Do you clean by task or by room?

[Grace]

I am going to try to keep up with my housework this summer and think a schedule of some kind will be best for me, doing a little everyday... Kind of flylady-esqe.

 

Love the idea of flylady but need something not so overwhelming!

 

How do you organize your cleaning chores?

Do you do a room-a-day (vacuum, dust, windex, sheets..if it a bedroom, etc.) until it is all clean

or do you do it by chore (Monday vacuum whole house, Tues dust, wed all the sheets, etc)

 

Once I have a plan figured out, then I will delegate chores to everyone.

 

Hope that makes sense!! Thanks for your input,

Grace

[Tiff in TX]

I do a mixture of both.

 

Vaccuming and mopping/sweeping are considered tasks and are done once a week to the whole house. All other cleaning is done by room.

 

Of course, this is all in theory for me because I don't actually clean often enough to know if this is the best way for me stay on task :lol:

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I'm not that organized LOL I just start out by picking up,separating laundry,sweeping,mopping,etc.....I just do what needs to be done in each room.... :glare:

[TKDmom]

I am happier if I can look at a room and see that it's "done". So I clean by room. Usually, seeing a clean room motivates me to keep it clean and to go make other rooms clean.

[rwalizer]

I clean room by room. I start at one end of the house, which is my and hubby's bathroom, and work my way through. This way if I can't get the house done in one day, I know that at least some of it is completely done. I don't touch my ds room, he's fifteen, but I do his bathroom so it doesn't become a biohazard. I only do this big cleaning once a week, but each morning I spend a little time making my bed and putting away clutter so it doesn't get out of control. I may get the whole house done in one day or I may break it up into two days depending on what I have going on each week. I get the baseboards, ceiling fans, and refrigerator about twice a year. For me the most helpful thing I do for myself is try to make myself put things away as I use them. This took years for me to get use to and I'm still struggling to make it a habit. As far a delegating, I only have the fifteen year old and I'm home full time so I consider it my job to pick up after dh, but I try to teach ds to clean up after himself.

[MamaT]

I clean by task, except when I am "spring cleaning" which happens once a year around here. Then I go room by room, cleanout and cleaning, then move on to the next room.

[Cassy]

I organise tasks according to a rough timetable, allocating the more onerous ones for times when I can reckon on having most time/energy. At the moment it looks like this:

 

Fri pm - clean toilets

Sat am - clean rest of the bathroooms

Sat pm - vacuum downstairs (2 of the rooms that are only lightly used I alternate so that they get done fortnightly)

Sun am - vacuum upstairs (again alternate 3 bedrooms one week, the other 3 bedrooms the next week)

Sun pm - iron (while watching documentaries on the TV, with kids out of the way- love it :D)

Tues pm - wash kitchen floor, clean kitchen sink and bins

Wed - receive grocery shop done on line earlier in the week

 

Also, kitchen floor gets vacuumed at least once a day, as needed, laundry gets done daily, dusting gets done rarely (well, between every 4-6 weeks - I know disgusting, but I don't care - or whenever it gets on my nerves too much).

 

This is the schedule that suits me best, developed after much trial and error, and means that I mostly never get too stressed or exhausted.

[Guest]

I am happier if I can look at a room and see that it's "done". So I clean by room. Usually, seeing a clean room motivates me to keep it clean and to go make other rooms clean.

 

:iagree:

This is how I have always been, however, as of late, I am lucky to get a floor vacuumed. (Something has to be pretty dirty for me to break out the cleaning supplies. :001_huh:)

[Mejane]

I clean when it looks dirty, and then I do the whole house. For instance, if I vacuum, I do the whole house upstairs and down. I mop all floors while the mop is out and wet, dust all surfaces, clean all glass surfaces (not windows - that's a job unto itself) while I have the Windex in hand, etc.

[Remudamom]

Generally clean by rooms but there are special projects too. Every room cleaned every day, with the exception of the boys room. As far as I'm concerned that a dead zone.

[HS Mom in NC]

Little ones "help" with tasks learning the ropes until they are about 6 when they are expected to do the job properly on their own.

Single Tasks

 

Vacuuming is done downstairs (which is all tile and laminate flooring except for one room with carpet) and upstairs (except for bedrooms with carpet) in all common spaces as a single task. Once my kids are about 6 they are able to vacuum properly because I teach them to do it correctly-You get what you inspect. One child is assigned this task for the month and it's posted on the fridge.

 

Mopping is done immediately after the vacuuming is finished by the other child for the month. We have a canister vacuum for hard floors and an upright for carpets. If the child is very young, the child can use the canister vacuum with the carpet attachment because it's easier to maneuver.

 

Laminate is dried by the third child. We have very hard water here so leaving the laminate floors wet to air dry results is terrible water spotting. The kid uses big beach towels and can put her feet on either end of the towel and "skate" around drying the laminate floors.

 

Laundry day is once a week-everyone brings in and sorts laundry. Mom pushes it through the washer and drier, and everyone helps sort out their own laundry and put it away the moment the buzzer rings and everyone helps roll and put away towels. (My kids learn to hang up their own clothes by age 3.) We hang everything that is not underwear and socks. I don't buy things that need ironing because I don't have to. If someone wants clothes that need ironing, they iron it themselves. My husband does his own laundry.

 

Little ones dust along side Mom. Before the little one came along the older two dusted common areas together.

 

By room

 

Straightening up is done room by room.

 

Each person is responsible for cleaning their bedrooms.

 

Each of the three kids cleans a bathroom beginning at age 6. My 5 year old and I work together on the master bathroom so she can get some instruction and help while she's little and learning.

 

Everyone helps clear the table, kid A scrubs stuck on food off the dishes, Mom loads, (I'm very picky) kid B unloads heavy or breakable items or ones that go up high, (A and B trade off each month) and kid C sets the table and unloads light, non-breakable items, and silverware because she's 5. My regularly used dishes are in my lower cabinets. Usually Mom wipes down the counters and dining room table. Dad takes out the trash and recycling.

[fairfarmhand]

I go room by room. I won't even leave the room I am working in to put things where they belong. (I'd get distracted and forget what I am really working on) I make piles next to the door or just toss stuff out the door of where I am working in.

 

Then I close the door on that one room.

 

It helps me to at least have one room that looks nice. And it is motivational too to get another room looking nice.

[happypamama]

On a regular week (ie not a crisis/busy/company coming) week:

 

Monday

-diaper laundry

-children's laundry

-sweep the kitchen

-general tidy -- there's usually some leftover clutter from the weekend.

 

Tuesday

-adult laundry

-clean bathrooms

 

Wednesday

-sheets and towels

-catch up laundry

-clean the upstairs (bedrooms, office, large hallway/library area -- vacuum, dust)

 

Thursday

-diaper laundry

-children's laundry

-clean the kitchen (sweep again, mop, wipe kitchen surfaces, etc.)

-evening -- full tidy of the house (I like to do this every day, but if it doesn't happen, we really try to pick up everything that's out on Thursday night, so that Friday's cleaning is easy, and so that the house is nice for the weekend.)

 

Friday

-adult laundry

-touch-up of the bathrooms

-clean schoolroom, living room, and playroom (sweep, vacuum, dust, etc.)

 

Not that all of that gets done every week, but that's the goal.

[Veritaserum]

Room.

[Garga]

Random thoughts:

 

I clean room by room. Within the room I clean piece of furniture by piece of furniture. Then the floor. If I think of cleaning the entire room, I'm overwhelmed. But if I clean *just* the piano, then *just* the entertainment center, I can handle it.

 

 

 

I try to keep the house "company ready" pretty much at all times. It keeps me inspired to put away clutter and doesn't take long at all, if you do it daily. About an hour. I think, "If I had company on its way, would I leave the breakfast dishes on the table? Nope." And I tidy it up (when otherwise I might have let them sit there for a few hours.)

 

 

 

I dust/vacuum only once a week and then I do it all at once after the daily tidying.

 

 

That's about it. I do not do much deep cleaning, but the house is nice. Not perfect and not up to the standards of some of the hivers, but it's tidy and dusted and vacuumed. There are cobwebs on the chandeliers, however. And they'll probably still be there at the end of summer.

[RanchGirl]

I'm not that organized LOL I just start out by picking up,separating laundry,sweeping,mopping,etc.....I just do what needs to be done in each room.... :glare:

 

this is pretty much by method as well. Here's what I typically do each day when I am on top of things:

 

- laundry (start a load first thing in the morning)

- tidy main living areas

- clean kitchen counters -- tidy and wipe down

- scrub kitchen sink before bed (the only flylady thing that works for me!!) and start the dishwasher.

- clean my bathroom mirror/sink/counter (while I brush my teeth)

- during the spring, I also vacuum the main floor every day due to pollen allergies and a dog who brings in a lot of pollen.

 

The boys are each responsible for:

- cleaning a bathroom each day -- they spray and wipe the sink and outside of toilet and spray and scrub the inside of the toilet (with vinegar/water spray).

- a couple times a week one boy dusts or cleans windows and the other swiffers the foyer/kitchen.

- emptying the dishwasher each morning.

 

Everything else is as needed, typically in 5-10 minute increments -- mopping floors, wiping cabinets, scrubbing down showers and deep cleaning the bathrooms (the boys' daily cleaning is helpful but not really up to my standards, lol!). I dust and vacuum the upstairs and the basement weekly.

 

One thing I absolutely loathe doing and put off until it's absolutely necessary or company is coming over -- cleaning out the fridges (2, we have an extra in the garage) and the trash can. I am doing that today, blech!!!

[elise1mds]

I clean by task, except when I am "spring cleaning" which happens once a year around here. Then I go room by room, cleanout and cleaning, then move on to the next room.

 

:iagree:

[Grace]

All your input was helpful!! The easy part will be coming up with a routine... The hard part will be executing it!

 

I am hoping I can get a good routine down this summer so in the fall is all habit by then. Yeah... right!

 

Thanks again,

Grace

[Hikin' Mama]

I clean in a sort of "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" kind of way. Iow, I get sidetracked easily and have all sorts of things going at once. I attribute this to adult-onset ADD. (I made that up. I don't really have it, just feel like I do sometimes.)

 

Seriously, for weekly type cleaning, I try to focus on one task, such as mop floors. Another day I will clean bathrooms. A different day (though definitely not weekly) dust. We try to keep clutter picked up every day.

 

It is the spring type cleaning that sends me into a bunch of different directions, as my brain starts thinking of EVERYTHING I want to accomplish at the same time. I really do try to focus on one room, though, and within that room one task at a time.

[Peela]

I think I mostly do it by room- at least, the picking up and putting away, tidying part. When it comes to vacuuming I do it all at once.

 

The 2 rooms I keep tidy and focus on above all else are the kitchen, and my bedroom. The kitchen because it is central to the running of the house, and my bedroom because it is my sanctuary. So I tidy and clean them first.

[Desert Rat]

I do room by room until the house is clean. The only exception is the floor. I clean all the hard surface floors at one time after I've cleaned all the rooms. I like to clean the entire house in the same day.

I also clean 6 other houses and use the same routine for each. I also work back to front so the back rooms get done first and I move toward either the kitchen or the front door, depending on how the house is laid out.

[Shelly in IL]

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