Time-saving housework tips for a newbie SAHM please!

[Goldberry]

I'm about to quit work and join the ranks of the SAHM thanks to my dh's promotion. At the moment my house is a veritable pigsty. My dd (4) will be at school all day and I have an 18 month old who naps for two hours after lunch. Am I going to be able to have the spotless house of my dreams, or are two child-free hours a day not enough? Does anyone have any time-saving tips so that I can spend quality time with my ds when he's awake rather than fending him off while trying to do the cleaning?

Join the flylady threads

I'd keep the job and get a cleaner if I were you

I wonder if having 'days' would help - like my nana & gran used to do years ago. Monday is washing day, Tuesday is ironing day etc?

Thanks! I always think the flylady threads look a bit scary! Must have a proper look though. Having 'days' sounds like a good plan. No way, CayPeag - I can't wait to stop work!

Set day for things imo - change beds/towels/hoover/bathrooms/kitchen etc. Have a basket on the stairs and pop things into it that need to go up. Never go past it without taking a few things up. Make sure you have adequate storage for everything. You can't keep the place tidy if there is nowhere to put it. At that age they like tofoloow around and "help" give him a duster etc and let him join in.

I'd buy yourself a spring-clean from a cleaning company to get yourself going - have the full works done. And then spend your first few weeks decluttering and sorting and getting some kind of routine/system for keeping your house in order underway.

Try and do everything as you go along. By that I mean:
Get up and make bed as soon you get out of it.
Have shower then wipe round surfaces, loo, sink etc with flash wipes and bleach the loo before you come out of the bathroom.
Take laundry with you as you go downstairs and put on before you do breakfast
As kids are finishing their breakfast, rinse the breakfast pots / wipe down surfaces
etc. etc. and continue through the day
I know it sounds regimented but it doesn't feel like 'doing the cleaning' as you sort of fit it in as you go along.
You can then enjoy your baby and (dare I suggest it!) have a few minutes to yourself while your little one sleeps....

Good luck

Like gingertoo, I have a daily routine
Make beds as soon as up( kids beds change on a thurs , mine on a Fri) - stripped and in machine before breakfast on wash days
Wash up as you go along
Bathroom as soon as everyone finished in the morning
load of washing first thing then its ready to hang out when you get back from the school run
Shop online
Hoover in the evening after dinner as kids relaxing
I iron as soon as washing dry and put straight away.

Other jobs get fitted in as and when
Agree enjoy a rest or MN when youngest is napping

Have baskets with lids sitting about, they're good for throwing things in, then you can tidy them when you have no more room-- time.

Regimented sounds good actually. I know if I don't get into a routine I won't make the most of my time. Am liking the idea of kicking off with a professional spring-clean!

Do come and look at the Flybaby nursery threads, not at all scary honest!! And in 2 days the babysteps will be starting all over again

Also as someone said do things as they happen. Even really little things- Turn your socks right way out when you take em off, so they are done when washing time comes and you dont have to spend 10 mins redoing them.

Never put something on the side, put it in dishwasher or in the bin or whatever.

Write a routine - mine is
Monday
Change DS's bed

Tuesday
Vacuum upstairs

Wednesday
Vacuum downstairs
Dry mop Lounge
Polish lounge

Thursday
Wash kitchen, hall way & downstairs loo floors
Polish hallway cupboards

Friday
Wash upstairs bathroom floors

Saturday
Change my bed

Sunday
Get ready for week ahead
Check uniforms ready
Iron any odd bits left
Tesco.com shop

Menu plan, and cook ahead

Teach 18 month old to dust!

Enjoy your time, I am very jealous!!

Flylady is good - they email you a day plan.

if you fold all washing straight off the line/out of dryer then it wont need ironing. if it does then hang it up and iron when required.

unless your weekly shop is huge or you have to walk/struggle on bus, then i would suggest trying to do it in person as i find it a good excuse to get out of the house. sometimes as a SAHM it can get quite fruatrating being in the house. doing the shopping is something i know i will 'enjoy' as it gets me out and talking to people. also if ds is being a bit of a nigtmare, the change of scenery can turn things around.

my ds (4) is a little older than yours but he loves 'helping'. if you give him jobs to do it can keep him occupied while you plough ahead. your dd is old enough to put her bedcover back over the bed in the morning, put her washing in the wash basket, take her dishes to the sink, put her folded clothes away and generally keep her room tidy. get her boxes for toys and label them or put picture on them.

i also have my week organised so that i have one day where i dont have to do anything. ie; no washing, bathrooms, hoovering,mopping,dusting or ironing.

i literally make the beds, wash the dishes and keep things generally tidy. this means if i want to go out with dcs i can go out the whole day and not be worrying about what needs done at home.or if i just want to chill all day/ read a good book/ meet friends then i can.

keep a cloth somewhere in the bathroom and give it a quick wipe round after you've cleaned your teeth in the morning. Keeps it going well with 10 seconds effort every day.

Bin day is every 2 weeks so I go through the fridge the evening before, and fridge gets cleaned.
Bad food (not much nowadays) gets chucked straight away. I find not much gets bad in the fridge but when left to rot in a bin during hot weather -yuk-
Bedraggled veg gets chopped and thrown into a pot with a chicken cube for soup.
Then I go grocery shopping knowing exactly what's needed/ what doesn't get eaten in time.
This has really helped me with hygiene/time/costs

I also have a squeegy (sp?) window wiper for the glass shower door which I use after each use. Basically stays presentable at all times for v minimal effort.

Hate housework so try to cut all corners.

Set yourself some osrt of routine traight away other wise you can get into bad habits that are hard to break.

Thanks everyone. Must do that bedraggled veg soup thing, Wukter. I hate throwing food away.

Something I have started doing recently with my 17 mo is giving her a brush when I am washing up/ sweeping/ loading dishwasher. She loves sweeping and it keeps her quiet for a surprisingly long time. She does try to brush everything in sight though and occasionally unbrushes things I have brushed.

She likes helping unload the dishwasher - well she grabs some spoons and a plastic bowl and plays with that till I have finished, and she goes to get laundry from the basket, puts it in the machine and then when I have loaded it all up with powder etc she presses the button to start it up.
When the laundry is clean and dry I make a pile on the floor and she throws it around while I sort and fold (and move out of the way). I can get a lot of things done this way and I get to keep naptimes for some well earned respite from rushing around.

Also sit her on the sofa and let her watch me hoover...

Other stuff I leave till she is in bed and try and do stuff mainly in evenings and weekends. I REALLY need that break in the middle of the day and she only sleeps for an hour most of the time.

I dont have a set plan ie, monday vacuum etc.

I tidy/clean as i go like previous posts have mentioned.I hoover/sweep downstairs everyday inc skirting, door frames etc. I spend half an hour a day either when DS naps after lunch or once he's in bed cleaning. I have 'zones'- [Bedrooms], [bathrooms], [Kitchen & utility], [Hallway, livingroom and dining room]. Last night i cleaned kitchen & utility (floors, inside and outside cupboards etc). Tomorrow i'll do bedrooms so i'll strip beds when we get up to get everything in washing machine then out on line. i like to air/turn the mattresses and duvets etc too. At some point through day i'll clean/polish and hoover bedrooms.

i try not to let it get to the point where i spend most of a day cleaning the whole house. I find it easier doing a little everyday.