Need a routine for housework - is fLying the only way??

[bobsmum]

I spend most of my time out of the house and if I did everything that needed done I wouldn't see the children.

I have 1.5 hours on a Thursday am at home and every afternoon from 1pm
, but still struggle .

Dh used to help with the housework once he was home from work, but doesn't anymore (says he's too tired after long commute).

My house is a tip and I feel exhausted.

Don't have a dishwasher - no room atm.

Everyone else manages and the ones who say they don't, do really because I've been to plenty of houses on an impulse invite and they're spotless.

I don't really have a strict routine but I religiously clean the kitchen and tidy the lounge every night (usually only takes 1/2hr max)and do a quick wipe clean of the bathroom sink and toilet every morning.

I find that helps me stay organised and gives the impression that my house is 'spotless' when people come over.

I do a laundry load first thing 4x a week and hoover as and when needed - sometimes twice a day and sometimes every other and a proper clean of the bathroom once a week.
I fit everything else in as and when I can.

Dh works very long hours so I get no help at all either and I also spend most of my time out of the house (and not always cleaning if I'm in!)

Rimu chore buster, that's a good website, you set the schedule to meet your needs iirc

Blimey Winter Sun, i'M impressed!

In theory, I don't work Weds so should have 8am till 4pm to clean the house from top to bottom, but there's always something to distract me (mostly MN). I can do either ground floor or upstairs, but not both.

I'm pathetically lazy.

bobsmum - you sound very stressed. I know what you mean about other people's houses being so much cleaner/tidier - I feel the same way, but when they come round to mine they say the same thing about me!!

I had a really hard time when I went back to the office four days a week, I seemed to spend all friday doing washing, cleaning tidying and hoovering. I was getting really fed up, cos the whole point of doing a four day week was to have extra time with my DD! after about 3/4 weeks I though s*d this, and decided to accept I am a slob who gets to spend fun time with my DD, (and daytime telly while she naps!) instead of someone who has a nice tidy home.

I am much happier now!

little and often works for me!! i just clear up after each meal , try and hoover first thing in a morning while dc's have breakfast (only downstairs not whole house !) tidy toys away before afternoon nap and again before tea, make dc's beds as i get them up in a morning and mine when i come back from school run. bathrooms tend to be a quick "swish and swipe" after each use so no need for hours spent doing household chores ! fwiw a mum at school said to me the other day "they wont remember a tidy house when they grow up but they will remember the fun they had" it made me stop and think

Thanks everyone - this is all good and encouraging

I know in myself I'm not ever going to have an immaculate house (dull women and all that but I would like to see the floor now and again - even if the carpet's full of holes (long story).

Like the idea of 1/2 hour blitz in the evening.

Part of my problem is dh and I have dinner after the dcs are in bed. They eat at 5pm ish and we eat at 8pm ish. By that time I cannot be bothered moving from the sofa and so everything is left there waiting til the next morning.

wE're then in such a (my fault) rush for nursery in the morning that things get left where they stand again and so the cycle continues

Not that we would ever have dinner on the sofa you understand

On bathrooms, you can get bathroom wipes in packs like babywipes. If you want a quick tart up without getting loads of cloths/gloves etc out then a wipe of these round the basin/loo works wonders. Getting kids to rinse their toothpasty spit down the plughole helps keep it clean too, save you scraping solid streaks off once a week.

To clear floors, in an emergency stick mess in a bin liner in car boot/shed/garden, forget about it for a month then throw it away, noone will notice Repeat as necessary.

I try to clean as I go, don't always feel like it but it helps to do things when u see them, especially washing up.

I personally feel hugely relieved if i go round to someone's house and it's lived in and a bit messy. I check the mantlepieces and can relax when i see bits and bobs not perfectly displayed photos and ornaments perfectly arranged. Inside I think hoorah they're human.

Curious - like the bin bag idea

The other thing I try is to have a clutter place. So for example I can go in the living room and the mantlepiece and another shelf are tidy, and random bits and bobs I stick on a table elsewhere so I can't see it. It does depend on how much space you have.

A few years ago I tried to declutter by having those pretty baskets to put clutter into - the idea is you see the basket not the mess. Sounds good. But within a fortnight I just had 2 baskets overflowing with clutter and still no place to put anything.

I understand architects of minimalist houses deliberately put no shelves in so there's nowhere for mess to accumulate. Wouldn't work for me ...

On a similar veign to the binliner ..If you haven't got a dishwasher you could put all your dirty pots in a cupboard and hide them away

I use a tesco grocery tray and put all dp's bits in there when i find them - he loves it

mainly because he can find them again..

i'm at a loss what to do with toys tho

I've also done the basket thing. I live in a seagrass and wicker emporium now - more baskets than floorspace

I did that hiding thing with dirty dishes when someone was viewing our last house

Bobsmum - I have this very same issue. Dh gets back on average 8 and quite often later so we eat late.
I clean up as much as I can whilst cooking or after cooking and tidy living room as soon as ds is in bed.
Once dinner is finished I force myself to get up, turn the radio on and tidy the kitchen, reminding myself that it will only take 15mins and is really worth it.
Dh will help as he feels guilty watching me but I'll tell him not to worry sometimes.

I know it sounds like a deranged thing to say but doing this evening blitz has really turned things around for me.

Yes, toys are definitely the hardest to tackle. Hard to keep right bits together after they've been scattered to the winds. When my son got into lego and we bought him a big toolbox from Homebase to carry it round the house in.

I got fed up with it and sometimes just do cheese on toast and then there's only two plates to wash

oh and we had burgers too that was dead easy

Baked potatoes don't need saucepans

I'm training dc's to fill dishwasher after supper, put rubbish in bins etc.

But some kids are tidier than others, my youngest (5) is very neat and the others (6,9) useless as is dh.

Bobsmum, I'm like you. It is the evenings where I am really failing. If I tidied up then & got myself organised for the next day my life/ mornings would be much improved.

By the end of the day though I am exhausted & we eat late -around 9.30-10ish by which point I have no energy whatsoever.