Cleaning - the good ol' days

Murtle

I want the good ol' days of cleaning back....by that I refer to the days when I was too young to clean and my Mum did it all.....

However, that is unlikely to happen, and I am drowning in cleaning, so I guess my questions here are;

does anyone here use a cleaner/cleaning company to clean at home? (if so how often and how much - if you don't mind saying)

Failing that; what order would you prioritise the cleaning? either by room, or items in a room. I often move stuff around at the moemnt, hoover then move it all back again (we have too much stuff in too small a place really)

I am short on time and patience, but realise at the moment, that not being able to find things is driving me insane. I welcome the warm weather when I can spend my days outside and ignore the mess.

Unfortunately fly lady and the others don't work for me....I still have my cleaning plan stuck to the fridge from last year....next to a meal plan probably from the same time.....neither used.....and they've become part of the fridge, as when I knocked it on the fall I picked it up and stuck it back on....instead of chucking it in the bin

I can't believe I've just said all that....but seriously all and any help greatly appreciated.

thanks

x

Queenie

Murtle wrote:

I want the good ol' days of cleaning back....by that I refer to the days when I was too young to clean and my Mum did it all.....

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I've PM'd you

Linda32

The only thing I do every day is make the bed and splitz the food area in the kitchen.

Apart from that I do keep on top of things and get around the house every 1½ weeks I'd say.

These just myself and OH at home, no pets.

I move the two sofa's when I hoover, coffee table, CD rack in spare room etc.

Depends how you like it really, whatever you do though, don't set yourself too high a target that you can't manage, otherwise your never satisfied.
If you prefer a routine, thats okay but make it a realistic one.

Oh and no, I doubt I'd ever pay for a cleaner, too tight and I'd no doubt clean up before he/she came, can't have them seeing the mess lol

moggins

I did pay for a cleaner once but it was a waste of time, she barely covered the kitchen and bathroom in the two hours I was paying her for and then started coming when she pleased.

Work in 15 minute increments and work clockwise around a room, never take out more than you can put back in 30 minutes - little and often is really the key

Murtle

I'm trying the 15 minute cleaning sessions, and they seem good, but it just seems like I need a whole day to keep the place clean and tidy. I'm guessing it's easier if there is more space so that everything has a home?! It's quite a tight fit, so I guess it would help if some stuff went. How many 15 inutes cleaning sessions would you do in a day?

M

x x

kittiwoz

You've got my sympathies. I have loads of stuff and a farily small room which is in dire need of tidying. The problem being that once I've binned all the rubbish and tidied all the clothes I'm still left with a big pile of stuff that I can't find a place for. I suppose I have more stuff than I actually need but while I could survive without some of it (e.g. massive record, CD and tape collection, loads of shoes and bags) but I don't want to. It's all stuff I like. I could actualy fit a small chest of drawers in here. That would be useful if I could get hold of one. I've already got a bookshelf groaning with records, books, files and shoe boxes full of cassette tapes or photos, a full wardrobe with a suitcase full of blankets and towels on top, stacking boxes full of shoes, belts, hats, gloves and scarves under my desk,a banana box full of stationary under the bed, five coats on hooks on the back of the door and my makeup box stashed under the chair I use as a bedside table. The other problem I have is that I'm very small and can only reach the top shelf of the bookcase and the top of the wardrobe by standing on a chair. Hence they're not good places for things that I use regularly and I'm not very good about putting things that are supposed to live up there back after I've used them.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hiya

I use a cleaner weekly-Im not well and couldnt cope otherwise as Im abit of a clean freak IYKWIM. She does a very thorough clean and Im very particular:p She also changes both lots of bedding weekly. I wrote up a very detailed list of jobs I wanted doing each week and she gets through them all with time to spare.

I am quite a tidy person and hate mess. So the cleaner comes to clean and not tidy.

I think I would start in one room and sort through it, get rid of what you dont want or need...simplify everything. Maybe even make abit of dosh selling items you dont need etc:D Getting on top of your sorting and cleaning makes things much easier for next time.

Prices of cleaners vary and you should expect to pay £6+ph.

Remember though....small steps and good luck. Please ask any questions and I will do my best to help.

PP
xx

bulchy

A friend of mine runs her own home cleaning business and I think she charges about £6 an hour. She stipulates that she is a cleaner, and not a tidier upper, as having to tidy up as well for people just makes the job take longer, (therefore it would cost her clients more) she feels she's making herself more affordable to people by just cleaning. Also its amazing how much cleaning she can do for people in two hours if she can walk into a tidy home. TBH I dont think I would want someone doing my tidying up for me, but it would be great if I could afford a cleaner. Only thing is, with the mess my kids/dogs/cats make, I would need a live-in cleaner :rotfl:
Sue

tootles_2

I used to be a housekeeper, a tidy room is much easier to clean than an untidy one, try to put away anything you have had out during the day before you go to bed, plump up the cushions.When you come to clean, open a window, if you have an open fire clear it out first, give the dust time to settle. Start in the same place work clockwise from the door around the room, dust with a damp microfibre cloth, clean the windows and wipe the cills with a cloth wrung out in vinegar and water, wipe the skirting boards, and wipe over the door, if furniture needs polishing apply polish and allow it to dry before buffing it off, I hoover the carpet while I am waiting for the polish to dry, move any settees etc to hoover underneath working towards the door, close the window as you leave the room and close the door to keep the room clean.

When cleaning a bedroom, make the bed first...... and then follow the same plan working around the room in the same way.

I clean down the tiles in the bathroom everytime we have a shower using a rubber window cleaner, the glass shower door gets the same treatment. wipe out the bath whilst it is still warm, its so much easier then. if you use a bath oil a tiny drop of bubble bath on your cloth will kill the oil, rinse the bath and wipe dry with an old towel. You can clean round taps with a toothbrush, a small amount of toothpaste on the brush will get rid of limescale around the taps........ wipe around the wash hand basin, do not forget to wipe under the boel and down the stand if there is one. A can of cheap coke poured into the toilet will clean any scale off, use rubber gloves and a green scouring pad to clean under the rim and down around the bend, flush, wipe the bowl and around the outside, wipe over the, skirting board, door and floor.

In the kitchen......I wipe down the hot plate everytime I use it, the oven gets cleaned on Sunday after I have cooked supper. I also wipe down the washer, dryer and fridge, a quick wipe with a cloth is all thats needed. Clean the windows and cills, once a week, wipe down work surfaces and door fronts with a cloth wrung out in vinegar and hot water, wipe round the skirting boards, the last thing I do is clean the sink, I have a stainless steel sink and use a little washing soda on a cloth wiped oved the sink and draining board, rinse off with hot water, then pour soda into the plug hole and wash it down with a kettle full of boiling water to keep the drain pipe clear.

I have cleaned this way for so long that it takes me just 2 hours to clean our house from top to bottom. although these days I tend to do the bedrooms and bathroom one day and the lounge kitchen etc the next. I have looked after a number of large Country houses and could clean 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, drawing room, dining room, stairs, hall, playroom and kitchen in 3 hours.........

I charged £6 an hour plus petrol

Essex-girl_2

Wow Tootles that sounds really efficient.

I think I need to apply something like that to my cleaning, I have daily routines for a quick whip round but come a cropper when it comes to a full house clean. I am determined to do this and get organised with my cleaning (at least when the kids go back to school!)

ChocClare

tootles wrote:

I have looked after a number of large Country houses and could clean 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, drawing room, dining room, stairs, hall, playroom and kitchen in 3 hours........

Wow, Tootles, that's fantastic! How long does it take you to do 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, drawing room, dining room, playroom, office, stairs, hall, kitchen and library? In other words, could you spare some time to come and give me a hand!!! Joking apart, your post was so inspiring. Now all I have to do is put a rocket under the three messy so-and-sos sprawled over the house in Easter Holiday mode who have turned this place into an absolute pigsty, and I can start on your cleaning routine! The worst thing about having a big house is that there's LOADS of places to dump all your junk and my kids and husband have managed to find them all! So thanks for the inspiration!