How do I keep it clean and tidy?

[roisin]

I've spent much of the last 10 days 'blitzing' the house from top to bottom and it is now very tidy and very clean. It's better than it has been certainly for the last 5 years since I stopped being a SAHM.

How do I keep it this way?

How do I set-up some reasonable and realistic routines? Don't say Fly lady, because that is way over the top for me.

But do bear in mind that I have 2 boys aged 10 and 12, plus a dh, who don't notice mess or dirt. (But will generally muck in if I point out something needs doing.)

I work full-time in term-time and am usually pretty shattered when I get in, so I need to be realistic.

get a cleaner. £10-15 an hour for a couple of hours a week, bargain!

A rota of chores for the boys, too!

Sounds cliche, but really, being very vigilant about keeping on the ball and keeping on top of potential pitfalls.

Things like opening all post immediately, and shredding junk mail asap, recycling envelopes and dealing with the post that needs dealing with asap.

Or folding and putting away each load as it comes out of the dryer or off the line.

Using a slow cooker or investing in a one-pot cookbook.

Hmm... I don't know why I'm so reluctant to consider a cleaner. I'm just not comfortable with it.

Thanks for the suggestions so far though. I'll try and put those in practice expat.

Any more ideas?

If you see something that needs doing, dont think 'I'll do it after I've had a cuppa' etc. Do it straight away.