Housework "reset" tasks - what are yours?

[GabrielleChanel]

Trying to spread the load so we can all relax at the end of the day and it not just be me and DH running ourselves ragged.

What things do you do at the end of the day to "reset" for the next day?

tia

Every day - beds made, bathrooms wiped down, wash load on, kitchen tops wiped down, everything put away in front room before bed.

Then, I clean a room every day ( a la The Organised Mum Method)

Stuff ready for school, work either bring in washing or hang it out, dinner and dishes that is about it

Washing up done.
Meat defrosting in the fridge for next day.
Table set for breakfast.
Showered, dried and dressed in pyjamas. We don't tend to shower in the morning.

Washing up after dinner.
Wash load ready in machine to press start button in morning.
Wipe kitchen surfaces and bathroom basin.
Fold and put away dry laundry.

I need to be way better at this stuff so watching.

Already -
Make the lunches
Try and tidy living room each night but often fail.
Dishwasher on, aim for a shiny clean sink

Need to get better at prepping bags and the above tidying. It makes such a difference to come down to clean kitchen.

Kits and bags packed. Sometimes even put them in the car. Or don't take them out of the car.

Lunchboxes half packed eg crisps, cutlery all go in - leave open on island ready.

Lunches prepped, any food prep for the following day.

Clothes out for the morning and football/scouts/swimming kits out as well.

Things that help - pack bags for the week and leave in lockers at school or work where possible. So on a Monday I take a week's worth of uniform and snacks/drinks/ lunch stuff to work and just have to take bits during the week. Leave dirty uniform in my locker in a bag and bring that home on my last day then straight in the wash.

DSs take their kit for the week, put in locker, bring all home on Friday

All kits get washed and put straight back into separate kit bags ready to go.

A wash goes in as soon as I get home from work then hung on airer overnight. Either gets sorted into piles for ironing or putting away which gets done on my day off.

Kitchen is tidied straight after dinner. I tidy, scrape and do lunches, husband does dishwasher, DS 1 sweeps, little one wipes. I go over it a bit and wash the sinks. We are out in 15 minutes.

Last one up tidies the sitting room.

Baths before bed

I do very little resetting as such. I prefer just to do things as we go along - so each night the last adult to leave the kitchen inserts a tablet into the dishwasher and switches it on which takes seconds, but each person has already put their own stuff in it over the course of the day. I sort the children’s clothes for them to put on the next morning while I’m in their rooms doing their bedtime stuff anyway, but again it takes seconds. I clean as I go when making dinner and I don’t care if the living room is a bit messy overnight. Actual proper housework like hoovering or bathrooms I do at other times.

I do insist all school work, reading etc and baths are done in the evening - we are not morning people!

Before we take DC up to bed we try to have dishes done, all downstairs hoovered and the sides wiped a load of washing on. I also try to portion up myself a lunch for the next day with dinner leftovers.

Once DC are down I'll line up school shoes/ bags/ coats.

Charge DC tablets ready for next day.

Either hang the load of laundry that was in the wash or put in dryer ready to be turned on first thing in the morning.

Lay out lunch boxes and water bottles, put any stable stuff in lunchbox eg crisps.

Then before bed I'll make sure cushions are straight, throws folded in the lounge etc.

Then in the morning it's just a case of turning tumble dryer on, putting away dry dishes from previous night and we are ready to start the day.

God I sound boring 😂

Make lunches, get washing out and fold it, get a new wash on and put the dryer on before bed, tidy away all toys and pens and other assorted junk, wash any dishes that can't go in dishwasher, put the dishwasher on, wipe down the kitchen and clean the sink, refill any water bottles needed for school and work, get everyone's uniform and clothes ironed and outside their bedroom doors. Make sure school and nursery bags are basically done. Think that's it 😴

Oh yeah and put all the ipads etc on charge for the morning

I “close” the kitchen after diner: we all help clear table / stack dishwasher and clear and wipe surfaces and throw tea towels in washing pile. Dishwasher is set to run overnight as is a load of laundry. We tend to reset each room as we leave it: in the morning make beds and quick tidy; clean toilet and sink when in bathroom leaving it clean and tidy; living room straightened at bedtime before lights off. I get up early to unload dishwasher and hang out washing and get food out to defrost for lunch/dinner.

Pack lunch and pile it neatly with the yoghurt and chopped fruit. Put snacks in the work bag.

Load dishwasher, wipe down surfaces, fill the kettle, put a mug by the kettle for the coffee in the morning.

Fresh tray with water bowl and food for the dog, fill a kong with whatever and freeze it.

Shoes for tomorrow by the door (I’m guilty of not having time and just walking to work in my wellies. Not good)

Quick tidy round the house, sofa blankets/cushions, straighten things.

Lay out clothes for tomorrow.

Shower, teeth etc, pyjamas on, take the dog out for a last wee, come back and plug stuff in (phone, headphones etc).

Get into bed and look at my diary for the next day.

Put the school iPads on charge as soon as we walk in.
Lay out the school uniforms/pants/socks before going to bed.
Put the weekly reading book in the bags beforehand.
Prepare my work clothes.

Reading this I realise I can pack the school snacks and my own work snacks too.

Kitchen clean and tidy, dishwasher done/on, as much washing as possible! x

get everyone to pitch in for 10 mins whether that's washing up, quick living room tidy, clear bags in the hall, maybe very quick swipe over one hard floor, take their own stuff up into bedrooms. Anything that needs to leave the house in the morning (musical instruments, PE bags) stood right by the front door.

Never thought of it as resetting, but I like the idea. DH and I tend to make sure kitchen is cleared down… draining board clear, dishwasher emptied if needed… coffee mugs out for the morning. DC’s bag ready for school, I make sure their shoes are clean too. Lounge will be left relatively tidy before bed. I’ll make my breakfast up the evening before, usually overnight oats. All boring of course, but it helps!

Hollow laugh at the thought of my dh ‘running himself ragged’ with household chores

I am trying to list out the chores, so that we can cover it. Family of 4dc here so want to divide and conquer but Rotas and charts just don't work.

These are all great thank you

Ad breaks.

Each ad break in the evening, spend 2-3m sorting something out. By the end of the night, you've spent about 30m doing chores.

Chop the veg for tomorrow, set up your breakfast stuff, lay out your clothes for work, may that online payment, set up a tesco delivery.

Don't waste time planning chores. They need doing whether you plan or not, so just pick one and do it.

Downstairs hoovered and tidied, dishwasher loaded and on, ready to be emptied the next day.

All dishes done, surfaces wiped.

Washing sorted and put in machine, ready to be put on in morning. Dry washing folded and sorted.

Sofa cushions (the actual sofa) plumped and put back firmly as they slide a bit. Blankets folded. Toys away.

Ironing (not every night though!)

Husbands lunch made.

Oh and rubbish out to the bins!

And in the summer, all garden toys and chairs etc put away.

I barely clean. I the dishes away and wipe kitchen surfaces daily and make my own bed (not the kids') Cleaning lady comes once per week and cleans the bathroom, loos and floors and hoovers the couple of rooms with carpets. My house could be cleaner but I can't be arsed. Single parent with two kids and a professional
Job and I can barely keep on top of work and kids' admin, cooking etc.