How often do you clean your house?

[AdamsFamily]

This is my first time trying to post a poll, so I hope it works!

 

My desire for answers to this poll is serious. I currently clean my house weekly - dusting, mopping, scrubbing bathrooms and kitchen with bleach, etc. every Thursday every week.

 

My plate is overly filled right now, and I need to let some things "go." Is it necessary to deeply clean a house every week, or is a little less often fine?

 

Basically... I think I just want to permission to let the dirt sit in my house for a little while and clean it next week - just in time for MIL's visit and Easter.

 

Thanks!

[AvasMom]

I clean mine daily. I use the Motivated Moms app so everything is spread out into a daily list, most of which I can crank out during the kids' breaks and after school. I would NOT be into doing everything in one long weekly session. No way.

[Shellydon]

All day everyday. I am cleaning up, picking up, wiping up, putting up and washing up nearly all day long.

[Blueridge]

I voted 'weekly', but I break those tasks up into daily things instead of once a week.

[Whereneverever]

I pick up and spot clean daily. I deep clean weekly. I have company frequently and we host Bible study here at times, too, so I always want it to look nice. :001_smile:

[BlsdMama]

I voted weekly but it's more often than that.

 

We surface clean (laundry, sweep, vacuum, counters, stove, make beds, etc.) daily. We scrub floors, clean bathrooms, etc. about twice a week, sometimes more if I'm organized.

 

For us, waiting doesn't make less work, it makes more. It's easy to wipe down bathrooms and floors 1-2 times a week. If I were to wait two weeks or a month? I don't want to think about that. Wow. That would be unpleasant.

[ELaurie]

You are hearby relieved of your housekeeping responsibilites until next week ;)

[AvasMom]

I voted weekly as well since everything gets done weekly even though I spread it out. That's really what I would recommend if you are swamped right now. Doing it less than weekly will make dirt and messes build up and add chaos to your life. Sounds like that's the last thing you need right now.

[PinkInTheBlue]

Like others have said; I keep my house pretty picked up and swiped up daily. Once a week we work like a team on scrubbing 3 1/2 baths lots of wood and tile floors, deep dusting, etc. Once a week for the big cleaning but I DO NOT do it alone. I'm nobody's maid around here. :)

[AdamsFamily]

SheldonAll day everyday. I am cleaning up, picking up, wiping up, putting up and washing up nearly all day long.

All day everyday. I am cleaning up, picking up, wiping up, putting up and washing up nearly all day long.

 

I do that, too - picking up CONSTANTLY! But not scrubbing toilets and floors.

 

I voted 'weekly', but I break those tasks up into daily things instead of once a week

 

I have tried this approach, but there is something to say about having everything clean at once.

 

Like others have said; I keep my house pretty picked up and swiped up daily. Once a week we work like a team on scrubbing 3 1/2 baths lots of wood and tile floors, deep dusting, etc. Once a week for the big cleaning but I DO NOT do it alone. I'm nobody's maid around here. :)

 

Usually my family helps, too, but we now have a commitment (that I am currently skipping out on) on Thursday nights. I have something everyday/evening except Sat and Mon, and Mondays are for catching up from the weekend. Sat is for yard work, paperwork, etc. Dh is a pastor, and it seems like we NEVER get a day off. Plus, going to Walmart is a 40 min drive one way, so running errands takes half a day.

 

You are hearby relieved of your housekeeping responsibilites until next week ;)

 

You are a wonderful person! Thank you! :)

[Shellydon]

This is my first time trying to post a poll, so I hope it works!

 

My desire for answers to this poll is serious. I currently clean my house weekly - dusting, mopping, scrubbing bathrooms and kitchen with bleach, etc. every Thursday every week.

 

My plate is overly filled right now, and I need to let some things "go." Is it necessary to deeply clean a house every week, or is a little less often fine?

 

Basically... I think I just want to permission to let the dirt sit in my house for a little while and clean it next week - just in time for MIL's visit and Easter.

 

Thanks!

 

Let the dirt sit! It won't hurt anything. :D

[justamouse]

You are hearby relieved of your housekeeping responsibilites until next week ;)

:iagree:

[Donna]

How often would I like to have it clean or how often do I actually get the time to clean it as well as I'd like? Those answers are nowhere near the same. Ha!

[Heidi]

The deep cleaning stuff? *Sigh*.. umm... before we have people over. I'm crazy busy and when I'm not busy, I'm exhausted. Toilets are not my priority. Very soon they will by my children's priority though ;)

[QueenCat]

It varies depending on what it is..... dishes/kitchen, laundry and picking up are daily. Vacuuming & floors are weekly. Bathrooms are weekly. Dusting is every other week.... and everyone pitches in, it's not all me (that would be insane, I'm the mom, not the maid).

[zookeeper]

How often would I like to have it clean or how often do I actually get the time to clean it as well as I'd like? Those answers are nowhere near the same. Ha!

 

:iagree: Where's the "when I have to" choice?

[Desert Rat]

By all means, OP, let the house go. I simply can't. I really can't even relax on the couch if I see dust. And I live in the desert. So, I clean weekly, Thursday or Friday. I clean houses, too. For those clients, they are fine with every other week. I have 6 houses. So, on any given week, I clean 4 houses, sometimes extras on the weekends. I know, it's a sickness.

[momtoamiracle]

I'm doing something every day.

 

kitchen is cleaned daily, tho I don't scrub it down with bleach, just a general clean up.

 

bathrooms cleaned twice weekly.

 

floor vacuumed at least every other day, if not daily.

 

dusting is done less often, maybe every couple of weeks, because I hate it.

 

 

laundry is done daily

 

mopping is done once a week or so, now that I have a steam mop. Before that it was much longer due to a bad back. Sometimes it's more if it's muddy outside.

 

 

 

I do it all, alone. My dh will unload the dishwasher a couple of times a week and take out the trash but that is about it. Once in a while he might hang some clothes on the line for me. He takes care of all the exterior yard, car, improvements so he is usually busy with that maintenance. Then he goes to work until midnight.

 

 

I'm tired. I'm really sick of housework. I've been doing it for 35 years. I need to retire!

[AdamsFamily]

By all means, OP, let the house go. I simply can't. I really can't even relax on the couch if I see dust. And I live in the desert. So, I clean weekly, Thursday or Friday. I clean houses, too. For those clients, they are fine with every other week. I have 6 houses. So, on any given week, I clean 4 houses, sometimes extras on the weekends. I know, it's a sickness.

 

We are neighbors! :) I can't handle the mess. I had to throw a pity party. Then, after dinner hit my brain, my dds and I quickly cleaned the house. I can't handle dust and dog hair! Plus, the picking up part was already done. It's not perfect. I will save perfection until next week when MIL's visit is closer.

 

I was called into sub tomorrow, so I could not let the house even sit until tomorrow. Sat is yard work and Sunday prep day.

 

So... off to grade school work, prep for tomorrow's lessons, pack lunch, etc... Even spring break won't be a break - ps spring break, I will still be hs; hs spring break I will hopefully be subbing. Can't let them coincide because of MIL's visit and fair. When is summer?

 

Ugh. Thanks for all the responses - esp the ones letting me off the hook!

[AdamsFamily]

I do it all, alone. My dh will unload the dishwasher a couple of times a week and take out the trash but that is about it. Once in a while he might hang some clothes on the line for me. He takes care of all the exterior yard, car, improvements so he is usually busy with that maintenance. Then he goes to work until midnight.

 

 

I'm tired. I'm really sick of housework. I've been doing it for 35 years. I need to retire!

 

 

My dh does a bit more in the house, but less outside. Housework NEVER ends. :glare:

[Denisemomof4]

I hope your kids have regular assigned chores/responsibilities. YOU can't do it all by yourself.

 

I voted weekly but the kitchen is done daily, and I vacuum several days per week. I like everything picked up and tidy. It drives me nuts when it isn't but we do get to that nutty place...... And then start all over again. :unsure:

 

I feel like I spend a good hour per day just cleaning the kitchen.:glare:

[crazyfordlr]

You know, I used to be like that...couldn't relax until everything was done. But I realized that dh didn't care one iota, and he also didn't want to do anything either. I was getting more upset and resentful by doing everything than I do now by doing nothing. Don't get me wrong, CPS does not need to be called, but Peter Walsh would be a welcomed surprise ;)

[Ellie]

Not sure how to answer. :001_huh:

 

For one thing, I never scrub anything with bleach.

 

I dustmop daily (most of the time). When I had carpet, I vacuumed several times a week.

 

I clean bathrooms weekly.

 

I dust every other week (I have lots of things to dust!).

 

Kitchen is always clean.

 

I mop/otherwise clean the floors (except for dustmopping)...when I feel like it. :D The other day I cleaned the kitchen floor on my hands and knees...and got blisters on my knees. That's the end of that!

[fraidycat]

There is no poll choice for me...about 3 days past the time that it needs to be done. LOL

 

Some things need less deep cleaning, like the toilets and kitchen because they are done on an "as needed" basis (daily to every few days). The brush is right by the toilet and I use the flushable wet wipes to wipe down the seat, lid, and rim. We don't use the flushable wet wipes for what they're actually meant to be.

 

However, things like dusting and vacuuming are usually "past due" by the time I get to them or nag someone else into doing it.

[BlsdMama]

.. umm... before we have people over.

 

I will admit that I sometimes enjoy having people over extra (yes, to see them) but because it ensures a nice, clean house. :D I want to add that it's MOSTLY to see them, but it is a huge perk to have a reason to clean everything spit spot.

[PrincessMommy]

I picked weekly, but in reality that hasn't been happening lately. I would say that the basic maintenence would be the pick up and vacuum/sweep. The other stuff can go another week if need be. I'm not a neat-freak or am I a germaphobe, so your answer may vary. My family helps me with "clean-up day" which is really only about 1.5 hours if we all do it together on Saturday morning.

 

i never use bleach. I do try to keep the kitchen cleaner than other areas because I'm in there so much. But the floor hasn't been getting mopped as often as it needs to be lately.

[AvasMom]

We are neighbors! :) I can't handle the mess. I had to throw a pity party. Then, after dinner hit my brain, my dds and I quickly cleaned the house. I can't handle dust and dog hair! Plus, the picking up part was already done. It's not perfect. I will save perfection until next week when MIL's visit is closer.

 

I was called into sub tomorrow, so I could not let the house even sit until tomorrow. Sat is yard work and Sunday prep day.

 

So... off to grade school work, prep for tomorrow's lessons, pack lunch, etc... Even spring break won't be a break - ps spring break, I will still be hs; hs spring break I will hopefully be subbing. Can't let them coincide because of MIL's visit and fair. When is summer?

 

Ugh. Thanks for all the responses - esp the ones letting me off the hook!

 

I think sometimes you need that freeing feeling of just saying I'm DONE even if you do it 5 minutes later. Lol! I've done that with homeschooling. Just decided we are finished and they are going back to school and that's that. The next day we are right back at homeschooling but it feels therapeutic to let your brain refuse to do it for a moment. :D

[nono]

Other. We do some every day. So, something is always very clean. Today, it'll be bathrooms. ;)

[Mommyfaithe]

I clean mine daily. I use the Motivated Moms app so everything is spread out into a daily list, most of which I can crank out during the kids' breaks and after school. I would NOT be into doing everything in one long weekly session. No way.

 

This! Only I use a modified MM and Flylady.....and split it up with my kids....we all have zone:D

 

I could never do it ALL at once....ever.... I just physically can't....so, I do a little every day.

 

Due to chronic illness, full time job...and lots of kids, my house is never perfect, but usually somewhat company ready. Don't drive yourself crazy over cleaning. Make a list...split it with your girls...spend an hour and call it done.

 

Your MIL will still love you if there are some dishes in the sink......maybe she will even jump in and help.....

Edited March 30, 2012 by Mommyfaithe

[Shannon in TN]

I voted every other week because there are some things I try and do weekly (vacuum) but other things, like scrub toilets, tubs and showers or dusting, I do about every other week.

 

Things like laundry and mopping the floor are done as needed (which is usually about every 7-10 days); dishes, kitchen counters, etc, are done every day.

 

If I have a particularly busy week, things get postponed to the next week, or the next day that I have time. Don't feel guilty about letting it wait.

 

Of course, this stuff isn't what I consider "deep" cleaning. Windows, baseboards, ceiling fans, all that happens about once every six months or so.

[MissKNG]

I clean our house daily in the main living areas and girl's bedrooms and bathroom. Our bedroom and master bath "suffers" the most!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I pick up and spot clean pretty much every day. There are some days when absolutely nothing gets done, though.

 

We "deep clean" the house on Saturday mornings. I put this in quotes, because, really, the only area that gets deep cleaned is the one I'm doing, but each of us has an assigned area and we rotate weekly. Our areas are: Living Room/Dining Room, Kitchen/Sunroom, Bathrooms, and Upstairs. I've made checklists of everything that has to be done in each area. Dh and I still have to help the boys out a little on their areas if we want them to be actually clean, but dh is not a great cleaner, either, so each area is cleaned (what I consider to be) thoroughly once a month by me, and semi-well the rest of the weeks. :D Dh is responsible for keeping the basement tidy and clean because it's his man cave, but I usually go down there and do a deep clean 3-4 times a year.

 

Now, if we have a lot going on, sometimes we skip Saturday chores and I try to make up for during the week or even just wait for the next week. It all depends how exhausted I am.

 

If you want to wait and do a big surge right before the company comes, I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Hmmmm....

 

I feel like I'm constantly working on daily stuff. And certain favored chores get done pretty often (electric sweepers were MADE for young children). But then I start really slacking....so much so that I hired a housekeeper. Our last one came once a month (but was regularly late and flaked on us on a SUPER important day); but hubby was so impressed with this new one that he said she could come twice a month. We'll see. I may need to scale her back to every 3 or 4 weeks or something.

 

Anyway, I think you could let the things that don't have to be done daily slide for a week. You'll spot clean still (who wants to look at toothpaste buildup?), but save the scrubbing til next week.

 

I'm thinking of trying Fly Lady or Motivated Moms again myself. I really want to get the house organized, decluttered (maybe to the point of anti-hoarding), and.....well, I won't say perfect, but....

[Patches]

I don't clean everything at once unless I have company coming!

If something is dirty, it gets cleaned. Nothing gets cleaned on a schedule.

[MamaT]

I voted weekly, because most things get done every week, but it's actually spread out over the week. I also have things that only get done once a month, like ceiling fans, baseboards, etc., but I spread those out, too. The kids and I work on the house for about 30 minutes every morning before school, along with making beds, and picking up bedrooms. I also do a quick pick-up before dinner. I tend to get grumpy if my house is messy, so I try to stay on top of it.

[Amber in AUS]

I vacuum and mop weekly but the bathrooms and dusting is fortnightly. I can't stand a grubby floor with a crawling baby!

[lynn]

Daily is not an option? bathrooms get cleaned everyday. Sweeping and vaccum every day. Mopping is once or twice a week depending on the season. Dusting the main areas every couple of days. One day of each week one room gets a good dusting, vaccum, and bedding changed.

[Annabel Lee]

This is my first time trying to post a poll, so I hope it works!

 

My desire for answers to this poll is serious. I currently clean my house weekly - dusting, mopping, scrubbing bathrooms and kitchen with bleach, etc. every Thursday every week.

 

My plate is overly filled right now, and I need to let some things "go." Is it necessary to deeply clean a house every week, or is a little less often fine?

 

Basically... I think I just want to permission to let the dirt sit in my house for a little while and clean it next week - just in time for MIL's visit and Easter.

 

Thanks!

 

Voila! You are granted permission. :D

 

If the other people in your home are like those in mine, they won't notice at least half of it. Some things are harder to scrub if you wait, but others are not. Whatever will be the same in effort (such as dusting), save that for later.

 

When I hear "deep clean", I think of washing the inside of the fridge, moving large appliances & cleaning the floor underneath, cleaning walls (only if they need it), unscrewing light fixtures and cleaning inside them, etc. Do you all do this kind of cleaning as often as every week? I used to do that kind of stuff fairly often, but life has changed. We no longer live where there are weird bugs that cheerios under the oven would attract, and we're far busier.

[Cassy]

Some things I do every week: vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, kitchen floor and other obvious bits of the kitchen. Other things I do every other week: vacuum a sitting room and guest room that don't get used much. Dusting gets done about every six weeks :blushing:. Every three months I do a different bit of deep cleaning. It's all very tedious, and I never seem to stop. I do like a clean and tidy house though ...

 

Cassy

[Parrothead]

We tidy up daily. This includes beds made, bathroom wiped down, dishes done after meals, dust mopping the wood and stuff put away. We do this as a family every evening. That way we wake up to a clean house.

 

Every couple of days I'll get the feather duster out and go over all non upholstered surfaces prior to doing the dust mopping. Since I'm not polishing furniture it doesn't take long to feather dust. On days that I do this dusting I clean the kitchen floor.

 

Every other weekend I do the upholstery vacuuming, searching for stuff under the sofa and the wood polishing.

[Mom-ninja.]

Daily = laundry, kitchen (dishes and clean counters), dining table.

 

Every 2 days = vacuum

 

Weekly = bathrooms, mopping, and anything else I see that needs to be done.

[TravelingChris]

I voted biweekly because that is how often the deeper cleaning is done- by maids. However, we clean counters, obvious messes, stove top, etc. every day. We just leave the major mopping, dusting, scrubbing to the maids.

[Annie G]

For me, the frequency and intensity of housework was directly related to how old my kids were. When they were little, we cleaned all the time. All. The. Time. Now that we're down to two- 17 and 19, it's sooo much easier. We had 20 folks over for a party last night- yes, THURSDAY night. I spent about 90 minutes cleaning the day before. Sheesh, when my kids were little I spent 90 minutes a day just getting to the point of 'the illusion of clean'.

[Tess in the Burbs]

You need an other button lol!

 

I daily wipe counters, do dishes, sweep kitchen.

 

I weekly clean bathrooms and vacuum. But not all the same day unless a busy week.

 

I do sheets every other week in winter, weekly in summer.

 

I dust monthly b/c I hate it. It could stand to be more often!

 

Laundry is every few days but never all the same day so we are either washing or folding daily.

[swellmomma]

Coomon areas are done daily. I run a home daycare it MUST be clean. Bedrooms are weekly or less depending on our schedule. Bathroom I tidy and wipe daily but I scrub weekly. Laundry is never ending. This week/weekend bedroom are going to be neglected because we are out of town Saturday and I want to bleach every toy in my livingroom that the kids play with because we have 2 with tonsilitis/strep and I am trying to reduce transmission to the rest.

[rutamattatt]

Uh...I'm afraid if I answer honestly you all won't want to come visit! :001_huh:

 

We have a cleaning lady who comes once a month to do "the big clean". It is the best money we spend - DH and I both agree.

 

In between, I pick up daily, kitchen is ALWAYS picked up (I can't stand a dirty kitchen...the rest of the house could look like hoarders and I would be OK as long as the kitchen was cleaned...), I vacuum maybe once a week, I dust whenever I think of it, DH does all the laundry, and I have my kids clean the bathrooms and toilets probably about once a week. (They are old enough to do a good job, but too young to know they shouldn't WANT to do it!) :lol:

 

I come from a home where cleaning was EVERYTHING. I actually spent yesterday listening to my mom on the phone in a near panic attack because she pulled stuff out from under the beds and was so paralyzed by the dust and clutter she was nearing a breakdown. I'm not exaggerating. I know I don't keep as clean a house as my mom thinks I should, but it isn't gross and it isn't messy, and I don't want to be a slave to it.

 

Plus, I am a minimalist. I just don't have a lot of clutter and my kids are finally at an age where they don't need a ton of "stuff" as babies/toddlers do.

 

And it helps that my husband is a type A OCD kind of guy. He is very good to help with most things. :001_smile:

[kewb]

Where is the other option? Not as often as I should. I spot clean daily. Bathrooms are cleaned weekly. Deep clean is done bi-weekly unless company is expected.

[KRG]

It's your house, do what you wish :)

 

I have things that I do everyday and break cleaning down that way.

[Guest]

I don't clean clean nearly as often as I should. I do, however, keep things very tidy. I keep things picked up and relatively organized. This must do some good because I'm the one that my friends always tease and laugh at when I say my house is SO dirty. No one thinks my house is dirty except for me! I get to really cleaning it every few weeks.

[nukeswife]

When it looks like it needs it. I do keep on top of putting dishes in the dishwasher and laundry, but nothing else is done on a schedule. I've tried MM more times than I can count, but it's not frustrating to me, there are things on the "daily" list that I just don't think are necessary and I would rather they just rotate in like other things. I know I could just ignore the daily list, but then it wouldn't be on the "little bit each day" list either.

 

I'm not a clean freak, but we're not slobs either.