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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

One week deep clean- a room or two a day..anyone want to join me?

86 replies

montymum · 28/07/2018 19:31

My house is fairly tidy in that everything does have a place (even if it isn't always in its place ) and on any given day I could have it presentable for visitors within an hour. It is clean enough most of yge time.However with 3 dc and working 3 days a week teaching I don't always have the time to deep clean each room.

So this week I plan to tackle a room or two a day ( realistically once the children are in bed) and really give them a good clean (doors, skirting, floors, etc.)
This is my plan
Tonight- master bedroom
Sunday- Ironing, utility room and study
Monday- Dining room and living room
Tuesday- conservatory/ playroom
Wednesday- bathroom, ensuite and down stairs toilet.
Thursday- kitchen
Friday- 3 kids rooms, hall, stairs and landing.

Each day I will make a list of everything I need to do in each room and tick it off on here to hold me accountable!
Does anyone want to join me?

OP posts:
Original poster
montymum · 01/08/2018 20:17

Just completed the downstairs toilet. Gave every inch of it a really good scrub.
Next tonight
Bathroom
Clean bath and shower
Scrub showerscreen
Clean sink
Scrub toilet
Mirrors and windows
Tiles
Pipe work
Door
Hoover and steam floor

Ensuite
Arrange cabinet
Mirrors and window
Tiles
Pipework
Sink and taps
Shower
Toilet
Hoover and wash floor

OP posts:
5000KallaxHoles · 01/08/2018 20:38

Decluttered the massive kid toy kallax in the lounge and the same size random family crap kallax too. Much has been thrown away.

We had 27 pots of chuffing play doh in there!

RainbowDashed · 01/08/2018 20:46

My kitchen took me pretty much all day yesterday. Did the living room today.
Cleaned windows
Pulled out sofas, cleaned under them, hoovered the sofas.
Cleared out cabinet
Sorted and filed paperwork
Dusted everything
Cleaned windows & mirror
Even did the corner of doom behind the telly

I am feeling exceedingly pleased with myself :)

Tomorrow will see me doing the kids room and the cave of unknown assorted crap spare bedroom. If I don't post by this time tomorrow, send help.

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 01/08/2018 22:30

Can I join in? I'm a teacher currently on holidays but with an 8 Yr old and 3 Yr old.. Oh yeah and a 43 year old..
We had a cleaner up until June for 3 hrs a week but although they did stuff I hate like mopping floors, they were rubbish about deep cleaning. I'm doing 4 days a week from September and I'm determined not to spend my day off marking and cleaning! It tends to get overwhelming as term times are mental, so I've spent a few days sorting toys, clothes etc.. Spent nearly all day sorting my daughters shit tip of a room, bags of rubbish, clothes and toys gone and it's had a really good clean. Hoping she will keep on top of it with a 10 min tidy a day.
Like the organised mum method but not sure about even fitting in 30 mins to be fair! Although if dh would lift a bloody finger other than loading the dishwasher and sometimes putting a wash on then it could just be 15 mins...
Think I'll spend two days this week on continuing to sort toys and books and clothes, then all next week I'll do a room a day. After that's it's 30 mins a day who am I kidding, in the holidays I blink and there's shite everywhere

Original poster
montymum · 01/08/2018 22:57

Bathrooms complete. Welcome youcan'tscareme!

OP posts:
NewReality18 · 01/08/2018 23:20

My epiphany was realising the difference between DIRT and MESS. I know the hall is clean because I washed the skirting boards, doors and frames and mopped the floor. And cleaned the lampshades and mirror. Took 25 minutes!
It was MESSY because DC and DP came home and abandoned stuff. The mess took seconds to tidy away and I can sit back and relax because I know it is still clean.
Oh - and I insisted every one put their shit away because I'd made the effort yo clean so they should tidy up their stuff. I realise not all households do this!

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 01/08/2018 23:36

Oh I try to insist... The 3 Yr old says no, mummy do it, the 8 year old rolls her eyes and huffs, but halfheartedly does it and the 43 Yr old mostly does but also pretends he didn't hear me...
I think my house is pretty clean, it's the corners and the under and the sides of things...

NewReality18 · 01/08/2018 23:54

You are winning @Youcantscaremeihavechildren ! Keep on what you are doing and need your smallest one - this is the washing basket where we put our dirty clothes, this is the sink, put your spoon in it.... Lead and encourage!
You'd be amazed how a grown man can find a laundry basket ( dish washer / bin ) when the kids know where it is!

Original poster
montymum · 02/08/2018 06:37

Agree New reality the mess in our house is generally tidied away each day as I find it really stressful when it is messy. Dc3 was up at 5am (and 1am, 2am and 3.30am)this morning so I decided I might as well get on so have cleaned all my kitchen cupboard fronts, kickboard and doors. Disinfected the cat bowls and put on a load of washing. 6 year old has just woken so dh is taking over until he starts work so I am going back to bed for a couple of hours.

OP posts:
beela · 02/08/2018 06:59

Ooh thanks for the links to the organised mum method! That looks good.

I'm going to do my deep cleaning in September when the dc are back at school but following for inspiration in the meantime!

5000KallaxHoles · 02/08/2018 07:09

You'd be amazed how a grown man can find a laundry basket ( dish washer / bin ) when the kids know where it is!

My youngest has some special needs (they say dyspraxia but there's definitely more than that going on there) and she quite regularly will try to put her dirty clothes in the kitchen bin or the dishwasher.

I'm having a break today after decluttering an epic amount of crap out of the big kallax units yesterday. Might tackle the hairbobble and hairslide and assorted random shit like sparkly nailvarnish drawer but the bin's jammed and only gets collected late on today and we've got a speech therapy appointment to get to the far side of town for as well. By the end of this week I'll have done a good declutter on most of downstairs so I can spend my child free time next week tackling the eldest's outgrown clothes and my own wardrobe which needs to be emptied completely for the builders to come in in a couple of weeks and do our bedroom.

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/08/2018 16:27

Yes I agree I think the kids will shame him into doing more.
Spent all day yesterday tackling dds room and today did our massive kallax unit with all manner of craft stuff in it. Also a ton of pkaymobile that had been broken up, lost bits etc, so all decluttered now. Cleared another unit that had books collecting dust in it, now have 3 massive bags for charity ready to go tomorrow. All cleaned, just need to give the room a thorough hoover and wipe down woodwork. Still hot all my craft stuff to go through and organise but that's a good 2 hr job. Bathrooms at the weekend then hopefully a trip to IKEA next week for some more kallax so the kids can actually find all their toys and play with them. They played together really well for at lest a couple of hours today as the play mobile was out and organised, as opposed to being shoved in a dusty box with cheerios at the bottom...
Tomorrow an afternoon out then away overnight so just a couple of hours early on if I crack on to finish the room I'm on.

Original poster
montymum · 02/08/2018 20:17

Kitchen this evening. Thano fully having done bits and pieces all week it shouldn't take too long.
Floors
Splash backs
Sink
Cooker top
Toaster
Kettle
Bread bin
Skirting
Cutlery drawer

OP posts:
RainbowDashed · 02/08/2018 20:59

I bailed on my planned jobs, dd wanted the paddling pool out which meant cutting the grass so spent the day sorting the garden. We're out all day tomorrow so spent this evening cooking and ironing so as to have as little as possible to do tomorrow evening and over the weekend. Cooking and ironing in my kitchen which was registering 30° Angry

Original poster
montymum · 03/08/2018 00:02

Kitchen is looking great! Outdoor pool for us to tomorrow Rainbowdashed. Dh has taken the day off which I am so pleased about after solo entertaining the dcs for 2 weeks. He is going to take them out for a bit tomorrow evening too so I can do one final tidy round of the house before we go away for the weekend. No idea what it will be like when I come home on Sunday seeing as my childless bil is looking after the two oldest dc but at least I know it is all clean underneath any chaos they cause. Have a great weekend.

OP posts:
5000KallaxHoles · 03/08/2018 10:16

I've done the main bathroom - not mega deep clean clearing out all the cupboards level but that was done fairly recently but the bath/shower hasn't been properly cleaned since it was fitted back in February. Shower screen is clean - watermarked still but that's clean dirt and I'm OK enough with that (can't get a steam cleaner up there with where the power points are in the house).

Will carry on cleaning the kitchen cupboard fronts this evening... then I think I'm on enough of an even keel to just do things on a rota really from next week as I'll have done the worst of the filthy jobs apart from some wardrobe decluttering work I need to do anyway.

5000KallaxHoles · 03/08/2018 15:30

Kids bathroom cleaned and that was bogging - used by a 5 and 6 year old and the 6 year old is a bugger for not bloody flushing the loo after her. Think I'm now onto the easier stuff - I need to clear out the fridge and clean inside that but that'll get done after the kids are away when there's just shopping for me inside the fridge to deal with.

Original poster
montymum · 04/08/2018 07:28

Sounds like you have done really well kallax.. I am a bit envious of your time alone this week!
I have managed to complete everything I set out to do this week. Every room has been cleaned really well. So on Monday I will start the omm I think to keep on top if it all. Have a good weekend.

OP posts:
Chalady · 04/08/2018 11:11

I have oak kitchen cupboards (not real oak unfortunately) they get covered in fingerprints, and are so hard to get off.

Everyone is doing so well. Im not!

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 05/08/2018 09:39

This heat and a night out on the booze put paid to most of my plans... But Friday morning I did 4 hrs on our spare room, organising and throwing out a ton of crap, it's all clean now, the cobwebs were ridiculous!
I've done a few small jobs in the kitchen, going to sort that tomorrow as it's a massive task, cupboards all need wiping out etc. Still managed to clean the fridge and one cabinet, tops of fridge and freezer and sorted the kids toys too.
Front room today, it's minging...hoping a couple of hours to get that done before it gets too hot.
It's so difficult getting all this done in the holidays, I'm constantly thinking I need to get the stuff done but also need to get the kids out, doing activities etc, see friends..
Lots of guilt but sorting out all our shite is really important too as then we will have a more organised house and hopefully more time to spend together as a result!

Original poster
montymum · 05/08/2018 10:22

Chadlady have you tried a flash magic eraser on your cupboard fronts, they remove everything.
I definitely agree with the difficulty of getting it done over the holidays that is why I have been doing it once they are in bed but doesn't leave much down time. I do find at least that as I go out each day with the children they aren't in the house making more mess.

OP posts:
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 05/08/2018 17:10

I might try doing a few bits in the evenings this week, as just need to get out during the day.
Having said that I've just done the front room, then the bathroom downstairs too, 3ish hours and I'm shattered, it's so hot! All lovely and v clean now, also decluttered and sorted out loads of storage, really pleased I did it.
Kitchen tomorrow, then just the bedrooms to and 2 more bathrooms to do... Just..

5000KallaxHoles · 05/08/2018 17:37

Kids went away with their dad today for the week but I got so far ahead of myself last week when they were here that I'm doing OK (planned to start next week in earnest).

So planned for this week on top of normal cleaning round is to clear out DD1's wardrobe for sure as half her long sleeve tops come somewhere like 3/4 sleeves and she's had the growth spurt from hell, start on my own wardrobe which is going to be a bloody nightmare (needs to all be emptied out for builders to start... but also we're away on holiday prior to that so I need to declutter, holiday pile, pile for now, pile to store till builders are done and just finish up really going over the kitchen (cooker's terrible). So thinking I'll go onto the weekly Organised Mum rota from tomorrow but overspill into the kitchen "big" jobs from the lounge (it's all open plan so it counts) and then buy myself a couple of days to focus down the bedroom stuff at the end of the week.

Then it's just keeping on top of it - we're on about possibly considering putting the house on the market sooner rather than later so I need to get a handle on the cleaning better than I have been, especially since I'm going back to work a bit too.

Original poster
montymum · 05/08/2018 22:09

It feels so good when it is done doesn't it and never is as bad as I think it is going to be.
The wardrobe thing sounds challenging kallax, I hate packing for holiday at the best of times as you can't actually get it all done until so close to when you are going.. always have to have a list of things I can't pack until the morning ( kids nightime comforters etc) but I hate the fact I can't just get the job complete in one go.
We got back from the wedding today and walking in the house it was still looking and smelling lovely and clean. So tonight I literally tidied the usual kitchen bits, gave each bathroom a quick wipe down and hoovered the floor.
Will start omm normal rota tomorrow.

OP posts:
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 06/08/2018 08:43

kallax I found that moving did give me the motivation to have a really good clear out, we packed away a few boxes of things like ornaments, books etc, just thinned things out really, then we were partly packed and it was easier to clean before viewings etc.
Plan for today is kitchen... I'm going in! Wish me luck...