Anyone up for a challenge? Is your house a tip? IM GOING ON A CLEANING MISSION - Come and join me!

[LoveMyGirls]

Dp has said he will take the children out later so i can crack on with stuff round the house, whole house needs a good clean!

Who wants to join me?

So glad there is only me and DH sometimes. Just finished my job as a nanny and I did EVERYTHING for them, so I know how difficult it is keeping clean and tidy behind a trail of kids! But in my house it's the animals, oh and us 2 messy people! I don't do ironing unless I come to wear something and it's desperate; I allow clothes to pile up in the spare room before I think 'right, have to put them away and sort through all my toiletries'. I am the one to cook, clean kitchen, wash clothes, generally I hoover and dust and we each have to keep our own bits tidied away, but I still always fall behind. It's usually because I end up redoing things he hasn't done right - I am particular about the way he opens curtains for example, and he spilt lily pollen everywhere the other day so I have that to keep trying to clean! I am the one the cleans the bathroom and cleans out the rabbit. He feeds the cat, does all the bins and keeps the garden trimmed back. We both also have horses.

HOW do all you people keep on top of stuff? Currently my house is a mess, but as I said, I have just finished work as I am starting a PGCE in September, so I plan to force my way through it.

Plan for the week -

Today: Sorting my pile of papers in the lounge, cleaning out rabbit's houses, emptying some dead plants from pots, putting bins back behind garage, dishwasher, clean kitchen floor, sorting out the fridge and kitchen cupboards, and tonight I will cook.

Weds: Sorting all the toiletries, clothes and shoes out so I can get rid of the ones I really don't use.

Thursday: A cleaning day, I'll hoover and dust everywhere, clean the fronts of cupboards, dishwasher etc and clean the radiators.

Friday: Packing for holiday.

I hope I go away and come home to a spotless house!!! We have recently submitted plans for radical work and etension on the house, so all this housework is really superfluous!

Cant you do it together? Then it would be done in half the time, as you both work and have no children surely it should be split?

Anyway you asked how we cope, personally its never ending i do stuff every single day without fail, I make sure downstairs is immmaculate every night, i have points during the day when i make the kids pick up the toys they have had out, everything is washed up before bed and i never leave a room empty handed. I try to get everyone to do their share, if im coming downstairs and have an armful of stuff i ask dp to bring an armful of stuff down too. Sometimes i say will you do xxx while i do xxx and then we can get done quicker and sit down together.

Yes we do split stuff really He does the bins and puts washing in the drier, does the cat stuff; I do cooking, clean kitchen and bathroom, washing, hoovering, dusting. He does paperwork. When I was ill he did practically everything. We also have horses so we are there twice a day doing things as well. We are always busy in the house but he works 50 hours and I have just stopped my 60 hour nanny job, so it was always a struggle. We find it's the animals that make a lot of mess - rabbit needs cleaning out, gets his hay and stuff everywhere when he comes in, cats make a mess. But yes, we are messy and don't always have the inclination to tidy things up when we are tired. Today I have got a lot done, but as I said, that's because I'm not working now, so although tired cause still up at 5 to do horses, I have more go.

Sounds like you could do with getting a cleaner once you have sorted through everything, personally i would get rid of all the pets but im guessing you love them in which case as you pay childcare for children pay a cleaner so you can spend more time with your pets everyone wins!!! Or you could both make a pact that no matter how tired you are you still have to tidy up each night or spend 1 morning of your weekend cleaning?

You need to find places for things to live as well then it will be easier to put everything back quickly instead of finding yourself shoving it in a corner or a basket then later having to deal with the corner or basket iyswim? I bought a sideboard (sounds old fashioned BUT its been a life saver, I keep a draw of paperwork (which gets sorted and filed every 3-6mths), a draw for dps crap, a draw for my business stuff, a draw for dd1's stuff, draw for dd2's changing stuff etc etc!

By the way, thought I should say - I always clean up after rabbit hehe. The house is always clean, it's just the mess. We do have places for everything; we just don't always use them hehe. We have a fitted office for paperwork and books etc.

Thanks for your advice!

Sorry wasn't trying to say you dont clean your pets just im not a pet lover so spending time cleaning after them would not be at the top of my priorites, kids however as completely different, im sure you feel the same about your pets as i do about my kids, I spend forever cleaning after them