Full time working & Cleaning etc

gearfreak

Not exactly money saving, but I'm just wondering how other people do there cleaning etc when they are a mum and working full time?

Its looking like I'm going to be going back to 5 full days a week plus 1.5 hrs travelling each side (currently do 4 days with 20mins travel), my lg is 12months and as I'm working so much I want to spend as much quality time with her as possible in the evenings and at weekends.

So I'm wondering how do other people in a similar situation get stuff around the house done, or do you use a cleaner, etc?

Thanks

GwylimT

I work full time, I do most of our household things like cleaning, cooking etc, we do have a cleaner come in twice a week for an hour, she charges £8 per hour. We use her as my wife is quite severely disabled as is one of our children.

gearfreak

Anybody else have suggestions on the above?

I don't really want to get a cleaner as its spending the extra money i could be saving for my maternity leave, so looking for suggestions on how to keep the house clean when both me and my partner will be working full time.

GlamGirlie

My husband and I clean between us on a Saturday morning. In between, we run the hoover round in the evening, clean the oven/hob/sink each time we use it, squeegee the shower glass each time we use it, and bleach the loo etc overnight periodically. it doens't have to be a major job if you do it little & often. We both have a 1hr 40 commute each way.

You could always involve your child, if it is toddler or older, give them a duster etc. Or when I was little I loved cleaning the stainless steel sink with Jif - I think I liked how clean & shiny it came!

springdreams

I am a single mum and work full time. I spend between 20 - 30 minutes before bed each evening after my son has gone to bed doing a bit of house work, e.g. dusting, vacuuming, mopping, loading and unloading the dishwasher, putting a load in the washing machine and the like.

I also spend about 10 minutes each morning before going to work doing a bit of house work, e.g. cleaning the bath, cleaning the toilet, hanging a load of washing, etc.

I then do whatever I didn't manage to get around to during the week over the weekend. As a single parent I also have responsibility for the garden, so try to fit some gardening in over the weekend too.

If you and your OH each spent 30 minutes a day on housework there shouldn't be too much left to do come the weekend.

penguin83

I work full time and have three children - the youngest being 12 months. I do the housework once the children are in bed. They help with bits and pieces but the majority is done in the night. I am a night owl though so don't go to bed until 1-2. xx

tiny_courageous

I have a 9mo and recently gone back to work. DH does different shifts every week so can't guarantee when he's around. I have a list of cleaning jobs that need doing each week and try to get them done evenings after DS has gone to bed or mornings before I do childminder drop off/go to work. It seems easier if you split it into small jobs, and also if you incorporate it into your routine, for example
bathroom
wipe down the shower tray and tiles after having a shower
wipe round taps and sink after cleaning teeth

Spendless

Keeping a house clean is a lot easier if you don't have to tidy it first! That's something my household struggles with!

I have an ad-hoc job which can mean I do long stretches of f-time work. I asked the same question you have when I was first offered the position and the common theme that came up was what I call 'the washing and the washing up'. Those are the 2 biggest eaters into household chores. if you keep on top of the laundry and all related aspects (ironing if you do it, putting clothes away) and all meal preparation including cooking and tidying all the washed up pots and pans away the rest shouldn't take long.

Put in a set time to go grocery shopping too or do it on-line, I found this could take up 1/4 of the weekend, until I started utilising the time one evening when my daughter needs taking to and from an out of school activity

gearfreak

Thanks guys, your posts have made me realise that I don't need to get a cleaner, just need to get on with it, I think the hard part for me is watching my oh do naff all sat on the computer when I won't sit down until after 9pm, but that's a whole other issue.

tiny_courageous

gearfreak wrote: »

Thanks guys, your posts have made me realise that I don't need to get a cleaner, just need to get on with it, I think the hard part for me is watching my oh do naff all sat on the computer when I won't sit down until after 9pm, but that's a whole other issue.

Bit of tough love needed there I think. I did a week of refusing to wash laundry from anywhere other than the laundry basket, and when DH ran out of work shirts he all of a sudden discovered a previously hidden ability to sort his own stuff out.

gearfreak

Ha ha yeah already tried that! His washing just ends up left either on the airer or in the washing machine until he can be bothered to sort it out :0(