How dirty is my house?

[Ariel21]

Dear all. For the last few years (6) we have moved house annually, thereby forcing us to 'spring clean' as we've moved.

This year we are not moving, and the house is well overdue a spring clean and clear out. However, my husband and I both work long and difficult hours, often weekends and evenings and it's hard to fit it in.

It's not quite 'the horders next door' but we do need some help. So I'd really appreciate some advice on doing a big spring clean, bit by bit, as I need to be able to fit it around a busy life? In an ideal world I would have a week off and nail it in one go.

Hints and tips here please!

Get a cleaning company in!

I find the FLYlady way helps me, you do 15 mins and move on to a different task. Another trick from them is choose a room/space and take 3 boxes/bags - rubbish - recycling - things to put away. Then rubbish goes straight in the bin, recycling (ideally) straight in the car for the next trip or recycling boxes. Obvs the stuff to put away should be done but if you only get rubbish and recycling out it's a good start.

That's a simple version, the website gives ideas for routines, techniques etc. www.flylady.com

If I could afford to pay cleaners I would!

Hmm yes think I will attempt to tackle it one tiny thing at a time - will make an 'uber list' of tasks to be completed and work on it gradually. It's a pretty long list... Will have a look at that website though!

I tried a slightly different tack this week. I blocked off a day but I think this would work with however much time you have. I set the timer and spent 20mins in one room decluttering and cleaning. Then 10mins doing something else - sometimes this was having a coffee checking mn , other times shoving some washing on or folding some clean laundry. Then picked another room to do 20mins in, 10 mins off.

I got tons done and it helped me feel a bit less overwhelmed by it all. Planning to do the same next week.

Flylady is good (just ignore soupy barftastic language on the site). The underlying system is sound.

Her premise is that we don't get huge chunks of time in which to spring clean any more so the home is divided in to zones which are tackled step by step in focused blitzes of energy.

You can adapt the system to suit yourself. Do one room at a time. Declutter first (you can't clean clutter). Choose one corner in which to start - have three boxes at the ready marked 'junk' 'relocate' 'recycle/charity' - work around the room throwing stuff out and work back to where you started. Repeat with cleaning (or even better have dh/dc following you doing the cleaning!)

As AdoraBell says, get rid of charity/recycling donations and junk IMMEDIATELY or the dc will find a way of squirrelling back!

Or, as 'DewDrop4 says, you can flit between rooms with a timer - 15 mins at a time. Flylady has "crisis clean" instructions here which can help get you started. And then you can progress to more focused blocks of work from there on in.

If only I could follow my own advice [sigh]

Bonsoir last time we had a cleaning company in (in a former house) - they stole my sil's expensive gold watch (which admittedly she shouldn't have left out - she was staying with us and we had gone swimming) They were a very reputable firm who came highly recommended.

Good luck!

One room a week in little chunks as you can cope with it. Flylady was great at teaching me it didn't have to all be done in one hit. Tend to start with kitchen as most stuff gets "processed" through it.