Newbie wonders when y'all clean? DO you clean?

[Hedgehogs4]

Sooooo... yeah. Busy household (like everyone else's September with kids) and I always feel behind-the-eight-ball when it comes to getting things done around the house. How do you guys fit it in? I can feel my INFJ-ness working against my schedule too - my insanely strong J thinks I'm Martha Stewart but my INF is in LaLa Land. This creates a frustrating scenario in which I'll never measure up to my own standards! Hahaha I know I need to "let go" of that a little... but meanwhile, when will the bathrooms get done? :glare:

 

:bigear:

 

I'm an INFJ also and a clean house is very important to me. If the house spirals too far out of control, I literally get depressed. When the kids were smaller and not able to help with the cleaning, I hired a cleaning crew once a month to help me cope. Now that they are older, I am training them to clean well, and we do it as a team. We do a quick Saturday-morning cleanup every week, and the first Saturday of the month we do an "all-hands" deep clean.

 

I have found that if the school area is clean and the kitchen is clean, then I can function with mess in other areas for a little longer than if it was all going to pot, so I focus on keeping up with those two areas all the time. The rest gets attention less often, but at least once a month the whole house is clean.

[Hedgehogs4]

No schedule. I do what I gotta do when I get to it. It's not my number one priority. I don't want to look back and admire that I managed to have a perfectly clean house. I want to admire that I managed to help my kids get a good education.

 

Don't feel guilty if you can't function in this zone. I cannot. I literally can not pull it together to give the kids a decent education if the house feels out of control to me, so the above comment is a moot point if you are like that. It does not make you a weaker person with priorities out of whack any more than one learning style is not better than another. Besides, my family truly appreciates a clean and orderly house. It behooves all of us not to let the mess and dirt get out of hand.

 

I think it is a learned skill to keep it at a manageable level, so whenever you feel like you are too wigged-out about how dirty the house is, clean it. A few really great days of school will follow! Then do a little maintenance every day and start teaching your kids how to help with that. You'll get it, but it will take time.

[kwickimom]

1. Get rid of the clutter. As much as you can as fast as you can.

2. Organize everything and find a clearly defined place for it.

3. Keep up and do clutter control frequently. I am amazed at what I can find to get rid of even a week or 2 after a major declutter. Decluttering cuts your cleaning time down!!

4. Start routines. Do X when you wake up, X after breakfast, X after lunch, X after dinner.

5. Write down and showcase specific chores for everyone. Everyone gets a chore and does the same thing everyday so there is no confusion and no questions. Train the kids to do them until they are perfect.

6. Every couple months take a day or two and go over the whole house so you are starting at ground zero and stuff doesn't pile up forever.

 

I use Motivated Moms app on my phone. You can customize it and it has you doing daily chores and then adds in an extra chore or two a day and if you stick to it you will rotate around your house and hit everything. Just check it off as you go.

 

Cleaning shouldn't take forever or be that big if a deal if you do a little everyday. We school for 4 hours and in that time we simply so school. Probably 2 hours a day is spent on cleaning and meal prep and we have the rest of the day to do what we want. I do a few things in the a.m,. a few things after school is over and a few things before bed. Just work at it until it is second nature.

[...................]

Yes!!! Clutter is a huge, huge issue. I'm

Having a hard time keeping my house in order latrly and I know why! It's time to full the trunk up with junk and hail it out, to the dumpster or Goodwill!!!

 

I think it becomes very difficult to clean when you have a million tiny items all over, and they have to be put away before you can wipe, dust or vacuum!

[justLisa]

I'm an INFJ also and a clean house is very important to me. If the house spirals too far out of control, I literally get depressed. When the kids were smaller and not able to help with the cleaning, I hired a cleaning crew once a month to help me cope. Now that they are older, I am training them to clean well, and we do it as a team. We do a quick Saturday-morning cleanup every week, and the first Saturday of the month we do an "all-hands" deep clean.

 

I have found that if the school area is clean and the kitchen is clean, then I can function with mess in other areas for a little longer than if it was all going to pot, so I focus on keeping up with those two areas all the time. The rest gets attention less often, but at least once a month the whole house is clean.

 

Well hmm. I've taken those personality deals and I am similar. Though still, it is not as important as our school. I treat it like I am gone at work.

 

And it's not like my house is a wreck, just cluttered in areas. My kitchen is always clean and laundry done.

 

I am really glad I can function beyond a perfectly tidy home because there is just no way that is realistic right now. Unless it WAS my hobby, but it is not. I have too many other interests that I do not want to deprive for extra house work time.

 

I do once a week do a more thorough job. But the daily is just school, laundry, clean kitchen and whatever else is bonus

[justLisa]

LOL, no?

 

Yeah I tried to convince myself it was worth it a while back. It still was probably far less perfect than other's definition of a tidy home, but it was basically all of my spare time.

 

And I didn't feel any better about myself. And no one noticed. Actually when I told DH how much I had been doing and trying to keep everything clean, he told me he never thought the house was really messy. Maybe others just need a husband who can't see right like mine :lol:

[Arcadia]

My home is small and I only have two kids so that helps a lot. I am in charge of the kitchen, cooking and cleaning. My hubby does the laundry and vacuuming. He sweeps the patio when he is in the mood. Kids are in charge of any mess they create.

My house don't look showroom clean but it's clean enough for friends to drop by without notice.

[Critterfixer]

I clean Monday-Thursday for two hours in the afternoon.

I do not consider laundry and dishes part of that schedule, and they get done every day. Likewise, the animals get their cleaning done daily as part of chore time (30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening).

Sunday is somewhat unique in that I have two hours set aside for "cleaning" but I get to chose what I want or need to work on that day.

 

If I don't have it scheduled it doesn't get done, so I just build it into my day.

 

Seems to work for me.

[Professormom]

Sooooo... yeah. Busy household (like everyone else's September with kids) and I always feel behind-the-eight-ball when it comes to getting things done around the house. How do you guys fit it in? I can feel my INFJ-ness working against my schedule too - my insanely strong J thinks I'm Martha Stewart but my INF is in LaLa Land. This creates a frustrating scenario in which I'll never measure up to my own standards! Hahaha I know I need to "let go" of that a little... but meanwhile, when will the bathrooms get done? :glare:

 

:bigear:

 

I don't know that I have any answers, but I have to laugh, because one of my best buds is INFJ and I am ENTJ, which makes for some pretty interesting dialogue... When she feels like talking, lol!

 

One tip, use the kids! They are very capable and need to learn how to handle basic homekeeping anyway...;)

[boscopup]

One tip, use the kids! They are very capable and need to learn how to handle basic homekeeping anyway...;)

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

Seriously, it was a huge ephiphany for me the day I realized my kids could fold laundry. I was always behind because it didn't get put away. I'd have 4 laundry baskets full of clean laundry and couldn't wash any more clothes because I'd run out of baskets to put the dryer load in. Then it dawned on me... my kids are capable of folding clothes. I spent some time teaching them how to fold each piece of clothing (with us all folding together), and after a week or two of that, I was able to say, "Kids, go fold and put away the kid clothes!" and it's done! Really, it was the kid clothes that I procrastinated so much on, backing up everything else. I HATE folding kid clothes. There are so many of them, and they're so small. :tongue_smilie:One day, I timed myself folding kid clothes, and it actually took me 30 minutes! :001_huh: I can do an adult clothes load in 5 minutes! So now, the 3 kids working together can get it done in about 30 minutes (folding and putting away), and I don't have to do it anymore. Freedom! I'm so caught up on laundry now that I have to go buy more hangers... I keep running out, with ALL the clothes hanging up again. :lol:

 

I also do a load of laundry every day, so it's just one or maybe two loads to put away each day. That's not so bad (especially when the kids do half or all the work :D). The kids enjoy folding whites because DH's sock drawer is way up high, and they play basketball to get all the sock pairs in. My 3 year old loves putting hangers on shirts. My 5 and 8 year old can both fold shirts, pants, and socks. We don't bother to fold underwear. It's amazing how quickly and easily clothes are put away when the kids are working together, or we're all working together. Laundry is easy now.

 

It's the toy clutter that gets out of control here. I really like the blog post someone posted on page 2 about a "reasonably clean home". I'm actually doing several of the points made there, so yay! That made me feel good. I do try to contain most of the toys to a toy room, plus we have a couple toy boxes/chests in strategic areas where if there are toys in that room, they all go in that box/chest - easy cleanup. The toy room has bins for different types of toys. I think it's finally starting to sink in that if you don't dump a whole bin of little Legos, you won't have to pick up a gazillion little Legos when cleanup time comes. That was a hard one to teach, but we're getting much better (a couple weeks ago, DS2 dumped TWO boxes of Trivial Pursuit cards and learned a hard lesson about dumping things - he's been much better about it since then!). Most of the toy clutter is the kids not putting stuff away, so I'm trying to be diligent about reminding them to put things away as I see them, so it doesn't all get out of hand again. We're improving. It takes time and training.

 

Now if someone would just come up with a genetically modified German Shepherd that doesn't shed, I'd be super happy. :D

[Guest]

Following this thread. Glad you started it.

 

Uhh, what is INFJ and the others like that?

 

They are personality types, according to the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. I stands for Introvert, N stands for INtuitive, F stands for Feeling, J stands for Judging. The combination creates a personality type.

[Mommy22alyns]

I don't know that I have any answers, but I have to laugh, because one of my best buds is INFJ and I am ENTJ, which makes for some pretty interesting dialogue... When she feels like talking, lol!

 

One tip, use the kids! They are very capable and need to learn how to handle basic homekeeping anyway...;)

 

 

Absolutely! The girls can do a huge amount around here, and they're happy to do it.

[Chelli]

I tried cleaning a different area/room of the house after we had finished school, but I was just too beat. I wanted to veg and relax after our school day before starting supper, so cleaning never got done.

 

My grand cleaning epiphany came because of a comment on these boards. Someone (I wish I could remember who!) said that home schooling is a full time job and we need to treat it as such. This reminded me of my mother who worked full time as a teacher while I was growing up. She did the laundry and dishes daily. On Saturday, we cleaned the house as a family. This is what I've done for half of the last school year and so far this year. It is working even better than I hoped!

 

I clean the bathrooms and mop the dining room/kitchen every Sunday (while the kids are napping), but I alternate what we clean each weekend. We dust and vacuum the living room, dust the dining and kitchen, and mop the laundry room one week. The next week we dust and vacuum the bedrooms. Then back to the first week again.

 

Every day we have a 20 (or 30 minute) pickup where I assign a room for every one to pick up. If you don't have your room finished in the allotted time then you don't get to read books with mom before going to bed (aka an early bedtime).

 

Also, I agree with everyone else who mentioned clutter. Before I started my above system I went through EVERYTHING and reduced what we have (toys, clothing, knickknacks) by half. Much easier to keep up with laundry and clutter that way!

 

Good luck finding a system that works for you!

[ScoutTN]

I figured out years ago I can't do it all well. I can balance the balls in the air for only so long but something falls at some point.

 

I prioritized our home and while I wish I could clean more I don't. Honestly, I could clean more but I don't.

 

School is priority. It's my main job in the week and I make sure I plan and get teaching done.

 

My second priority is meals. I make sure we have meals on the table and keep pantry stocked.

 

Laundry is also up there on the list. I honestly don't have issues with laundry. I look daily and if the basket is near full I run a load. So basically colors and whites are done about every 3 days. I start it before school. Ds transfers it during lunch and we put it up after school. By doing it every few days and not a massive pile once a week it gets done and it's not overwhelming. Best household change I made years ago. I rarely have to do multiple loads in a day. So the laundry is running almost daily on some level...whites or colors or sheets/towels or sports clothes....but it's quick to put up and is manageable.

 

I clean once a week. Deep clean is monthly(dusting, really scrubbing tubs, mopping). We vacuum and wipe down bathrooms and kitchens. I am having kids alternate who wipes table and sweeps kitchen daily so that is done more often. We keep the house tidy. And if we have bad behavior their 'work' is dusting baseboards. So those get done often enough :tongue_smilie:

 

I am at peace with our priorities. I know it will change but we consider our schedule every year and I am mentally ok with the state of my home. I am ok with people coming over short notice. It's not white glove ready but it's tidy and we get school done.

 

 

This sounds a lot like us!

[serendipitous journey]

... all *ing day long. That's when I clean.

 

okay, now to look at all the other posts on this thread, which I've not even glanced at ...

[Chrysalis Academy]

... all *ing day long. That's when I clean.

 

okay, now to look at all the other posts on this thread, which I've not even glanced at ...

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

My kids have heard *this* one before!!!

[Hedgehogs4]

Well hmm. I've taken those personality deals and I am similar. Though still, it is not as important as our school. I treat it like I am gone at work.

 

And it's not like my house is a wreck, just cluttered in areas. My kitchen is always clean and laundry done.

 

I am really glad I can function beyond a perfectly tidy home because there is just no way that is realistic right now. Unless it WAS my hobby, but it is not. I have too many other interests that I do not want to deprive for extra house work time.

 

I do once a week do a more thorough job. But the daily is just school, laundry, clean kitchen and whatever else is bonus

 

I didn't say perfectly tidy. And I don't know for sure that it has anything to do with being an INFJ...except the J part tends to prefer order. I said if it gets "too far out of control" "Too far" and "out of control" should indicate that I do not have a perfectly tidy house. Quite the contrary. Come over right now and you will see.

[Lovedtodeath]

That takes training, but it can definitely be done.

 

I think that is the kind of intentional thought that Ellie mentioned earlier.

:banghead:

[Lovedtodeath]

Perhaps some people that don't have "time" for cleaning actually do not have the energy. Perhaps they have cancer, fibromyalgia, or an autoimmune disorder. Perhaps their kids will not allow them to lay down on the bed or sofa, but will allow them to sit down at a computer...

 

perhaps.

[Lovedtodeath]

I really mustn't post when I am cranky. The first couple of pages were very good.

[ELITEANDLOVINGIT]

I don't think clean ever really happens here. We have two dogs (one that is 147lb) and children.

 

Someone once told me "A clean stable is a stable without horses"... I just go with that.

 

:grouphug:

 

Bathrooms and Bedrooms function independently of this statement..I make all beds while my daughter does minute math, and flush all toilets every time I walk by because I don't even have to look anymore I know they need it! ;)

[Alte Veste Academy]

Perhaps some people that don't have "time" for cleaning actually do not have the energy. Perhaps they have cancer, fibromyalgia, or an autoimmune disorder. Perhaps their kids will not allow them to lay down on the bed or sofa, but will allow them to sit down at a computer...

 

perhaps.

 

:grouphug:

 

If your circumstances are different, don't be offended. The OP was very hahaha, literally. My advice to someone who has hahaha issues keeping her house clean is very different than it would be for someone with more serious issues. If the tone of the OP had been different, I think the tone of the responses would have been as well.

[mommymilkies]

Perhaps some people that don't have "time" for cleaning actually do not have the energy. Perhaps they have cancer, fibromyalgia, or an autoimmune disorder. Perhaps their kids will not allow them to lay down on the bed or sofa, but will allow them to sit down at a computer...

 

perhaps.

Yup. I'm on a medication that makes me sooooooo tired. Like, scoop me up with a spatula tired. Not cool. I actually do have Anxiety and OCD so you can imagine how terrible I feel with my house in disorder.

[Forgiven]

My house has become a disaster since I started homeschooling last year. I also work a 40-hour (many times more) job from home, and do direct sales (would love to quit that 40-hour job and only do direct sales).

 

Anyway, I realized I can't do it all.

 

So I hired a cleaning lady. ;)

[tuzor]

We do the bathrooms right after we use them every morning. :) Whoever is last out of the bathroom gives it a quick wipe down. On the weekend, I mop and clean them more thoroughly.

I really like this idea of cleaning the bathrooms daily. I think I will implement a varied version of this. With three boys we will wipe down the toilets daily and clean the bathroom weekly.

 

I figured out years ago I can't do it all well. I can balance the balls in the air for only so long but something falls at some point.

 

I prioritized our home and while I wish I could clean more I don't. Honestly, I could clean more but I don't.

 

School is priority. It's my main job in the week and I make sure I plan and get teaching done.

 

My second priority is meals. I make sure we have meals on the table and keep pantry stocked.

 

Laundry is also up there on the list. I honestly don't have issues with laundry. I look daily and if the basket is near full I run a load. So basically colors and whites are done about every 3 days. I start it before school. Ds transfers it during lunch and we put it up after school. By doing it every few days and not a massive pile once a week it gets done and it's not overwhelming. Best household change I made years ago. I rarely have to do multiple loads in a day. So the laundry is running almost daily on some level...whites or colors or sheets/towels or sports clothes....but it's quick to put up and is manageable.

 

I clean once a week. Deep clean is monthly(dusting, really scrubbing tubs, mopping). We vacuum and wipe down bathrooms and kitchens. I am having kids alternate who wipes table and sweeps kitchen daily so that is done more often. We keep the house tidy. And if we have bad behavior their 'work' is dusting baseboards. So those get done often enough :tongue_smilie:

 

I am at peace with our priorities. I know it will change but we consider our schedule every year and I am mentally ok with the state of my home. I am ok with people coming over short notice. It's not white glove ready but it's tidy and we get school done.

Your top three match mine :001_smile:

[Parrothead]

We (I didn't make this mess. I'm not cleaning it up by myself. Thankyouverymuch.) tidy every day.

 

Upstairs (bedroom area) gets tidied in the mornings after getting dressed (beds made, bathroom wiped down, cat litter scooped). It takes all of 5 minutes with everyone who is home at the time pitching in.

 

Downstairs gets tidied several times a day. Whatever we are using gets put away when we are done. In the evenings before settling in for the night things get a quick cleaning.

 

We do a deeper cleaning as a group on the weekend.

 

I do a big decluttering a couple times a year.

[Spryte]

Weekly cleaning lady. :) She does the major cleaning, we do the upkeep during the week. Lots of decluttering. Laundry daily.

 

I have limited energy due to health issues, but even if I did not - educating our kids is my full time job. That is DH's take on it, and we both put that as our top priority. Next on the priority list is healthy meals. Next comes laundry and cleaning. We've got the top priorities handles, and we outsource the heavy duty cleaning to someone else. She doesn't do a perfect job, not the way I would do it, but her help means I can focus my energy on other things, or touching up little things she doesn't do, if necessary.

 

I do think that if I didn't have such limited energy, I *could* squeeze in all the cleaning. There's time. But not energy. I physically cannot do it all. Non-physical breaks are necessary for me to keep going through the day. So I can sit down with a cup of coffee every few hours and check email or surf the internet, but I can't scrub baseboards or mop the floor and call that a "break." My body would just quit. We all do what we can.

[Lovedtodeath]

Yup. I'm on a medication that makes me sooooooo tired. Like, scoop me up with a spatula tired. Not cool. I actually do have Anxiety and OCD so you can imagine how terrible I feel with my house in disorder.

 

:grouphug:

 

If your circumstances are different, don't be offended. The OP was very hahaha, literally. My advice to someone who has hahaha issues keeping her house clean is very different than it would be for someone with more serious issues. If the tone of the OP had been different, I think the tone of the responses would have been as well.

 

Weekly cleaning lady. :) She does the major cleaning, we do the upkeep during the week. Lots of decluttering. Laundry daily.

 

I have limited energy due to health issues, but even if I did not - educating our kids is my full time job. That is DH's take on it, and we both put that as our top priority. Next on the priority list is healthy meals. Next comes laundry and cleaning. We've got the top priorities handles, and we outsource the heavy duty cleaning to someone else. She doesn't do a perfect job, not the way I would do it, but her help means I can focus my energy on other things, or touching up little things she doesn't do, if necessary.

 

I do think that if I didn't have such limited energy, I *could* squeeze in all the cleaning. There's time. But not energy. I physically cannot do it all. Non-physical breaks are necessary for me to keep going through the day. So I can sit down with a cup of coffee every few hours and check email or surf the internet, but I can't scrub baseboards or mop the floor and call that a "break." My body would just quit. We all do what we can.

:grouphug::):grouphug: Thank you for the relieved smile ladies.

[southcarolinamom]

Hmm...when do I clean ... when do I clean ... (insert visual picture of me tapping my foot and thumping my head)

 

Generally I do the majority on Friday morning, 'cause I like things to look good on the weekend. My dd and I fold laundry while we watch our daily dose of Gilmore Girls. :D I sprinkle around my homemade version of carpet sprinkles (baking soda and essential oil in Lavender, Mandarin, Lemon, or Green Tea/Cucumber and vacuum a couple of times a week, whenever I notice my son's soccer shoes leaving behind dirt clods and grass on the carpet. I try to stay on top of the kitchen mess every day, in case a customer stops by for cupcakes.

[Critterfixer]

Perhaps some people that don't have "time" for cleaning actually do not have the energy. Perhaps they have cancer, fibromyalgia, or an autoimmune disorder. Perhaps their kids will not allow them to lay down on the bed or sofa, but will allow them to sit down at a computer...

 

perhaps.

 

 

I certainly do think that having the energy was key to developing a plan to clean. I discovered about a year ago that I had gluten intolerance. Removing gluten cleared up some other issues I had that were contributing to lethargy. I had severe inhalant allergies-now gone. I had joint pain. Also gone. I had no energy to get down the driveway. Now I run thirty to forty minutes three to four times a week and am training for my first 10K.

I don't think it is a coincidence that shortly after eliminating gluten I started to exercise. And I don't think it's a coincidence that after exercising I began to get the house under control. I also ended up really limiting the time I spent on the computer and began putting more of that time into outside activity and reading and learning some new things (Latin).

 

Point being: Sometimes low energy can't really be dealt with easily. But sometimes lifestyle changes do make a difference. I'd also reiterate: before I tackled a schedule for the house, the first thing I did was make sure I took care of myself. When Mom is taken care of, Mom can take care of more things without feeling worn out or abused.

[TranquilMind]

Sooooo... yeah. Busy household (like everyone else's September with kids) and I always feel behind-the-eight-ball when it comes to getting things done around the house. How do you guys fit it in? I can feel my INFJ-ness working against my schedule too - my insanely strong J thinks I'm Martha Stewart but my INF is in LaLa Land. This creates a frustrating scenario in which I'll never measure up to my own standards! Hahaha I know I need to "let go" of that a little... but meanwhile, when will the bathrooms get done? :glare:

 

:bigear:

We just move when the house gets bad enough.

 

Just kidding!

 

We are pretty neat and keep things picked up every day. But I just really clean every week or two, and deep clean when someone is coming over!

[Stratford]

I keep up with some things very well....laundry, kitchen/dishes, disgusting bathroom disasters.

 

My kids can do basics, like dust/vacuum, put laundry away, unload dishwasher, etc. DH is very helpful when he's home.

 

For the big stuff, I hire someone else to do it. She comes biweekly for a deep clean. I'm home all week with the kids doing school/life stuff, but I work on the weekends....this is a compromise that lets me do all the other things I want/need to do.

[beaners]

Today is a great example of why my house is messy. I have two things I really need to get done, because they are two of the things I can't get done with my baby in a sling. I need to iron my husband's work shirts, and I need to wash the breakable dishes. My children do the non-breakable dishes.

 

Every time I set the baby down, he wakes up and starts crying. I can do a lot with him in my arms, like vacuuming with the Shark or throwing a wet rag on the floor to mop with my feet. But some of these dishes have been sitting for an embarrassing length of time, and my husband has nothing to wear to work tomorrow. I've been timing it, and this baby hasn't stayed by himself for two minutes yet. I've filled up the sink a few times, and washed a couple things. It hasn't made a dent.

 

My children have a talent for throwing all the brilliant strategies for home maintenance out the window. I try to avoid answering every possible solution in real life with a "Yes, but..." because it sounds so horribly negative, and because it makes it sound like I really don't want to make it work. I do want things to work out, but I'm also intimately acquainted with my family's reality. Luckily for the OP, it sounds like her family's situation is slightly different from my own.

[hsmom2011]

Cleaning? What's that? Wish I could afford a housekeeper, I really need one. :tongue_smilie:

[serendipitous journey]

Sooooo... yeah. Busy household (like everyone else's September with kids) and I always feel behind-the-eight-ball when it comes to getting things done around the house. How do you guys fit it in? I can feel my INFJ-ness working against my schedule too - my insanely strong J thinks I'm Martha Stewart but my INF is in LaLa Land. This creates a frustrating scenario in which I'll never measure up to my own standards! Hahaha I know I need to "let go" of that a little... but meanwhile, when will the bathrooms get done? :glare:

 

:bigear:

 

Well, thinking on this more: do you want Martha's family? thought not. So when your J brings Martha up, tell it that! (:D -- this is coming from a P so may not help at all) ...

 

The house isn't ever done, I think, while the children are conscious. I have liked a lot of things from flylady, though I can't manage her routines & my homeschool & home life -- I am hoping to add the 15" Zone work each day but so far no go on that. I usually do Zone Work once or twice a month. I do, daily, swish & swipe the bathrooms -- quickly straighten, squirt cleaner on mirrors and counters and sprinkle Bon Ami in the toilet & scrub it, then go back with a cloth and wipe first the mirror/s, then the counters & sinks, then use the now-damp cloth to hit the outside of the toilets and zoom it around the floor. At the moment I'm usually able to do this before breakfast.

 

The kitchen is cleaned on an ongoing basis, and daily: dishes that can't go in the dishwasher get stashed in a Rubbermaid bin under the sink until we wash up, which is after dinner at the latest. Also after dinner wipe table and counters, put stuff away (not counting Book Stacks, which are exempt), dry dishes and put them away. Sweep or vacuum. This happens every night. I try to mop & also clean our doors -- a main door is into the kitchen from outside, and is glass, and gets covered with smudges which demoralize me -- daily, but sometimes go as much as a week (or more with a tiny baby) btw. moppings and door-cleanings.

 

The main areas get straightened each day, the toddler's room straightened before breakfast and before bed (ideally after quiet time instead of before bed) and the older one is tasked with making his bed and cleaning the lower bunk off. His room is cluttered but not dismal, and we do periodic cleaning. DH has the job of making our bed, which involves folding everything back to air it, and I straighten the pillows; clothes are always put in hampers (DH puts his ON the hamper!) when dirty and in closets or drawers otherwise. I actually have very few clothes so this helps!

 

I vacuum the house about once a week, a la flylady's home blessing hour, but after the tot was born I don't get to the mopping, windows, dusting, &c. every week.

 

There are also outside chores nearly every day, we have a lot of outside space.

 

Laundry once a day usually. Either start a load in the AM and dry at snack/lunch, or start right after tot goes down in the PM, then dry before bed.

 

In my first reply I said I clean all day long -- that's true, I have this mental list and go down it as I can, remembering (usually!) that people and love come before neatness. I read on flylady the idea to always pick something up as you move through a room, and I try to do this when I don't have hands full of a tot and am not in the middle of a lesson. I also try to clean one item out of the refrigerator/freezer/pantry whenever I open them, if it is looking bad in there.

 

Generally, I try to take care of the things that bug me or DH (he gets bugged when the outside plants wilt -- he doesn't think it is my job to water them, but he's so much happier when I do and he works long hours so there's no bitterness here). DH travels a lot, and my older is sweet but an intense handful, so it always feels a bit crazy to me, but there you are.

 

:) .

Edited September 27, 2012 by serendipitous journey

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I'd also reiterate: before I tackled a schedule for the house, the first thing I did was make sure I took care of myself. When Mom is taken care of, Mom can take care of more things without feeling worn out or abused.

:):iagree:

[Lovedtodeath]

Today is a great example of why my house is messy. I have two things I really need to get done, because they are two of the things I can't get done with my baby in a sling. I need to iron my husband's work shirts, and I need to wash the breakable dishes. My children do the non-breakable dishes.

 

Every time I set the baby down, he wakes up and starts crying. I can do a lot with him in my arms, like vacuuming with the Shark or throwing a wet rag on the floor to mop with my feet. But some of these dishes have been sitting for an embarrassing length of time, and my husband has nothing to wear to work tomorrow. I've been timing it, and this baby hasn't stayed by himself for two minutes yet. I've filled up the sink a few times, and washed a couple things. It hasn't made a dent.

 

My children have a talent for throwing all the brilliant strategies for home maintenance out the window. I try to avoid answering every possible solution in real life with a "Yes, but..." because it sounds so horribly negative, and because it makes it sound like I really don't want to make it work. I do want things to work out, but I'm also intimately acquainted with my family's reality. Luckily for the OP, it sounds like her family's situation is slightly different from my own.

:iagree:

 

Cleaning? What's that? Wish I could afford a housekeeper, I really need one. :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: