Rock The Housework Chat

[BogRollBOGOF]

www.rockthehousework.co.uk/

Anyone else rocking the housework?

My housekeeping was always somewhat chaotic, and since these were launched, my house is far more functional and a podcast away from actually looking rather orderly, even at short notice.

I tend to pick what I need each day rather than following the tradtitonal TOMM, but do refer back to that to help get some jobs done if they're in danger of being neglected.

I think my most used tracks are the "Calm Laundry Put Away" the "Bitesize Bathroom Blitz" and the "Quick Kitchen Turnaround"

Ds3 (9) took to his room with a hoover and damp cloth and did the kid's bedroom cleaning mission, complete with headphones, yesterday. I was expecting him to be lying on his bed when I put my head around the door but he was like a boy possessed cleaning his drawers. That £3.50 is an investment. 😁

Meanwhile, I have been a little slack today. I was primed to do a cull of the too-small clothes in my older kid's bedrooms today but got sidetracked by life. It might still happen, I suppose.

Just made it through the oven clean podcast. It's the kind of cleaning when you feel like a shower is in order afterwards. I'm at a significant disadvantage because all the useful chemicals to make the job easier make me wheeze and so I am limited to the (placebo) magical cleaning qualities of bicarb and vinegar.

It's cleaner than it was to start with, so good enough. At the end Gemma mentioned a ceramic scraper thing for the glass which sounds like it would be useful. I've got it on prime so the door is in for a do-over.

Monday is living room week which is easy in this house. It's far too small to let in get in a state so no dramas staying on schedule this week.

Great work!

We've been away and the washing-up was delegated to the DCs 😁

I was looking forwards to using the post-holiday unpacking podcast, but have been a bit too efficient. We headed back early and got home early afternoon having dodged the traffic, and I got through 80% of the laundry. Plus no tents/ camping gear this year which really helps.

The packing one helped me to focus. I get the DCs involved in packing clothes but do veto and bag them, so there's still a lot of thinking in triplicate which boggles my brain. It's like catching butterflies. I think I've packed something, and may even get as far as handling it, but then something else distracts me.

I've just signed up to this. The two person one was great (dh and I working in harmony, and someone else telling us what to do not me!) I'd love more of those.

Well done with the laundry mission @BogRollBOGOF! It's always best to hit the ground running. We are camping in the Lakes next week and the weather looks a bit rainy 🙈. Packing will be easy - just take everything but the return laundry will be brutal.

Did the kitchen deep clean today and I'll do a bathroom deep clean to keep on track with TOMM. Things are looking pretty decent around here if I do say so myself. Usually the first week back to school is scraping down the walls but this year is shaping up to be far more civilized.

That sounds good @Dropthedonkey. I haven't done any of the - all hands on deck - ones yet. It'd be interesting to see how that'd go.

Enjoying this thread. 😄😄 I haven’t tried the all hands on deck cleans yet as everyone is on different schedules but definitely need to delegate more as it gets me a bit down when everything (most things domestic ) seem to be my responsibility!!

i really rate the Level 1 guided sessions as they used to take me much longer and I couldn’t seem to get the tasks to 15 minutes. But Gemma just keeps you moving very quickly and i have seen consistent, gradual improvement since following RTH. The message about just doing 15 or so minutes and then tools down is healthy though it was difficult to fight my perfectionism first, I am getting better at ‘good enough is good enough’.

I am back at work soon which is when things get a lot more hectic and difficult to fit in so sometimes only manage L1s each day with the occasional 15 mins of a L2 and then the CBA clean and after dinner kitchen clean on RTH. if I manage to keep kitchen clean and L1 jobs, it all rocks over ok until the weekend and a deeper clean at half-term. 🙈

Also, Dirty 30/ upstairs/ downstairs catch up are really good during busy term time for me. But know it is better to keep up with L1s - 3s if possible.

I need to crack on with a Dirty Thirty or something similar. I was my future friend before going on holiday... and the post-holiday honeymoon is wearing off 😂

It's mainly laundry and refreshing downstairs that needs doing. With special attention to the shoe collection invading the hall.

I mentioned wanting to do a dirty thirty and dh got excited for a minute

😂😂😂

DH is probably excited by me having done a Dirty Thirty 😂

He's naturally cleaner than me... except when it comes to dealing with his bloody yoghurt pots.

The house is now a Beat The Clock better. The hall was a priority and some of the other multi-room cleans overlook it. It also meant I could get around the playroom and lounge. The kitchen's functionally grubby* IYSWIM and easily redeemable in a 15-20 min clean on it's own.

• not a total biohazard 😂

Something I love about these sessions is I know what I can fit in. I had an hour to spare before an appointment and a 35 min session was perfect. I'd never pull off 3 rooms on my own and would struggle with one! I'd have just wasted that time otherwise.

Inspired, I did a dirty thirty this morning - I was under the impression it was a declutter thing until your earlier posts.

Urgh, can't believe I was on here a week ago crowing about how good things were looking. One hectic week later and it looks like a bomb has hit it. There's just no leeway in the summer holidays between events, sleepovers, drop ins and generally more bodies in the house than usual to not be thrashed after a good few days of dropping the ball. That'll teach me. And we are going away tomorrow and nothing good happens when all the drawers get up-ended while clothes get packed and cupboards are raided for camping food. Pah.

Hi all, I would love to join... a week after we returned from holiday and the house is still not back to normal and it wasn't great before either - I definitely need some help!!

I've downloaded the TOMM book and will print out some of the free downloads too. I just can't see the wood for the trees at the moment...

Tomorrow I will start Rock the Housework and listen to a few podcasts when I have chance

You won't regret it! It's just so much more managable than trying to self-motivate.

I've never managed to keep up with the method itself but sometimes use the day's theme to target a certain area. It's the podcasts that really bring it together for me.

I'm looking forwards to trying out today's new drop. I'm going to need it by the time we're fully back to normal next week. I'm not looking visitor-ready, but it's not a deep mess, and I'm happy that each room can be restored to order fairly easily.

I like the way Gemma say's "it's only mess" and accepts the inevitable, and it's not about trying to be perfect and keeping it that way.

I'm planning on doing the 75 minute one she dropped today! Just need to wait till 7th or 8th day after my girls go back and I've got the energy!

I think I need a structure to what I'm doing - just picking episodes randomly will not get my whole house done! I guess I need to read more about TOMM but I just want a podcast to do it for me!

The tomm session r on rock the housework so could do the daily sessions , in a weekly structure. Starting at day 1 week 1

I have a child-free day off today and tomorrow, so am planning on doing the 75 minute reset today and then the one level deeper cleans tomorrow.
Wish me luck!

Have had to rethink this - we have a townhouse with a living room and bedroom on the middle floor, and toilet on each level
New plan is to do room-by-room resets and the new stair deep clean as I'm prone to dumping junk on them

@LexieLoos my friend used to have a house like that - do you find the different layout easier? She liked it more except the kitchen was very small!

@Dropthedonkey the book does a 'start here' section, if you wanted to read that? Or there are a couple of podcasts which might help:

Gem's Top Tips for starting TOMM

Where do I even start

I'm still at the very beginning and need a major declutter

I needed a major declutter but honestly just start. I think the thought of decluttering first seems just overwhelming.

Seeing the improvements from TOMM is massively motivating to declutter, and I rhen watch/listen to Dana K White of A Slob Comes Clean while I declutter in spare moments. You're not allowed to say this on the TOMM FB group but Dana is the absolute QUEEN of decluttering. No making piles. No mess. Using both together has been a game changer for my house.

Thanks so much for the "where to start" tips!

To be honest, the layout doesn't really work for us
The bedroom on the middle floor is supposed to be the main bedroom with en suite, but we use it as a second office/dumping ground.
When people come over I just find it weird to have a bedroom right next to the living room for some reason
Also, there are lots of stairs!