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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how much housework you do?

33 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 16/08/2013 18:53

I have a DH who is a bit of a hoarder which makes housework tricky, and he does sod all. But those are another issue.

Just wonder what is the norm for others? We both work full time. I have a horse (or three, keeping them into their dotage....) so that takes up a bit of time. I leave the house around 7am and get back between 7 and 7.30pm.

What do others do? (no children atm)

OP posts:
cantspel · 16/08/2013 19:07

bathrooms and kitchen cleaned daily, downstairs hoovered daily, upstairs weekly, beds changed every 2nd week, dusted and skirting boards done weekly on a friday, windows about 6 weekly.

I work p/t

gordyslovesheep · 16/08/2013 19:09

all of it - I am single with 3 kids and I work

Squitten · 16/08/2013 19:18

I'm a SAHM so Mon-Fri I do everything that needs doing as DH works very long hours and simply isn't here. On weekends DH will do a lot of the cooking and larger jobs like gardening or DIY stuff. He also spends time with the kids. I still do most of the cleaning and regular stuff like laundry.

pointythings · 16/08/2013 20:38

As little as possible is the short answer.

Hoovering - on weekends when we have time.
Kitchen and bathroom - mop up as we go along, blitz every other week. Dusting - when the DDs feel like doing it.
Full on deep clean and tidy - every school holiday, one full day with me and the DDs flat out (DH not involved because he has far less leave than I do so he'll be at work - but he definitely does his share the rest of tghe time).

goodasitgets · 16/08/2013 20:39

Well I live on my own Grin
The horses stable is spotless...

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 16/08/2013 20:49

Most of it. DH isn't good at noticing but will do things when I ask (a bone of contention). I work part time and look after DS the other days, DH works full time.

If I'm at home and DS is at nursery (not often) I tend to do the housework, it's my own fault as I could leave it until the weekend when DH is home but we rarely get a weekend together due to work, and I hate that it eats into our time together. So as much as I moan about DH I don't help myself.

DH cooks a lot, washes up, hoovers, mows the lawn. He also baths and puts DS to bed every night.

I do the washing, Hoover, dust and clean the bathrooms. I also do the bins and DH is at work. I do this once a week. Can't be arsed to clean every day.

Thesimplethings · 16/08/2013 20:53

Hoovering, washing, bathroom and kitchen are daily, windows skirting etc once a week, beds fortnightly unless they are rotten.

I'm a sahm with two dc age 3 and 23month.

Tidying and picking up after everyone - constant!

Thesimplethings · 16/08/2013 20:54

Cooking? I missed that one - four times a day if you found breakfast

pointythings · 16/08/2013 20:55

In our house cooking doesn't count as housework because it's enjoyable...

mumofweeboys · 16/08/2013 20:57

As little as possible to keep house looking ok lol

HesterShaw · 16/08/2013 21:01

YANBU.

Mintyy · 16/08/2013 21:03

Yanbu to ask.

DENMAN03 · 16/08/2013 21:04

I live on my own so have to do it all. Tidy away and clean kitchen daily and then spend approx. three hours on sat morn hovering, putting washing on, cleaning bathroom etc. Dust about once a month if I can be bothered! I never iron..everything is tumble dried, folded and put away.

ShootMeNowPlease · 16/08/2013 21:05

DH does laundry and general keeping roughly on top of the trail of mess DS leaves behind him. He does weekday cooking and washing-up (won't use the dishwasher - weirdo).

I do weekend cooking (and loading and emptying the dishwasher), ironing and putting out bins. Whoever happens to be on the spot clears up mess as it happens at the weekend.

We have a cleaner who does hoovering, mopping, cleaning bathrooms and kitchen once a week - I'm afraid none of that gets done in between times (except hoovering up specific patches of crumbs IYSWIM - our handheld vacuum cleaner is our friend!).

I change my sheets once a fortnight and DS's when I remember [slattern]. DH changes his once a fortnight.

ShootMeNowPlease · 16/08/2013 21:05

Oh, I didn't do times, sorry. DH probably does about 20 hours a week, I do about 6 (but I work FT and he's at home with DS).

Thurlow · 16/08/2013 21:15

Both work f/t, so not too much!

Hoover downstairs once, depending on the level of mess the toddler has created. Just sweep up any food spills as we go, occasionally hoover the kitchen an extra time. Try and steam the floor once a fortnight. Hoover upstairs when I can remember too - but no shoes up there so its not too bad.

Dust once a week/fortnight when I notice it Blush

Sheets and towels changed fortnightly (weekly for DC).

Washing up is done once a day, generally the day after so that's not particularly impressive. Kitchen wiped down most days and then cleaned 'properly' every week or so. Bathroom once a week too.

The house looks superficially ok and none of us are dying from anything, but it's not fantastic. I am desperate to get a professional cleaner in for a spring clean! I reckon if we have one spring clean a year it's cheaper that a regular cleaner and we can keep on top of it if someone just comes and scrubs the grouting properly once a year.

SybilRamkin · 16/08/2013 21:32

Cooking is about 50/50, we both work FT with fluctuating busy periods. Fortunately these don't usually coincide (and when they do we eat toast and cereal).

I do the washing and ironing, he does the DIY-type stuff, we both do the dishwasher and day-to-day tidying. We have a cleaner once a week to do the dusting, hoovering, bathroom etc.

Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 16/08/2013 21:52

Gosh what a lot of responses. In general most of you do more than me!! DH does pretty much nothing. I used to spend 4 - 5 hours at the weekend doing cleanibg washing etc. I wash up every day - also usually the day after.....

I stopped devoting the weekend time as i was getting fed up of DH not doing much but now i'm fed up of living in dust and fluff!!

And yes, the horses are immaculate..... Grin

Glad IANBU.

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 16/08/2013 21:58

So your dh does next to nothing and now you've joined him, so there's no-one cleaning the house? Eeeeew

Original poster
Sparrowlegs248 · 16/08/2013 22:03

Lol well yes but thats why i have started again......its made harder bybthe hoarding/anxiety issues he has but i can't not do it any longer!

OP posts:
chickydoo · 16/08/2013 22:12

I work school hours ( in holidays too) also 4 evenings a week and Saturday and Sunday morning ( it adds up to more than full time)
DH leaves the house at 7.45am & returns at 7.45pm
As i am in the house for a few daylight hours I do all the housework, cooking, cleaning and childcare.
On Sunday DH does his hobby, I do more cleaning, the shopping usual stuff......God I sound grumpy.....sorry.... I am going to come back as a man next time though!

LaurieFairyCake · 16/08/2013 22:15

As little as possible.

It isn't my hobby. Fine for people who love it and do it as a hobby but people who do loads and then moan? Get. a. Life. And do less.

Grittzio · 16/08/2013 22:20

Not as much as I think I should, nothing done this week except bare minimum, kids are on summer hols - they come first, will tackle backlog when they are back at school.

Thurlow · 16/08/2013 22:20

Ha, yes Laurie, I know what you mean!

Honestly, for most households even an hour a day would keep a housing looking fine. I know very few people who do more than that - say 30 mins a day and then a bit more at the weekend. The only people I know who do more than that are always complaining about how much they have to do!

Sometimes I want to explain that no one is going to die if the windows haven't been washed for a while...

nokidshere · 16/08/2013 22:22

As little as possible. I have a cleaner that comes once a week on Fridays and in between her visits I do the absolute bare minimum.