What are your bare minimum cleaning jobs during exhausting weeks?

[Yogarunningcoffee]

I usually do my own version of TOMM, but it’s super hot where I am and my kids are currently going through a bad stage with sleep so I’m just too exhausted to be doing loads of cleaning at the moment!

What are your bare minimum cleaning jobs? Aside form the obvious things like dishes and laundry. I’ve been keeping up with the hovering and keeping the bathrooms clean (although haven’t had the energy to be tackling the limescale and water marks which is usually a weekly job!).

Jusr interested to see if there is anything else essential I should be doing.

I live alone, so mess doesn’t pile up as much, but I do struggle with executive function, made worse by exhaustion and the heat. At a bare minimum I use a little handheld Hoover for crumbs. Laundry will be washed and dried but not necessarily put away. It will live in the hamper and I’ll take out what I need (things that hand are hung immediately anyway to dry; so wrinkles aren’t an issue). I make my bed in the evening before I get into it, because it changes the whole look of the room.

One of my struggles is clutter, so I collect it all into a tray or bag, and throw a decorative cloth or blanket over its so that I don’t physically see the clutter.

Dishes are my biggest struggle as I don’t have a dishwasher, so if I’m finding I can’t keep on top of it, I pile it into the sink (luckily I have a large one) so that the sides are clear. It makes a big difference to the kitchen when I have clean counter tops.

Kitchen worksurfaces/table/floor for us, otherwise we get ants.

Laundry, dishes, kitchen counters, getting rid of expired food, bins.

That's it.

Kitchen, floors, and toilets.
Once they’re fine, other things can slide for a week.

If you do TOMM then just do Level 1 jobs and that's it. The Level 2 jobs can easily be left until you can bear to do them.

In this hot weather I have been making an effort not to let too much rubbish build up though, so I've made an extra trip to the tip to get rid of some black bags that I knew would stink after a few days.

I’ve been feeling like this and what I’ve found helps is getting the bottles of spray out and spraying all the surfaces in kitchen and bathrooms maybe not bath or shower). Once they’re sprayed I wipe down the kitchen and then suddenly have more motivation to wipe down the bathrooms. We have a robot hoover now so that does downstairs but upstairs will get left for the weekend x

Laundry, hoovering, dishes, kitchen surfaces , bathroom that’s it.

i never iron so dry washing just gets put away and i dont make my bed unless it’s bed changing day i just fix the pillows and neatly fold the duvet back.

Daily load of laundry, dishwasher, kitchen counters, bins. Bathroom sink and toilet cleaned. Run hoover round downstairs.

Vacuuming, dishwasher, washing, worktops and bathroom sinks and toilets - the showers can wait, they are bad enough in the winter

However saying that, I did two weeks ironing today ( holidays on Sunday )

Im paranoid around flies, we live in the country, we are plagued with them so I work extra hard at ensuring there are no crumbs or smears and the sink is spotless and no damp cloths left

I just try keep the house as cool as possible by opening the windows and closing curtains on the side of the house the sun is on - it really does make a difference

Laundry, dishes, kitchen worktops, empty bins, toilets, wipe round/ squeegee shower after use. Pick up worst of toys in living room. Everything else can wait until it cools down.

Bathroom- shower, bath, loo, basin, floor
Kitchen - work tops and sink
Two loads of washing
Dish washer run
Empty bins

Sink cleared.
Dishwasher loaded.
Counters clear and clean.
Bathroom wiped clean, floor swept.
Cushions straightened on couch.
Beds made.
Floors swept (no carpets).
Coffee table tidy.
Dining room table clear and clean.
Random misplaced stuff put in the random stuff basket for sorting later.

Honestly, survival mode is totally fine! If the dishes are done, the bins aren't overflowing, and the bathrooms get a quick wipe-down, you are winning.
The limescale can absolutely wait until you've caught up on sleep. Be kind to yourself the house will survive a few dusty weeks while you get through the heat and sleep regression