to ask those with nice, clean tidy home how you do it.

[FortyDoorsToNowhere]

I have spent 11 hours already this week trying to sort this house out. I have got rid of a lot of junk, but still have my wardrobe to sort out ( another 2 hours) as it is full of junk, clean the cooker and also do my nets and windows.

How the fudge do people manage to keep a nice, clean and tidy home.

No doubt by next week my house will be back to square one.

[GrendelsMum]

I think the answer is that to have to have a tidy home, you have to repeatedly put 5-15 mins in to tidying throughout the course of each day.

e.g. come home, put away all stuff that you brought in with you rather than leaving it on the side; make dinner, wash up and wipe down sides; before going to bed, tidy surfaces, put coffee cups in dishwasher and switch dishwasher on.

Actually, it means you're doing quite a lot each day, but in short bursts.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

After dinner and a bit of playing time: DH takes DS up for a bath, I whizz around tidying every room so that everything DS has thrown on the floor, put books away, clean laundry (do a wash most days to keep on top of it) etc is put away. Then when I take over to give DS his milk and settle him in his cot, DH goes downstairs and does all the washing up.

I ebay occasionally, chuck things in the bin and grumble at DH to do the same. Oh and I keep the study door shut when we have guests

[MILLYMOLLYMANDYMAX]

My problem is time. I only have at the most 4 hours during the day and am away from the house every evening and all day Saturday and a lot of Sunday.
During the summer holidays Charity shop, recycling centre, Gumtree, Clothes for Cash and CEX have taken several car loads each.
My house looks worse now than it did before I just don't understand it.

[MILLYMOLLYMANDYMAX]

I should say the 4 hours I do have are taken up with running a business, home edding my youngest as well as the cleaning, gardening, DIY, laundry and washing up. Sometimes I have to go out for the day so nothing gets done on those days.

[cantthinkofagoodone]

Kitchen cleaned and tidied after every use. Only one glass or mug on the go at a time.
Never leave a room empty handed - wherever you're going take something to put in it's right place.
Daily - One load of washing every evening unless you have none.
All kids toys into toy box
Thursday - hoover
Friday - dust
Saturday - bathroom and mop bathroom and kitchen floor
I only iron the minimum on Sunday evening

I'm naturally a tidy person and the above keeps a general level of cleanliness. Big jobs such as windows and ovens only happen a few times a year. DH and DS are not tidy but I just leave DH's mess in a pile and he now knows to leave the lounge in order if he goes to bed after me.

[verytellytubby]

Do a bit everyday. I don't work Fridays so spent 2 hours cleaning. Make the kids tidy their own rooms or no screen time!

[NotYouNaanBread]

PMS. I only clean when I'm premenstrual, so for about 5 days a month the house looks great. The rest of the month it's up to DH so it could go either way really.

My idea of non-premenstrual cleaning is to make sure there are no pj's on the sitting room floor.

I sweep downstairs every day though.

[Summerworld]

people who say 15 minutes cleaning a day is enough to keep the house tidy must be joking! It is more like 2-3 hours solid housework at my place, every day. With 2 little children about, any kind of order gets undone within half an hour. It just makes you despair. It is allright when everybody is out the house every day, kids are at school, DH at work and you can actually catch up and have the house clean for a few hours. But in my case, I find myself constantly doing jobs which are created for me, like spilt drinks, sick on beds, upturned puzzles, ink on sofas. The washing up alone takes 30 mins with all the pots and pans and that is twice a day at least.

And do not start me on laundry. I have got 2 washing machines plumbed in, and i do not know how I would have coped with one. I got 2 loads on the go all of Saturday and Sunday and do some washing during the week. And that is a lot of washing to dry and put away. 15 mins a day for housework??? Yeah, right.

[valiumredhead]

I honestly think if you are clear of clutter then it is a quick zoom round if it's longer then I think you need to start de cluttering.

What on earth are you washing to warrant 2 washing machines?

[valiumredhead]

Wrt spilt drinks ink on sofa-I used to be really organised, pens etc were only used at the table then put away and the same with food and drink, any other way creates unnecessary mess ime.

[TrueStory]

yes but quoteunquote how did you manage to create this understanding that people in the house just have to get on with it???

I agree in principle everyone should pitch in, but have to say I have become a bit of a nag re. housework/children - this is not my natural habitat and would like to change.

how?

[Summerworld]

lol I know I sound weird, but it has been a life saver. Well, kids are messy, so they mostly need new clothes every day, sometimes my youngest has 2-3 changes. Clothes for me and DH, bedding - changing 3 beds every week. Towels - I change them frequently as they get a lot of use.The little one is still in nappies, so washable nappies - 3 times a week. Plus things like nets, throws as they can get food/drink spilt. It adds up. Even without the nappies, I would have had lots to wash every week. I do not know how people with a family manage with just one washing machine.

And I do separate my washing according to fabrics and colours - things tend to last longer that way. But it also creates more loads.

[valiumredhead]

I've just read quote's post-similar to our house, ds was putting his toys away as soon as he could walk practically! He has jobs he is responsible for and gets on with them, sometimes with gentle reminder. Dh does bins, garden and out outdoor jobs ,I cook, bathroom gets cleaned when someone uses it so that's every day-I give it going over every week.

I would find things hard without a tumble drier.

[valiumredhead]

Summer- do your machines have long cycles. Mine has a 30 min wash,I also separate colors, is there any other way? I would find it hard with a machine that had wash cycles of over an hour.

[hermioneweasley]

OP, what are your circumstances? Do you work? If so, it is every day/ what sort of hours?

[Summerworld]

Valiumred, I agree with you re. using pens only at the table, same as food and drink. Unfortunately, it does not always work, especially when the kids are in DH's care! Then I do come to a mess.

And I have found that toys/pens need to be within DCs' reach and sight, otherwise DCs just don't think to use them. I would rather they draw when they feel like drawing. It is a good skill to have, especially for when they start school, pencil conrol etc.

Oh, I moan too much. I guess there are lots of people in the same boat.

[valiumredhead]

I agree but I used to put the pens out and call them to the table.

I think you need words with your Dh, if he's looking after then then surely it's his responsibility?

[MrsPear]

Make myself get off my bum and tidy. Much easier to tidy if everything has a place. Get rid of the crap. I am one of those mums who bins after a week any craft stuff. I live with dh, dbil and 2 children in a 3 bed, 1 reception masionette flat so have to be ruthless. However I do not clear dh or dbil's drawers / cupboard. That is there look out.

[Summerworld]

I am afraid even the long cycle does not always wash to perfection. So some garments I end up needing to soak in stain remover and re-wash. The soiling must be really light for the 30-min wash to cope well?

In practice, yes, I do end up using a hot wash and long cycles a lot of the time. That is why having two loads on the go has been so handy.

[HardFacedCareeristBitchNigel]

I am still pottering around

There is your problem. Don't potter. It takes much longer to do things when you are just pottering about. Focus on the task in hand, organise your time and you will get much more done in much less time.

Turn off the TV/ipad/phone while you are doing this. It defocuses you.

I have ADHD but can achieve a lot in the house in quite a short period of time simply by forcing myself to focus on the task in hand rather than pottering about.

It's the way forward

[VillandraMcTavish]

The only way to get a tidy home is:

-Thin out your stuff and ditch/sell much and get it out of the house not lying around 'meaning to be sent to the charity shop'

-replace furniture with things that double as storage if your house doesn't have a lot (most don't) and build storage in if at all possible e.g. storage for glassware on an unused wall, bookshelves up the staircase etc

• spend two or three days properly deep cleaning and tidying and use that as your baseline

• be disciplined after that, it is really only ten minutes to hoover one floor of the average house, or to wipe round the kitchen and clean the floor

• don't buy new products if you have old ones that work, just don't clutter your brain with having to think through cleaning equipment etc. Use what you know and use it quick but often.

[VillandraMcTavish]

Can I just say about the storage, I pooh-pooed MIL for having a book about this: very poncy it was, and I kind of derided her for wasting her time on this sort of shit.

However she made it her retirement project to have a 'streamlined' home and she now has a place for everything. It's incredible. She has a specially built window seat that holds her suitcases. Where do you keep your suitcases? Mine are in some god-awful junk cupboard or on top of a wardrobe. She just lifts off the cushioned seat and there is is, not bothering anybody, nestling in its perfect home

That sort of thing makes it easy to be tidy, and thereafter it's easy to be clean.

[valiumredhead]

Vill-my suitcases and bags are under the Ottoman storage bed

Summer -even Dh's bike racing gear gets waged on 30 min cycle and is fine. I put whites on an hour long wash but that's it.

[VillandraMcTavish]

[approving nod] at valiumredhead

quoteunquote I heartily agree with your advice, and try try try to influence the other two members of my household. They DO NOT get it. It's brute refusal on their part, no handicap or processing difficulties. This periodically makes me very unhappy. It is getting better but most of the time I just think 'oh for FUCK'S SAKE I shouldn't have to say this at all, let alone repeat it'. So my advice on top of that is do not live with/marry/have children with an otherwise nice person who uses quiet refusal to ignore his share of the upkeep of HIS OWN HOME. too late for me now, I was blinkered when young

[VillandraMcTavish]

Also I wanted to say to Summerworld that when ds was young we had a cleaner once a week. It's a different world, having a slightly clingy, high needs toddler. It's temporary insanity in a way.