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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Needing to streamline as much as possible

20 replies

emmama2 · 13/02/2023 23:41

I will be interviewing soon for a dream job but it's a lot more hours almost full time. It's flexible and mostly from home but I'm wanting to make our home and life as streamlined as possible. DH and DD (7) do already help. DH does outside, fish and plants. DD feeds the animals daily and tidies her room. But I want to make it as easy as possible.

I don't mind outsourcing some stuff if it makes sense for example we have a dog that doesn't shed so I do his haircuts, which makes more sense for me to do it at home than outsource. (As I trim him more often and he's happy with the set up)

I struggle massively with meal times. I feel pretty burnt out with meal planning. Any tips or things that work for you would be greatly appreciated. (I do already have a robot hoover- he's been a god send!)

OP posts:
AbsolutePixels · 13/02/2023 23:47

Mealtimes: just think of three meals that are nutritionally balanced, quick & easy to make, then rotate them. If anyone complains, tell them they can cook.

Do you iron, OP? If so, just stop doing it. Shake creases out and put clothes on hangers to dry as soon as they come out of the wash.

Original poster
emmama2 · 14/02/2023 00:03

Thankyou for commenting.

Yes reducing down the rotation of food is a good idea I have a monthly one at the moment but DH moans about not enough variety but I just don't have the band width to plan and cook all the time. But some food is better than no e or take outs too often

I don't currently iron thankfully but will have to start as DH is also moving to a much better paid job but needs to be a little more formal. I'm thinking of a handheld steamer?

OP posts:
Defiantlynot41 · 14/02/2023 13:28

Outsource your ironing! Even if it's just the shirts ... I've outsourced mine for years now, although less as I no longer wear business suits and shirts for work, so only send DHs shirts (and the one set of bedding that looks terrible if not ironed, the rest just gets smoothed out and hung or folded)

Get a cleaner

Find a less-effort meal for one night a week - microwaved jacket potato with filling/omelette/chunky soup and bread etc; batch cook favourite meals or components eg when I make a basic tomato sauce for pasta I make loads and freeze some, then add ham/prawns/tuna etc or just top with lots of cheese. Buy ready chopped and frozen onion/peppers or roast veg /soffrito/herbs and chillies - makes getting a meal under way so much quicker after work, and especially with the soffrito or roast veg it feels healthier

Defiantlynot41 · 14/02/2023 13:30

... and I forgot to say ... with both of you moving to better paid jobs it's worth thinking about how the extra money can benefit you as a family, so prioritise whatever makes you all feel good eg trips out, more home comforts etc

Cynderella · 14/02/2023 19:59

I would consider getting a cleaner who will do the ironing - well, I would probably continue to iron because it's not a big deal to me. If it is to you (and maybe it would be for me if there was a pile of shirts), then get someone else to do it.

  • Double up when you (or husband) cook - one for dinner and one for freezer.
  • Declutter - less stuff to put away. More space to store it.
  • Automate regular deliveries, such as pet food, toilet rolls, toiletries. I use Amazon Prime and Bamboo. There are plenty of others.
  • 1st of month, descale what needs descaling, or defrost freezer or whatever, so those little every few weeks jobs are not forgotten becoming mammoth tasks.
  • Put washing machine on timer, so it's spinning as you drink first coffee of day. Hang out before starting work.
MrsPerfect12 · 15/02/2023 12:50

I use Hello Fresh. It's a god send for mealtimes. I have 4 a week and that works for us.

Sucessinthenewyear · 15/02/2023 12:56

DH needs to stop helping and start taking on half the tasks. If he isn’t happy with the current meals then he can take over meal planning, shopping and cooking.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 16/02/2023 13:29

emmama2 · 14/02/2023 00:03

Thankyou for commenting.

Yes reducing down the rotation of food is a good idea I have a monthly one at the moment but DH moans about not enough variety but I just don't have the band width to plan and cook all the time. But some food is better than no e or take outs too often

I don't currently iron thankfully but will have to start as DH is also moving to a much better paid job but needs to be a little more formal. I'm thinking of a handheld steamer?

If your DH moans about it, it's over to him to meal plan and cook, too.

Ditto with ironing his shirts. Don't. He can iron them/take them to an ironing service.

Shopaholic123Go · 17/02/2023 01:26

I don't understand. If you're both working full time, why is ironing your DH shirts your job? Why is he complaining about lack of meal variety when he never meal plans or cooks?

Having routines is the best way to be streamlined, so once you're into the habit it's automatic and you don't have to think about it. I have a getting up/ready routine, a getting home routine and an evening/bedtime routine. I sacrifice one day off per week for cleaning and apart from clearing up mess I've made eg from chopping things for dinner, I don't touch the place. It all gets gradually more dirty until cleaning day when it's all done again. I'd never stop otherwise and I don't want to spend all my downtime cleaning. Have a major declutter, it makes it a lot easier to tidy up at the end of the day if people can create less mess in the first place and everything has a designated storage point. You're working full-time so stop doing everyone's personal chores. Anyone over 10 years old can do their own clothes washing, make their own beds, strip the dirty bedding off weekly and tidy their own rooms. DH can learn how to use an iron, don't make a rod for your own back there. Whoever cooks doesn't wash up. Leaving people to find their own misplaced items helps them to be less careless with their possessions in the first place, put your feet up and have a cuppa don't run round fixing every problem people bring to you.

Congratulations on the new job 🙂

DifficultBloodyWoman · 17/02/2023 02:23

emmama2 · 14/02/2023 00:03

Thankyou for commenting.

Yes reducing down the rotation of food is a good idea I have a monthly one at the moment but DH moans about not enough variety but I just don't have the band width to plan and cook all the time. But some food is better than no e or take outs too often

I don't currently iron thankfully but will have to start as DH is also moving to a much better paid job but needs to be a little more formal. I'm thinking of a handheld steamer?

I don't currently iron thankfully but will have to start as DH is also moving to a much better paid job but needs to be a little more formal. I'm thinking of a handheld steamer?

No. Just no!

Your DH can learn to iron his own fucking shirts! Why on earth are you even contemplating that this might be your job???

mathanxiety · 17/02/2023 02:30

If your H wants variety then he needs to plan meals he fancies, shop for ingredients (with an eye for budget), prepare, serve, and clean up afterwards.

You're not a restaurateur.

Hopefully he'll soon find the above is not as much fun as sitting back and eating meals you cook for him.

Maye sit down together and hammer out a two weekly rotation that will last the next three months.
In your meal plan, name the person responsible for the weekly shopping and prep of the meals. You need to alternate weeks.

mathanxiety · 17/02/2023 03:35

And extra ironing?

No!

Give your head a wobble.

RedRobin100 · 17/02/2023 06:55

Agree re the ironing. Your DH has hands doesn’t he?

what about a Hello Freshbor Gusto type box delivery for some weekdays. Might help take the pressure off. Even if you just do every now and then?

HaroldTheStallion · 17/02/2023 07:00

Echoing others - why are ironing and cooking your problem alone when you have a DH?

Carlycat · 18/02/2023 01:41

Why why why are you taking on shirt ironing? He can do his own shirts ffs

weRone · 18/02/2023 08:49

I have a getting up/ready routine, a getting home routine and an evening/bedtime routine.

Sounds like what I need. Could you talk a bit more about these please?* *@Shopaholic123Go

Binfire · 18/02/2023 09:22

It sounds like this is the perfect opportunity to have a calm discussion with your DH about how things are going to be fairly and evenly split now you’re working almost full time. Decide who’s going to do what, and stick to it.
You shouldn’t be doing any more than 50% of the childcare, life admin or cleaning just because you’re female.

If you as a couple decide to outsource some of it, share the responsibility for sourcing/ organising / paying for the cleaner or dry cleaning etc. You need to step back to allow your DH to step forward, don’t be the expert or the manager of it all.

And good luck in the new chapter of your life! I started a new job six months ago and am bloody loving it!!

Mickardoe · 19/02/2023 10:40

When you say DH helps and then that he does fish, plants and outside, does that mean it's all he does? If so he needs to be chipping in more on the daily, essential grunt work. Cooking, shopping, cleaning, washing up, laundry.

With any "traditional" male/female job split, it's so common for the bloke's jobs to be weekly or occasional, and the woman's to take a significant chunk of time every. single. day. Over a year it adds up to a massive, massive discrepancy.

If you cook, he washes up and clears the kitchen after. Each laundry load takes a few steps so he should be looking to do at least a couple every week. Laundry is a MUCH bigger job than plants, and more more important.

If you meant he already makes a decent contribution to the daily housework as well as doing fish and plants then ignore the above.

Original poster
emmama2 · 19/02/2023 15:08

Sorry if I did not make it clear. DH does a lot of the house work with me as well as cooks part of the week when I am currently working. We share all of the work but I have taken on more of the day to day as I work part time (the days that I'm working he will do the lions share of the housework) the issue I have is that he is about to start a new role where he will be working away for part of the week and I was looking at going more full time and wanted to streamline as much as possible so it's easier for everyone. DD is 7 and does a fair amount like feeding the animals, mopping, tidying the room and putting her clothes away.

The job- they loved me and want to do a second interview in a pub of all places. The issue is they can not decide what they want in terms of hours and timings. (I was looking at doing as much at 30 hours a week to fit in with DD more) as they seem to be after a unicorn working afternoons and evenings all week. (They didn't say any of this on the job advert) So I have made it very clear again what I am wanting and willing to do (was going round in circles with their Hr) so it's up to them to decide if they like me enough to make it work I should know more tomorrow if I'm doing the next round of interviews. Fingers crossed

OP posts:
Mickardoe · 19/02/2023 15:23

Fair enough, my apologies for my less than helpful post. Good luck for tomorrow 🤞🤞

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