Does anyone just do the next thing for housework?

[Laura Corin]

My mother had no interest in housework when I was growing up, and I sort of muddled through it until the last eleven years in Asia, when I had household help.

 

I am now used to a reasonably clean, fairly tidy house, and had assumed that I needed to set up a schedule to achieve that. Over the last week, however, I've just found myself doing the next thing. Each day I think about what needs doing, and complete one major task (vacuuming all the floors, scrubbing a bathroom, dusting the house....).

 

Does anyone else do this kind of informal rotation? Do you find that you miss bits, or does it all get done fairly regularly? I like the idea of this method because everything should get done reasonably frequently without my feeling guilty about messing up a timetable. I do the basic hygiene-and-neatness tasks every day (cleaning up the kitchen, attending to the toilets as needed, keeping the place fairly neat....).

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[Tarheel Heather]

I have no schedule. I try to get a load of laundry done and hit the spots that need attention. I can not stick to a schedule. I would like to, attempted Fly Lady, but I just do what needs to get done.

[dragons in the flower bed]

My mother had no interest in housework when I was growing up, and I sort of muddled through it until the last eleven years in Asia, when I had household help. <snip> I am now used to a reasonably clean, fairly tidy house, and had assumed that I needed to set up a schedule to achieve that. Over the last week, however, I've just found myself doing the next thing.

 

My mother wouldn't even let me watch her clean. She told me that I had to go to college and get a good job so I could hire help.

 

I more or less just do the next thing. I suppose I could call it the What Looks Wrong? method, because I scan the room, then assault the things which you wouldn't see in a magazine.

[Desert Rat]

That doesn't work for me. I do a thorough clean every Thursday. I find that the only way I can keep my OCD tendancies in check is by allowing myself to focus on cleaning one day a week and then tidying the remaining days. I wish, wish, wish I could use your method!

[Jennifer in MI]

That doesn't work for me. I do a thorough clean every Thursday. I find that the only way I can keep my OCD tendancies in check is by allowing myself to focus on cleaning one day a week and then tidying the remaining days. I wish, wish, wish I could use your method!

 

 

Unfortunately, this is me too. Are we long lost sisters?

 

I need to know that when I see something on my floors that they'll be mopped on X day. Or, when the dust starts accumulating, the it'll be dusted on X. If I don't have a schedule, I'd feel like I needed to do it all EVERY day. So, the schedule actually slows me down and allows me to leave a "mess" knowing it'll be cleaned soon. Make sense?

[elegantlion]

My mother had no interest in housework when I was growing up, and I sort of muddled through it until the last eleven years in Asia, when I had household help.

 

I am now used to a reasonably clean, fairly tidy house, and had assumed that I needed to set up a schedule to achieve that. Over the last week, however, I've just found myself doing the next thing. Each day I think about what needs doing, and complete one major task (vacuuming all the floors, scrubbing a bathroom, dusting the house....).

 

Does anyone else do this kind of informal rotation? Do you find that you miss bits, or does it all get done fairly regularly? I like the idea of this method because everything should get done reasonably frequently without my feeling guilty about messing up a timetable. I do the basic hygiene-and-neatness tasks every day (cleaning up the kitchen, attending to the toilets as needed, keeping the place fairly neat....).

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

Yes. My mother was the kind that would rather do it herself than teach us. I learned how to cook and clean once I was married (blush).

 

I do start the laundry on Monday and ds has chores on Saturday morning, otherwise it's like dragons said, scan and see what is dirty. I find having a set of cleaners in each bathroom very helpful. I will leave the room to get them and get distracted by something before I return.

 

I'm also blessed because dh and ds are very clean, they never leave clothes lying around and they know how to hang up towels.

[Parrothead]

I don't clean on a schedule. I've tried to do laundry on X, dusting on Y, floors on Z. It doesn't work for me. I think I'm one with OCD tendencies. I prefer to have everything tidy before I go to bed. This doesn't always happen. And I can't start school until the house is clean.

 

So if I get up in the morning and found that I "forgot" to wash dishes the night before I have to get the kitchen cleaned before anything else.

 

To make it easier to explain I'll list what I do daily.

 

Lysol wipe the bathroom down after everyone is done for the morning (5 minutes).

Pledge wipe the living room and school room (5 minutes).

vacuum the living room, toy room and school room (10 minutes).

Floormate the kitchen and bath (10 minutes tops).

Empty dishwasher or clean up the kitchen from the night before (anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes).

Daily laundry. Anywhere from 2 to 4 loads if I have to do sheets and towels.

Nightly family tidy up if we aren't exhausted for some reason (15 minutes).

Make beds (just a few minutes)

 

So on a good day I do about 45 minutes to an hour of chores throughout the day.

 

About twice a month I begin to feel like the house is dirty and will spend 6-8 hours cleaning. Then everything from disinfecting to cleaning out the fridge, minor de-cluttering of the kitchen cabinets, and cleaning the carpet. There isn't really any rhyme or reason feeling like the house needs a massive cleaning. Dd looks forward to those days because it means she gets an unexpected day off school.

[Guest 4boys]

I don't schedule any cleaning, I just do the next thing that needs doing. Some things I do every day (like cleaning up the kitchen, etc.). Sometimes I make a list for the next day in my day planner of things I noticed that need doing but I've run out of time/energy to do them right away. And every once in awhile when I see the house needs it, I do a major cleaning which involves dusting, vacuuming and tidying the entire house plus bathrooms.

[keptwoman]

I'm do the next thing too.

[SusanG]

Heck, I usually notice the next thing, then ignore it for a day or two. I'm TERRIBLE at housekeeping. One of my goals is to work on that.

[suzf242]

I do the next thing, too. I just don't enjoy myself when I'm on a schedule. I try to keep the kitchen and bathroom clean and have a "general cleanup" time every day with my dd, but I don't stress about it if something comes up.

 

Suzanne.

[Diann]

I'm a do the next thing girl, too. I have certain jobs I do everyday, but the house still gets cleaned on a regular basis without a schedule.

 

Diann

[Debbi in Texas]

I do a sort of rotational/do the next thing. I try to keep the laundry and dishes somewhat caught up.

 

My "rotation" consists of: Sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, and clean the bathroom. I go through the list and by then it is time to start it again.

 

Working a job outside the home does cut down on cleaning time.

[KatieJ]

I do try to clean bathrooms, vacumn, mop the floors...

Started out as a good way to get the teens to help out before they left for Football games or whatever..chores must be done. Bedrooms are kind of hit or miss tho and let's not talk about the lower level family room!

Homeschool fridays were lighter, catch up days, and then we cleaned.

Now it's become habit as I like having the house clean for teh weekend.

Otherwise, I do what's next. Since I only have DS18 home, I have less mess, but less help, so am thinking I need to start a schedule and not do the whole house in one day.

[Peela]

yep, I am do the next thing, pretty much, even though I am with Flylady. I have some good routines in the kitchen, and I do get to everything, but its not as regular or scheduled as many people seem to manage. I do try and vacuum on Saturdays, but there are no other days I try and do specific things.

[chickenpatty]

My mother had no interest in housework when I was growing up, and I sort of muddled through it until the last eleven years in Asia, when I had household help.

 

I am now used to a reasonably clean, fairly tidy house, and had assumed that I needed to set up a schedule to achieve that. Over the last week, however, I've just found myself doing the next thing. Each day I think about what needs doing, and complete one major task (vacuuming all the floors, scrubbing a bathroom, dusting the house....).

 

Does anyone else do this kind of informal rotation? Do you find that you miss bits, or does it all get done fairly regularly? I like the idea of this method because everything should get done reasonably frequently without my feeling guilty about messing up a timetable. I do the basic hygiene-and-neatness tasks every day (cleaning up the kitchen, attending to the toilets as needed, keeping the place fairly neat....).

 

 

 

 

Me! I wish I was more of an organized scheduler with the housework, and I have tried many times to do it that way. But, such does not seem to be the case and now I just do whatever's needed when it's needed.

[Jenny in Atl]

I just do what needs to be done. Unless I know we are having company (then it's a big clean), I cover the basics. But then again, I have girls which is very different.

[HRAAB]

Heck, I usually notice the next thing, then ignore it for a day or two. I'm TERRIBLE at housekeeping. One of my goals is to work on that.

 

This is me. Housework is bottom on my list, and this must change. I'm working on creating a scheduled based on the one from Motivated Moms

 

I'm a list type of person; if not on a list it doesn't get done. Hoping this works for housework as well.

 

Janet

[Nayner]

I do the next thing, but this only works for the kitchen and bathrooms. Those rooms get dirty frequently, so they are constantly being cleaned. Dust creeps up on me. Walls get dirty. Stuff grows in the closets. I really do better with a schedule. I've used the flipper system (Messies- Sandra F?) and it has helped in the past. Of course, I haven't been consistent with it.

[Desert Rat]

Makes absolutely perfect sense to me, sister! :o)

[Jacquelyn in NC]

I try to pick a room a day to focus on and spend 15 minutes straightening, putting things to rights, checking walls and windows for fingerprints, etc. I also try to do one bigger cleaning job each day as well (sweeping, dusting, clean the bathroom, etc). One load of laundry a day, if needed, as well as keeping the kitchen clean. That's about the extent of my cleaning schedule.

 

Some days I can get a bit more work done, some days it's substantially less. My kids help, but sometimes their "help" makes more work for me -- it would be faster to do it myself! However, I try to look at the big picture: I want them to be able to keep a tidy house, do their laundry, and cook their food when they grow up. I figure now is the best time to start.

[percytruffle]

This is me as well. I do the next thing unless there is threat of company! I despise cleaning schedules. They take all of the joy out of cleaning! :lol:

 

I am a list maker though and if I have certain jobs I want to accompish that day or week I will make myself a list. That's as scheduled as I get.