Housework routine

Lillibet_2

Heres my routine, generally geared towards what can be fitted into weeknight evenings as I work full time :

Weekend :
Laundry & ironing (get dirty laundry basket emptied!)
Deep clean kitchen except fridge. Cooker always done on a Sunday.
Deep clean bathroom. Change Towels.
Empty all waste paper baskets & rubbish bins

Monday :
Put away laundry.
Bedroom tidy

Tuesday :
Sort acclumulated post & lounge "clutter".
Lounge & dining room tidy

Wednesday :
Either fortnightly grocery shopping trip OR change bed linen
Clean out fridge

Thursday :
Dust & vacuum through out.
Laundry if required.

I also top & tail the kitchen & empty the kitchen bin & top & tail the bathroom each day as I use them. I tend to tidy the lounge each day too to try & keep the throws on the sofas & clear out the fire grate etc.

I use cheap bleach & disinfectant, both diluted with 2 parts water in spray bottles, furniture polish & vinegar from all my cleaning.

All other tihngs, like washing the windows,washing the curtains , scrubbing out cupboards etc tends to get done on an as needed basis around twice a year.

HTH

Sarahsaver

tried a set routine but its ended up being just how often i do things rather than when.
Now I do one basket of laundry then put it away before I am 'allowed' to do another, as a problem used to be things in baskets for ages.
bathrooms and kitchen once a week, sweep hall once a week and mop it when the weather is dry
once a week go around kids' sitting room and throw away a carrier bag full of clutter, and try to do the same in other rooms too
hoover living rooms and bedrooms once a week except the kids sitting room which is done when needed
kids clean the sofas - leather and pvc - with baby wipes, every couple of weeks, i pay them a little to do this
one trip to the market a week with my wally trolley
make a shopping list as i go along so if i am running out of something i write it down
cross things off the freezer inventory when i use themI am currently trying to convince myself that less is more - that meana getting rid of clothes and stuff we don't really need, because if there is more room its easier to put everything away
I get the kids' clothes out every evening so they are ready in the morning, do the same for myself too.
I make a menu for the week, usually on a sunday, to limit the shopping bill by being creative with what i have already.

chrisico

Such organisation !! I am fortunate in that I don't have any commitments outside the home but that means I have no excuse either!!!

I am very much a 'Little and often' person and a great follower of the 10 minute blitz. Set the cooker timer,and GO. It's amazing how much you can do in that time if there is a bit of pressure on.

I also have a 'one in one out' policy for clothes,sheets ,towels so I don't end up with masses of old stuff hanging around cluttering up the cupboads.

Lillibet_2

Forgot to mention, a freezer inventory & a running shopping list & meal plans are all essential, especially if, like me, you only shop fortnightly.

nabowla

In theory, I used to clean once a week on a Saturday. However, I'd run out of steam after a couple of hours and all sorts of things didn't get done! I've just switched to a 'room per day' routine. The general plan is to do a quick clean of the kitchen & bathroom each day plus deep clean one room. I wonder whether I'll actually stick to it?!

As for products, I use Flash for cleaning, Pledge for dusting and all sorts of other branded products for jobs like cleaning the oven. These can be a bit pricey but I don't buy products unless they're on BOGOF (which might explain why the cupboard under my sink is so full that I can hardly shut the door!).

Curry_Queen

Cleaning routine???? :eek:

I live in chaos!!! :rolleyes:

I don't really have an excuse either as I'm home 24/7 due to illness/disability. My main problem is that I live in a tiny flat which has absolutely no storage facilities so everything is on view and is rather cluttered (constant online buying just adds to it :rolleyes: ) and I've forever got a pile of boxes/junk to throw out and bags/boxes of stuff destined for the charity shops/recycling centres.

Maybe if I devised a routine and stuck to it I might finally get somewhere but it's amazing how quickly time passes when you're sat at the computer and before you know it, another day is over!!!

Having said that, I do try to keep the kitchen clean and tidy (it's tiny so easily becomes cluttered) and clean the cooker after every use etc but most other stuff is done on an "as needed" basis, or when it becomes too cluttered/dusty for me to bare to look at

Squidgy

god, I feel so embarassed now! I hardly do anything I'm so lazy. I do work full time, but listening to you guys that's obviously no excuse!

Am going to try and clear out the spare room this weekend though.

Austin_Allegro

I find when the urge to clean your house comes upon you, it's best to watch 'How Clean is Your House'. When you've seen inside the homes of people who live like pigs, your own house will seem pristine and you can put off the cleaning once more!

Seriously though, I use a min/max system. One week, usually on Saturdays, I'll do a pretty thorough clean - dust everything, hoover all the carpets including under furniture, mop the kitchen and bathroom floor etc.

Then on the following Saturday I do a quick clean - Ewbank on the carpets, flick a feather duster on the areas that show, spray bleach on the sinks/bog and spray off.

Liz19

This is a great thread! I too would benefit from some organisation with regards to a cleaning routine and this has given me some good ideas. I have no excuses as I am a stay at home mum with 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter so I do have all day but I am easily distracted!!

Austin_Allegro

Liz, a colleague uses a system where he pays his children a 'basic' pocket money wage. If they want more, they have to do jobs to top it up, and these jobs include things like cleaning - so turn your children into handy domestic labour, they will get good exercise, and learn the Protestant Work Ethic at the same time!