My house is such a state

juliettet

For cleaning products Karmaqueen, consider Method. They are very gentle and effective. My Sister has severe allergies and finds these good.

gayleygoo

Sorry to hear you have been so unwell, my OH has asthma and it's pretty scary. It's the dust that gets him too, although I admit to being terrible at cleaning and keeping on top of it all! When I look around my house I often just want to hide in a corner and ignore the mess, but it does get me down. If I made a list of things to do it would be pages long, which is discouraging. Keep to-do lists manageable - a few things can you can accomplish is much better than a long list you'll never finish.

Get the children to do the dusting. Damp dusting could be better than a dry cloth with polish (polish and sprays choke my OH up too if he's in the room shortly after they've been sprayed, so probably best to avoid them anyway) Consider not wearing shoes in the house as they do bring in a lot of dust and dirt from outside (or keep pairs of slippers or indoor shoes for everyone to change into.) Maybe a dust mask will help you when cleaning particularly dusty areas?

Scented candles can be irritating too - do you have an oil burner you could use essential oils in? Eucalyptus, orange and lime, and lavender are all relatively cheap and make the house smell nice without fake fragrances. I heard spider plants are good for keeping the air clean and fresh in the house, maybe get one of those for each room?

Molillie

When you need a new vacuum cleaner, consider getting a robot one, I have the Aldi one, and love it. There are lots of videos on Youtube, normally with kittens riding them if you are not sure of what they are. It's because they are so easy to use every day, they really do keep the dust down. I still use my old one for stairs and crevices, but a handheld would work, too.
Really ruthless decluttering is a must, but clearly can't be done all at once. As well as flylady, I have found many organising blogs, which help. Just search on that term, and see which ones you like. Creating or adjusting a monthly template for chores really helps, in that you can do that day's thing and then rest, knowing everything will be done in time. Getting the children to do their share is hugely important, and rules like only one toy out at a time, make bed, don't leave towels/clothes on floor.
Cleaning the cooker, etc, is great with bicarb and water sprays, and if you are going to cook, pre-spraying with the mix so splashes wipe away easily.
Because of your health issues, I would really go for low chemical input into your home. I intend to have a steam mop when funds permit, my sister loves hers, and uses the carpet glider to go over all the carpets.
As you seem in control of the housework, maybe show your partner the list of tasks or whatever, so he can choose things to do when he has time, or if you are ill. I have a widowed single-mum friend, who used to have a cleaner, and when the cleaner retired, she and her daughter took on the list of things the cleaner had tackled, but spread them through the week, instead of all being done on one day. They also still have their rush round picking-up everything lying around on a Wednesday night, which they did as an aid to the cleaner before, and are just in the habit of now. The main thing is to give your family a structure, so that you are not taking the lot on. Maybe with the children give each one a special task as they pass a birthday, or go up a year in school, and present it as a privilege?

Good luck

terra_ferma

karmaqueen84 wrote: »

My oh does help with some of the smaller tasks during the weekend but not so much during the week. He works full time with an hour commute so he is away from home minimum of 10 hours a day in a stressful job he needs the evenings to unwind a little. We really have no spare money for a cleaner, I have just set up a chores list for the 7yr olds to earn pocket money as I have been trying to do everything for everyone and it's not working as I'm just not capable anymore.
I like the suggestion of breaking things down into manageable sections, iv never been overly successful at doing that though so will have to work on it lol. I think most of the problem comes from me looking at everything as a whole and trying to work out how to blast through it all before I end up back in hospital yet again.
Thank you for your help

I don't mean to sound rude but I know plenty of people who work those hours and still do all the cleaning/cooking at home either because the other 'adult in the house' works even longer hours, is not well, or in some cases prefers to sit in front of the telly... Not saying he should do it all himself, just that you shouldn't feel guilty asking him to help out more until you get better because it's doable for him

Emm-in-a-pickle

Karmaqueen, you`ve had lots of sensible replies, but I don`t think anyone has mentioned `Timers` yet....
With yours and your family`s asthma problems you see a clear need to tackle the housework, and you also say you have trouble breaking it down into manageable chunks, getting overwhelmed by the `whole`. AND you need rest breaks, you`ll make yourself ill again if you try to do too much at once.
So, my advice is get a Timer. Use it for whatever task you are at, from house de-cluttering to washing-up/wiping tops. When the timer bleeps after 20 minutes you might be amazed and encouraged at how much you`ve done - then stop and take a break.
This method can also help get kids motivated too, turn it into a bit of a game for them as well as getting a chore completed.

Jacksmummy

Hi Karmaqueen

I find that writing a list every morning of the things I need to get done keeps me motivated, as I do the chores I tick them off the list and move on to the next one, there is nothing more satisfying than looking at the list in the evening and seeing that most jobs are ticked off, it makes me feel like I have achieved something if that makes sense? my DH thinks I am mad as everything from getting the breakfasts done to getting dressed, ironing, hoovering, bed making to cleaning the drawers out goes on the list...lol

Anyway good luck and I hope you soon get your house in order x