How can I keep my house clean and tidy between Cleaner visits?

[hazelnutnips]

We have a once a week cleaner. When she leaves our flat is spotless and tidy.

24hrs later it looks messy.
Another 24hrs later and the kitchen is looking grubby.
The last two days before she comes back it is a tip.
When she was ill one week we felt absolute panic until her friend covered!

I know the solutions are obvious.... Clean as I go along, declutter, make sure the kitchen is done before we go to bed. But somehow I struggle to find the time, motivation and energy!

DH does his fair share already. I'm on mat leave and he works FT.

The main problems are that our house is full of piles of laundry and we don't stay on top of the kitchen (no excuses really as we have a dishwasher and tumble drier).

Does anyone have any practical advice and tips?

Read UFYH blog and set your timer for 20 mins cleaning and then 10 mins for a cuppa. I'm afraid it's little and often to keep on top of a household.

What exactly is stopping you finding the time? Or is it really only motivation and energy stopping you? How old are DC? So many questions

Our house is like this. We were sacked by the cleaner as "it was too much work"! (Think she thought the house would start looking better after she'd been doing it for a while.)

I don't know. I have to factor in time the day before she comes to tidy. It takes hours.

Very little things.

If something is left out, put it away.
If something is spilt, wipe it
If something is dirty, clean it.
Don't EVER leave dirty dishes in the sink. When that gets out of control, you've had it. Wash up a little and often or keep the dishwasher clear of clean items and don't leave anything at all in the sink.

Keep kitchen roll and a cheapo kitchen cleaner to hand and just give things a wipe over when they need it. It only takes a few seconds.

If you see something needs to be done, just do it. Don't think about it or hesitate, just do it. You'll spend longer thinking about it than it takes to actually do it.

Cleaning should be a very small effort. 5-10 minutes a day, tops. Especially if you have a cleaner.

I have no real cleaning system and just do things as and when I see they need doing.

Very little things.

If something is left out, put it away.
If something is spilt, wipe it
If something is dirty, clean it.
Don't EVER leave dirty dishes in the sink. When that gets out of control, you've had it. Wash up a little and often or keep the dishwasher clear of clean items and don't leave anything at all in the sink.

Keep kitchen roll and a cheapo kitchen cleaner to hand and just give things a wipe over when they need it. It only takes a few seconds.

If you see something needs to be done, just do it. Don't think about it or hesitate, just do it. You'll spend longer thinking about it than it takes to actually do it.

Cleaning should be a very small effort. 5-10 minutes a day, tops. Especially if you have a cleaner.

I have no real cleaning system and just do things as and when I see they need doing.

I think you have to really want it to be clean.. ie. the motivation has to be there.

I put a load of washing on before bed each night and have a laundry basket and wicker basket in the kitchen. So I put a load on, put a load of whites in the basket and dry clothes in the wicker one.

I wash the floors before bed and hoover quickly and tidy toys around 7pm when dh gets in and takes over dc.

I try and do one big job each day if I can...sort cluttered drawers or bathroom or clean the oven.

I have an ikea trolley (retro orange one) that I fill with charity items.

I vacuum bag/give away dc clothes once grown out of them.

I also get very pissed off with it all but I am the better for it really. House looks lovely most of the time. I like fresh flowers and regularly treat myself.

good storage is key.. ikea trofast or argos have wicker baskets.

Laundry. Wash it. Dry it. Put it away. If it needs ironing you can do it before you wear it. At least it will be away not in piles everywhere. If you have loads of dirty stuff spend a day just washing and drying to get on top of it then try to keep to doing regular loads.

Don't leave a room without taking something that doesnt belong there out (mugs, papers for recycling etc).

Tidy the kitchen straight after eating so it's not a case of having to get back up from the sofa to do it later.

While the kettle boils spend that time doing something useful - empty dishwasher, wipe the sides, put a load of washing on etc.

My house was a total pigsty when mine were babies though!

Erm, find the time motivation and energy.