Organising Your Week - The Way Granny Used To Do It

moggins · 26 June 2006 at 9:13AM

Okay this is Moggins snippet for the week

I don't know about the rest of you but I've got highly tired of feeling like a hamster on a wheel, everyday I seem to repeat the same old chores and keeping a house clean is like painting the Forth Bridge - once you finish it's time to start again.

Something I read in a new book I bought last week struck a chord as I remembered my mother housekeeping this way too.

And it is?

Certain chores for certain days.

Obviously not the ones that need doing daily like washing up and cooking and making beds (although you could bulk cook on a day when you have plenty of time and freeze it) but the biggies like the washing, ironing, shopping etc could be given designated days that way we always know what needs to be done on any given day.

Obviously peoples days are going to be different so it's no point me posting lists but for an example I've sorted mine out to be

Monday - washing, hoovering, cleaning floors
Tuesday - paying bills, office work etc
Wednesday = Shopping, because the market is on.
Thursday - Mending, baking, hoovering
Fri - Washing only as I take the parents shopping that day

Saturday - Free Day
Sunday - Ironing

It takes 3 weeks to make a habit and 6 weeks to make it a lifelong one.

lex · 26 June 2006 at 9:22AM

Hello,

I have had a manic couple of weeks so missed the big fly challenge unfortunately, but would have liked to have joined in.

I can't echo how much the splitting jobs into days work for me. I work 3 long days a week, and have a 3 year old with a hectic social life, so don't have a lot of free time. By splitting the jobs into days, I know what I'm supposed to do one which day, and don't stress about doing everything.

Ok, so I've been fallen off the wagon for a while, but I blitzed the house last weekend, so am starting today afresh. Here is my list if it helps anyone.

Monday - polish mirrors, quick wipe of bathroom and toilet, change sheets, water inside plants, polish outside of shower and empty tumble dryer filter
Tuesday - clean kitchen (I'm anal about this and it takes me ages) and plan menu
Wednesday - food shopping, dust house, wipe windowsills, wipe dining room table and place mats, put bins out
Thursday - clean bathroom thoroughly
Friday - sweep floors and hoover, computer maintenance tasks
Saturday - catch up anything I've missed
Sunday - as Saturday, but thinking of moving the kitchen cleaning to Sunday because never feel like it on a Tuesday.

On that note - I'd better go do my mirrors!:o

lex

poppycracker · 26 June 2006 at 9:34AM

I'd like to do this too. I do something like this for the housekeeping stuff I have to do at work, so I'll adapt it for the flat as well....trick is to get OH to do things too, but that's another story.

Monday: - Clean kitchen floor, clean bathroom (do all the stardrops stuff in one lump)
Tuesday:- do one wash, hoover flat
Wednesday:- paperwork
Thursday:-
Friday:- do other wash
Saturday:- hoover flat again
Sunday:-

Doesn't look a long list does it...in my defence its a very small flat and there's only two of us! Plus I'm going to try and get the washing up and surface cleaning of the kitchen done every day, and tidying of sitting room etc. (And I don't iron!)

joannasmum · 26 June 2006 at 9:45AM

Moggins
That sounds rather good.

Having a quick think about it
Monday: Hoover and Bathroom
Tuesday: Kitchen and Nappy wash
Wednesday: Washing and Hoover
Thursday: Shopping and Bedroom and Bathroom
Friday: Kitchen, Lounge and Hall.
Saturday: Day off
Sunday: Ironing and Baking

will see how that goes and adjust as necessay

shetitasatic · 26 June 2006 at 9:48AM

My Mum was in service and she always had set days for doing her chores. In fact she was so fussy that if she was going 'out for the day' she did that days chores a day early!
She also gave me the habit of virtually spring cleaning right through before going on holiday, so you always come home to a lovely clean house - this drives my DH crackers!! ( same for Christmas!)
I do:
Mon - change beds, wash bedding, clean bedrooms
Tues - Hoover and clean downstairs, wash kitchen floor
Wed- Washing and ironing
Thurs- shopping
Fri - Bathroom and vacuum through house
Sat ) Cooking, gardening, spend time with DH (he works, I'm retired!)
Sun) Visit family etc. etc

nicki_2 · 26 June 2006 at 9:49AM

I kind of do this already.

Monday - post weekend tidy (possibly hoover through if needed - mainly during the winter due to heating making it very dusty), paperwork & phonecalls, wash bedding if not done on Sunday (including any washing thats needs doing - I just put it in with the bedding)
Tuesday - tidy up
Wednesday - Washing load (if there is enough)
Thursday - Shopping
Friday - Clean house through
Saturday - varies depending on chores that need doing.
Sunday - Change beds, ironing (usually) and/or the day off.

Mending and other occasional jobs get done as needed. Gardening gets done when it's needed and when the weather lets me. Ironing gets done when I can be bothered

I have plenty of "free" time for me and I find that if I don't spread the jobs out over the week I get bored and start looking for jobs to do which usually end up being painting or other DIY :rolleyes::rotfl:

My system works for me and has done for 6 years so I'm not going to change it, just need to tweak it a little to include a mid-week or post-weekend sweep/hoover through more regularly. I have added a bathroom sweep/swipe each day last week using the dirty flannel as it basically just a tidemark around the bath (OH baths daily & uses soap rather than showergel ATM) and toothpaste mess from DD.

It made cleaning the bathroom on Friday MUCH easier.

Churchmouse · 26 June 2006 at 9:50AM

Like the idea moggins:D

Will need to put washing under each day though, mine obviously breeds in the laundry basket as after just one day missed the pile at the side is as big as the load inside!!:mad:

Am going to give this some thought, but whatever the guide it will need to be flexible, I can't be too disciplined or they'll think the aliens have made off with wife/mother :rotfl: I'm worried they might be pleased !!

Thanks:D

Of course today I'm continuing FL challenge :A

taplady · 26 June 2006 at 10:04AM

I like the idea Moggins!
At least if you've done the designated jobs for that day then you needn't feel guilty about having some me time!:D

I'm not sure how to put it into practise yet but will give it some thought!;)

exlibris · 26 June 2006 at 10:08AM

Thanks for reminding me of this Moggins. When I was a SAHM I used to do this but not as fanatically as Shetitastic's mum. We played in the park if we wanted on a good morning.

I basically houseworked in the morning and the afternoon was the 'clean or fun' jobs. eg Baking, sewing including the dreaded mending, ironing etc

I tried to do the daily job before 9.00am eg. washing up, hand washing, bathroom wipe, then the bigger cleaning.

Must get back to some sort of a routine and use the bits I want from Flylady

Thanks again Moggins

bulchy · 26 June 2006 at 12:02PM

This is a good idea, count me in, but like churchmouse I need to wash everyday, I also hoover right through most days, but the rest should easily be spread throughout the week, will definitely be giving this a go. Got my sister in hospital at the moment, so timetable/routine has to take a back seat for now, but am gonna still try to work something out.
Sue

Spendless · 26 June 2006 at 12:29PM

Certainly I remember my mum having a 'set' washing day and thinking about it mum, mil and both nans have certain days they go into town to shop/pay bills. They all do this on a different day according to what suits them but def more organised than me who goes when I need to.

This would help me a lot, but I think I need to get on top of the FLC before putting this in place and it's going to be at least the end of this week maybe even end of next week before I'm there.

I'll have to have a think about what chores I'll do on which day cos I would prefer downstairs done beg of week, due to taking me longer and preference but that's when DD is at home.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Organising Your Week - The Way Granny Used To Do It

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