Is my Windowcleaner right? Need advice from the OS ladies and MATH.

FRUGAL_4

When my windowcleaner was here during the week, I hasten to add only to clean the upstairs windows, I clean the downstairs windows myself, he was here for a good while on the estate, he said "you never stop, do you?" Is he right?

I seem to spend all day everyday cleaning, tidying up the garden and endless other tasks. Am I too fussy or is this what you OSers do, I must add that I don't work now, but when I did, I did as much then as I do now, heres my weekly chore list, I would appreciate your advice if you think I am doing too much or do I need to get more organised to get it done quicker.

Monday: Clean the entire house, including windows and out, inside kitchen units, top of kitchen units, fridge, bathroom cabients get emptied and cleaned, top of wardrobes get dusted.DS bedding washed and dried and ironed.

Tuesday: Finish anything off I didn't managed to do on a Monday, Mow the front garden, edge, and weed, dust and vacuum the house, clean the three bathrooms.my bedding washed, dried and ironed. Clean lightfittings.ironing.

Wednesday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, mow the rear lawn, edge, and weed. order shopping online to be delivered on a thursday.DD bedding washed, dried and ironed.

Thursday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up the garage, ironing, sort all financial stuff, make sure my filing cabient is tidy.

Friday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, mop the floors (all hard flooring downstairs, (I have a dog), ironing, dust inside wardrobes, tidy drawers out etc.If the windows are looking dirty give them a whizz over.If the paint work needs touching up, then I do this as well.

Saturday: vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up, mow the front lawn(it needs cutting twice a week).

Sunday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up, mow the rear garden. Ironing. Vaccum the car.

Of course, I do the laundry everyday, and I have two children and a OH, I cook two dinners in the evening, one at 4.00 for the children and one at 6.30 for me and OH, and the packups are done at 4.00pm when I am preparing the dinner for the children.

I do enjoy cleaning and tidying, but if you walk into my house no way on this earth would you think I spent so much time cleaning and tidying, I must add there is no clutter at all in the house, I go threw drawers etc once a week and banish the clutter to the garage for the next car boot sale.

Am I doing too much? I would get more done if I didn't read this site:D

It is a small four bedroom house, a new build so you get the idea, small boxy rooms, and featureless.

OMG reading this back I need to get a life, my OH works very long hours and is currently studying for a masters degree, but he does DIY as and when I ask him to, and he empties the DW and bin, and has mowed the lawn 3 times since we moved in over 5 years ago, but he does such a naff job at mowing I do it myself.

I would appreciate some idea what others do.

FRUGAL

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi FRUGAL

I think your doing too much hun! I am very particular about my house being clean and tidy and I used to do as much as you do, then I became ill and couldnt do it all. I am lucky and have a cleaner for 2.5hrs a week, but she does a fabulous job and does a deep clean for me from top to bottom, changes the bedding etc. I do a washload 5-6 times a week and ironing probably takes 2hrs per week. I do top-ups through the week, sweep through 1-2 times a week and dust around the tv area...but apart from that..its perfect and is no different to when I was spending hrs each day cleaning.

The kitchen cupboards dont need doing weekly...just do a couple a week, you vac, clean bathrooms and dust daily...does this really NEED doing daily?...do you have animals? Can your OH cut the lawn and do a few small jobs around the house. How old are the kids? Could they help dust, empty the DW etc?

I want to write more but I dont have the energy today. 1-2hrs a day should be more than enough.

PP
xx

r.mac_2

hmmmm, I dust and hoover when I remember to get around to it

at the moment that means looking at it and eventually getting the hoover and duster out about once a week. I feel really bad now - and don't think that my 2 bed flat is ever particularly dirty

Perhaps you need to get your teeth into some of the crafting that other OSers like to do?

tr3mor

Why would you hoover every day?! I hoover about once a fortnight, if that

dannahaz

It sounds like you do more than you need to but I know from experience that, if that is what you are used to, any reining back will be very difficult. You'll feel like your house isn't as clean as it "should" be.

If you want to change then you definitely need to do it gradually, otherwise you will just stress out about "the state" of your house. You also need to make sure you find something enjoyable to do in the time you are freeing up. If you don't have anything to do and are at a loss, you could juggle some of the tasks around so that you do less at the weekend and you and OH could spend some time going out or something?

Looking at your list, I would suggest maybe you start by hoovering and dusting every other day instead of every day; only clean the windows once a week.

If you can get on with that, then the next step might be to hoover and dust once a week (in addition to your Monday clean).

And then maybe you can take a bigger step which would be doing all your inside cupboard cleaning only once a fortnight...but don't try this too soon, as it'll be too much of a shock to the system.

And I'll emphasise, it's really worthwhile finding something else to spend your time on. Join your local Curves gym, for example. Half an hour, three times a week. Or try your hand at some other OS stuff. Or join a class in something.

When my DH retired, he was like a maniac. He was on the go all the time, built greenhouse, fruit cage, we put down the bases for two huge sheds, built two huge sheds, built raised beds.... it was awful. The underlying reason for him was that deep down, he was a bit afraid of having nothing to do. He felt guilty if we sat down in the garden for half an hour "doing nothing".

I really understood this, as several years ago I started to work four days a week instead of 5, and I went through exactly the same thing. Eventually, I MADE myself slow down, relax, and enjoy a bit of idling. Sometimes I like to slip off to the local gardens for a walk, I nip ionto town on my bike, I do more indulgent cooking and os-ing. I've now managed to help my hubby and he has been able to slow down and enjoy the freedom that he has.

It's OK to take it easy. You don't HAVE to be on the go all the time.

Plum_Pie

Although I see the value of the Flylady zone system. My system is based on how messy the place gets.

I know (but I don't always do...)

The kitchen and bathroom need 10mins every day.
My bedroom needs a quick dust and hoover once a week when I change the bedsheets (30mins MAX).
Living room needs about 20 mins twice a week. (I don't have kids!)
Garden needs an hour or 2 at the weekend. (I'm only just making it though, it should be less next year!) plus 15 mins once or twice in the week.

Are your children too young to have dinner with you and your OH at 6.30pm?
Are they too young to have chores delegated to them? I know there are Flylady anecdotes about parents who set little cleaning challenges for their kids, e.g. the one who uses the bathroom last in the morning does the swish and swipe.

I respect the fact that you have high standards, but are you saying that the insides of your kitchen units get so dirty in 7 days that you are unhappy using them for storage until they've been cleaned?

Do you think you could rewrite your cleaning rota so that you only do certain jobs once a fortnight or even once a month and then see if you think they really do need doing weekly?

full-time-mum

FRUGAL wrote: »

OMG reading this back I need to get a life, my OH works very long hours and is currently studying for a masters degree, but he does DIY as and when I ask him to, and he empties the DW and bin, and has mowed the lawn 3 times since we moved in over 5 years ago, but he does such a naff job at mowing I do it myself.
FRUGAL

I think you are a tad obsessed.

Here is a rhyme that was given to me when my first child was born but the message is not only about babies but also about making time for fun and time for yourself too...

I hope that my child, when he looks back on today
Remembers a mum who had time to play
So hush now cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby 'cos babies don't keep.

immoral_angeluk

how do you do all that with 2 kids???

MATH

How nice to be named personally in a thread title:jI really must reply after such a compliment!

No I don't stop and I don't think I should either, this is my job after all. If I didn''t do this I would have to heft my carcass to on office block for 8 hours a day as Mrs MATH does. I consider myself 'at work' as soon as my tootsies hit the shag pile in a morning but like to feel 'clocked off' at 6:30pm when I've cleared the dinner things away and slob out in front of Look North. LOL

For the last 3 weeks I have been working for the council 9:30am - 2:30pm and during this time Mrs MATH has took charge of packed lunches but when I am at home full-time I do not expect her to do anything 'housey'.

As they kidz have become more independent and I have less to do for them I have replaced these lost jobs with paid2clicking on the puter. I currently clock up a couple of hours a day and the cash earned covers treats and surprises.

Better busy than bored!

lindens

FRUGAL wrote: »

When my windowcleaner was here during the week, I hasten to add only to clean the upstairs windows, I clean the downstairs windows myself, he was here for a good while on the estate, he said "you never stop, do you?" Is he right?

I seem to spend all day everyday cleaning, tidying up the garden and endless other tasks. Am I too fussy or is this what you OSers do, I must add that I don't work now, but when I did, I did as much then as I do know, heres my weekly chore list, I would appreciate your advice if you think I am doing too much or do I need to get more organised to get it done quicker.

Monday: Clean the entire house, including windows and out, inside kitchen units, top of kitchen units, fridge, bathroom cabients get emptied and cleaned, top of wardrobes get dusted.DS bedding washed and dried and ironed.

Tuesday: Finish anything off I didn't managed to do on a Monday, Mow the front garden, edge, and weed, dust and vacuum the house, clean the three bathrooms.my bedding washed, dried and ironed. Clean lightfittings.ironing.

Wednesday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, mow the rear lawn, edge, and weed. order shopping online to be delivered on a thursday.DD bedding washed, dried and ironed.

Thursday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up the garage, ironing, sort all financial stuff, make sure my filing cabient is tidy.

Friday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, mop the floors (all hard flooring downstairs, (I have a dog), ironing, dust inside wardrobes, tidy drawers out etc.If the windows are looking dirty give them a whizz over.If the paint work needs touching up, then I do this as well.

Saturday: vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up, mow the front lawn(it needs cutting twice a week).

Sunday: Vaccum and dust the house, clean the bathrooms, tidy up, mow the rear garden. Ironing. Vaccum the car.

Of course, I do the laundry everyday, and I have two children and a OH, I cook two dinners in the evening, one at 4.00 for the children and one at 6.30 for me and OH, and the packups are done at 4.00pm when I am preparing the dinner for the children.

I do enjoy cleaning and tidying, but if you walk into my house no way on this earth would you think I spent so much time cleaning and tidying, I must add there is no clutter at all in the house, I go threw drawers etc once a week and banish the clutter to the garage for the next car boot sale.

Am I doing too much? I would get more done if I didn't read this site:D

It is a small four bedroom house, a new build so you get the idea, small boxy rooms, and featureless.

OMG reading this back I need to get a life, my OH works very long hours and is currently studying for a masters degree, but he does DIY as and when I ask him to, and he empties the DW and bin, and has mowed the lawn 3 times since we moved in over 5 years ago, but he does such a naff job at mowing I do it myself.

I would appreciate some idea what others do.

FRUGAL

I'm afraid I too think you are a little obssessed with cleanliness. Some of those jobs that you do weekly I do YEARLY. How can the inside of your wardrobes get so dusty that you need to clean them inside twice a week?
I don't mean to be nasty But I read out your post to 2 ladies at work and they too were amazed at the things you felt the need to clean so often.

I definately think that however old your 2 children are it pays to get them into cleaning from a very ealry ages. as soon as they are toddling really - at that age they think its fun to run round with a duster "helping".
You are missing out so much on hobbies and interests you could be participating in. I think you need to think about GRADUALLY toning down the amount you do and get a hobby or something, or do some voluntary work. Get out of the house a bit, go for a walk, a bike ride. The dirt (and there can't be much of it in your house!) will still be there when you get back and it's not hurting any one.
But I think you know all that really.....it's just coming to terms with it.
Good luck!

MATH

This is what I have planned in for next week, starting when we get back from the coast on Monday night, providing work doesn't ask me to go back in. LOL

Daily
Vaccum (we have cats LOL)
Packed Lunches
Dinner and Dessert
Laundry (2 loads wash/dry/iron)
DW fill and empty (2 loads)
Paid2clicks (2 hours)
Mini MATHLETT homework/shared reading

TUESDAY
Dust downstairs
Clean kitchen fronts, counters, floors
Take out dustbins/recycling

WEDNESDAY
Meal Plan and shopping list
Online accounts and banking
Water/feed houseplants and outside tubs
I have a color re-touch to do in the evening for a bit of cash in hand

THURSDAY
Dust upstairs
Change beds and towels
Clean baths

FRIDAY
Tidy all areas for the weekend
Groom cats
Grocery shopping
Wash sofa covers