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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Since the lockdown, what's the state of your home?

137 replies

Times10 · 11/04/2020 14:58

We're 3 weeks into lockdown and I was hoping our house would be tidier and cleaner, but that hasn't happened so far, although we have done some tiny jobs that needed to be done for a while.

Is your home a) better b)the same c) worse since lockdown ? Us it's b mostly (but our b = untidy and not lovely) with a bit of c some days, so the opposite to what I hoped would happen!

OP posts:
Holdingmybreath · 11/04/2020 16:14

Tidy but could be cleaner.Cleaning always gets delayed by nice weather as I am enjoying my garden and putting off things that need doing outside instead of in.Although to be fair there are sacks of prunings ,leaves,last years annuals that didn't make it.They closes the recycling site on the day I planned to go.

Redwinestillfine · 11/04/2020 16:17

Much the same as usual but we are both working so not hot anymore time to clean etc

Bridecilla · 11/04/2020 16:19

Worse in places and better in some.

I've cleaned the living room and decluttered the coffee table drawers and the TV cabinet. Still need to sweep and mop.

Open plan kitchen / diner / toy area is a disgrace. I cleaned the kitchen cupboards and drawers and decluttered but didn't do the window or floor.

Dining bit has all our wfh shit

Toy area is a work in progress.. I've pulled out and sorted every toy box bar the lego mountains of shite. Wish I'd kept all the lego boxes as ds would like to have rebuilt stuff i think. Instead it's just in broken piles.

Can you tell I'm a starter, not a finisher?

Skiving now... back to it!

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 11/04/2020 16:22

2 adults WFH and 1 x 5 yr old. Trying to entertain the 5 yr old means 8 hours work takes 12 hrs so no time to clean. House looks like a tornado has hit with craft and toys every-bloody-where.

Washing pile has decreased thanks to all the sunny days though.

mamaduckbone · 11/04/2020 16:28

About the same in terms of general cleanliness, but I'm trying to do one job a day that we never usually get round to, like clearing out a cupboard, shredding old bills or cleaning an area thoroughly, so in time I'm hoping it will be better. The garden looks bloody lovely because I'd rather be outside than in!

BackforGood · 11/04/2020 16:29

Much better - or will be once the tips and charity shops re-open.

Currently we have 'piles' of stuff to go to charity shops / stuff to go to tip / stuff to go to younger relatives / stuff to be returned to people we'd borrowed things off / etc., so the house doesn't look tidy, but a lot of the work that 'we never get round to' is being done.

There has been a LOT of tidying of places we don't venture in to very often. We have a massive pile of stuff on the patio to go to the tip (or we might get a skip if they aren't too expensive).

Original poster
Times10 · 11/04/2020 16:31

@Bridecilla I’m a starter too! Often wish I finished things though as I’m sure everything would be a lot smoother if I did!

OP posts:
Bombaybunty · 11/04/2020 16:34

My house is a tip. But my garden is looking magnificent!

Original poster
Times10 · 11/04/2020 16:36

It’s interesting that it seems to be evenly distributed levels as I expected there to be more of the 2 extremes.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 11/04/2020 16:36

Mine is immaculate , it’s always relatively tidy but dh has been wfh for 4 weeks now and in between his calls / meetings / work he cleans , it gets a bit annoying after a while .

Womenwotlunch · 11/04/2020 16:38

Really clean and tidy.
My three teenage dcs have been cleaning daily
However the garden could do with some TLC. No one in my house likes gardening. Our lovely gardener is unable to come because of the virus.
I may have to make a start on the garden

Original poster
Times10 · 11/04/2020 16:38

Oh yes, our garden is looking a lot better than before lockdown.

OP posts:
MuddledUpAgain · 11/04/2020 16:38

Mines an absolute state. We're renovating and had to postpone the works that would mean upstairs was finished due to lockdown. I feel like I'm living in a building site

homemadecommunistrussia · 11/04/2020 16:39

Some bits better, but the dishes never fucking end!

readingismycardio · 11/04/2020 16:44

Disclaimer: no children!

Spotless. Cleaned and tidied all the drawers, dressing, all the rooms, washed all the bed linen, towels and decorative blankets.

We both wfh, after we finish the work day we do a blitz 30 min clean.

I did 1 drawer, cupboard/day. I didn't even feel it.

Original poster
Times10 · 11/04/2020 17:09

On the back of this thread I went to clean the bathroom. (Closing my eyes to the pile(s) of clean laundry and floordrobe in all the bedrooms)

OP posts:
Bluewavescrashing · 11/04/2020 17:11

Fucked. Hth

Bbq1 · 11/04/2020 17:23

Cleaner - because I now have the time. We do have a cleaner but only for a deep clean once a month while I keep on top of it rest of the time. I don't mind cleaning but I am usually tired after work to do much. Today, however I have cleaned every drawer, surface and handle in my kitchen. I even completely cleaned the cutlery drawer and the pan cupboards!

Mlou32 · 11/04/2020 17:28

A shit house to be quite frank.

It's usually ok, not a show home by any standards, but ok. But I've just lost the motivation to do anything at the moment and it really is like a bomb site.

IdentifyasTired · 11/04/2020 17:29

The garden is better. I've actually had time to get out there and properly tidy it up.
House about the same really. Although I have to work harder to keep the same standard. I wish I could let it slide but my mood is really negatively affected by clutter and mess so on we go.
Ho hum.

tenlittlecygnets · 11/04/2020 17:33

Much better! I now have dh and dc as house slaves! We have cleaned and tidied the world.

roarfeckingroar · 11/04/2020 17:35

The same. It's always tidy, I'm a bit anal, and cleaner is still coming (we go out).

Scruffyoak · 11/04/2020 17:36

C

delilahbucket · 11/04/2020 17:38

Much better than usual. I'm still working full time at home which is normal for me, but dp is on reduced hours, one week on one week off, so he's done loads of odd jobs, as well as the usual stuff.

randomsabreuse · 11/04/2020 17:44

We moved halfway through lockdown (keyworker so reasonably necessary) so all 3. Before lockdown we were quite sorted in old house. Arrived in new smaller house and obviously disaster state full of boxes and in need of a deep clean. Gradually improving as boxes are unpacked and unnecessary stuff is dumped in the storage unit we hired.

Nowhere near sorted though especially the kitchen which needs organising and some more ruthless decluttering to function at all rather than needing constant juggling to find space!