To struggle to keep on top of house...

[zozzle]

I work 16 hrs (Mon school hrs, Tues school hrs, Weds am - back home at 1pm), have 2 children at school in Reception and yr 3. Extra curricular activities twice after school during week plus Sunday mornings.

I just never seem to get on top of house work and most of time I would be embarrassed if anyone dropped by unannounced. On Thur and Fri, my full days off just seem to get swallowed up with cooking tea in day for slow cooker, admin (for work sometimes or for house), the weekly shop, washing, the odd phone call to family, seeing a friend (usually onece a week for 2 hrs or so), running (once a week) and tidying!

But never get enough washing done and house doesn't look much better by the end of the day - v. disheartening! I admit to not being greatly routiney as I find housework so boring (although not as bad if radio is on!)

AIBU to feel I'm failing (as I only work 16 hrs) - is never being on top of the house just part and parcel of busy family life or am I doing something wrong? DH thinks state of house could be better and I should be more efficient (no, he is not a monster, just more organised than me!). Any tips ladies??

TBH, you are going to struggle if you only do laundry on your days off. Can you not get in a routine of putting on a load of laundry every night when you go to bed, and tumbling it/hanging it up when you get up in the morning; and putting another load in then and there? That would be 14 loads a week, which should make significant inroads into your laundry pile and lighten your load on Thursday and Friday.

Try to tidy more during the week too, so that it doesn't build up.

Ok well heres what i do.....
I work 55hrs per week so i bit more than you but...
Food shop online in lunch time
Have a cleaner 4 hrs a week on a weds
Slow cook food most days for tea
Wash each day, put in dryer when i get in, iron and put it away after tea
Sort any paperwork out wed night

You will sort a rota out for yourself

You've admitted you don't like housework so that is the problem really!
Agree you need to get washing done evry day....i put a wash in as soon as I get up. Definitely allocate jobs to dcs and dh...if he is more organised let him do a rota.

Get your Dh to do more too
My boys empty/reload dishwasher, put own ironing away and do recycling

I used to have Thurs and Fri off.

I would sort the washing and write a shopping list on Wednesday night. Then Thursday was my sort the house out day.

Here's how it went every bloody week:
Put 1st load in 1st thing in Am
Get dressed and drop DC off
Go to supermarket with list
Come home, unpack shopping, put more washing on
Prepare and Put casserole in oven
Go round house and collect all junk in big plastic wash basket
Put junk back where it should go
Wipe surfaces, clean bathroom, vac all rooms
Put more washing on

I didn't stop until I'd done it all but then...Friday was my day!! I went shopping and out to lunch.

Manic Thursdays.

Yanbu, I feel like I am always cleaning. I do work 35-40 hours pw but my house is teeny tiny so not exactly hard.

I have put a timer on my washing machine so it comes on at around 4 and I can empty it when I can home. The rest I just do as and when I need to (Dd also gets pocket money for doing stuff)

Get home not can home.

Also forgot to say I double cook everything so I have a batch to freeze, means I don't have to prepare a meal every evening

i work full time but when i am at home, it takes an hour max each day to hoover through, sort the laundry, tidy up, clean the kitchen etc

i dont understand why someone working 16 hrs a week cant manage really

Yep sounds like I need to treat my days off like work in that I should make more lists etc. Thanks ladies kleep it coming.

Wish I enjoyed house work and cleaning - has to be done!

Yep DH is good but should get him and the DCs doing more laundry stuff.

Buen Tiempo - can manage just feel I could be doing better really!

Go on to the Good Housekeeping board, as they have loads of ideas/tips/routines on there.
I also think your DH could do more to help out.

Could you also do a few little bits each day, I find I manage easier. I come in from work and do about 30 mins and then do an hour or so on Saturday.

It keeps the house looking reasonable and I am not feeling like I am always cleaning.

Also get an ironing lady if you can afford it, I do my own but if I've got paticularly behind I do get someone to do it.

I loathe housework! But its got to be done. Last thing at night I put a load of washing on, hang it up first thing so by evening or afternoon its folded sorted then put away. I only iron what's needed to be ironed at time. Before bed I make sure kitchen is tidy and dishes done so clean when I wake up. During days I alternate rooms to clean and generally try to do a little bit each day so its not a major task. My house isn't a show home but its clean and gets tidied in case of unexpected.

Def a load of washing a day,clean loo,wash up,make beds and tidy every day.Some jobs are so fast and make so much difference - dust TV/clean basin.Concentrate on areas guests would see first,or very quick jobs after your daily basics.All rest done as and when.....

Hi, I'm a 'struggler' too. I used to work full time and then switched to part time. I work all day Monday (home about 6) and then am home about 4 tues, wed and thurs, I don't work on a Friday. DS is 7 and at school and DD is 4 and at nursery except on a Friday.
I sat down and made a list of everything that needed doing through the week. I then allocated jobs to each day. Monday we have a slow cooker meal and the only housey jobs I do on a Monday are washing and putting away of clothes as well as the washing up. Tuesday I deal with the kids rooms, Wednesday is Living room and Dining room day, Thursday is the Hallways and ironing and Friday is bathrooms and our room as well as shopping. I try to load the washing machine as it needs it and hang out to dry when I get home. Clothes I try to put away/into the ironing pile as soon as they are dry. As the house had 'got away' from me a bit the routine is taking a while each night as there is still sorting going on but as it gets under control it takes less and less time to do.

I hate housework, always have BUT as I get it back under control I find I feel better, my day off is not spent in crisis management and I feel as if I could welcome anyone in my home at a moment's notice......
I respond well to praise (I was a sucker for a sticker chart as a child!) so I make a list of what I have to do that day and tick it off....... I can then see what I have done and feel good!

I meant to add the loo gets a swish daily but I am talking a 'deep clean' on a friday.

Having worked full time and part time with DCs, I actually feel that there is less housework to do when working full time as you and DCs aren't in the house as much to make it messy/dirty.
OP I feel your pain!

I clean the bathroom while the kids are in the bath.

That's the limit of my top tips I'm afraid

I clean the bathroom while the kids are in the bath.

That's the limit of my top tips I'm afraid

well you are wasting loads of time if you actually visit a supermarket to do your shopping. I'm guessing that this must take minimum of an hour. you could do this in about 10 mins online max.

Online shopping and a cleaner for 3 hours a week should be a basic maternal right :)

Agree about Internet shopping. I can do my online shop in less than the time it would take to drive to the supermarket.

If you have a laundry mountain you are struggling with could I suggest a service wash to clear the backlog? Washed dried and folded - equivalent of three or four domestic machine loads would cost you around fifteen quid. Then as bonsoir said laundry needs to be done more often. It only take give minutes to sort a load and stick it on then put over airer to dry.

I have a friend who used to work 25hrs a week. She didn't exactly love her job but she hated housework. When extra hrs came up in the post she grabbed them. She now works 30hrs a week an the extra £40 (take home) she get's for doing that she uses to pay for a cleaner.

She is now a happier lady!