If you find it quite easy to run a household, would you mind sharing your wisdom with me?

[Janni]

I'm starting to think it's not about how many children you have (I'm better now I've got three than when I had one), nor how much space you have (I've lived in all sorts of dwellings and struggle wherever I am). I don't think it's about whether you have a cleaner (when I did I half-killed myself shoving things in cupboards and drawers before she came). I've tried Flylady - I just spent even longer on MN.
I know all about decluttering and I don't think clutter is the problem. I'm not interested in a debate on the division of labour between partners. What I want to know is this: What do you say to yourself each day to keep on top of things? How do you do the same things over and over and not give up? How do you stay on top of things even if there are unexpected events that throw your routine out of kilter?

In short, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

My mum always said she wasn't allergic to dust as long s she left it where it was - it was only if she stirred it up that it got up her nose!
Can I have inherited her mindset?
So how come my brother often puts the hoover round and/or tidies the kitchen for them when he goes over? I'm already planning a major cleaning spree before he comes to stay next week - gulp!

Well I suppose it IS encouraging to know that it can be done and that it's a question of developing the right mindset. I'm already trying to put some of your wisdom into practice.

No time like the present and no present like time. Spit Spot.

Well they say it takes a couple of weeks to form a habit, or something like that. So maybe you could draw up some kind of schedule for yourself with one room/ job per day and come hell or high water make yourself stick to it for say a month. Maybe you'll get into the swing of it and it will start to come easier..

I always do a load of laundry at night, and generally tidy up as we go, like the idea of leaving a room as you want to find it. So all washing up done before bed, bathroom left nice and tidy for the morning, surfaces cleared of clutter etc.

Dh cleans the bathroom and utility room at the weekend and cleans the cat litter tray everyday.

I run the vacuum in the kitchen/livingroom and mop twice a week; tuesdays and thursdays.

I change sheets once a week, ds' on saturday with towels, ours on sunday.

Dust and vacuum livingroom and bedrooms every 2 weeks. I aim for once a week but in all honesty it just doesn't happen.

Janni, I painted a blackboard on the back of the kitchen door (so as we could not lose it ) and anything that is urgent/needed/phone numbers, to be done etc goes on the board. Everyone has to check it to see what they can't be arsed with but have to do.
Sadly we are also on the 'raised by wolves' thread and the board is as organised as we get.

My mother used to make lists and anyone who came to the house got something to do..the insurance man was once made to clean a scrambled egg pan.

I make sure that we have lots of visitors. I am naturally slovenly but hate anyone but my nearest and dearest to know it, so the house gets a good clean when 'outsiders' are on their way.

ROFL at GentleOtters mother

Shall try when the JWs next call round

They always appear about tea time

What i do/try to is.

Monday
washing/drying
Ironing
Hoover/dust downstairs

Tuesday

Ironing (only what needs it. FOld things straight from tumble dryer and put away)
Clean bathrooms

Wednesday

Clean kitchen
Washing/drying

Thursday

Hoover/dust upstairs
Ironing.

Friday

Clean bathrooms
Hoover/dust downstairs.

I wipe kitchen sides down everyday after i have loaded the dishwasher. Tidy up DD's toys when they have their dinner (only quite time after dinner books,puzzles)

I don't to housework at weekends other then generaly cleaning (wiping kitchen side) as DH has the weekend off so do I.

But if i decide to have a big tidy eg I need to sort out our bedroom throw/give to charity clothes which no longer fit/wear or is marked. Then i will only do the bear minimum to keep downstairs clean and tidy in case of visitors .

interested to know more about the systems: Anna888 can you share yours? Miaou and other VV competent people, more detail please....

We have a particular problem with laundry, just cannot seem to get it together and put away. But suspect problem is we're lazy gits actually and don't care enough (though wish I did care if that doesn't sound too much like a contradiction...)

I can never get to that state of mind TBH faced with an impossible mountain of crap or sitting on MN, hmm what do you think comes first...?

And do WOHM have these systems too? When dya get to sit down with the wine and chocolate?

I have systems in place too
monday - ignore the washing
tuesday - ignore the bathroom
wednesday - ignore the bedroom
thursday - ignore more washing
friday - ignore the kitchen
saturday - vaguely tut at dh about the state of the house
sunday - pick up crap, chuck in the spare room, shut the door

bet you lot think I'm joking

i find it easy...

Every day before school - wipe kitchen down, table and put dishes away. Hoover.

Get back from school run - eat.

Then run duster over surfaces everywhere. Clean bathroom - only takes a wipe every day and a squirt of bleach in toilet. Check towels are clean - if not put in basket and replace.

Check kitchen floors - if need mop, do now. Run over small B-room floor too.

Clothes washing - wash, straight in tumble drier. keep eye on clock - remove, fold in to each persons pile. put away.

Think of what to have for tea.

Do post as soon as it come in, write/store everything in diary, and write DH's things on his calenedar.

Food shopping is every Saturday. DH manages garden/outsdie areas and changes the bins for me.

We have a 2 bedroom flat and 2 children, 5 & 3. I'm 35 weeks pg.

Key is to do little every day - doesnt take 2 mins then. Every day i am done by 10.30am.

What is this roomba of which you speak?

we also have a rule at our house not to go upstairs without taking something with you to put away!

My mum was anal about stuff when I was young and Mondays were hell because it was cleaning day!!

I refuse to do that so it is as and when but stuff does get done. Clean the bathroom while you do your teeth.

Open the windows to get some air in.

Keep cloths and cleaning stuff upstairs and downstairs so you can clean even if you havent planned to!

Now we have a dishwasher the kitchen is much cleaner and tidier and I try and leave it as I want to find it in the morning.

Laundry is washed and dried and then piled onto my bed to be sorted into piles...one for me, one for DH, one for the boys.

I do the shopping and DH does most of the cooking.

ratbunny, shouldn't that be dustbunny?! I love your system.
I would love to reach some of these vertiginous heights of cleanliness and orderliness but over the last 5 years have gradually lowered my standards and expectations so that I can get by with merely doing laundry - and am now campaigning for clothes to be kept till they are really dirty (though it doesn't save much yet, with DS's 3 & 5). I used not to understand why people needed dishwashers and tumble dryers. How naive I was.
I know I should spend the evenings cleaning once the children are in bed, but MN is seriously more enjoyable (as long as I log off quickly when I hear DH's key in the door)

well, mumnet doesn't help

I keep on top of everything by spending an hour a day cleaning. I then clear out clothes, drawers, cupboards once a month on a saturday. Washing is done daily (with 6 of us, one in washable nappies) it soon mounts up if left. washing is folded daily.

Once you get on top of it, its easy to keep it tidy.

I have that rule collision but it ends up with piles of crap on the stairs as I'm the only f*ker who takes anything. How do you enforce that rule? Or the one about putting toys away, or hanging clothes up?

my top tip is train your DH well he does the ironing as its his workshirts that need doing most often and he hoovers every other evening, I put washing on timer at night so its ready to dry in the morning, set breakfast at night, get clothes ready to save arguments etc, tidy as we go - I completely agree with leaving rooms in a reasonable state esp kitchen at night.

With regard to sorting out washing - if space permits, have a basket for each person in the house which you keep by your machine (in laundry room if you have one). Plus one for ironing.

As washing comes out of drier / off line it gets folded and put into correct basket. I find it much easier to put washing away if I'm only doing one full basket all destined for one wardrobe.

Apparently the trick is to never leave a room without taking something with you that should live in the room you are destined for and putting that thing away as soon as you are at your destination. Quite hard to remember that trick, I find.

Gentleotter's mum has got to win the prize for ingenuity. Ratbunny's system is familiar to me, but, with respect, it's one I'm trying to move away from.

janni - i generally find it's ok as long as you dont go in the spare room!

seriously though, I like the idea of always taking something with you when you leave a room.
but what stops me from being a tidy person is that dh never clears up after himself and I am not going to pick up his crap, so we live in a pigsty! I resent tidying the house while he is playing his bloody computer games, so it looks like I have to resign myself to it...

Ratbunny - Sadly we don't have a spare room and that excuse about the DH is also EXTREMELY familiar to me

Spend time in the evening, preparing for the next day.

No-one mentioned Flylady (that I noticed) but she does have a "system" for those not inclined naturally that way, if you can filter it out of all the other fluffy bits on the website. Essentially it's a version of what's been mentioned here: do a bit each day and have a regular routine, also don't procrastinate. But I needed it spelling out in very precise terms.

off to shine the sink now, err, wash up the supper things actually

I WISH we could afford a cleaner as I find it all so very boring. Sadly it is a necessary task and while we are both working the house only gets a proper clean once a week but things like hoovering, dishes, tidying, etc. get done every evening (and it all bores me to tears!)

Is Prufrock still here?

Love the idea of no-one downstairs without getting dressed. Can I ask from what age you implemented this with DC? Mine are 1 and 3 and wreck their PJ's with breakfast every day. Can use a bib on DD but not DS.

Now he's in a uniform for nursery I really can't let him dribble milk from cereal down his jumper!

Thought I was fairly organised but have just cut and pasted your tips

Also, so Robomop really works?? Any particular brand/model?

Sorry for mini-hijack!