Newbie needing a little help

Bubsmum

Morning all , as title says I’m a newbie poster but a long time reader , I’m a single woman who has 2 dogs and a son who lives at home . I have health issues but try very hard not to let them affect me too much day to day . I work 4 nights a week in a care home , basically my house work routine has gone to pot since starting this new job back in April . I’m too ashamed to have anyone round . I never seem to fine the energy to keep on top of the housework . My son bless him does try and help and does his fair share but he works 12 hour day shifts at the same place I work nights 6 days a week and is absolutely shattered . Please please help me with some suggestions of help x

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Bubsmum, welcome :hello:

Sorry to read about your health issues but congratulations on your new job.

My suggestion is that you forget about your old housework routine & start from scratch

The things that make me feel in control are making my bed every day, making sure dirty clothes are in the laundry bag daily & making sure the washing up is done & put away before I go to bed.

Once I got into the habit of doing these things, I added a new task - vacuuming/sweeping downstairs twice a week. I am also trying to make sure I sort my post ASAP & trying to put things away if I spot them :rotfl:

So my suggestion is to start small & I wish you all the best.

MrsSD

Emmel

I recently made up my own flylady inspired lists, based on the flylady thread. I just adapted the list to suit my home/needs. I have a daily list and a weekly list. Daily list is simple things like, Bedrooms:- opening the windows (which I do anyway) make the beds, quick few minute tidy, hoover.
Bathroom:- wipe down sink, toilet and shower, hoover
Hallway/Stairs:- quick clear of clutter and a hoover
Living room:- open windows, quick tidy and a hoover
Kitchen:-breakfast dishes, wipe down surfaces, pop a wash on, hoover

Weekly, Its a room each day and is a bit of a deeper clean. I find that by sticking to the daily list, it doesnt even take an hour to do the whole house and it is then very neat and tidy. Keeping on top of it really helps me.

What if you had a list and you crossed off what you managed to do and your son could do some? I also work nights so I do my quick run round before I go to bed.

Emmel

Reading back it seems like I hoover a lot, but my home is all hard flooring so dust/crumbs are more obvious

bouicca21

Maybe you need to think about standards. Are yours too high? There are better things to do in life than dust and hoover every day. Remind yourself of that old saying about eating a peck of dirt.

I like Mrs Salad Dodger's approach. Start small and congratulate yourself on your success.

PS, as you can guess, there's a reason I didn't call myself Mrs Houseproud.

ninnoodle

I find the weekly flylady thread in this forum helps. It is broken down into 3 levels, so if you are short of time you can just do level 1. It helps me be organised - I used to be very overwhelmed by housework but I've been doing the WF for years now and it's helped no end. To the point that I now love cleaning! :eek:

wort

I too think Mrs sd is the way forward .little things add up.
I find the fly lady list too much!
The best thing I ever did was to kondo, once the house has been cleared of "stuff" it's so much easier to keep clean. I do cleaning as I see it. Always wash up straight away, clothes put a way, washing done when basket is full.
I always tidy round before bed , plump up cushions then you don't come down to mess in the morning.
Maybe pin up a list and show your son, so you don't come home to his mess when you get in from work.
Let him know how you're feeling about getting it straight, and good luck.

juliettet

Remember night shift is a shock to the system. Be kind to yourself and what a good son you have who is willing to help. I have pets too and they do cause extra work (worth it though). I agree that a made bed, dishes done and floors swept are the cornerstones. Identify which areas annoy you the most. Two baskets on the stairs for putting stuff in to take up/down concentrates clutter. After cleaning my teeth, I do a quick swish round the basin. Takes a minute. I think you are doing ok.

Olliebeak1951

I like to do a quick 'swish & swipe' while doing my mouthwash

Grab a wodge of toilet paper - squirt it with some bathroom cleaner - go across the bathroom window ledge / wash hand basin / toilet cistern / back of toilet seat / under rim ................. chuck it into the toilet and flush. Check the bowl - give it a blast with toilet brush and finish with a squirt of bleach or toilet cleaner - NOT BOTH!

I find that fits in nicely with the amount of time it taikes to have a proper 'mouthwash/rinse' .

MandM90

Olliebeak1951 wrote: »

I like to do a quick 'swish & swipe' while doing my mouthwash

Grab a wodge of toilet paper - squirt it with some bathroom cleaner - go across the bathroom window ledge / wash hand basin / toilet cistern / back of toilet seat / under rim ................. chuck it into the toilet and flush. Check the bowl - give it a blast with toilet brush and finish with a squirt of bleach or toilet cleaner - NOT BOTH!

I find that fits in nicely with the amount of time it taikes to have a proper 'mouthwash/rinse' .

On this note, if I'm washing my face with a flannel I'm going to chuck in the wash, I give the sink/bath a quick scrub with it and a spray of vinegar (just buy cheap stuff in bulk from Asian grocers) which I keep in a bottle. Quite often done with my left hand, whilst brushing my teeth :rotfl:

Siebrie

It always helps me to just keep going when I get home; I do not sit down until I have changed into housegear and the pots are on the fire. I reckon I am tired anyway, so I might as well continue.

Those shifts your son is doing, are they legal?