To ask how full time workers how they hell they can stop spending all their weekends doing bloody housework?

[therewillbetime]

Boring but serious question- work all week, leaving house at 7.30 and getting home 6.30 ish. DP, who also works all day gets home slightly earlier and always cooks, feeds cats etc. He does his own ironing.

I do little housework during the week apart from those everyday things you have to do or course as a) I’m knackered and b) I frequently have work related paperwork to do or study (I’m studying for an MA part time as well). I also go to the gym most nights so I admit that I cram a bit in.

This weekend I thought I was pretty much on top of things at home. Dp and I did all the food shopping yesterday but still I realise that this weekend I’ve done tons of washing (I have a teenage son), ironing, tidying, hoovering, dusting and cooking. I’ve been to the gym but combined this with my college work (reading on the treadmill) and we did relax and watch a movie last night. Dp did a load of stuff in the garden.

I am just really interested in how full time workers manage it all with the result of saying they had a weekend, or most of a weekend to do stuff not related to the home. Or maybe, everyone lives like this and I’m a whinging git!

Oh yes and definitely online shopping!!

Following

I don't have a cleaner, someone in the house while I'm out doesn't appeal and the cat wouldn't like it, but I do have a Gardener who comes fortnightly and has taken over all outside jobs, which has taken a load off, coming home and then starting mowing the lawn etc. was too much for me so it got a bit neglected, now outside at least always looks tidy. I pay a fixed rate per visit and message him if there's anything specific I want doing. Inside I do a cut down version of Fly lady.

I worked an 8:30 til 5:30 job, five days a week and any overtime offered (this could sometime be an 8pm finish and a Saturday). I was a single Mum with a 1 year old. I had to, my partner had left me in a lot of debt. I missed out on DD growing up a lot but needs must et al. I had to be super organised clothes out the night before and would cram the washing, a weeks worth of meal prep, ordering the groceries online to save a trip out, vacuuming, changing the beds, getting my hair washed etc. into an evening or weekend HOWEVER, when I left the house it was perfectly tidy and when I returned it was also perfectly tidy, as quite obviously no one had been in. It's doable. Ironically I'm now a PA, guess those organisational skills came in handy

I can easily spend a full day every weekend cleaning. I feel like I work a 6 day week. One day I'd like to get a cleaner.

Getting a cleaner is the only way to avoid this I''m afraid. We had a 2-weekly clean on a Friday so the house was very clean at the weekend. And before you say this is the preserve of the well off, we both earned £650 per month so after food, cleaning was the biggest expense of our household. I'd rather forgo anything else, even go hungry before having to spend weekends cleaning.

I am organised in some parts of my life but not in others. I will share with you what works in my organised life:

Laundry number one - a triple sorter like this but mine was cheaper works well for us. One basket for whites, another for lights and another for darks. Delicates and reds go in a wicker basket. Only when a basket is full do I wash it. No more small loads! It means that I do laundry less frequently. I then do a towels wash weekly and bedding is washed fortnightly.

Laundry number two - tumble dryer. Also a heated airer works brilliantly for me for all things than cannot be tumble dried. It means that laundry dries a lot faster which means it can be put away quicker.

Laundry number three - two baskets. One basket for things that are dry and need ironing, one basket for things that are folded straight away, put in the basket and put away.

Dishwasher.

Cleaner every week. I have had a cleaner since DH and I moved in together 16 years ago. Initially she just did 2 hours' cleaning and one hour's ironing. Since then, we have moved to a larger house and so our current cleaner does more hours cleaning and also does ironing.

Friends of mine have cleaners who do household things as well when they're there like change the beds and remake them, empty bins, put the ironing they've done away in wardrobes etc. It really, really helps, if you can spare the money. When I've worked the hours that you do, and also had other commitments (study, family etc), I know that I would save money elsewhere if that meant keeping having a cleaner. I don't know if that is an option for you, obviously.

Cleaners can work out fairly cheap - just £11 per hour and the minimum for most I believe is 2 hours every fortnight. That’s at least some help towards it.

I don't think my house is tidy enough for a cleaner
Would be great if it made me resent dh a bit less though.

Your tips have been really helpful, thank you all. I am definitely going to consider a cleaner. It’s weird how we think we can do it all but then wonder how we CAN actually do it all when working a 55 hour week.

And that’s without other home related stuff (like paperwork, going to the tip, decorating, cleaning the car etc).

I work ft and so does DH. There was a time where I would spend my entire weekend doing laundry, cleaning, polishing, hoovering etc.

Now I do bit and bobs by getting up 10 minutes earlier and do some jobs every day or two.

e.g one day I'll do some hoovering, another day I'll clean the bathroom, another day I'll hang laundry out. Each of these things take 5-10 minutes. Now I get to the weekend and do no jobs!

Mrsknickers, please say that your dh also gets up 10 mins early to do his share.

Every night -I cook 15-20 mins meals fresh and expect 10 and 13 year old to clear dishes and wash up, sort any washing, get stuff ready for morning
Every Friday - cleaner for 3 hours - does beds, hoover,dusting etc Kids expected to tidy stuff off bedroom floor so they can clean
Saturday - 13 year old does all his own ironing and hb does the rest
Everyone helps with washing / sorting/ hb does odd jobs in garden whilst I sort logistics / week planner ie updating calendar/ arranging who has to be where and lifts
Sunday I usually cook a roast and expect everyone to pitch in at various points.
I may put hoover around downstairs during week if looking grotty especially in kitchen but no cleaning apart from that and kitchen surfaces otherwise until Friday.

I think what I’m saying is- if you work FT and so does partner then it’s a team effort and kids above a certain age should help. Chores are good for them. Women shouldn’t have to do this all themselves