My house is spotless from top to bottom

[upandmumming]

Now how the bloody hell do I keep it like this?

I do this every 5/6 weeks, blitz every room, I mean every little corner every appliance all bathrooms all floors hoovered and mopped so the house is like a show home and I tell myself right now you've done it, all you have to do is keep it like this, which will never take more than just putting away what you're doing and doing a little tidy in every room before you leave it

Yet within 5 days the house is a bomb site again and I just feel grim and it all gets on top of me until it becomes unbearable and I snap and spend another whole day cleaning and the cycle repeats

So anyone wiser than me - how do I maintain this?!

..every day Mon - Friday I meant..

The only people who lie in their death bed wishing they cleaned more are the ones that are THERE because they never cleaned more. You have a choice, either give your time and your energy into creating the perfect home and giving into your excessive idea of what is acceptable to door stoppers or let them in and see how you live. The idea of actually LIVING in Pinterest perfection is not going to lead to anywhere good. I used to be a perfectionist and it still takes work to think "fuck it" and say that life is not, and never will be perfect. Learn to relax in the mess. Like you said it inevitably comes back anyway!

But declutter like crazy first!

Fly lady Google it

I used to do the The Organised Mum Method (TOMM). Given you have got it spotless TOMM should keep it that way.

You don't. Especially if you have kids. Even more especially if they're small. I'm hardly the most houseproud person in the world, but no matter what I do, my house remains one big spot.

If you're heavily pregnant, just have a rest. Try not to obsess about making it a show home. It doesn't need to be. Stop putting extra pressure on yourself. You'll have to lower your standards when the baby's here.

Why would you want to keep it like that? It would mean constant maintenance and you must have more productive fun things to do with your time. I'm impressed you blitz it that often. I blitz mine about three times a year. But in between I just try to make sure it looks OK and give it a surface clean, so it smells fresh.

I quite like a house that looks a bit lived in. I feel so unwelcome in immaculate homes.

I love the honest advice on this

Declutter, if you've not used it in the past 6 months (besides seasonal decorations) get rid.
Quick tidy up before going up to bed.
Kitchen cleaned after dinner.
Quick wipe round the bathroom after use either morning or night.

My house is still a mess but I blame DH and thr kids!

Cleaner? Therapist?

Tidy up as you go along, don’t let clutter build up.

If you aren’t playing with it, put it away before taking out another toy.

Don’t wear shoes in the house - cleaner floors and your carpets /rugs will last longer.

It really makes a difference!

My SIL is the same. Never sits down, constantly cleaning. Her house is beautiful, but you daren’t relax. Or eat. Or have a drink. Or use the toilet.

Another one who does a similar thing to TOMM, except I’ve been doing it longer than she has. I should have cashed in!!

First thing is to seriously declutter and everything must live in an easily accessible place. If
something is awkward to put away, it will end up sitting around and then it will accumulate other stuff with it, then you won’t clean because you need to tidy first.

i unload the dishwasher first thing every morning, it’s loaded during the day and run overnight. Living room is tidied and cushions plumped before bed (takes 30 seconds) and kitchen is cleaned as I’m cooking so I go to bed every night with a tidy house. Robot vacuum goes round every morning to keep on top of the dog hair. Bathrooms are given a super quick clean every morning.

I spend 20 minutes each week day on dedicated housework. Nothing at all at the weekends. Living room day I can damp dust surfaces, clean glass light fittings. Hoover under sofa cushions, steam clean sofas and run the long reach duster round the ceiling and skirting boards. Similar things in all other room.

One day per week I rotate the rooms for a deep
clean so that might be cleaning some kitchen cupboards out or cleaning a carpet or cleaning the blinds. I include my car as a room so that gets done regularly too.

I don’t feel like I spend much time at all cleaning and if I do miss a week, it never looks that bad and I know I’ll catch up next week.

This weekend I’ve had endless teenagers in and out/sleeping over and came down this morning to late night tea and toast making mess! It took me about 2 minutes to tidy it up and the kitchen looks spotless again. I’ve prepped a roast (waiting for eldest to come home from work) and cleaned up as I’ve gone. Everyone put their own plates in DW after and I’ll just pop the pans in as I’m dishing up.

If you have the right foundations in place, it’s really easy to keep on top of.

My house is spotless, always. But I'm single now, live alone, kids grown up. I have no pets either and can please myself. It was never spotless when I had a family at home and a man about the house, not to mention the cat and the hamster.... those days are well gone.

I don't wear outdoor shoes indoors, I always wash up after every meal, everything has its own place in a drawer or cupboard, and things are always put back in their place after I've used them.

On top of that, I actually enjoy cleaning. If I'm feeling a bit "down" I'll give everything a good dust, polish and vacuum, and I feel so much better afterwards. If you're the sort of person who sees cleaning as a chore and boring, it must be much harder....

If a house is "spotless from top to bottom" it sounds like a cold & unwelcoming place that is no fun to live in. Maybe just stop worrying about constant cleaning, relax and enjoy your life!

Do men's (in general) fora obsess about cleaning a house. Do petrol heads ask about dust and dishwashers?

Most of you are perpetuating the woman as slave myth. Don't do it. I don't and never will.

^ THIS ^

I personally found that having more people in the house gave me the motivation to clean. When it's just me, and especially now I work from home, I am less bothered because there's no "deadline" and I procrastinate.

I don't think my house has ever been spotless. It's reasonable, always, because I am naturally tidy and organised, but I don't even clean that much. I put on a load of washing as soon as I have enough, I run eufy cleaner round at least once a week. I wouldn't die if someone came round, but it looks lived in.

With little ones I would love to know

Get a cleaner. Mine t

Those that are saying a spotless house is unwelcoming, I really disagree.

My house is spotless. It makes me feel
calm not being surrounded by clutter or dirt. I have lots of nice fabrics - velvet sofas with lots of cushions, throws draped over the arms, candles etc. People come into my house and sit on the sofa with their legs curled under and make themselves at home. I’ve never noticed anyone looking uncomfortable in my clean house.

Mine tidies and cleans, just 2 hours a week but makes it so mich easier to keep on top of!

My house isn't perfectly clean or tidy, but what does make a difference is kind of leaving a room "done".
So in a morning after everyone has showered and whatnot, the bathroom is left cleaned and with everything tidied away.
After eating tea the kitchen is left cleaned and tidy, everything in the dishwasher and the sink spotless at least.
Before going up to bed, I tidy the living room, straighten sofa etc. I don't have a routine for dusting this room and it shows.

One thing that really makes my house look untidy and dusty is too many books. Bookshelves are doubled up and now there are small hills of books piling up in front of some bookcases. Any advice appreciated.