Explain to me like I’m 5.. cleaning

[TalkingtoRosesIsMad]

Im coming out of a really bad depressive state. I have help let me just say that. However my Mum died when I was 11 and my dad died when I was 12. I went into a children’s home and didn’t learn any life skills.

I got good grades, I got a good degree at Lancaster and im now doing solicitor training. My point is I’m not stupid I just don’t know how to clean and keep things tidy. I’m 22 and live alone and honestly it feels like I get some energy and blast the house then get overwhelmed with everything/ I’m now knackered so I let it creep up on me again.

I do make sure the washing up is done, but any of you who have beautiful clean, sparkly houses all the time, please help create a daily, weekly, monthly schedule and checklist so I can get into a good routine and keep it properly.

I don’t mind paying for a system and sticking it on the fridge but it’s things like ;

how do you mop properly so the water runs clear?
how often do you mop?
how often do I hoover the rug downstairs and the stairs
how often do you clean the washing machine?
clean the skirting boards?
clean the loo
deep clean the bathroom
change the bedding
clean the fridge out
clean and stop the areas that get a lot of clutter ?

should I go through the important paperwork and file it? Even it takes hours?

I think I need to get into a routine of ‘it’s Wednesday I need to do xyz’

I tried the fly lady thing and I didn’t get it, I have heard of the organised mum method but Im not sure it would work?

i need someone to explain how to do these basic tasks and. Then how to keep on top of it so im
not ashamed to have people over.

Im not sure i quoted you in that post. U was speaking specifically about when you know they are making a noise.

Personally I'd oil them at that point, not routinely.

I suggest starting your own thread instead of hijacking this one. This thread is for the OP, and the many tips on interior cleaning are probably overwhelming enough for her.

I'll echo the previous comments that you should be really proud of what you've achieved in your life.

How often you need clean really does vary hugely from person to person. It depends on both how much mess you make, and how spotless you'd like it to look.

When I was single, I made sure the dishes were done daily. Dirty clothes in the basket immediately, and washed once a week.
Things like hoovering and bathroom were weekly-ish, and the house was OK. (Never immaculate, but I just don't care that much).

Now I have a child who just generates SO MUCH MESS. I have to clean under the table after every meal. I do a load of washing almost every day. The house looks gruesome within minutes of being cleaned.

So, what I'm saying is, that other people's timetables can give you an idea, but you will need to tweak it to your own circumstances.

So much bleaching! 😬 The best careers advice I had from someone you will have heard of, was employ a cleaner as soon as you can afford to.
Before that, living alone with cats and dogs I would hoover and mop weekly, clean kitchen surfaces after use as I do a lot of cooking and anything else when I noticed it or felt in the mood.

re mopping and de greasing. Hot water from the kettle and floor cleaner/washing up liquid. Get some rubber gloves so you don’t burn youself if you need to dip your hand in.

In 60 years on the planet, I have rarely cleaned a skirting board.

Same. Amazing achievements.

Hoover everything and dust everything once a week. Clean bathroom and toilet daily....laundry daily so this for me is not a chore, cooking and keeping kitchen clean is daily so I don't regard is a chore, bins are not a chore for me, nor folding and putting laundry away. The biggest chore for me is dusting shelves because I have some decorations on top and have to remove them and put them back

So literally decide what you are going to do as you go daily and then it is just part of your life, like making a coffee and a toast ....or when you wake up and straighten a bit your duvet....there are things you start doing which turn just to daily routine.....shoving clothes in the washing machine and putting it on is just a bit of bending down....life can be very easy when you reframe your thinking

well done OP on asking for some help.

I think building a routine is a good idea, you can get sheets on amazon that you can plan what you are going to do on what day.

breaking down makes things much easier. I like to do little bits every day so its just a matter of course as I go along then I have a bigger blitz on everything else that needs doing on a Sat morning

They don’t clean as well as a corded upright but they do clean well.

I was sceptical and so bought a bottom of the range about 4 years ago - it was transformational, to point I bought an all bells and whistles self emptying vacuum/mop.

it does a 90 minute clean on max mode every morning (can do double that time in regular mode).

I do have a cleaner and she hoovers and mops twice per week, but the robo hoover means it always looks clean in between.

Good suggestion.
If you can run to it lots of these robot vacs wash as well as hoover. They are not much more expensive and are a life changer. Set it going before you go out and you come home to clean, dry floors. Excellent buy and saves so much work.

My top tip is to make it pleasurable. Music, audio books, podcasts etc that you otherwise wouldn’t have time to just sit and listen to. Helps it feel less of a drag and a chore.

First up you’re amazing! What you’ve achieved is more than many who haven’t had the hardships you’ve faced so remind yourself of that regularly.
For the cleaning I work very long hours so only do the minimum through the week - light loads of washing and clean up of kitchen and dining areas after dinner. I pop some loo cleaner in the loos when I think about it and that’s about it. Saturday is the day I do a full clean (3 br 2 storey large house with indoor dog 2 cats and a tradie husband). I dust every room, clean the bathrooms (x3) and then clean the kitchen wiping all surfaces and clean out fridge etc. Finish by vacuum the whole house and washing all the floors (we don’t have carpets). Admittedly that takes about 5 hours but I’m a freak who enjoys it so I do it after an early gym class then sit back and enjoy the sparkle 😆

@TalkingtoRosesIsMad Just wanted to say well done on what you’ve achieved. It’s amazing.

Also thanks to other posters - I’ve taken good tips from this!

So for context I have a full time demanding job, a 5 year old, help my husband manage his own business and have his teenagers staying a couple of nights a week. I would rather spend free time with my family, friends or getting some exercise. I also recognise that cleaning products are expensive and pretty crap for the environment.
My philosophy-

1. Pick friends who judge you on how you behave, not how sparkly the sink is.
2. Always leave the toilet in a state that you would be happy to get home and see. Doesn’t need bleach daily just a quick scrub, wipe on and under the seat with a bit of toilet paper if the 5 year old has left visible evidence (every few days)
3. white vinegar for limescale when it builds up - I pour it into the toilet, leave for a few hours then scrub once the limescale is softened. I do a deeper clean of the toilet when I do this but only every month or so.
4. We have hard floors downstairs - we try to wipe up spillages as we go then brush them twice a week and wash once a fortnight to keep them nice, less often if I’m busy. When I wash them I use a cloth and bucket of water and go on my hands and knees rather than a mop because I can get it cleaner that way. I change the water once it starts to look cloudy.
5. hoover upstairs when carpets look dirty - only about once every couple of months as we take shoes off and spend most of our time downstairs.
6. kitchen surfaces get a quick spray and wipe off daily
7. Sinks and basins about once a week

I suggest you make a schedule based on what you realistically think you will have time and energy for then review and adjust it after a month or so to see if it is right for you- you don’t want to spend any longer than you have to cleaning as life is too short!

OP, I'm shit at keeping stuff clean but I do know how to mop and I'm happy to tell you how I do it!

This assumes we're mopping hard floor/vinyl etc and not wood that can get water damage.

For actually visibly dirty floors -

First I use very hot water, with a slosh of flash or something similar in it. Dunk the mop, wring it out a bit and use it to wet the floor. I'm not scrubbing at this point. Let it sit a bit and soften the dirt while I get the rest of the floor wet. It's got a layer of wetness, enough that it's not drying, not so much that it's a puddle.

Next stage depends on dirtyness and floor texture - I've a white kitchen floor with little dimples and it's a pain in the arse! - go back to the start and wet and wring out the mop. Give the floor a rub back and forth, reasonable amount of pressure, if it comes up clean - happy days, do the rest of the floor rinsing the mop in the bucket and wringing out as you go. The water will get dirty, the floor will still be wet but not swimming. You can change the water in the bucket if it gets grim. If the mop alone doesn't do it you can try a clean stiff brush to scrub it. I've got a spin mop and a triangular brush bit that clips on, it's quite good.
After brushing go over it with a wrung out mop as above.

Empty the bucket, rinse the mop by plunging it in clear water, empty and repeat until it's clean.

Refill the bucket with hot - I use the kettle - clean water. No soap.

Wring out the mop as much as you possibly can. Use it to pick up the water from the floor, rinse and wring well every few swipes.

I have a rubber broom (also good for the scrubbing bit above) with a squeegee on the back, got it from b&m. I squeegee the water left on the floor into a small puddle, and use the mop to pick it up.

I either let it dry naturally as it's barely wet, or if I want to be walking on it asap I get 2 bits of old towel and stand on them and skate around the floor to dry it. If you walk on it when it's still wet you'll leave footprints and really annoy yourself!

Oh my goodness, Firstly well done on all you've achieved.
Secondly you do NOT need to blast through the house in one go - it's exhausting and you might find that you sub-consciously put up barriers to doing any cleaning at all if you associate with a big job that takes all day.
Paperwork - yes do file it - future you will be very grateful. It's so useful for sorting billing problems, tax issues etc. I'm currently looking for the account number for the pension from a job I left 25 years ago, and am very much regretting that I did not file it with the other paperwork from that employer!

Also, on the 'shit at keeping stuff clean' front. I bought a robot hoover and mop, he's got a little house he goes back to and empty his dust bucket and washes his mops. I run him every day - mopping and hoovering hard floors and hoovering carpets. I do it every day because it means I have to keep the floors clear every day, so they don't end up covered in shoes / phone chargers / lego / other nonsense.

I also (I have adhd) find I can 'body double' with him - I set him hoovering and I'm much more efficient at cleaning loos and tiles and kitchen sides while he's bimbling about doing his bit of things. Especially if I'm trying to get e.g. the bathroom done before he arrives!

This was broken down so helpfully. I’m not OP but ai found this useful. Thank you.

We're quite slovenly compared to most on here but there are 2 adults and no pets. I do more of it at the moment as am not working but husband does a fair bit. My red lines are that the loos must be cleaned weekly and the kitchen bin emptied weekly. Some other stuff happens only when we notice it needs cleaning or realise it hasn't been done in a while. So:

Both loos are cleaned once a week but with an occasional interim intervention if dirty. Usually Harpic blue limescale. Bleach rarely - every few months.

Both bathrooms are cleaned roughly every 10 days. They are both easy to clean properly so don't need to deep clean

Stairs/landing are done 3-5 times a week but only because we have a dark carpet that shows light coloured fluff.

I steam mop the tiled floors (kitchen diner, bathrooms, hall) roughly once a month sometimes less frequently but they are vacuumed at least every 10 days. I always vacuum prior to mopping. With the mop I don't use any cleaning product just the steam, stubborn marks usually come off with a blast of steam or otherwise spot wipe with cloth and washing up liquid or lemon liquid cleaner. I hate normal mops and mop buckets.

bedding: change fortnightly (weekly in very hot weather). We have separate rooms, if we shared a bed we'd do it weekly.

skirtings: rarely wipe but do vacuum

fridge: wipe obvious spills when see them, keep it tidy but only have the shelves etc out and wash them about every 6 months if that

kitchen surfaces: I have a lot of counter top so divide it up and do a quarter of it before I wash up each night but any stains are wiped immediately they happen

washing machine: wipe the inner door glass with either lemon cleaner or washing up liquid after every wash but mine is quite new and since I do towels on 60c once a week I don't bother with an empty hot wash at the moment. Old machine I'd do an empty hot wash with white vinegar about every 6 weeks.

Clutter: don't let it build up. Took a lot of stuff to charity shop, have good storage and don't buy frivolous things. I do agree with "touch it once" - put things away rather than moving them from one place to another.

Paperwork: it usually hangs around on my desk a couple of days before one of us files it. We have a small filing box with hanging things in it plus a ring binder. But the most important docs are electronic. Anything not going to file goes straight in the shredder.

I don't really have a system other than that I do both loos on a Friday when I empty the kitchen bin because I use kitchen paper to clean them and put it in the bin. I also tend to steam mop all the rooms that need it in one go too rather than get the mop out and do only one room. So for example I don't often completely clean a bathroom all in one go - I do the loo Friday, mop another day and clean the basin/shower etc on another day. If you're getting overwhelmed this might be a good way to think about it - doing tasks by type of task rather than pressuring yourself to do one whole room in one go.

I suffer with depression too and often struggle a bit to keep on top of everything. Here is what I found works for me.
I have a plastic caddy in the kitchen cupboard that holds my main cleaning supplies - microfibre cloths, favourite cleaner, dish scrubbers for stubborn marks, rubber gloves - so I can grab it to do a job quickly.
I try to have no or very little clutter. My furniture and furnishings are simple and easy to clean (cotton removable covers/curtains that can be washed etc). Less stuff means less to clean or tidy up when someone comes round.
Clean as you go, do tiny jobs between big ones. If I put the kettle on to make a coffee, I grab the caddy and wipe down the bathroom while it boils.
Mopping: sweep up floor before mopping, then mop with hot water and a splash of Stardrops. Finish floor with second mopping with clean water. I mostly use floor wipes instead as they're quicker and simpler, and I only have hard floors in kitchen and bathroom.
I hoover once a week, clean bathroom once a week but wipe it down every couple of days. Bedding is washed and changed every week. Fridge is wiped out weekly before shopping is delivered, and freezer is defrosted every few months when ice builds up.
I just wanted to say, you are doing so well. It will be okay, you will get through this and out the other side.

Here are my answers. For most housework, my answer is 'use the right gadget'. I've got a Ewbank floor scrubber, a Eufy robot vacuum and an enormous Miele for everything else including the skirting boards and upholstery.

Enjoy!

how do you mop properly so the water runs clear? You don't, you get a steam mop. You take the pads off the bottom and put them in the washing machine, then put a new pad on
how often do you mop? once a week (no children here, one cat)
how often do I hoover the rug downstairs and the stairs? Stairs once a month, which makes me a slob but IDC. Rug once a week
how often do you clean the washing machine? Twice a year
clean the skirting boards? once a month
clean the loo Twice a week
deep clean the bathroom once a month: this is cleaning the windows, floor, corners behind the loo. Normal clean (grouting, mirrors, sink, bath, loo) once a week on Fridays plus additional cleaning of loo, bath and sink once a week on Mondays.
change the bedding weekly
clean the fridge out fortnightly
clean and stop the areas that get a lot of clutter ? Get rid of the clutter then once a week.

I have 2 adult sons living at home and 1 dog and 1 puppy 11 weeks old! Its just us on the home and I work part-time in a school 3 hours a day weekdays. I have a mental routine it goes like this.Get up see to pets,clean up their mess,open all windows,empty all bins,change bin bag, sanitize all surfaces,I do any washing up night before so I have empty workspace in the kitchen when I wake up.I hoover upstairs every room and downstairs everywhere daily,stairs hoovered twice a week.In my front room i dust and hoover and make sure its tidy ,bathroom is disinfected everyday,toilet cleaned thoroughly twice a day and floor cleaned with zaflora or bleach.skirting boards cleaned once a week,and im still always worried the house will smell of dog so go through lots of various air fresheners,bleach,nice smelly surface cleaners,and viakal is great for sinks,draining boards and lovely shiny taps! Takes about 1 and a half hours every day but just becomes daily routine to be fair.Forgot to add i change bedding once a week also.

You are amazing. I lost my mum aged 9 and was always terrified of my dad dying. He died last month. I am 41.

Don't aim for a sparkly house. Just do what you can, when you can. Go out and experience things instead. Try something new. Meet/make friends. Exercise. Have fun. It will help your depression more than cleaning.

I'm sure your parents would be so proud of you. I hope you feel better soon xx

Loving this thread.

Where does everyone store the sponges & brushes they use to clean stuff? I don’t have a utility

I think you have to work out if you find cleaning or de-cluttering hard. I find that the cleaning side is really easy but it’s the tidying that seems to take a lot more effort with my family.

Some of the suggestions on here are just going to be overwhelming for someone coming out of a depressive state and struggling. You basically need to make sure you’re hitting basic level not aiming for show home.

I’d set a timer for 20 minutes a day and work through 1 room at a time and do what you can in that time plus build a schedule for bedding washing (probably every week or every 2 weeks might feel easier) and clearing dirty plates and kitchen surfaces each night.

They key is going to be avoiding overwhelm and thinking about ways to build in a bit of cleaning without it feeling like a massive chore. Eg if I’m in the shower, I normally have a scrubbing brush in there so do some of the grout scrubbing. I generally wipe down the sink daily as that is easy and have everything to hand. Daily shower spray makes a big difference as well.