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

GibsonSt19

I must say, I used to be extremely active when it came to cleaning etc (and I'm a bloke... shock horror!), and although I still keep a clean and tidy house, I don't do nearly as much as I used to.

I kinda realised that most of the household tasks I'd been doing, simply didn't need doing as frequent as I was. I mean, on their death bed, how many people do you think have ever said "Wow, my life's nearly over now, but I wish I'd done more housework!"

Almost none, I'm guessing.

If you're anything like me, you might have some obcessive compulsions to battle in life, but I've found that taking time out to think about priorities helps me to retain some sort of healthy, more social/socially productive perspective in life.

Perhaps relax a little more?

OK, hoovering (if you have animals/allergies) on a 2-3 times weekly basis is fine, but dusting and hoovering everyday is almost futile.

Newgirl_2

I agree with some of the previous posts that you have partly answered your own question by asking it... if you see what I mean...

In my (humble) opinion, yes you are doing too much, so I would suggest you miss out one or two things from your schedule and see what you miss. eg dust every other day and see if you/anyone notices.

The other part of your question was about efficiency... I noticed two things in your OP. Firstly, you do jobs all the time that most people would do annually or twice yearly eg cleaning the inside of your cupboards. So straight away, I would wonder if they were organised in the first place, perhaps in plastic labelled containers etc to make you more comfortable with the state they are in, then you might be more relaxed about them.

Secondly, if you feel you have to do the jobs but would like to free up some extra time off (so you don't feel like it is do the job or slack off) you could streamline what you do. For example, I wouldn't mow two lawns on consecutive days as that is two set ups and two clean ups - basic time management and efficiency plans suggest combining tasks to speed things up.

Just a thought, as from reading your post I got the sense you would like the tasks to be done and feel you are wasting time if you don't do them. Perhaps cutting them down and streamlining will help you compromise.

Be happy and enjoy life, no-one ever lay on their deathbed wishing their house has been cleaner

Newgirl

TKP_3

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?
FRUGAL

Okay, so what's your window cleaner doing watching you all day, every day?

tomstickland

I think you're doing too much and could achieve 95% of the result with about half the effort, or maybe less.

I live on my own in a 1 bed flat and I's say that I vacuum and dust about once a week, clean the bathroom once a week, change sheets once a week. Clean the windows every month or so.
The rest I fit in randomly when I feel like it. Wash up every night. Clean kitchen floor whenever. Wipe cupboards if I spot any marks. Wait until I'm in the mood for spring clean type jobs.

meher

I do everything everyday but only because time permits and I enjoy doing it. The tasks I don't particularly enjoy are cleaning the fridge and tidying the garage - so I've delegated both to my husband who does it only once a week though. I get some help from outside for the window cleaning and cleaning the drive way. It's because there're too many windows, too high for me to reach and I'm always paranoid my neighbor is watching me hehe so I'm shy to clean the drive way. I'm impressed with you FRUGAL and can relate very well when you say that you enjoy doing these - so long as you enjoy these tasks I wouldn't say it's too much.

FRUGAL_4

TKP wrote: »

Okay, so what's your window cleaner doing watching you all day, every day?

Possibly cause I make him several cups of tea a day and give him biscuits, you have got to admire him, he walks around my huge estate and several others in the area because he doesn't have a car, he said his ex wife got it in the divorce settlement!

Seriously though, many thanks to all the posters on this thread, I have cut down in the past week on what I was doing, only dusting every other day etc, etc, and I am thoughly enjoying my spare time pottering in my garden, I have even planted some sweet pea seeds and some lupin seeds, I am not all greenfingered but I am enjoying my garden. Everything in moderation..little and often..it seems to work on my OH anyway!;)

Off to look at the gardening thread, throughly enjoying looking at the garden photos, I won't post mine though, its no where near as big or as posh as Penelope Penguin who incidently lives in the same county as me.

FRUGAL

lindens

FRUGAL wrote: »

Possibly cause I make him several cups of tea a day and give him biscuits, you have got to admire him, he walks around my huge estate and several others in the area because he doesn't have a car, he said his ex wife got it in the divorce settlement!

Seriously though, many thanks to all the posters on this thread, I have cut down in the past week on what I was doing, only dusting every other day etc, etc, and I am thoughly enjoying my spare time pottering in my garden, I have even planted some sweet pea seeds and some lupin seeds, I am not all greenfingered but I am enjoying my garden. Everything in moderation..little and often..it seems to work on my OH anyway!;)

Off to look at the gardening thread, throughly enjoying looking at the garden photos, I won't post mine though, its no where near as big or as posh as Penelope Penguin who incidently lives in same county as me.

FRUGAL

Excellent start - you seem happier already!
Keep it up Frugal :T

Hapless_2

what's a hoover and duster?

npsmama

Frugal, do what YOU enjoy. If that's homemaking (I enjoy it but don't have enough energy to do as much as I'd like to), then great!
So long as it's not something illegal or harmful, then where's the harm?

And so long as you get enjoyment out of it, good for you for knowing and you enjoy and doing it! :T

Hope your plants grow well!

npsmama

Frugal, I just wanted to say thank you.

Your original post inspired me to do a bit more cleaning and I really like the results and best of all I don't feel exhausted!
I vaccuum as needed (ie nearly everyday thanks to my toddler!) and tidy up religiously.

The house looks and feels so much better than when these were just once a week chores.

And I'm loving keeping my house clean!!:j

Thank you for the inspiration! :j