Who cleans when you're you're feeling ill?

[LorlieS]

I work in education so have been off and should have been cleaning a lot over the last few days, putting decs away etc. But I've been feeling absolutely horrid so haven't felt like doing it. I've also had the toddler at home with me 24/7 so you can imagine the state if the place!! Back in work tomorrow. When do I do it all?!! Hate living in a messy house!!!

Do you not have a partner?

Honestly I just suck it up and get it done then crumple into a satisfied ball in bed when it's complete.

Get the toddler to do it. "Let's play rip the decorations down and shove it in a bag while mummy drinks tea"

Him indoors.

Husband and/or cleaner

If you have a partner, can't they do it if you're feeling ill?

No one! We caught horrible colds a month ago and the house was awful for a couple of weeks. 😂

DH. And when I'm well.

No one. I just sort it out when I’m better. I have a “d”h and teens but theyre useless! He thinks ordering a takeout makes him a hero unfortunately.

Another reason why I want to divorce the twat!

Dh. He cleans even if I'm not ill because he's the sort of person who, if he sees a job that needs doing, will go and do it. We don't always agree on which jobs need doing, though.

Partner or it waits.

I'm single. So no one.

DH would cook and clean up the kitchen. At the weekend he would vacuum. Not sure he’d know what to do in the bathroom but he’d ask. I wouldn’t worry tbh so long as everyone was fed.

No-one.

No DH/DW here... dcs do dishwasher and recycling...

Me. When I’m better. DH just watches TV, has a beer, goes to bed. None of it seems to be his job… Minding DS s work for him too.

That's tough OP. Is it just you and your toddler? If you don't have a partner, could you ask a family member or close friend to help out? Hope you feel better soon.

When I am unwell I try to do the basics, eg clear up if I make tea or a sandwich try not to leave tissues/papers on the floor. I might put on a wash and transfer to the dryer after.

My dh cooks dinner for the rest of the household. I might tell tweens where things are, and I ask them to tidy after themselves.

I leave hoovering, washing floors until I am better. If I am sick for 5 days, then I would do a basic hoover around.

Saw you had a toddler, could you send them to nursery for your sick days?

Ha, my DH and I are the same! He would clean and tidy up things that I don’t view as priorities.

If someone (adult) in the household is well/healthy, that person will clean.
If everyone is feeling ill/sick, then no one cleans.
Or one can do the bare minimum cleaning.

I hope you will feel better soon, OP!

Hubby is great and does all of the cooking so I really can't complain. But housework falls to me as it doesn't bother him living in a messy house - he's OK with it. Like the bins are a bugbear! Two of his deo cans and two of his mouthwash bottles by the side of bin as bin full. I've no idea why this stresses me out so much!! It doesn't fuss him. I rarely get ill in term time but as soon as holidays hit...wham!!! Have been really struggling to look after my diva toddler over the last couple of days without the housework on top!

@user1471554720 Her preschool is term-time only as we can't afford any more hours. So when i am off "work" I have the toddler 24/7. Nobody else to have her. I also have 2 teenage sons some of the time and they are adverse to doing anything!
At 43 I'm also am old lady mum so perhaps that's why I feel so tired all the time? 😀

When I am well, the cleaning gets done in a blitz every few weeks generally achieved by me inviting some friends over for a social visit and then the day before it's all-hands-on-deck and everyone does a bit of cleaning until its in a vaguely acceptable state. I insist the work is basically equally divided because I am no one's skivvy and everyone makes the mess.

I'm currently not well in a months-rather-than-days sort of way and have arranged for a fortnightly cleaner because the above tactics just can't work at the moment.

It's lovely to have a spotless house without having done the enormous emotional labour of forcing the rest of the household to grudgingly do their fair share of a half-hearted clean but honestly the effort that goes into making a teenager touch a J-cloth feels too overwhelming right now.

LorlieS, sorry to hear that, maybe if you turn off wifi, make teens do a bit more, take toddler for an hour. It is hard looking after a toddler when sick.

@HohiyiKozbevi I'm sorry to hear that. I don't think I'm very well mentally either at the moment so think that explains why I'm struggling to clean either. I can't afford a cleaner so will just have to push through it. Hopefully being back at work tomorrow might help me.

@user1471554720 Sons are with their dad the majority and his wife is their servant so you can see my difficulties here. Makes life a lot more difficult.