Tell me how you keep your house clean when working full-time?

[Starbear]

Circumstances have changed in the Starbear household and I might have to work full-time or 4 days in September (depends on boss!)Mum is going to collect Ds from school.
What is your schedule for keeping the house clean, feed your family, fresh, cooked food and deal with the ironing. AND still have a life!
Clothes have to be ironed as my & DH's job demands it. I will not be sending Ds to school in un-ironed clothes.
I think three days a week I'll be home at 6.45pm, Maybe, I'll collect Ds two days at 4pm (after school club) How do you fit in home work at that time? School demands 20mins every night! (Mum is very foreign & really education phobic) All tips welcomed

nighby, £300 is for only 25 hours a week - The rest of the time, including the whole weekend, is theirs. An extras, like holiday/emergency care, is subject to mutual agreement and a top up.

But the au pair threads on here are somewhat offputting though. I have no hassle at all from the cleaner or after school club. MN is filled with AP hassle threads. Costs look good though...

True about aupair hassle. It is a trade-off - convenience and wraparound care v. blue-arsed fly. Like in all domestic arrangements, careful recruitment and management minimise the hassle.

no, I meant that its expecting quite a lot for them to get through that much work in the time. But we are a family of 5, so would be a lot of ironing and cleaning if she did it all, on top of the school run, and babysitting.

nighby, we are a family of 4, so maybe less work overall. We keep ironing to a minimum, mostly dh's shirts - just 5 shirts a week, uniform does not need ironing. Schools are relatively close by, school run on foot. Cleaning in accordance with a roster. Package is strictly speaking - 25 hours plus 2x babysitting a week. It seems to work.

My house was just about clean but rarewly tidy when we both worked full time, and that was with a weekly visit from a cleaner!

Lower your standards - that's my main piece of advice!

Decide on the bare minimum that needs doing during the week and divide up tasks between you

Cook simply and meal plan.

Starbear, I have had a number of cleaners over the year. I believe its one of those jobs that people are either fundamentally suited for or not.

Our last lovely cleaner has just got a full time job and the replacement needs everything completely spelt out to her and doesn't do half as much as our old one in the same length of time. I'm happy to do this for a short period of time, but am going to make a decision on her after another couple of weeks. Personally I would giver her notice and get a new person as a good cleaner can really help.

As, I'm sure,can an au pair, but I couldn't get round someone sharing out house.

Realise from the start that you can't do it on your own. You either need everyone in the family to chip in, or you need to get outside help.

Getting the children involved when they are young makes chores part of normal life rather than something you have to nag them about.

I am rubbish at all of this, btw.

The one thing that I am now doing that is really helpful is getting my groceries delivered twice a week. Since I have an affinity to the computer, I find it fairly easy to organise meals and order the food online. My new routine is so much better than stopping off at Sainsburys after work and filling my trolley with things that looked nice or were on special - then having to throw them out a week later because I haven't used them.

no tips but this is how we do it - Ironing we share in front of the tv on a sunday night (dh starts it while I put kids to bed - I find a gin and tonic helps me get through it . I do a quick tidy through downstairs every night once kids are in bed (strictly just puttin g htings back where they ought to be, sorting bags and lunches out for next day, and maybe sweeping up if kitchen/under the table is quite bad). I change the beds one morning before school usually (sometimes just strip them and put in the wash machine, then make the beds up again while putting the kids to bed). Also try to do the two bathrooms one morning before school (DH usually does a lot of getting the kids breakfasts ready and occasionally does the dishwasher before he goes to work). Then on a Friday I tidy a bit more and DH tidies the rest and vacuums through the house, then one of us washes the floors while the other one puts their feet up or goes to get a takeaway. Whenever a load of clean washing comes upstairs one of us sorts it into piles and puts it away while putting the dd's to bed or just after. The house isn't immaculate, but it's an organised routine and as long as you don't let clutter accumulate it works. Dusting, I have to say, or anything more thorough, gets done once in a blue moon.

blueshoes - my 5 includes 4 children! would hazard a guess that your dh makes less work lol.

Thanks for all your tips. I think I've just got to get my act together & stop being so lazy. I also love reading everything that passes my eyes so I waste alot of time.
Today we did 4 loads of washing, out on the line and now either in drawers or waiting to be ironed by someone else! DH rotated the washing as it was drying. We had soup for lunch that I made last Thursday and pasta bake from the bolognese yesturday, would never eat the same thing two nights in a row before. I know very wasteful of time and money. Not cooking every night would save time and maybe my waistline. Mum will cook for Ds. Still went swimming with ds, had friend over for coffee. I think planning and less T.V is the key. Ta everyone
Don't have the room for an au pair. Glad too as I hate sharing my home.

Sorry, last post wasn't good enough.
These are the things I might do.
Get Ds to lay out his clothes and stuff the night before.
Make packed lunch night before.
Get Ds to tidy his toys before he goes to bed. (does tidy now but not enough)
Lay the table & fill the dishwasher.
Go around the house putting his stuff away.
DH to help tidy the kitchen before bed and put on the washing machine.
AM make beds and hang out washing on clothes horse. Put breakfast things in dishwasher. No more 15mins in bed with Ds and a cuddle he just jumps about now really.
Deal with paper work as it comes in.
Plan menus and stick to the list of things to do. try internet food shopping.
keep cleaner
Try and have a big clean out in summer and a place for everything and everything in it place.
More hooks to hang night before clothes.
Less TV and sadly MN.
Plan social life as if was part of work.
Try and exercise more (really hate the thought!)
random I know but I'm not tidying the post up as I'm going to go to read a book now.