To think housework never ends?

[mcjx]

Seriously, does anyone else feel this way? I feel like all I do is housework and I just can't be bothered.

I have guests coming tomorrow afternoon and can't motivate myself to get my arse in gear

How do you all keep on top of it?

[Babyhumps]

Oh god it's just soul destroying.. I love the satisfaction of a sparkling clean tidy house but it's so bloody temporary! I have 3DC, all at home, one always will be as severe SEN. Its non. bloody. stop and soooo boring!!

[BitchQueen90]

I try and split it to one room a day to make it more manageable. Luckily I live in a 2 bed flat so there's not that many rooms to do.

[formerbabe]

You know what I realised about my family...I don't even want their help. I just want them to stop sabotaging my efforts!

[Aquamarine1029]

It is CONSTANT. Luckily, I actually do enjoy cleaning (most of the time), and keeping my home clean and tidy is VERY important for my mental health. Clutter and mess makes me very anxious and miserable. I recommend taking the time during your maternity leave to go all out with ruthless decluttering. Getting rid of useless crap is honestly half the battle. Once you unburden yourself from all the "stuff", you really appreciate how much all that tat consumes your space and life.

[Siameasy]

I think I must have low standards as I don’t find this.
Earlier on I saw dust and thought fuck it. Whenever I dust it seems to come back twice as heavy.🤷‍♀️
I refuse to iron (although I may have to when she starts school?)
Kitchen is kept clean, hoovering always up to date as we’ve got a Dyson cordless yay
Im always on the look out for opportunities to de clutter
Lots of Kallaxes to hide things in
One DC
DH pulls his weight
A Siamese cat lives here❤️ they don’t shed fur but pets can be a problem for people

[sandi2019]

I don't have children...and my apartment is micro sized....and I can't keep on top of it.
Full time job (mentally exhausting) and my partner doesn't do housework (partly my fault......I come from a culture whereby this is the norm!)
I try and get up slightly earlier each morning to get some jobs done. Even if it's just 15 minutes to have a whip around the (tiny) bathroom....(those multi surface wipes are awesome for that...easier than carrying multiple cloths and bottles).
Also....I keep the ironing board up for a few days and break the pile down into sessions of 5s or 10s on each night of the week. It eventually gets done....a marathon ironing session can take hours.
I clean on a superficial level most days....so it's clean and looks nice/tidy......and do a deep clean now and again (could do one of those more frequently, if I'm honest).
Some nights (such as last week when I was getting in until 10PM) - I've just had to tell myself.....so what if the flat is untidy tonight.....what harm will it do to wait until tomorrow? Who's gonna see or even care my flat is in a sh*t? Does the flat always have to be immaculate?
Of course not.....won't do any harm to just leave it messy and pick it back up the next day xxx
Agree with the poster above....it's the things I don't do (mainly the ironing and dusting) that gets a mention!

[Siameasy]

Meant to add - normally if I see grubbiness or dust I’ll quickly deal with it etc so most of the time it’s a clean as you go scenario. But upstairs where only we go is a different matter

[formerbabe]

I iron for an hour every day. I don't know where I'm going wrong

[Babyhumps]

Ironing? No. Just no. That's one thing I refuse to add to my workload.

[Drogosnextwife]

I wish I could afford a cleaner. I work from home as a childminder so the days we are in the house just created a lot more work for me when everyone goes home, I feel the same OP, it's a never ending thankless task but then I do like my house to be tidy and clean (inside the cupboards is a different matter )

[Siameasy]

Sil earlier was telling me about the ironing she’s got to do
She is ironing her 2.5year olds clothes🙈
I loathe ironing
However, we wear a uniform at work and only the trousers from it need ironing which can be done at work
It must be a nightmare if you have to wear shirts?

[sandi2019]

Is rewarding kids to do housework acceptable these days? A couple of quid here and there to help? Xx

[KTCluck]

The day I realised that there is no point trying to finish the housework was a game changer for me. Why stress yourself to have the house spotless when within minutes of you finishing it’ll be sullied by you and the family simply living in it? Why have the bottom of the ironing basket as a target when by the next day there’ll be more to go in? Drop your standards a bit, honestly it’s great.

I have a routine now to make sure the dusting, proper bathroom clean, thorough vacuuming, mopping etc is all done once a week, and then we tidy up / spot clean areas that need it daily. I usually do a couple of rooms a week a bit more throughly but just 10-15 mins at a time. Set a timer for how long you want to spend and when it goes off, stop. Load of washing a day, and I iron what we need (only if it really needs it) every few days.

We spend so much less time on housework than we used to and yet the house is probably cleaner. The housework no longer seems that massive chore that would take up most of Saturday because I was pointlessly striving for perfection. I just stay on top of it enough that it’s hygienic, organised, nice to spend time in and I’m not embarrassed for someone to show up unexpectedly.

[yellowonesie]

I've just become a single mum and will be getting my own flat soon. My one and only treat to myself is going to be a cleaner! You say you can't afford this. In that case, I would focus on one room a day on a rota re cleaning and make sure things are put away as you go along.

[SurgeHopper]

One of the reasons I work, because of housework. If I was SAHM I'd just be cleaning relentlessly. At least at work I can have a coffee without the guilt

[TakemedowntoPotatoCity]

It never ends no, which is why I don't bother trying to keep the place pristine, as long as it looks vaguely clean I try to be relaxed about toys out etc, I'm not Mrs fucking Hinch

[ApplePieIsAmazing]

I know what you mean. DH both work full time, we have 2 cats and one big fluffy dog because DH wanted him. The bloody digs fur is a nightmare, he doesn't stop shedding. Somehow I've been stuck with the job of walking him and picking up his shits too

[Siameasy]

Is rewarding kids to do housework acceptable these days? A couple of quid here and there to help? Xx

My DC is still young-I was thinking I would make doing certain basic things a condition of getting your pocket money? And earn extra money through extra tasks?

[Paraballa]

I did KonMarie so now everything has a home and I have way less stuff anyway. And I use an app that you put all your chores into and how often you want to do them then each day you get a to do list. That way I do 3-5 things a day (on top of daily chores) and the house is always clean.

[Goldenphoenix]

I am nowhere near on top of it. Makes me sad, it is always so dusty and messy. Would be really embarassed to have unexpected visitors around. Our problem (apart from a lazy OH, a hairy dog and two small wrecking ball children) is too much clutter. I can't clean effectively because of all the stuff. Really need to empty this house of so much stuff

[sandi2019]

Siameasy....well I think it sounds reasonable xx
As kids we were forced to do housework...it was expected.....there was always an awful, pressurised and stressful atmosphere hanging over us kids which I wouldn't wish on any child.
I wish it had been like the way you describe.....a choice.....and a reward xx

[WatershedMoment]

Get a robot hoover. Best thing we ever did. Its truly fabulous. Went from wrestling the Dyson to watching robovac while drinking coffee.

[Mwnci123]

Also on mat leAve and very bored of housework, disturbed sleep, carrying children around (especially while doing housework) and being cried at. Am going through phases of letting the house get really messy and grubby but feeling embarrassed and vexed, or keeping fairly on top of it and feeling totally fucking bored and like it's the 1950s in my life. I have housework songs in my head with key words swapped to 'boring' (mostly 'It's all so boring' to the tune of 'It's all about you'). No, I don't think it ever ends.

[onthenaughtystepagain]

Black sock fluff on the floor

My Number 1 pet hate, I've thrown out all the offending socks.

[trebless]

Dh is a builder....the dust....the crap every where every single day the minute he walks in....anyone have an OH the same? The crap he brings in with him everyday drives me absolutely insane....to the point where I sometimes happily imagine how clean my house would be if we divorced.