Housework

CH27

I find the longer I have do do something the longer it takes me.
When you have less time you will whip through the jobs quicker

Northern_Princess

I was on my own with DD for a number of years and brought her up to help out around the house. She always had to make sure dirty washing was in the basket, keep her room tidy, put toys away, hang up her coat, make sure her shoes were away when she was 7/8. She also helped with things like loading the dishwasher, taking rubbish out to bins etc. As she got older she started helping with hoovering, hanging washing out etc. She would do homework at the kitchen table while I made dinner and did the lunches for the next day. While she was in the bath I would have a routine of cleaning one or two rooms a night and I never went to bed with dishes needing doing or things left lying around. We laid our own clothes out for the next day and school/work bags were packed for lifting on the way out the door. Keeping on top of the cleaning meant at weekends it was only the skirtings, kitchen cupboards needed a quick wipe over and beds changing which took a couple of hours max. I also washed and ironed every day so it never mounted up.

I must have done something right as on school holidays I come home to a clean, tidy house and there's normally a meal on the table for me if hubby isn't home and she's 16 now

choccybuttons

Hi

in same position but mine are under 5. Iv found i have become much tidier and do things as I go. Laundry is put on in morning or night before then hang over airer (don't trust weather to leave out all day). Shopping is either done online in my lunch break or on Sunday afternoon. I tend to batch cook and fill freezer for meals during the week or use slow cooker or buy stuff like frozen stir fry veg that's needs no prep.

I clean kitchen everyday usually after evening meal and all dishes go straight in dishwasher. I do most cleaning on a sat or sun morning as my kids have me up at 6am. This usually takes a couple if hours involving cleaning bathroom, hoovering, washing floors, putting away all laundry from the week I have washed, tidings kids rooms. If u recruit your kids prob take an hoursmax then I would treat them to lunch out- usually subway for us- cheap and cheerful

londonsurrey

CH27 wrote: »

I find the longer I have do do something the longer it takes me.
When you have less time you will whip through the jobs quicker

Tell me about it. It's amazing how tidy my living room can suddenly become in the hour before a guest arrives, when I'd been procrastinating about tidying for a fortnight.

Maureen43

At no stage did I say my kids didn't do anything!

They strip and remake their beds with clean linen, make beds, empty dishwasher, wash and dry dishes, do bits and pieces of shopping.

That was not what my thread was about!

Seanymph

My sister has recently taught me the two minute rule.

Anything that takes less than 2 minutes you HAVE to do it then - you can only put off things that take longer......

It's been a week, and I can see the different (no one else can mind you!).

Oh, and buy a slow cooker - godsend - I love mine.

londonsurrey

The bit that drives me mad is that inevitably, in the middle of something, I will encounter at least another three "2 minute" things, and in the middle of doing them, I will encounter yet more...

NewKittenHelp

Dunroamin wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, 5.30's the middle of the afternoon - we've only just had tea (break) before that!

As far as I'm concerned the sky is purple swirls - it doesn't make it the reality.

OP - do a bit every night. Wipe down kitchen surfaces after you've washed up and make sure everything's put away. Then mop once a week and you can do your monthly tasks (cleaning draws and cupboards, fridge, freezer, microwave etc) on one of the weekends when the kids are at their dads. You can do your weeding and any maintenance work then too.

Clean the shower while you're still in it and then let a shower spray do it's work while you're at work/in bed. Squirting a bit of bleach down the loo each morning massively cuts down on scrubbing when you clean it every week.

Don't forget to brush your windows and brickwork every month too and scrub down your steps etc. You wouldn't believe the dirt that gets left at the bottom of outside doors!

My one tip is to double-up tasks - I set my computer to back up and got on with dusting and hoovering while it was going. I also file all my bills and bank statements while catching up on the Archers - makes it less boring and it gives me a time limit to have it done by.

Most importantly - get your kids involved. They live there too. They can dust and hoover while you're making tea, and they can keep their rooms tidy and do their own bedding etc. They'll thank you for it when they move out/go to uni.

January20

Maureen43 wrote: »

At no stage did I say my kids didn't do anything!

They strip and remake their beds with clean linen, make beds, empty dishwasher, wash and dry dishes, do bits and pieces of shopping.

That was not what my thread was about!

Well, if posters assumed that, you've only got yourself to blame! I've just re-read your OP and you make it sound like you have to do all the chores by yourself! I had thought your children were little and couldn't be left alone the way you worded it!

In view of the post that I quoted, I'll ask you what another poster asked you: how does it take you a whole weekend to do housework - cleaning and gardening? Do you live in Buckingham Palace or something?

Maureen43

January20 wrote: »

Well, if posters assumed that, you've only got yourself to blame! I've just re-read your OP and you make it sound like you have to do all the chores by yourself! I had thought your children were little and couldn't be left alone the way you worded it!

In view of the post that I quoted, I'll ask you what another poster asked you: how does it take you a whole weekend to do housework - cleaning and gardening? Do you live in Buckingham Palace or something?

Thank you for your "support".