can be rolling around whilst you do other things. It’s definitely changed how long it takes for me to get the house clean.

an hour tops.
2.5 hours i can do the entire house, no pissing about and get cleaning type thing. No breaks!
just collapse after! that would include throwing washing and drying on between doing jobs.
Like today, ive done 3 loads of washing and drying, between doing other things.

So yes OP i think 2.5 hours is excessive!

Well I don't iron, and I have a hand wash setting on my washing machine, so 2.5 hours seems excessive to me!

An hour yes sorry
Op