The Organised Mum Method

[IcanDorisIwillDoris]

Does anyone fancy joining me in following the organised mum method?

Back to work tomorrow after the summer off (work term time only) and need to get on top of a house work routine after struggling this last year or so to stay on top of things.

I suffer with anxiety and can easily get lost in my mood without structure and I like what I saw on the website. Will probably tweek the method as I go but it's a good structured plan to kick things off.

I work odd hours around the kids being at school but have a clear hour each day to dedicate to this. Plus I am sick of losing my weekends to playing catch up when I could be doing nicer things with the kids!!

Four of us in a 4 bed semi which is clean, just full of stuff that comes with having kids. It can get pretty messy!

Have done the odd bit of decluttering over the summer which has made a bit of a difference!

Looking forward to having a house that doesn't embarrass me on the odd occasion a guest arrives unannounced

I'm in. This week is definitely a boot camp kind of week, and likely that will spill into next week as I'm still figuring out how to get serious jobs done with a 3 year old and a 7 month old by my side.

However I'm so glad I've come across this method - only a few days in and I'm actually feeling excited about cleaning. Sad or what. Am I the only one? I feel like I've got a bit of cleaning mojo after way too long of doing as little as I could get away with. I'm so enjoying going to bed at night knowing the kitchen is dealt with and ready for a new day, the floors are clean, and the bathroom is clean. Bring it on. My big mission is to declutter.

Ahhh ended up getting sent down south on an overnighter yesterday so I missed two full nights of bootcamp 😭!! This evening was spent just putting the house back together after the kids had free reign with granny overnight. So the new plan is Thursday kitchen bootcamp and Friday bedrooms bootcamp. This may end up better as I get ahalf day on a Friday which should give me the opportunity to get both bedrooms properly gutted.

I must say due to the living room bootcamp on Monday all I had to do was quickly put some of the kids stuff away and it looked really clean and tranquil again. I am starting to see how 30 mins "maintenance" each week will be enough to keep on top of things.

Keep the motivation coming 😁😁

I am bloody exhausted from all this cleaning. Level one stuff done. Three loads of laundry, food shopping for meal planner, lots of kitchen cleaning including microwave, one bathroom and hall floor cleared of incredible junk. Tomorrow night need to clutter clear in hall unit and then dust. We have 3 bathrooms so going to rotate them as the Level 1 jobs.

The truth is though I am just papering over the cracks until I get stuck into decluttering and that's the bit I am rubbish at. I never seem to actually finish a room.

HAPPY KITCHEN DAY TOMMERS!

My worst day

Okay, Level 1 60% complete (laundry, beds made, dishwasher emptied). I'll do bathroom later, probably when putting kids to bed and will hoover hall quickly while hoovering kitchen.

I really don't like kitchen day and it does take me 40 minutes at least rather than 30. It's particarly messy this week too but I'll feel better when it's done.

Good luck everyone

I agree with you on kitchen day. I did it yesterday and it was well over an hour and a half, even after boot camp. A proper surface clean (removing things and cleaning under them), sink scrub, hob wipe, microwave, splash back and floors takes me 30 and should be weekly. My strategy going forward is to steal 10 mins from Hall day to get a head start and to alternate fridge clean, cupboard door/appliance wipe and detailed hob clean. Skirting boards, windows, oven etc will have to wait for Friday focus and when I get a chance to clear out a cupboard, I just don't know.

How do others manage?

Sore back today but I'm home from work about 6.15pm
My planters have arrived so tonight I will
Plant them outside
Kitchen worktops
Microwave
Wipe top cupboard fronts
Clean kitchen windows

I've been timing myself more carefully today. I'm probably not doing as thorough a job as some people, have a pretty big kitchen including a big dining table so I'm sure my timings will be different to others.

7 minutes to do - microwave, toaster, hob, splashback and half the surfaces, another 8 minutes to finish surfaces and wipe the tablecloth (which I added to the list). Another 10 minutes to wipe cupboard fronts, finish work surfaces. So I'm at 25 minutes but still need to hoover and mop the floor.

Windows and fridge probably aren't going to happen this week

So then next week you skip something and do the fridge then... the idea of little and often means if it doesn't get done it'll get done the following week anyway. I'll do the fridge tonight while I'm cooking dinner - steam mopped the floor this morning before went out on the school run. So over the course of a couple of weeks it's all been done and then it's just rolling along with it and things don't get to the point where it's "oh fuck I need to bottom the kitchen" and it takes bloody hours.

Yes, I think you're absolutely right and personally, I know I do a lot more and more regularly this way than I was managing before

Oh dear. I think this week will have to be a trial run and I'll settle in to do it properly next week when I have less going on.

This week I'm mainly reading the blog, watching the videos and getting into the mood. I'm cleaning whatever comes to hand and is convenient while watching the baby - despite doing random things on random days I'm still doing much more than usual so I'm capitalising on the enthusiasm and will get started properly next week.

Kitchen is my worst job.

Unloaded and out away dishwasher stuff
Scrubbed sink
Wiped surfaces
Wiped fridge
Cleaned table

@steala if you are on the Facebook group, somebody asked this question today and the general consensus was that you don't get it all done but do different bits on alternate weeks or move some things to the Friday kitchen focus.

I didn't do the fridge or cupboard fronts, got the rest done in 45 mins but that included a break to clean up cat sick and mop the dining room after

I’m really struggling with kitchen day but it’s because I didn’t have time to boot camp it & Im still finding storage solutions.

Steam cleaning floor & high chair after dinner as theres no point before.
& I’ll put the oven cleaner on while oven is warm after dinner just to push myself a bit.

I have managed to clean the surfaces, the spices row, the table & sort out my “to sort out” basket on the table.

Definitely need to move some kitchen jobs to Wednesday to make me focus more Thursdays.

Can I join. I started TOMM on Monday and have just found this thread.
I definetly feel more positive about housework and less guilty for not cleaning everywhere. We're part way through renovations and the dust and mud half finished jobs are everywhere.
I have 3 small children, including a baby so there's no way I can boot camp the house but 30 mins is making a huge difference, I just hope it adds up over the weeks.

Signed up to the thread as. Facebook group on Sunday keen and ready to go and the weeks hasn't gone to plan at all and we haven't been in the house which is looking awful. Still following though so I can jump back on board next week. First need a mega tidy!

I'm new to this too. Trying to do the level 1s. Did the beds, laundry and dishwasher. I am going to have to take baby steps to get the hang of this. Started cleaning the fridge - an doing it a piece at a time - so as I have some space left in the dishwasher I empty own shelf and put it in the dishwasher. Over the course of the week I will finish the fridge. My kitchen is the biggest challenge as it's huge and just cleaning the cupboards will tak
New ages so I am going to do a little bit every day until I have them all clean then hoping that the routine will be easier to do.

It would also help to have the right equipment. Have a new steam mop but still haven't opened the box. And I don't have a cordless hoover so it's a pain to get this out every day - I can't imagine hoovering downstairs every day. And the mopping.

But both DC now back at school so plan on reclaiming some time to get stuff done every day around work just because I am tired of weekends being all about cleaning - we desperately need that time back.

Ok so it's not perfect but in 30 mins
Wiped tiles, windowsills, worktops, microwave, windows cleaned, sink cleaned, washed up, put some pots away. Trainers in the washing machine and soil in planters for outside

Bits of kitchen done ✅

Ollivander84 Beautiful! I wish my kitchen looked like that!

I'm rebelling a bit tonight. Drinking cava and mumsnetting. I fear the normal balance of the universe is restored 😂

I have cleaned the bathroom, cleared counters in kitchen, washed cereal containers that were languishing unused, taking up space. So they are now in full use with various cereals filing them.

Couldn't face another day in kitchen so started on bootcamping my living room. 3 corners cleared, swept, polished and items reallocated or binned. Still have tv unit, sideboard, shelves and under sofas to do but after a mammoth battle with lo for dinner bath and bed, i lost the will so have ate my way through too much food and a wee cheeky brandy n coke 😁

Really need to do a wee bit of clearing a few bits and pieces but the willpower is gone for the day 😢

Evening all.

I’m dead proud of myself.

I did the boot camp last week (bar my DDs rooms) so admittedly there wasn’t a huge amount to do but I managed to wipe down and scrub the kitchen, load and unload the dishwasher, wipe down dining room, hoover dining room and kitchen and wipe down bathroom in 30 minutes. Add to that a load of washing.

I love following this plan. I feel so much more relaxed! I even had free moments in the day