Alicia64 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I do -- at least 3/4 of it -- specifically because one of my sons wakes up when our cat meows (in the poor kid's face) to be fed. It became his job to feed our kitty breakfast. It's somewhat involved -- kind of -- because our cat has health problems. Â Anyhoo, since my son is being very responsible and kind, I don't want him putting together the cat's food amid a gross counter. So I make sure that dishes are done and that the counter is gleaming for him. Â That might be your motivation too: that you're tidying up so the kids come down to a clean kitchen each morning or something like it. Â Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I usually clean the kitchen in the morning. I'm too tired and burned out by evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbowmama Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 No, I don't have the kitchen completely clean every night. All dishes must be at the very least rinsed and in the dish washer; counters, stove top, and table must be wiped down; and floor must be swept. I have small kids who make such a mess that I really wish we mopped every night. I also really wish I took out the trash every night. I don't, though.  If dishes don't get done, we don't have enough dishes for breakfast the next day. We also have trouble catching up with the dishes the next day. I do a lot of homeschooling at the kitchen table, as we have a small house. I am not a neat freak: I can live with clutter. Dirty kitchens and bathrooms, though, really stress me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I'm usually off-duty after dinner. Occasionally i will clean it up and then in the morning it is a nice surprise, but not so nice, I guess, to get me doing it regularly. Usually I wash the dishes while my morning coffee brews. It helps me wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I am not by any means a Better Homes & Gardens housekeeper, but it makes me very very cranky to come down in the morning and feel like I'm already in a hole. Â The kids clean any pots & pans after dinner, put dishes in the DW and start it. Â They don't do surfaces quite up to my standards so I wipe down counters and maybe sweep if necessary (we're past the crumbs-all-over stage, praise me) before I go to bed. Â Sometimes there's a late-night-snack dish or two in the sink but I can live with that. Â Â I have to get up crazily earlier than my natural body rhythm (5:45 am). Â About ten years ago I worked out that the kindest gift I can give to myself is to set my coffee up on automatic timer. Â It's not quite as delicious as French press. Â But I can smell it wafting up the stairs when my alarm goes off. Â There are days when knowing my coffee is waiting for me is the only reason I can think of, for why I should haul my sorry self out of bed. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 For 8-9 years I didn't go to bed until the kitchen was clean. In the past year I've started falling out of the habit and I feel it. I've been working on getting back into the routine. It makes a huge difference in my mornings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I would really like to have the kitchen clean every school night before we go to bed. I just find that if I have to start the day and am already behind with a dirty kitchen then it's a bad start. Dh thinks I'm legalistic about the clean kitchen. He thinks if we're tired we should let it go (which is easy for him to say, he's not the one cleaning it in the morning!) So, do you go to bed every night with a clean kitchen? I would say 80% of the time, it is 80% clean before we go to bed. Â Dishes are almost always put in the dishwasher. Â All food is always wrapped or refrigerated. Â Counters are most always sprayed and wiped down. Â Sometimes a pot or pan is left soaking in the sink. Â The worst is the floor...the floor doesn't get swept often enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I would LOVE to wake up to a clean kitchen, but right now I am d.o.n.e. after dinner. Â I have never been an evening person, but after cooking, dining with, bathing, and bedtime routines with three kids under five, I have zero energy. It's 8:15, and I'm in bed poking around the Hive and will fall asleep reading a book before 9. Â Tomorrow morning after breakfast, I will chuck some extra blueberries on my little guy's high chair tray and get the kitchen clean, most likely before 6 am. Â Someday I will have my children trained to do kitchen clean up; I think DH is a lost cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Yes. Even if I have to push thru. Waking up to dirty dishes is horrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Dh does all the post-dinner clean-up :D Â He puts the food away and packs his lunch. He washes the pots and other hand dishes. He loads and runs the dishwasher. He wipes the counters and stove top. He prepares the coffee. Â In the morning he empties the dishwasher and the dush drainer :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Dishes done and counter/stove wiped down. Can't say the table is always clear of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Yep, dh and kids clean the kitchen every night right after dinner (I cook, they clean up). They do the dishes, wipe down the counters and table, take out the garbage and sweep the floor. To me, waking up to a messy kitchen would be depressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I wash dishes, put away food and wipe off counters, stovetop and table after supper.  Now is it always clean the next morning, nope.  Boys and dh sometimes eat a snack. They don't wash the dishes but they do rinse them and leave in the sink. So some mornings I get up to a clean kitchen, some mornings I have a bunch of dishes in the sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I prefer to have it fairly clean. If it doesn't happen, I'm not upset but I like it clean. Â I put the dishes in the dishwasher and set the delay so if anyone adds dishes later, they'll get washed at 2 am or so. I wash the sink and wipe the counters. And I'm religious about making sure coffee will be ready. Â What I find is that when DH is in town, I'm much more relaxed. I would rather hang with him in the evening and clean in the morning. When he travels, I'm more regimented because it's all on me, and I really need to wake up feeling on top of things. So during his trips I'm a bit more rigid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Yes! Honestly, our kitchen is clean unless someone is actively preparing food. Then I don't really consider it messy but rather 'in use'. Â If our kids are old enough to help themselves to food or prepare food then they are also old enough to clean up after they are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) I prefer a clean kitchen but don't always get it.  I  found that I was very unhappy when I had a hard rule about getting it clean before going to bed.  If I'd had a late night for whatever reason, I felt like I couldn't break the rule and would go to bed crabby because I'd been doing dishes right up till bedtime.  My family is in a place right now where there are few nights we are all home together.  Tonight, for example, my daughter had a night class; she doesn't drive so I take her; sometimes I come home but tonight I had some shopping to do, so I was out from 6 till almost 10.  My husband and son made their dinner and cleaned up after it, but when my daughter and I got home we were starving and so had something to eat. The dishwasher was full and already running, so... dirty dishes in the sink.  There are a few drinking glasses left on the kitchen table, including a wine glass that requires hand-washing.  Not doing it tonight.  Not asking my husband or either of the kids to do it tonight.  They are all off to work or school early tomorrow morning; I will be home.  I can clean then.   Also, our house is small and if someone comes home late and needs to eat, people who might need to be sleeping may hear them messing about with washing dishes or even loading the dishwasher.  Not worth it so I can feel good waking up to a clean kitchen.  This to me is a personal preference, but it also changes as the family changes.  When my kids were little with a 7pm bedtime, it was easy to clean up after they went to bed. (It was a bigger house, too, so noise was not an issue.)  With older teens who are soon to be flying the coop (I hope? I seem to have some late bloomers) I am not going to be fussy about dishes.     Edited April 19, 2017 by marbel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) . Edited April 19, 2017 by Kinsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I thought of you guys and this thread because in intentionally leaving my sink full of dishes. I'm just done and will be fresher in the morning. It'll be less painful then. Â I empty the dishwasher while my morning tea steeps, then fill it as I use dishes throughout the day. It works until I cook big and need to run the dishwasher mid-day :-/ I'm just in no mood to empty it now. I made scones and red beans and rice for my students, taught a 90 minute dance class, socialized and ate with my friends, put away the food, showered, and now I'm in my new, comfy bed and too settled to consider doing more work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) nm Edited April 22, 2017 by _ -_- 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Almost always. I really hate waking up to a mess. Letting it go for a night doesn't make it go away, tired or not, and only means I have to wake up and deal with a mess instead of dealing with it the night before. I would much rather wake up and enjoy, in a clean kitchen, a fresh cup of coffee than I would wake up to dishes that need cleaned, counters that need wiped, and a floor that needs scrubbed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 There is nothing like a history of ants, mice, and rats invading the kitchen to motivate me to stay tidy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 For those of you who clean the kitchen in the evening, how do you handle family members eating/cooking afterwards? Ugh! Clean up,after yourself! That is how! Â In a perfect world. Â I have recently insisted everyone cleans up after themselves. This has results in about 50% compliance. Â God how I wish things were perfect. Including myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I want the kitchen to be cleaned every night, and I used to wash everything up right after supper. But for many years now, DD15 has had dance almost every night of the week and doesn't arrive home until 9:30. Then she eats. So cleaning the kitchen completely after dinner doesn't work in the same way any more. We always put our dirty dishes right into the dishwasher after eating, but I hand wash pots, pans, cutting boards, knives, etc., and that part often is left undone until morning, because we aren't ready for the hand washing until 10 pm. I'm too tired by then. Â So I dislike having things left out overnight, but it often happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeepa Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Nope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 For those of you who clean the kitchen in the evening, how do you handle family members eating/cooking afterwards?   When the kids were little it was easy.  We had a before bed snack and were done.  Later with young teens, we closed the kitchen at 10.  With older teens, it was a rule that all pans and dishes needed to be washed when cooking/eating happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Nope but DH cleans it every am before or after work depending on what shift he is on while I am still asleep. Â Its like having a kitchen fairy. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 For those of you who clean the kitchen in the evening, how do you handle family members eating/cooking afterwards? Â The kids were usually in bed before I was, so I made one last pass through the kitchen before I went to bed. Â That, and I trained them to do their own dishes after rummaging through the kitchen. Â Â Honestly, my dh was/is more of a problem about that than my kids ever were. Â After he fixes himself food, there are crumbs all over the counter, on the floor, dishes everywhere, stuff left out, .... Â it's like a toddler got in there and went crazy. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 No, but i am not the only one who cleans the kitchen.  We have a rotation, and the boys each have a turn.  Between ASD and homework (all boys are now in school) it simply does not get sparkly clean every night.  (oh, who am I kidding, it is a mess most nights!)  But this just doesn't bother me.  And I cannot take all the responsibility to keep it all clean and do the laundry for 5, and do the cooking, and the other cleaning.  And work full time  And go pick up my ASD child from community college M-Th two hours after I get off work.  And, and, and........   1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 The kids were usually in bed before I was, so I made one last pass through the kitchen before I went to bed.  That, and I trained them to do their own dishes after rummaging through the kitchen.   Honestly, my dh was/is more of a problem about that than my kids ever were.  After he fixes himself food, there are crumbs all over the counter, on the floor, dishes everywhere, stuff left out, ....  it's like a toddler got in there and went crazy.   Since the dishwasher is usually running by that time, there is no free space.  Dishes for the day are typically done after the dinner hour.  So my kids will eat after dinner and then leave plates in or next to the sink. But my bedroom is close enough to the kitchen that I would hear them if they started banging around.  I am a VERY light sleeper.  So they know that dirty dishes are preferable to dealing with mom waking up from sleep! :glare: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 When I was a kid, it was my responsibility to clean the kitchen, and I would get in trouble if it wasn't clean when I went to bed. That meant all dishes washed, surfaces wiped, and floor swept. I would procrastinate until almost time for my parents to wake up, then rush to finish it. I don't plan on being that particular with my kids. :p  But, I agree with everyone working together to get it done when possible. It makes it rather pleasant.  Is that really "particular", though?  Sometimes I question my standards because the kids and dh act as if I'm insane.  But I don't think it's insane to notice the crusty smears along the refrigerator handles or the gunk build up around the faucet or the drain trap full of ick.  And they don't just *avoid cleaning those things, they genuinely don't notice them. Don't even get me started on our differences of opinion on what defines a clean toilet.  I spent years believing I was being played, but I'm really not. I don't look for 24 hours of spotless and sterilized (though I'd love that if it were possible,) but dishes, surfaces, and crumbs?  I can't figure out how that's in any way persnickety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 When I was a kid, it was my responsibility to clean the kitchen, and I would get in trouble if it wasn't clean when I went to bed. That meant all dishes washed, surfaces wiped, and floor swept. I would procrastinate until almost time for my parents to wake up, then rush to finish it. I don't plan on being that particular with my kids. :p  But, I agree with everyone working together to get it done when possible. It makes it rather pleasant.   Is that really "particular", though?  Sometimes I question my standards because the kids and dh act as if I'm insane.  But I don't think it's insane to notice the crusty smears along the refrigerator handles or the gunk build up around the faucet or the drain trap full of ick.  And they don't just *avoid cleaning those things, they genuinely don't notice them. Don't even get me started on our differences of opinion on what defines a clean toilet.  I spent years believing I was being played, but I'm really not. I don't look for 24 hours of spotless and sterilized (though I'd love that if it were possible,) but dishes, surfaces, and crumbs?  I can't figure out how that's in any way persnickety.  Without knowing how old SKL was at the time she had this responsibility, or the real extent of it, it still sounds overly-particular to me.  I wouldn't give one of my kids the entire responsibility of a clean kitchen every night.   But of course that's based on the way my family lives.  I could see it if the family had a regular, and fairly early dinnertime, didn't have food prep or eating happening after dinner, and cleanup was fairly simple (not a lot of pots and pans to clean).  We don't live that way, so it wouldn't work for us.  In my house, we all have things we just don't see.  My husband sees cobwebs that I don't.  I see crust on the faucet that he doesn't.  Neither of us notice that the windows are dirty unless we happen to be looking out one when the sun hits it just right.  Sometimes there are a few crumbs left on the floor.  We don't leave the kitchen filthy with food left out, unless maybe it's a box of cereal someone was snacking on right before bed.  But it's closed up, not a mouse or ant issue.  I'm not going to get worked up over stuff like that.  :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antsam Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Dh does all the post-dinner clean-up :D Â He puts the food away and packs his lunch. He washes the pots and other hand dishes. He loads and runs the dishwasher. He wipes the counters and stove top. He prepares the coffee. Â In the morning he empties the dishwasher and the dush drainer :) Now I know why you chose your username ;) Â Jodie 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I would say yes, but I am like your dh, not legalistic. There are times I have let it go. But I have established the routine so well around here, that usually between him or me it does get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) My kitchen is cleaned after every meal, and especially after dinner. Â I get exceptionally cranky if I go in to make a meal and it's still a mess from the previous meal, much less the previous day. I won't cook in a dirty kitchen. Â And heaven help the entire household if I have to dig through dirty dishes to find my French press and it's dirty. For the love of sanity, don't screw around with making sure there is a clean and clear path to my morning fuel. Edited April 19, 2017 by Murphy101 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Nope. Â We have 5 adultish people living here, with 5 different schedules. Â The kitchen is always open. Â Things are cooked/eaten at weird hours. Â I generally try to get the dishes done and things picked up at least once a day, but it is rarely clean when I go to bed. Â 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Is that really "particular", though? Â Sometimes I question my standards because the kids and dh act as if I'm insane. But I don't think it's insane to notice the crusty smears along the refrigerator handles or the gunk build up around the faucet or the drain trap full of ick. And they don't just *avoid cleaning those things, they genuinely don't notice them. Don't even get me started on our differences of opinion on what defines a clean toilet. Â I spent years believing I was being played, but I'm really not. I don't look for 24 hours of spotless and sterilized (though I'd love that if it were possible,) but dishes, surfaces, and crumbs? I can't figure out how that's in any way persnickety. I am right there with you. Dh is not the problem though. He knows how to clean. Teens not so much. But I think they are learning. I had them help me the other day when I needed to get the house ready for the realtor to look at. They did a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 My kitchen is cleaned after every meal, and especially after dinner. Â I get exceptionally cranky if I go in to make a meal and it's still a mess from the previous meal, much less the previous day. I won't cook in a dirty kitchen. Â And heaven help the entire household if I have to dig through dirty dishes to find my French press and it's dirty. For the love of sanity, don't screw around with making sure there is a clean and clear path to my morning fuel. Â Yep. But this affects me more if I come home after work and the kitchen is a mess. I don't cook in a dirty kitchen either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Â And heaven help the entire household if I have to dig through dirty dishes to find my French press and it's dirty. For the love of sanity, don't screw around with making sure there is a clean and clear path to my morning fuel. Â This is what motivates me to put away any pots and pans that are in the dish drainer before I go to bed. My coffee cup and reusable Keurig filter live there. I have to be able to access them very quickly and easily. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 No, I stopped doing that to myself a few years ago. It was just too much pressure on me at the end of the day.  I finish up the dishes, etc. in the morning while I'm making my esspresso on the stove. I just have so much more energy in the morning, and I actually enjoy doing the wash up then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) Is that really "particular", though?  Sometimes I question my standards because the kids and dh act as if I'm insane.  But I don't think it's insane to notice the crusty smears along the refrigerator handles or the gunk build up around the faucet or the drain trap full of ick.  And they don't just *avoid cleaning those things, they genuinely don't notice them. Don't even get me started on our differences of opinion on what defines a clean toilet.  I spent years believing I was being played, but I'm really not. I don't look for 24 hours of spotless and sterilized (though I'd love that if it were possible,) but dishes, surfaces, and crumbs?  I can't figure out how that's in any way persnickety.  Mainly sweeping the floor daily. That would be overkill for us. Though that was necessary when I was a kid, because my sister, who was the family cook, was really really messy.  I should also note that we were a family of 8, and yes we cooked every day. So lots of pots & pans. (This was before microwaves in our family.) My sister also made many spills on the stove which would get cooked on. :/ Storing leftovers was also a required task. "Cleaning the kitchen" was not a small chore. :) I was also responsible for all of the family's laundry, keeping the woodstove going in cold weather, shoveling snow (snow belt), cleaning the bathrooms, and caring for the two youngest kids outside of school hours. I also usually had part-time jobs and (of course) homework.  I was chosen for the kitchen work because I do have a natural tendency toward cleanliness - I did see the dirt and did clean it. But, day after day, year after year, it did feel like drudgery. :) Edited April 19, 2017 by SKL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooksandBoys Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 My life completely charged when I decided I would go to bed with a clean kitchen. Seriously. Completely. My kids are intense and the middle one didn't reliably sleep through the night until he was five. The youngest still wakes me at least once a night (he's 3). I had to hit the ground at more than full speed often on three hours of sleep, so I would meltdown when I saw the kitchen and knew it would only get worse and I had to feed those people around the mess. So, three years ago, I decided it was time to clean the kitchen every single night. It's hard sometimes, even now, but so worth it. Â Clean means all dishes in the dishwasher, dishwasher set to run about 2 hours after I go to bed (because DH often stays up later and has a dish or two), counters wiped, and big pots/pans clean and drying. I'm trying to add sweeping the floor to the routine, but that's still iffy. I'm tired! Â In the morning, I empty the dishwasher and put away the pots as the coffee is brewing. DH still thinks it's ridiculous because it can be cleaned in the morning (when he isn't there :-), but he is generally helpful if I remind him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Mainly sweeping the floor daily. That would be overkill for us. Though that was necessary when I was a kid, because my sister, who was the family cook, was really really messy.  I should also note that we were a family of 8, and yes we cooked every day. So lots of pots & pans. (This was before microwaves in our family.) My sister also made many spills on the stove which would get cooked on. :/ Storing leftovers was also a required task. "Cleaning the kitchen" was not a small chore. :)  I have a very tiny kitchen, which I think highlights "messes". On Easter, my family claims they didn't hear my request for the kitchen to be cleaned up while dh and I were doing yard work.  What annoyed me was that I was then able to clean up the entirety of Easter from top to bottom in less than 20 minutes, by myself.  (I told you it was small!)  But every one of my 5 kids has it in their heads that it's an all day task even if they work as a team.  I just don't get it!   Again, I'm not claiming perfection.  Cleaning the cast iron is always my job, and I'm known to hide it in the oven until I stop it from rusting just in time.  But when the basics aren't covered, we get ants.  (We get ants when they are, too, but it's a lot worse when they aren't.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) Ugh! Clean up,after yourself! That is how! Â In a perfect world. Â I have recently insisted everyone cleans up after themselves. This has results in about 50% compliance. Â God how I wish things were perfect. Including myself. Â I infinitely prefer waking at 6:30 to some dishes in the kitchen to being woken from sleep in the middle of the night by DS/DH cleaning up things in the kitchen. Â Edited April 19, 2017 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I would much prefer to have a clean kitchen and main level every night so I come down to order in the morning. Usually that doesn't happen. We had a good couple month run not long ago when we kept up with all of that. We each had specific jobs to do right after dinner that got the kitchen, dining room, living room, and small bathroom tidied. That was great and we all loved it. But we didn't stick to it so now it's hit or miss again. I try to get to the kitchen at some point between dinner and bed but I don't always. Either it's nice and we take the kids outside, or they run off to play and I just want to relax. It really doesn't take that long when done right away and daily, though, so I want to try to get back to the after dinner routine that was working so well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I do. Â I like for my countertops to be clean and things put away. Â Sometimes there will be dirty dishes in the sink ready to be put in the dishwasher after it's unloaded, but they are always rinsed and brushed off. Â So even though they are dirty dishes they don't look gross with food on them. Â I feel much better if I start my day with a nice clean kitchen. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I have a very tiny kitchen, which I think highlights "messes". On Easter, my family claims they didn't hear my request for the kitchen to be cleaned up while dh and I were doing yard work.  What annoyed me was that I was then able to clean up the entirety of Easter from top to bottom in less than 20 minutes, by myself.  (I told you it was small!)  But every one of my 5 kids has it in their heads that it's an all day task even if they work as a team.  I just don't get it!   Again, I'm not claiming perfection.  Cleaning the cast iron is always my job, and I'm known to hide it in the oven until I stop it from rusting just in time.  But when the basics aren't covered, we get ants.  (We get ants when they are, too, but it's a lot worse when they aren't.)  Does your family eat in your kitchen? When I think "kitchen," I'm including the eating area, whether it's in or near the kitchen. So we're talking clear table & counters, load & run dishwasher; transfer leftovers into appropriate storage; soak big dishes; wipe tables, counters, chairs, baby's high chair; clean stove (often really nasty & involving the tile, oven door, under the burners, inside the oven ....); wash large & non-dishwasher-safe dishes; clean coffee maker and set to brew tomorrow's coffee; sweep floor; unload dishwasher; put away clean pots & pans. Sometimes it also included wiping spills from the floor & other surprises.  One thing I've learned from that experience is that the person who cooks should clean their own cooking mess. They will quickly realize that it is, in fact, NOT necessary to spill sauce all over the stove or to boil it until it splatters all over the kitchen EVERY TIME. :P  Funny, just this past Sunday, my dad was complaining about how my sister messes up their kitchen when she comes over and cooks as a "favor." I opened my mouth to speak, but he followed up with "your mom says you used to complain about that every day when you were a kid. Now I know what you meant." :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Nope. We have 5 adultish people living here, with 5 different schedules. The kitchen is always open. Things are cooked/eaten at weird hours. I generally try to get the dishes done and things picked up at least once a day, but it is rarely clean when I go to bed. My kitchen never closes these days either. Not with teens college kids insomniac me and dh that travels. But the person who ate it - cleans it. No one really cares about a cup or two or a cereal bowl in the sink. But an entire meals worth of dishes would make several people here cranky. And also, I guess it depends on the size of the house or kitchen supplies. I only have so many pots and pans and I'm going to be ticked if I literally have to wash the dishes in order to find some I can cook with. And when we lived in the previous house, the kitchen was our school room too. So we had to put away all the school stuff to eat and all the eatery stuff to do school work. I guess in a larger home or smaller family that doesn't get to be frustrating but for us, it would have swiftly become maddening to not deal with the meal messes after each meal and before bed. And now all my kids except one is over 5 yrs old, so there's no reason all of them can't pitch in to make light and quicker work for everyone. Â The current household angst is to get everyone on board with keeping the sink cleared and clean enough that after baby girl has high chair time at dinner, she can be striped and plopped on the left side of the sink for a bath while I or someone else does dishes on the other side. Everyone keeps forgetting and filling the sink and then whoever is doing dishes gets mad bc by the time they have cleared it for her - I've already cleaned her up with a wash cloth. Getting better about it though. Mostly bc whoever has dish duty keeps a hawk eye on people as hey are putting away their dishes and yells at them not to put it in the sink. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWillSoar Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 The dishwasher is run every night but their is never enough room for everything. Sometimes they are handwashed but other times they just wait for the next load. I try to be consistent with running the dishwasher nightly and unloading in the morning. At least I feel like it keeps things under control but the counters don't always get wiped and there is always something waiting to be washed so it's never all the way clean. At least it doesn't get too out of hand with my system though. It's not as good as I'd like but I only have so much time and energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Does your family eat in your kitchen? When I think "kitchen," I'm including the eating area, whether it's in or near the kitchen. So we're talking clear table & counters, load & run dishwasher; transfer leftovers into appropriate storage; soak big dishes; wipe tables, counters, chairs, baby's high chair; clean stove (often really nasty & involving the tile, oven door, under the burners, inside the oven ....); wash large & non-dishwasher-safe dishes; clean coffee maker and set to brew tomorrow's coffee; sweep floor; unload dishwasher; put away clean pots & pans. Sometimes it also included wiping spills from the floor & other surprises.  One thing I've learned from that experience is that the person who cooks should clean their own cooking mess. They will quickly realize that it is, in fact, NOT necessary to spill sauce all over the stove or to boil it until it splatters all over the kitchen EVERY TIME. :p  Funny, just this past Sunday, my dad was complaining about how my sister messes up their kitchen when she comes over and cooks as a "favor." I opened my mouth to speak, but he followed up with "your mom says you used to complain about that every day when you were a kid. Now I know what you meant." :p  We don't have an eat-in kitchen, but the table has to get cleaned wherever it is! I set my own coffee pot because I'm definitely persnickety about how THAT'S done! ;-) 3 of the kids are in the kitchen now, baking banana bread. I'm going to avoid the kitchen as long as I can. Shroedinger's cat, yk?  I sucked it up and cleaned the main bathroom this morning. The whole thing was beyond disgusting, even though the older ones moan and groan about spending a half hour cleaning it every few days. 10 minutes and I had every surface except the tub/shower sparking.  (One might logically decide I should just shut up and do it all myself every time, and I don't disagree, in theory.  But we have 5 people over the age of 13 in this house.  There's no reason we shouldn't be dividing and conquering.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Yes. I gree up in a house where the dishes waited until morning in favor of hanging out time. I can respect that, but I am more of an evening person than a morning one, and it's easier to motivate myself right after super than in the dark, ugly hours of the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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