Over the past few weeks I have had a problem with cleaning and I think it is time for a schedule. I work full time and maybe doing one room a night would be good? I dont know. Do you clean by room if you have a schedule.? By dirtiest? (not for me otherwise my kitchen would be the only thing getting cleaned.)
Can someone help me make a schedule that would work? I work from 8-4:30. Usually take an hour to cook, however I am going to start freezing to save time. (another post). Then My time is gone with kids, dog, anuything but cleaning. I am sooo mad at myself now.
Hi there! I like the fly lady's ideas http://www.flylady.net/ but don't follow to the T because they can be a bit much for working mothers. I follow her advice on cleaning schedules and what is a priority. Some people love her, some hate her. But worth a try! Good luck.
It's okay if the house isn't spotless!! So just let yourself relax on that issue. Of course clean and spotless is nice, but it's not necessary. Then can the kids help? My kids have chores that they rotate weekly. Without their help, we couldn't function. They are all in activites and hubby and I both work full-time, so they have to help. They are chores they can do easily, but it helps my hubby and I tremendously!
I don't worry about the basement very often (it's finished, but it's the kids territory). The office is the front room in our house, but it's the last one I think the clean because I don't go in there often. I'd love to get in there and organize, clean, and restock it, but that will take time.
The kitchen is always okay, 95% of the time) clean. I grew up as one of 7 and the kitchen always seemed dirty, which drove me nuts. The kids also help with unloading the dishwasher and changing the trash, neither of which fall in line with their duties. Other than that, if the house gets to be too messy, everyone takes 30 minutes and we can do a quick clean.
I hope you find something that works for you, but really, if the house is a mess, you have to just let it go sometimes...even though it tends to stress me more.
Good luck!
1. declutter. the less you have, the less you have to clean.
2. keep tidy, a place for everything and everything in its place.
3. enforce tidiness rules. i.e. anything left on the kitchen counter, your bedroom floor, your hamper after dinner, goes in quarantine, and the family will have to do without for 2 weeks.
4. delegate delegate delegate.
5. two options as re: the actual cleaning. first clean a room from start to finish. the second, do a cleaning job throughout the house, i.e. vacuum from top to bottom, then windows from top to bottom.
6. tackle one or two cleaning jobs a day. set a timer for 15 minutes. Don't stop cleaning until the timer is up, or you have finished the task at hand. 15 minutes is a heck of a long time.
7. have your cleaning supplies easily at hand, a sponge, some rags, a bucket, and for us it's diluted bleach on everything.
8. clean as a family, no one gets to do "entertainment" while mom is cleaning house.
9. hire a maid (really it is so worth it). While you are at it, hire someone for lawncare.
Good luck to you and yours.
F. B.
I would say pick a room for each night to do "basic" cleaning in. You know, pick up, maybe a quick vacuum, but nothing really major. Then do a little bit more of an overhaul on a Saturday morning which could include some light dusting or windows or whatever you feel like needs to be done the most. Don't try to do everything, just do what you can to keep things clean enough to keep you happy. I would also throw in to do dishes and laundry at SOME level every night. Even if it just means putting the dishes in the dishwasher but not actually running it, or just making sure all clothes are in the designated hampers or whatever, that way you get in the habit of doing that chore every day and it won't build up quite so bad. TRUST ME, I completely understand the kitchen thing. :) That is DEFINITELY the place I need to do some major overhaul on my habits (I haven't mastered making myself do it every night... lol).
Like you, I work FT (7:30-4:45 with an hour long commute each way) and the last thing I want to do is clean. I have a toddler at home, my husband helps with getting lunches ready for the next day along with dinner prepped before I walk in the door. We keep the kitchen/dining room maintained since that is where we are the most after work hours. I usually try to do two big cleanings on our bathrooms a month and then do a quick wipe down on the off weeks. I would certainly inlist some family members to help especially if they are home before you. Doesn't take a whole lot to hit the mirrors with Windex if they can reach and not break anything :o) Best of luck!
Here's my schedule:
Mondays - laundry
Tuesdays - dust upstairs
Wednesdays - dust downstairs
Thursdays - bathrooms
Fridays - mop and vaccum
I can do my housework 1/2 a day, except on laundry days. I don't carry around a bunch of tools and supplies, I keep a bucket of supplies under each bathroom sink, and I only deep clean (vaccum under furniture, wipe down blinds, shake out curtains etc etc) once a quarter.
I feel your pain! And, I don't even work full-time! Over the summer, though, I came up with a system that seems to be working pretty well. I made a list of the chores that need to be done weekly, every-other week and monthly, and enlisted the kids' help (they are 11 and 8). We don't believe in allowance for chores - it's all about helping each other and teaching life lessons (they will someday have a place of their home and no one will pay them to clean it then!). I don't have a set schedule for each night, when anyone has free time, they just pick a chore off the list. The rule is that everything has to be done before any fun activities happen over the weekend. With school back in session, unfortunately this means that we will most likely spend the bulk of Saturday mornings cleaning. But, it works for us -- we all pitch in and get it done so we can have fun. Good luck!
Kids grow up so fast. Kudos to you for putting your time with kids before cleaning! Do what you can but don't sweat it. In the end they won't remember how awesomely clean their house was, only how awesomely fun their mom was!
Hunny, Theres not enough time in the day to clean and work time and have time with the kids. I discovered that awhile ago and it sucked balls. Screw the cleaning, do the best you can and roll with it. LIfe is too short, enjoy your family now.
Pick one night a week and make it cleaning night and tell your husband(if married) he can do the cooking and kitchen cleanup.
Try to do at least one load of laundry a night or every other night
Keep up on the dishes because that gets out of hand quickly
Go through mail as soon as get home and then either trash or put it in your recycle pile right away.
Pickup party and vacuuming every other night.
Honestly, when I worked the 9-5 shift I only cleaned every other Saturday and that was just bathrooms, living room and kitchen. I did dishes every night though. Laundry got done on the weekends. Now that I work 6-2, Thursday is my cleaning day. I do laundry every other day or when the pile gets big enough for 1 load. Of course dishes every night.
When things get so bad that I can't keep up, girls night at my house on Saturday for games and snacks or games and dinner. its an excuse to clean.
Check out FlyLady.net. It's a great site that breaks your house down in to zones and each day gives you a schedule of things to do in what zone and breaks the week up into tasks too. It's great!
