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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Motivation!!!! how to get it

29 replies

tinyFox · 21/07/2006 22:37

Just wondered how you get motivated to tidy and clean up.

my sister does one big clean a week adn her home is like a show house i am soo !!!

I am a messy person who just can't seem to find enough motivation to do much, i'd rather do other stuff and then panic if someone is visiting rushing round like a loony getting the place done.

What do you do?

OP posts:
tortoise · 21/07/2006 22:39

You sound just like me! I do hate my house like it but can't find the energy to clear it.

tinyFox · 21/07/2006 22:40

So glad it's not me!!

I just get annoyed because i'll do it all and next min it's back to messy within a few hours and then think 'oh why did i bother' lol.

OP posts:
MrsSpoon · 21/07/2006 22:43

"my sister does one big clean a week adn her home is like a show house" - I do one big clean a week (and more inbetween) and my house is like a tip!

tortoise · 21/07/2006 22:51

Has your sis got dc? Wish mine stayed clean longer when i do tidy up!

tinyFox · 21/07/2006 23:04

I don't know she just does it until it's all done. I really don't know how she keeps it soo tidy and she has twins too!! puts me to shame. Of course all my family rub it in too!!

OP posts:
colditz · 21/07/2006 23:22

What do I do? I live my life.

I hoover upstairs once a week. I properly clean once a week, I mop downstairs once a week, and I change the beds once a week. Ds1 has never wet the bed yet, so no need to change more often, and I mop up spills as I go.

I wipe down surfaces at the end of every day, and after any meal making. I wipe the table at the end of the day.

Ds1's room is a tip. Nearly all his toys are in there. I tidy it up once a day, and no more. The toys in the lounge go away before meals - after tea he has bath and books.

It sounds like loads, but it's really not. I doubt I do more than 3 hours housework a day in total, and I have a 3 year old whirlwind boy and a 13 week old baby. Don't get me wrong, my house is far from spotless, but it's bearable and doesn't smell very bad!

colditz · 21/07/2006 23:23

The whole point of my previous message, which I never did get to, is that I do these things and then nothing else. If it gets messed up in between these tmes, tough tits.

brimfull · 21/07/2006 23:36

Invite people over for the weekend ,that always spurs me on to clean the house from top to bottom as they have to go upstairs aswell.
Visitors other than my close friends ( who take it for granted my house is a tip) ,always make me tidy up.

moondog · 21/07/2006 23:39

I'm motivated because i want to live surrounded by pleasant organised surroundings.
A tip leaves me feeling depressed.
Get a good system going.
Once everything is in order (eg laundry cupboards,food cupboards,wardrobes,sewing baskets,toiletry stores,garden) it is a simple case of maintenance.
I do about an hour's housework a day and my house is very clean.

goshme · 22/07/2006 00:01

Moondog, was v.amused to read about your sewing basket!" Just what is one of those lol

MrsSpoon · 22/07/2006 12:53

moondog, does your hour's housework include laundry? Or is laundry on top of this?

moondog · 22/07/2006 19:13

Nope laundry too.
Gosh,I like sewing!

gooseegg · 22/07/2006 19:17

Put it on the market - works wonders for motivation but costs a small fortune in 'props' eg flowers, fluffy white towels etc

MrsSpoon · 22/07/2006 21:00

Blimey, you're good Moondog, I'm sure laundry alone takes me almost an hour a day (the majority of this being the once a week ironing marathon).

Sonnet · 24/07/2006 12:38

Mooddog - tell me your system!! - I am fairly organised BUT could be better BUT it seems to take me an age to keep it like that
Share your system and rountines with me please.....

Han4Dan · 24/07/2006 16:40

me too

Sonnet · 26/07/2006 11:31

Please....Moondog Spill the beans...
I am fairly organised just need to IMPROVE!! and love the thaught of an hour a day!

bin · 26/07/2006 11:33

Moondog, are your children like you or in other words how come the children don't mess it all up again in a matter of minutes? Seriously how?

Sonnet · 26/07/2006 14:31

She's not sharing...I suppose Bin it does depend on a) how manyy and how old for DC's are
b) how big your house is
Also I work 3 days (school hours) so only really have 2 days per week and then find I start to resent "loosing" by days off to housework (would be nice to go regularly to the Gym for eg.

bin · 26/07/2006 16:33

Sonnet your right
Moondog, have you finished the housework yet? Time to share your secret

speedymama · 26/07/2006 16:59

I have 2yo DTS, work 3 days a week and the house is always tidy (not immaculate showroom, just presentable)because DH, who works full time, and I work as a team. He cleans bathroom & kitchen, empties bins etc plus cooks. I hoover once a week, clean kitchen surfaces and washing up as I go along whilst cooking and at the end of each day, do laundry twice a week which I iron and put away asap. The boys even pack away their toys and books now.

It is a habit and once you start, it becomes second nature. When I am at home with the boys, we have so much time to go out to the park, or I do the gardening whilst they are playing, plus I cook and freeze meals for the following week. I have even started growing vegetables. I have time to read, knit, learn German, study for my diploma in Computing, read to and play with the boys.

Being organised gives you more time and energy to do more things. You just need to start the habit and be consistent until it becomes second nature.

Han4Dan · 28/07/2006 00:21

I salute you!!!

very impressed. i wish i was like that.

Sonnet · 31/07/2006 12:50

more info Speedymama Please!!!!

My rountine is something like this:

Mondays ( working day)
1x load of laundry
Clean kitchen at end of day, sweep kitchen floor, under table
tidy before I go to bed.

Tuesday (home day)
open windows
strip mine and DH's bed
Clean Kitchen, wash floor
Clean bathrooms x 2, wash floor
Clean downstairs loo/basin
Dust and polish bedrooms x 4
Wash landing wooden floor
Hoover house
Cook and freeze meals for next 2 days
Iron bedding/re-make bed
Do any ironing there is
Another load of laundry on
Manybe have an hour before school run which gets swallowed up in chores to be done via school run IYKWIM

Wed ( work day)
Kitchen tops
Laundry on
Ironing
tidy before bed

Thur ( work day)
Kitchen tops
Laundry on
tidy before bed
Friday (home day)
Windows open
Strip DC's beds
Kitchen plus floor
bathroom x 2 plus floor
downstairs loo
Dust and polish 3 x rooms downstairs
Food shop delivered. Clean fridge and put away
More laundry on
Ironing
school run time...

see my problem - no time for me!!. Moondogs "1 hour a day" so appealed to me ....or maybe I'm too clean
ps: Saturday is washing of schhol uniforms/games kit and towel change....
Sunday is family day and no housework!

speedymama · 31/07/2006 13:50

OK, I work Monday-Wednesday so no housework other than tidy kitchen. The twins are fed at nursery so all DH and I have to do is bath them and give them their bottle before bed.

Thursday, do 2 loads of clothes washing. At 0800 hours, give the boys their breakfast. Whilst they are eating, I cook their vegetables plus potato which I mash and either rice pudding or semolina. I make enough to last until Sunday. Following breakfast, I put them on the potty,read to them, change them and then hang out washing. Following visit to park, library or shops,I give them a casserole that was cooked previously along with the veg and dessert. They then go for their nap at 1300 hours. I will then wash, tidy up and cook another meal for them, usually a meat based casserole, vegetarian stew or fish cakes. Get them up at 1500 hours, spend time in the garden before I feed them again at 1630 (salad or ploughman's lunch). Whilst they are eating, I prepare the main meals that DH and I will eat the following week.

Friday, do the ironing, reading, etc. I will vacuum the whole house before getting the boys up from their nap. Saturday, gardening etc, will cook main meal/dessert for all of us. Sunday, do another 2 loads of washing plus Sunday lunch. Vacuum living room and do ironing in the evening. DH will clean bathroom and empty bins etc.

Routine and organisation is key for my sanity.

speedymama · 31/07/2006 14:00

Thursday is really busy day for housework and cooking but Friday-Sunday, there is more time for my activities e.g. yesterday I took the boys to the park in the morning and after feeding them and putting them down for their nap, I spent time talking to DH before I read my book and he did some studying for his MBA. We then all went for a walk in another park in the afternoon. When we returned, DH looked after their meal whilst I did the ironing and packed it all away. The evening was free for us to study before watching an hour of TV before bed. DH and I work as a team and that does make life easier.

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