The Organised Mum Method thread 2

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Since we were all so chatty and supportive on the last thread, let's keep it going. We're not all mums, not all organised, but we're getting there!

For new joiners: check out www.theorganisedmum.blog for the basics of Level 1 and Level 2 jobs and then come and chat about it!

@lazylinguist i think the idea is to
incorporate those tasks into daily life so they just become part of you routine. They aren’t ‘proper cleans’. So I straighten the duvets/pillows when I take the kids up to clean their teeth in the morning, I have a rota for the washing so I grab that days stuff (towels/whites whatever) and pop it in the machine either on the way downstairs or after the school run. The floor clean is literally just push the hoover over the main traffic areas, I do about 2 mins hall, into the living room central area only and round the kitchen and I usually do it at the end of the 30 min clean when I have the hoover out anyway. The bathroom one takes longest, but probably 5-10 mins, again I have a rota for what I clean each day but the basic is just a wet micro fibre cloth over the sinks/loo which keeps them clean through the week. Then one day I’ll do a thorough loo clean, one day do the shower etc. Doing all of that daily has made the biggest difference to me this year in feeling that I can cope with the housework.

We have 5 toilets here and I use wipes(on seat and lid, toilet brush in the bowl) but if I wasn't using wipes I’d use spray and a cloth and then chuck the cloths in with a load of washing after I’d used them once.

Is this thread still going?? I’m hoping o start the TOMM method now I’ve done some decluttering

House is pretty clutter free, it’s just the cleaning I can’t keep on top of. I’ve got 3 weeks until I start back at work 2 days a week - those will be my days off cleaning I think (rather than the weekend), I’ll be too tired in the evenings to do anything.

My first day will be tomorrow! Nervous about getting all the Level 1 jobs done as I have 2 bathrooms & a downstairs loo. I’ll set a timer & see how I get on. The floor tidy will always have to be done after DS1 has gone to bed.

I’ve done all my Level 2 jobs today & just waiting for DS1 to go to bed for me to tidy the lounge floor which will complete my Level 1 jobs. Has definitely taken more than 45 minutes... I could easily spend 15 minutes just on the bathrooms. Plus if I do a load of washing - I have to hang up the wet bits & put away bye from the tumble dryer - that’s 10 minutes at least!

I think it’s just me on the thread 😂 today I tackled the bedrooms. Absolutely impossible to dust, hoover & change (& wash) the bedding for 3 bedrooms in 30 minutes. I’ll have to alternate the beds (DC one week, ours the next). Rooms are already tidy believe it or not (we recently did a big toy cull, we don’t have a play room & toys go away in various boxes each night). Most level 1 jobs are done, with a final floor tidy done when DS1 goes to bed at 7.

Feeling knackered today BUT I had a think & I got everything done in just over an hour. Considering it was the first clean I think I did ok. It’ll get quicker I know. Also the first time I listened to the playlist - I LOVED that! DH thought I was a bit crazy dusting along to Dolly Parton 😂

Oh - my brother is popping over on his way home from work & I love that I don’t have to run around cleaning & tidying before he gets here

Not just you! I am trying to get back into the swing of things after having a baby. I had a c-section so cleaning was out for a while but DD is now 8 weeks. However finding it hard to even fit the level 1 jobs in on the days my older DD (2) isn't at nursery! And by the evenings I am shattered. Good to hear it's working for you 😁 Dolly Parton is always great motivation

I’ll join you both! I’ve fallen off the TOMM wagon and am trying to get back on. We have 5 people staying on and off for 9 days this christmas and I’d really like to have the house clean. I do my TOMM days differently, because of my work, so although it’s a Sunday I’m on bedrooms. I’m focusing on mine this week.

An ill house meant I have fallen behind but still managed to do level 1 jobs each day. Today my friends visited & I was so pleased to not have too much to do, just the kitchen mainly (which was lucky since we ended up spending most of out time in there). I’ve changed the level 1 bathroom cleaning slightly. We have 2 bathrooms & one cloakroom - each day I’m just going to do one room. It’s too much to do all 3 along with everything else.

Littlehouse I had my c-section 12 weeks ago - the recovery is TOUGH!

Hoping to have a proper TOMM week & a housework free weekend

Yay @dinosaurtin, Christmas is definitely an added motivator isn't it!

@happytobemrsg Congrats on your little one - c-section recovery was not fun but don't think I can use it to not clean anymore! So have to get back into gear. One bathroom each day seems fine to me - they're still getting cleaned at least once a week!

Do either of you have the app? I have just downloaded it. I normally don't get apps I have to pay for but am hoping it will help me stay committed!

May I join? I’ve followed TOMM for about a year but only just seen your thread.

I’m a childminder and do my best to squeeze it in between my job and own children, no big hour long cleans or immaculate rooms but good enough is good enough for me.

Hi, please can I join?

I've been following TOMM for a year now, it's kept me going through some dark moments. I am now a bit in love with my slow cooker.

Hello 👋🏻

Yep I have the app. I write everything on my phone so it’s very handy to have a reminder of what needs doing & I love ticking off things on a list

Just finished doing the living room while DD(2) had her nap so of course now she's awake and is busy making a mess again 🙈 I have resorted to beebies to keep her entertained but don't want to do that every day!

Just finished doing the living room while DD(2) had her nap so of course now she's awake and is busy making a mess again 🙈 I have resorted to beebies to keep her entertained but don't want to do that every day!

I'm going to casually pull up a chair here too (waves at littlehouse from the September babies threads). No c section here, but me and DC both agree that the first few months are for breastfeeding on the sofa, so not getting very much done at all. The level 1 jobs are way more than I've been getting to, so I'm interpreting it as doing ANY bathroom cleaning each day, getting the floors picked up at least once in the day (looking at you, Lego fiend DS(6) and chaos spreader DD(3)...), making beds and of course, the March of the Laundry. Which is way more than 15 minutes! Laundry and meals rule our life at the moment.
I'm doing the level 2 stuff as an when in the appointed day. It doesn't come to 30 mins, but it's better than nothing, and it's all progress...

Hi @DustyDoorframes! I'm with you on the laundry! It feels like I run a launderette, how is that supposed to be one of my jobs to fit into 15 mins? And I haven't even got back to the reusable nappies yet! 🙈

I find it really hard work doing it with DC around. My DD3 always wants to help and then I get hardly anything done. That said I’ve managed to get on today in the kitchen whilst she played cafes. It least the room is clean now even if half of the cupboards are emptied onto the floor

I’ll be honest and say the daily laundry doesn’t work for me, it feels never ending and like washing is constantly hanging everywhere drying. I’m a childminder and I don’t think it gives a very good look to the setting!

So instead I do it all on Friday evening and Saturday mornings. As it dries I fold it away in to the relevant person’s basket and on a Sunday evening we all spend 10 minutes putting it away ready for the week.

I know it goes against TOMM but it works for us.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat I think if that works for you that's great, adapting tomm is definitely part of it. I have found the daily laundry a game changer (although do hate that it's always hanging in the house in winter). We're a family of four who use reusable nappies and when I tried to just have a washing day it meant I was always behind. This way I actually feel on top of washing and know the bedding, towels etc are being done often enough too!

Absolutely and probably when mine were small that would have suited me better too. Mine are older now, 16,13,and 9 and so more predictable in how our routine shapes up. Bedding is still done on a Tuesday and I do towels on a Wednesday.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat that gives me hope! We do laundry every day or the pile would eat us - family of 5, with one in (part time) washable nappies. And beds are not changed especially often (well. The 3 year old's is changed VERY often at the moment due to bedwetting dramas...). It would not be remotely possible to do our laundry all in one day, so v glad to hear that day may come. Eventually.