one hour housework

[gillybeanz]

Ok, so if your house was a complete mess, every room needing doing and you only have one hour per day for housework what would you do.

Would you concentrate on just one room a day and make it perfect or do several and just leave the rest for another day?

That was interesting about the ADHD-PI. Some of the characteristics sound familiar.

I find tackling a task more effective. I drive DH mad as "Cleaning The Kitchen" results in me losing interest 80% of the way through when I drift off. Taking his logical approach of working from the top down means that a task like mopping the kitchen floor never gets done because I've either run out of time or lost steam. If I decide that mopping the floor is the objective, I can get a success while I'm motivated (mainly because it's irritating me). Going for a broken down task feels easier to achieve and is less likely to be procrastinated on.

I can't handle tidy-as-you-go as I get distracted. I might pick up a hairbrush to return to the bathroom. I find myself in the DCs room on autopilot and wonder why I'm in there, pick up their cups while I'm there, take them down to the kitchen. Later, I'll be 5 minutes late leaving the house because I've been running around wondering what the hell I did with the hairbrush and why it's not where I used it or where it should be.

The house isn't in its best state as I've been decorating recently. Today I've gone for a thematic approach, do a round around the house to collect bits of rubbish, then a round of stray clothing to wash, then shoes, then Lego etc. It's not as far as tidy yet, but is noticeably improved, and it's been easier to get a themed round back to its rightful place rather than applying a lot of mental energy to sorting out a range of random stuff by room and delivering it to various destinations.

Different approaches definitely have different success rates for different people. I like the theory of FlyLady and try to apply some of its principles. She has a decent balance of regular small jobs and more detailed sporadic jobs.

I order stuff, so will start with dish washer and any washing up, collect any rubbish and take out if needed, collect any laundry to then stick in washing machine and put into basket any dry, then will do wipe down of surfaces and then do hoover. I do have young kids so added to that is periodically cleaning up toys though they arnt that messy. I make sure have good storage space. I don't live in show house but generally tidy. My biggest hate is getting laundry away. I do it by jobs rather than rooms.

An hour a day is loads of time.

I have a cleaner once a week for 2 hours and my house is spotless afterwards. I probably do another 1 to 2 hours in total myself in bits and bobs in between such as cleaning kitchen each day and sweep of floor downstairs etc. So that's a total of 3-4 hours a week, not 7. (4 bed, 4 toilet house btw).

I have followed this thread with interest as I am struggling with housework and I shouldn't be!
I am a SAHM, my DH works full time and my children are both at school. I get so overwhelmed by the house. I have a list of chores to do each day and it looks wonderful on paper.
So every day I have - dishwasher, load of washing if enough, putting away laundry and making bread as well as wiping the sides in the kitchen. Then each day I have bigger tasks so Monday is bathrooms and kitchen, Tuesday is the DCs bedrooms, Wednesday is Living Room and Dining room etc. If I get into a good rythmn over a few weeks it takes me less and less time allowing me to do the crafty stuff I like and to go running/walking etc. And if I get into a good rythmn I feel good and I love the house and I WANT to keep it nice.
But THEN...
I end up with an appointment and miss a day doing a big task and then it all starts to slip and then it gets horrible and then I get overwhelmed. And then ti take me ages to get back into the swing of it again.
DS and DD are not tidy depite me trying to train them and DH is a hoarder of pissing paperwork and envelopes.
I also find it mildy suprising that the damn cleaning needs doing again when I've only just done it! And like a PP I get distracted and lose oomph and jobs don't get finished. The other day I deep cleaned the bathroom which involved me putting a load of things outside the door, I went off to do soemthing else, got distracted and completely forgot the stuff on the floor...... When I went to the loo later I ahd a moment of 'Who the fuck made all that mess?' before remembering that it was, in fact me, as everyone else was out!
Sitting and looking around me now in the living room - the sofa has a pile of stuff on it - clothes I need DD to try on which have to be in the house and visible for days so she gets used to them (she has an ASC and ADHD), a pair of DS's jammie trousers that need mending, trousers that need mending,and a crochet project that needs blocking. The coffe table has soem colouring books belonging to DD, the label maker and a PS3 controller, the floor has a few random things on it. It was actually worse earlier - the DCs are made to tidy before bed as a part of our routine but they are not very thorough and DH was supervising not me. I ahve no idea what the windowsill looks like as the curtains are closed.
Every room is cluttered. To clean I first must tidy which is what overwhelms me!
Reading all this has made me motivated to do everything on my list tomorrow and next week.

I feel your pain op. We have a 5 bedroomed house and an hour doesn't touch the sides.
Every day I do a laundry load. There are 5 of us and one with continence issues. Usual load/unload dishwasher and wipe down kitchen. Dh does nothing during the week. He works full time and has some health issues. Well we both do but I just get on with it
The house is extremely cluttered Dh has a hobby which is really contributing to the clutter and mess. We all have to much stuff and being the house elf us getting me down.
I run a small business part time and store stock at home.
It has taken me an hour just getting the main living area into a state where it can be cleaned.
I know the kids should do more too.
There I said it. Next job too and charity shop Feel better now.

I did an hour of housework today while DS miraculously napped, and it's just so frustrating that straight away things need doing again! At least it's been done so it doesn't build up etc I guess.

I did:

clear kitchen counters and clean
clean hob
wipe down fronts of cabinets
wiped down bins
swept all downstairs
mopped all downstairs

Doesn't sound like much! It was probably more like 45 mins actually.

Also window cleaner has cleaned outside so I cleaned inside.

As soon as DS got up:

I cut my toe and bled everywhere- floor had been mopped for about 15 mins, ugh. Only a spot clean needed I spose but it's just annoying.

Floor needs sweeping again after playing outside and me going outside to car

Counters filled up with DS' lunch stuff - just need to get into habit of putting away straight away though

Windows are smudged already (floor to ceiling windows)

Also DS' toys in the kitchen (his playroom is the diner part of the kitchen diner)

Also my clean surfaces now have: toaster, window cleaner invoice, DS' cup, recipe book, used utensils (not loading dishwasher as dishwasher cleaner is in there) ugh!

(Toaster is usually in cupboard) (OK way too many posts now!)

Please could someone explain why microfibres cloths help?
I live in a small flat and I feel I'm constantly battling clutter but I've got rid of as much as I can. I work at home a lot and have to have files etc. Also, for example, I do want physical books and CDs in the hope that one day I will live somewhere bigger. I feel I'm constantly moving stuff around bit that's because I don't real,y fit in my space.

My house is bad at the moment.

I can now declutter a lot of toys which should help my youngest's room which has been a big problem.

Halls and shoes will always get me down though.