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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

How much housework do you do, really?

41 replies

BlueLobelia · 16/08/2021 15:52

i just feel overwhelmed.

I will start by saying that we have a large house, and I have a DH and a DS who are essentially hoarders. In addition, DH is fucking filthy, and genuinely does not see mess. A few years back (for example) I was abroad for work. I came back and he had dropped a tin of fucking cat food on the kitchen floor and just left it there.

Last year i gave up a day at work for no other reason but I was unable to keep on top of the housework. I largely work from home most of the other days (but this will change).

I do;

Morning before work
-downstairs- 30 minutes tidying.
-upstgairs- 20 minutes tidying

after lunch
-tidy kitchen- 10 minutes and a bit of an extra clean

evening

after dinner- clean kitchen - maybe 20 minutes

-quick 10 - 15 minute tidy of rooms, kitty litter trays and play room.

I think this should make our house spotless, but it does not. Our house is cluttered, smelly and covered in dog hair. We have a cleaner who comes once a week. I am trying with TOMM. But by the time I do my regular maintenance clean i cannot devote 30 minutes to a room.

And yes, yes I know my DH needs to step up to the fucking plate, but he simply will not because he does not value cleanliness at all, so just could not give a fucking shit. I am not asking for coments about DH's pain in the arsedness, but for a general and realistic idea about how much cleaning people really and truly do.

Thanks.

OP posts:

Thimphu · 17/08/2021 13:55

I should add - DH has only just started helping with the decluttering in the last few days, it has taken four weeks of me doing everything to get him to shift from 'I don't need my stuff decluttering/organising - leave it!' (right - boxes stuff in odd places full of random stuff including (in almost all of them) big bunches of tangled cables and lots of huffing and puffing when he wanted to find something) to sitting with me and getting it done in the evenings for an hour or so.
I've managed this long with it as he has his own fairly large office/man cave room and anything he leaves out I just shove it in there. I think he has realised he would actually like it clean and well organised now. It is taking ages...

We've had more than one heated argument over tidying up after yourself and not leaving stuff out this summer...we seem to be past that now...

Row1n · 17/08/2021 14:04

I loosely follow Team Tomm as well, but clearing clutter has been the biggest help for me, it makes dusting and clearing the sides so much quicker.

userxx · 17/08/2021 22:53

Once you've sorted the clutter you will find it much easier, nothing looks tidy or feels clean with shite lying around. Your lazy arse husband needs to pull his thumb out too, I'd have served him up the cat food disguised as a pie.

1BlueSock · 18/08/2021 15:33

[Op here- I name changed]

Well, last night and this morning I devoted 3 whole hours to the play room. I removed 4 bin nags of rubbish and things that could not be charity-shopped (like jigsaws with bits missing) and have 3 charity shop bags.

I have loads of Time off In lieu for overtime up my sleeve so am taking time off next week to declutter the crap out of everything.

I am feeling more positive.

theworldsbiggestcrocodile · 18/08/2021 15:55

About an hour a week and then the odd ten minutes here and there (and wipe down kitchen after cooking etc). I used to do loads and the house was spotless but I've somehow lost all Motivation for it and I just can't be bothered. It's passable and that's about it.

Mommabear20 · 18/08/2021 16:03

I do 1 room a day and have sundays off.
So for example:
M: lounge
T: kitchen
W: kids room
T: bathroom
F: hallway and stairs
S: our room
S: off.

Usually spend 30-40 minutes a day doing that room then set aside 30-40 minutes to do any tasks that need doing in other rooms, so if for example, one of the kids wet the bed, I've already got time set aside to change their beds and put the bedding in the washer. It's not perfect but it's enough to keep the house in order and not get out of hand, but I always have Sunday if things are really bad, I can use the same time to whip round the whole house.

User16838 · 18/08/2021 16:08

I agree with pp saying that it’s the clutter. You are conflating cleaning with tidying. If your house is full of clutter then you will spend forever tidying up and never manage to make inroads into cleaning. It’s impossible to clean a room full of clutter and it’s impossible to tidy clutter if more of it keeps appearing. Your DH needs to sort himself out.

Boombadoom · 18/08/2021 17:41

Tomm only works if you start with a clean house, IME.

Personally I’d book a Week off work, move DH and DS out and do the lot from top to bottom.

I spend about 1 hour per day generally tidying (3bed, 2 reception room house), emptying dishwasher etc and will then spend more time actually cleaning (upstairs one day, downstairs another) which takes approx 3 hours each, plus washing, plus extra jobs like skirting boards, reorganising they larder etc.

Tidying for an hour a day when you’re starting in a state isn’t going to get you anywhere I’m afraid.

GintyMcGinty · 18/08/2021 17:44

Get a cleaner if they are all that mucky. Worth every penny.

HungryHippo11 · 18/08/2021 18:03

An hour a day, max.
About 10--15 mins a day on laundry
10 mins a day on dishwasher, clearing sides and wiping work surfaces
15 mins a day decluttering/putting toys away etc
10 mins every other day (ish) on hoovering although eufy robovac has reduced this, was about 20 mins before.
20 mins cleaning the kitchen once a week
15 mins cleaning the bathroom once a week

happydays2345 · 18/08/2021 18:30

Declitter then partner pays for cleaner going forward

Obviouslynotallthere · 18/08/2021 18:41

I hate clutter which makes me feel claustrophobic. I have OH and 2 DS teens.
My mantra- if it ain't nailed down or in its home you had better move it pronto cause otherwise it's going to bin or charity.

NoSquirrels · 23/08/2021 14:16

I feel like our house is never clean enough. I’d say you’re doing a similar amount of cleaning to me, if the upstairs and downstairs ‘tidying’ before work = maintenance clean.

I agree with others that clutter is the biggie.

I don’t clean the DC’s rooms as frequently as I should.

Can your cleaner come more often than once a week? If your DH can’t be arsed, then someone else needs to fill his void - I’d go back to work 5days and have a cleaner in more often.

If say you have a cleaner once a week for 4 hours, can you instead have them in twice a week for 3 hours? Then the dog hair is kept on top of and there’s more of a chance the things that need deep cleaning will make it onto the rota.

NoSquirrels · 23/08/2021 14:19

@1BlueSock

[Op here- I name changed]

I have loads of Time off In lieu for overtime up my sleeve so am taking time off next week to declutter the crap out of everything.

I am feeling more positive.

Ah, missed your name change. Brilliant!

If you want a slightly more understanding version of TOMM, for people whose partners and families aren’t on board and starting with a house full of clutter (and who understands that despite best efforts clutter reappears and life happens) I really like the A Slob Comes Clean blog & podcast.

Fitschkels · 23/08/2021 14:26

Honestly…..
1h15 ish clean 2.5 bathrooms, once a week
45 minutes ish Hoover top two floors and stairs, once a week
Once a fortnight, polish and dust, inc skirting boards, 1h30 (DH job)
Daily pretty much hoover downstairs (25isj minutes)
Mop weekly downstairs (40 mins)

Daily - empty and refill dishwasher, wipe kitchen sides, wipe loos, plump up sofas, general tidy round, washing on/folded - probably 10’ish minutes in the morning and 20ish in evening, with DH doing another 20.

When the mood strikes - cupboard fronts, fridge clean, windows. Probably couple of hours a month doing jobs like this.

Blue moon - move all furniture and hoover, wash woodwork.

DC keep playroom tidy, 15 mins a day

DH keeps garden reasonable, probably 3-4 hours across a month

These keeps our house (5 bed 2.5 bath) looking quite nice. Don’t look at the blinds though.

FlipFlops4Me · 26/08/2021 19:48

Cleaner comes once a week for a whole morning and does the polishy dusting downstairs, thorough vacuuming, bathroom and then works through the next few items on the "hopeful" list - all the jobs I know need doing like cleaning a room's paintwork - all those things you think of that you know need doing and say "one day I'll ....."

My daily jobs are all the cooking, dishwasher, laundry, walking/feeding dogs, bathing/dressing husband (he's disabled), kitchen clean up after each meal. Feeding dogs. Make or change bed, daily clean of loo & upstairs sink. Quick vacuuming round. At the end of the day I clean the kitchen floor (one of the speedy mops) and leave the dishwasher running overnight. That way it's all clean and shiny in the morning.

I reckon I spent about 90 minutes a day on the house. Could be worse and should be more.

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