To ask for tips on how not spend a whole day each weekend (or more!) doing chores?

[huggybear]

It's endless.

The washing and ironing especially. People say to forget ironing but my clothes come out of the washing machine looking like they've been 5 rounds with Mike Tyson.

I live in a small house with no kids or pets, it should be easy surely? But no, each weekend we spend a heap of time on it all. I'm not even including gardening in this as that's more a hobby.

So lovely people - any tips? We do keep on top of things during the week but it doesn't really seem to help as everything still needs a big clean come the weekend.

Cleaner not really an option as I don't really want people in the house while we aren't here.

Lower standards? I don't think they're very high at the mo.

I can see how it drags on but like you we are just 2 people and 2 cats and we dont spend a whole day doing chores. Maybe 3 loads of washing a week..2 at weekends. Hoover twice a week once on a sat morning, mop floors maybe every 3 weeks. Dont iron much so maybe 20 mins a week if that. Change beds every 2 weeks. Kitchen gets cleaned as we go each day. Bathroom takes maybe 10 mins. Tidying takes longer as we are messy and have a lot of stuff/hobbies. Like other people are saying maybe do a big declutter and deep clean and then work on just topping up most weeks.

You need to get over your fear of having someone in the house while you’re not there and get a cleaner. Assuming that is the only reason and it’s not a financial thing.

It took me ages to convince my OH to get a cleaner because he also didn’t want a stranger in the house but he now loves it. She also does the ironing.

Find one that is recommended by someone you trust and get them to start while you’re home (maybe just before you leave to go to work) so that you don’t need to give them a key.

I only iron the pillow cases.

Someone said 5 loads is huge and I should think of my impact on the environment. Which shouldn't I wash? Work clothes X 2, sports wear, bedding, towels clothes etc?

I would do washing in the week but I'm not here to do it. I don't like drying stuff inside unless absolutely necessary. Some food for thought here though, thanks.

The reason we do the food shop in person is because we shop mostly at Aldi.

@huggybear I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out, we are a family of 4 and 5 loads is the max we do a week when we are washing all towels and bedding etc. You're being deliberately dismissive, do you actually want to read what people are suggesting or is this a stealth boast about your standards?

Not at all @namby I'm just genuinely confused how I can reduce the washing.

Do your work clothes need "full" cycles? We put on a normal wash but hit the time saver button.
You havent answered if you're wearing a new outfit every day...if you are I think that's excessive as unless it's a really manual job your clothes will not be soiled really.

@huggybear you put less stuff in the washing machine. Hope that helps.

Load one is king-size bedding, things like tea towels.

Load 2 is dark work clothes & load 3 is light work clothes. Things like pjs and comfies are in there too.

Load 4 is sports gear and load 5 is towels, cleaning cloths. I really don't know which to remove?

I’m a household of 2 and about 5 loads of washing a week is right for us too

I'm really not trying to be argumentative and I've said there are some good ideas here. Maybe my wsshing machine is smaller?

Aldi shop...Are you both going? It only needs one person and if you have a list it doesn't take long.
Also, I do things logically in the house so I wouldn't Hoover or clean until I have the dishwasher and the washing machine going. It's like 3 chores being done at the same time rather than Hoover then put on a wash then putting on dishwasher etc.

Sorry missed that. I wear dresses at work so yes I do wear a new one each day, I also generally wear cardigans for two days. My husband wears a clean shirt or top each day but not a clean set of shorts/trousers.

Ah I'm not sure what you mean about the full cycle thing, I don't have a time saver button. Is that just the short wash?

No just one of us (not me!) Goes shopping. Aldi part is quite quick but he also has to go to another supermarket because there are certain specific foods we can't get in Aldi.

Stop being so obtuse, people have written dozens of replies telling you to stop being so anal about how often you are washing things. If you're not willing to lower your standards you're not going to save time, it's not rocket science is it? So if you must wash all your cleaning cloths, towels, bedding every week, in multiple loads, and iron it, you will have to spend the time doing it, and hopefully when you're on your death bed in your crisp clean sheets, you won't regret the days of your life you spent doing so. But why waste our time if you aren't interested in the replies?!

I was just replying to things that came up most often, there's no need to be mean about it. I will go back now and see what I missed. I was eating tea at the same time (this is part of my new found ability to multitask) so I clearly overlooked some things.

Sorry I admit to getting irrationally irritated by this thread 🙈 I too was eating tea and ignoring my poor husband ha.

Thank you @CalamityJune there's some really useful ideas on zoning here. I will give them a go and see how I get on!

I live alone and do 30 mins a night. This includes everything like washing, I don't iron at all
So 30 mins might be hoovering the whole place, and doing the bathroom floors plus putting a load of washing on. I also use advert breaks and cooking time to do stuff like wash a few cups or clean the cat litter tray etc etc
But genuinely 30 mins a night if you really crack on is fine, and at the weekends I only do food shop/wash pots

It depends what you're actually cleaning I think. Kitchen I would wash up, bins out, wipe surfaces/tiles, clean floor. I'm not wiping cupboard fronts unless they need it, that's a quick "while the kettle is boiling" job
If anything spills in the fridge/microwave I clean it up there and then, and same with anything else - if I walk past and notice something, clean it there and then!

Stop ironing. We manage to never iron in the last ten years! I hang my laundry so it’s not wrinkled. Bedsheets are in the dryer though and they are wrinkled but fine once put on bed .

@Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe thanks Sally especially for the things to do each day before bed thing, we most of them but having a quick wip around with the hoover is a great idea.

Ultimately this is all in your power to resolve ..... if you want to. If you don't, fine. If you do, plenty of suggestions :

Fewer washing loads ..... wear things another time before washing, don't change bedding weekly etc.

Deep clean of kitchen ..... what actually needs done there weekly, when it's only 2 people who work out of the house 5/7 and gets cleaned daily?
Hoover, dust less often.
Don't iron so much. Buy a trouser press - contrary to its name, not just trousers that fit in!
Buy in help - cleaner, outsource ironing.

Or don't.

1. Don't iron your pillowcases - are you mad??

1. Either you're on the wrong wash cycle or there's something up with your washing machine. I am, to be fair, lazy about ironing but even the most pernickety fusspot couldn't find fault with my unironed work dresses. Unless you're wearing linen? Or leaving things in the machine for several hours after the cycle's finished?

1. You absolutely do not need to deep

clean the kitchen once a week. Or dust. These are occasional tasks for when you have time and/or notice them.

Perhaps try dropping one thing next weekend, and see if you actually notice the difference in the following week. I am 100% certain that no one has ever thought, on their deathbed, "I wish I'd spent more time ironing my pillowcases."