To think it is easy to keep your home clean?

[Ohwell14]

Providing you are able bodied obviously

I find it so fucking tedious, Groundhog Day-ish & irritating that I prefer to do almost anything else.

Me too. Cleaning is not fun in any way, shape or form and I think people who post about how much they love getting the hoover out are barking.

We pay a cleaner.

Sorry if I’m projecting a bit bit so many times on here women excuse their husband’s poor attempts to clean. Men are just as capable of cleaning properly as women. We shouldn’t put up with sub standard effort that just means we end up doing it again ourselves.

I work full time with Five in the house. I don't find it hard to keep a clean house. I do all the tidying washing ironing. DH does all the actual cleaning assisted by kids. Happy to share. However, I wasn't always like that abd wouldn't care if others were.

I think most men don't care. If I didn't clean, my dh wouldn't really care. As long as there are clean, ironed clothes in the cupboard and the kitchen isn't piled high in dirty plates, things like dusty windowsills, dirty mirrors, grimy kitchen floor seem to go completely unnoticed. I don't think it's just a case of men being lazy, I think many really don't care.

Whether they care or not, houses still need cleaning and that shouldn’t just be done by the people that care most.

If he’d tried to clean the sink, unless he’s got eight problems he’s have been perfectly capable of seeing he’d missed lots of hair. Leaving it for someone else to do is really selfish.

Op as you state that you think a house should be clean if you are able bodied.
Yet you state you have a 6 week old who doesn’t sleep in the day.... and won’t be put down. So how do you get anything done, especially with a messy teenager as you state. You do sound a bit ridiculous

That should say sight problems.

I find it easi-er now that I am effectively a stay at home mother (work very part-time). I also get less stressed because I know I will get to do this particular job at some point in the next fortnight.

When I worked full time with children keeping a tidy house was nigh on impossible. Less time and energy to do it with more a less the same amount of work.

I also agree with posters that there is more to life than cleaning. Spending quality time with the children or on myself (like going to the gym) takes priority. I was not born to be a maid.

GerdaLovesLili You have articulated so well my exact feelings. I've never put it into words just lived with the uncomfortable feelings. You've nailed it beautifully. Thank you.

Your post comes across as goady because it's such a subjective thing to say. Assuming a person is able bodied (which is a big assumption in itself) how easy it is to keep a house tidy would depend on:

-how much you work.
-number of kids and pets in the house.

• any other responsibilities that keep you out of the house.
• how inclined others in the house are to pick up after themselves.
• definition of tidy.
• whether you've been shown/taught how to stay on top of your house.
• if you have any help.
• size of the house.
• your own priorities ie would you rather spend your time away from work tidying or playing with kids/relaxing/studying/exercising etc etc.

I've always found it easy, even when i was working full time. An hour everyday keeps a house looking reasonable whilst still having time for fun/family time. No excuses really.

ohwell

Do you have a PhD?

I've always found it easy, even when i was working full time. An hour everyday keeps a house looking reasonable whilst still having time for fun/family time. No excuses really

I found it easier when I was working full time because no one including DC were at home during the day to make mess.

I found it harder as a sahm because the dc were constantly there making endless mess. Not to mention the constant preparing of food, then having to clear up afterwards.

I don’t have a free hour a day 😂 some of us have jobs.

YANBU, people love to procrastinate. As for ‘I work all hours and have 20,000 Kids,’ my house was infinitely easier to keep clean when everyone was at work/school because it was largely empty!

I have a friend who thinks it’s a never ending battle, and it is for her, because she never makes her kids tidy as they play, never makes them tidy at all actually, and would rather sit and look at mess than get up and clean it. I love her to bits, and I help her when I’m there, but it’s getting more frustrating tbh.
Just get shit done!

Also the idea that I would need an excuse 😂

The house is fine. It’s clean enough. Should I beg my husband to spare the rod for not having the house perfect?

I thought we’d moved on from the days where we were judged on housework? No? Best get out and Stone the step then

My day ends at 9 or 10 at night. I'm not spending that free time cleaning!

Dh is done by 730/8. He could raise his game.

An hour everyday keeps a house looking reasonable

Doesn't that depend on the house? An hour makes no difference at all in my house. It takes 1 hour a day to just put that days laundry away, or an hour to just clear the floor of toys, or an hour to just clear the kitchen after dinner, or an hour to clean just 1 bathroom and it's 2-3 hours to hoover and mop.

How does it take an hour a day to put away one day's laundry. Genuinely interested. Do you iron it as well.

Or to clear up after dinner? Wipe as one prepares, put dirties in dishwasher, after dinner load dishwasher, wipe down dining table and hob.

Morning jobs here: up at 6.15, put kettle on, unload dishwasher while it boils (putting everything away) make pot of tea, feed cat, unload washing machine, put on new load, put on tumbler or hang on airer, fold dry washing from day before. Pour mug of tea, drink on bed, check Mnet, shower, dress and leave by 7.20 or 7.30 if have to blow dry hair. Oh and also check calendars and bread, milk levels. Make-up goes on in car

My house is clean but not tidy. Do i win the internet?

Well dinner is usually the days worth of food things, so various meals at various times throughout the day. I unload the dishwasher which takes about 10 mins then reload it which takes about 10 and then wash up a couple of pans and bits which takes about 10 mins. Remove the random crap that has accumulated on the kitchen surfaces and rehome it about 10 mins, wipe down about 5-10 mins, sweep the crumbs and crap off the floor from the day about 5 mins. I usually have baby in my arms while i'm doing it too.

I do about 2-3 loads of laundry a day and sorting it into various piles then taking each persons to each room (up 4 flights of stairs) and hang it up/fold and put it away. Then gather the next loads and sort them etc takes about an hour a day. (i hate laundry the most) Also done while holding a baby and often with the 3 year old flinging it about too.

Dp grew up in a house with a hoarder for a parent. I have never seen such an immaculate place as his. Mine's ok since I skipped a load of stuff. Having less stuff = far less tidying = result in my book.

It's worth a few days of ruthless clearing out to save the endless bore of moving things from one room to another, which is all tidying seems to be.

An hour a day cleaning never going to happen and I don't need an excuse thanks for your insight though.

Friend of mine said exactly that o/p, when she was pregnant and planning to go back to work ft.

I mentioned a cleaner saved my sanity when i went back to work after mat leave. She said something along the lines of oh this house doesn’t take much, it’s an easy house to keep clean.

I went to stay after the baby was born and realised that the reason it stayed clean was that her husband did 99% of the housework. No big deal, he’d just turn the dishwasher or laundry on when he passed, clean the bathroom after he had a shower, bring the dirty washing down/clean washing up if he went upstairs, just potter around doing all the little jobs as he went.

Yes whirly, it's the 'stuff' that does it. We hired a cleaner for a while and she would only manage 3 rooms in 4 hours.She spent 2 hrs just on one bathroom each week . She said we just had too much stuff. It takes 3 hours of just putting stuff away before you can even start cleaning. I do 4 solid hours twice a week and then a few hours a day on other chores and it still looks a right mess all the time. Sorting food (meal planning, shopping, putting away, prepping, making/cooking, cleaning up from, etc) takes the most stupid amount of my time. Probably 3 hours a day minimum.

DH's mum was a hoarder and he has similar traits.