Please help settle this argument

[KMG2019]

Hi all

I am desperate for you to reply and tell me your cleaning schedule (in brief) my husband is constantly telling me there is something wrong with me and im not normal because i do this on a weekly basis - NOTE i do not do any cleaning during the week other then the kitchen and hoover downstairs only.

Weekend

-Sheets changed
-bathrooms cleaned / toilets
-remove all things from shelves and dust - even each toy and lego house!

• dust windowsil
• clean mirrors
• dust door frames
• hoover and mop throughout
• wipe down skirting boards with anti bac wipes

In total this is around 3 hours for a 4 bed house with 3 kids.

Laundry gets done as and when its needed during the week.

I do the same on weekends, as did my mum all through my childhood.. it's catch up time!

Though I don't berate myself if it doesn't all get done in one go!

Yep, sounds perfectly normal to me. What are his objections?

I wouldn't have time to do all that dusting, skirting board wiping and mirror cleaning each week, but don't think it's unreasonable.

Is the cleaning schedule impacting on family time at all?

I don't dust door frames every week and I can't see why skirting boards would need anti-bac wipes on them (plain water shoudl be fine, or a squirt of washing up liquid in the bucket if they are grubby)

but it's not over the top unless it is stopping you doing things with the family, or you get overly stressed when things get messed up again

I do those things on a weekly basis (except when wiping down skirting boards etc I don't use antibac because I think most antibac products are just a marketing ploy that play on people's anxieties around germs etc), I also clean out the fridge weekly.

What does he think is 'wrong' with you?

Well it depends really. Would you say no to weekend activities to stay home and do this?

I top to bottom my house once a week doing all what you have written, takes about 2/3 hours, if i leave it any longer then it just takes twice as long and i do like a clean house.

That's perfectly normal and quick for such a massive house. It would take me twice as long but I am very slow and get distracted.

I do the organised mum thing, which is basically that spread over the week. No antibac here, and I probably don't do door frames quite so religiously, but I spend 2.5 hours a week on a 3 bed house with no kids, 1 hairy dog and a catering business being run out of the kitchen. V quick hoover and sink wipe in the bathroom most days, laundry whenever it needs done (2-3 times a week).

My house is in a state which means somebody could call round any time and I wouldn't be embarrassed (there is clutter in our hall at the minute because we are selling our car, for example, but it is temporary and ina clean space so doesn't bother me). My husband thinks its a bit OTT but appreciates how important it is for my mental health so does his share.

Agree you don't need anti bac wipes on the skirtings. They had for environment and anti baccng everything is not good for your health. Soap and water is perfectly adequate.

Doing things like wiping the skirting boards / door frames and dusting individual toys does seem a bit ott to me. They would be monthly rather than weekly tasks in my house.

Is he getting frustrated that this amount of cleaning is eating into family time at the weekend? Or that you are expecting him to help clean to a higher standard than he deems necessary? Do you get upset if something prevents you doing your weekly clean?

We do this:

• laundry
• washing up

We'd do this if the cleaner didn't:

• kitchen
• hoover and mop throughout
• bathrooms cleaned / toilets

We aspire to do this a bit more, erm, frequently:

• Sheets changed

This seems like overkill on a weekly basis (our cleaner rotates these jobs):

• remove all things from shelves and dust
• dust windowsil
• clean mirrors
• dust door frames
• wipe down skirting boards

Having said that, it's only a problem if you're stressed, or dragging out everyone's routine in order to get it all done.

I spread it during the week, but I'd say I do more cleaning than you.

I base it on the Organised Mum Method, but actually do a bit more each day.

Bathroom is lightly cleaned daily, more thoroughly cleaned weekly. Same for the kitchen.This includes cleaning of tiles, kitchen cupboards, light fittings and switches, scrubbing kitchen sink, microwave and fridge clean etc.

Most rooms are hoovered 2/3 times weekly. High traffic areas (hall, living room, stairs, kitchen) are hoovered and mopped (except for the carpeted stairs) daily.

Windows, woodwork, mirrors, dusting is done weekly in each room/area. (No anti-bac though!)

Sheets are changed weekly or fortnightly.

Washing is always up to date.

It's the basic needed to keep a household running. I wouldn't like to do it all weekly in one big push though, surely it gets a bit minging in between cleans - particularly the bathroom/kitchen.

Doing it little and often means it doesn't interfere with family life too (no way would I want to spend a valuable half a day at the weekend just cleaning), and it never gets dirty, so if we need to miss a day or two due to illness or other commitments, it's still perfectly presentable.

Only thing I probably wouldn't think to do is the skirting boards/doorframes.

Two bedroom/bathroom house, the OH gets roped in if he's up, takes about three hours on a Saturday morning (just us and two cats). He deals with his pit the spare room/recording studio.

House is sparkling clean afterwards, I'm happy.

Did your OH grow up in a messy house - or did the housework get done during the week when he was at school, so thinks the piskies do it?

Sounds normal to me, although I wouldn't use anti bac wipes on a skirting board. Perhaps a duster or a damp cloth instead.

Sounds normal except for the antibac wipes on skirting boards. Why? Especially as the use of these is environmentally wasteful and obsession with germs is now known to be contributing to leukaemia and other illnesses. You need your microbiome so don't kill it with antibac products!