Newbie needing a little help

buildersdaughter

I think that these are great ideas, but i would start at another point. Could you ask your son if both of you could book holiday / days off - say 2 or 3, and give the place a top to bottom clean, so you feel that you are starting from a good place. Make sure you include one day more than you need, spend the morning discussing how you can keep on top of it all, and then take the afternoon off!
I think 2 things are most important:
Priorities - that's when fly lady may help but you do have to make your own, and deciding whether you do a bit each day, or more of a blitz. I had a time in my life when I did about 30 minutes basic every week, but took a half day once a month to do a serious clean.
Division of labour: I found that when I was 'in charge' the kids would 'help' but I had to organise, tell them what to do, at times that didn't always suit, and it didn't work, so we divided out on the basis of rooms. Now I am retired, DH hates dusting and wiping, but happily takes charge of washing and hoovering.
You just have to decide what suits you, and review every so often.

The other important thing is cooking. If you are generating a lot of mess, you may need to re-think meal planning (lots of experts on this board)

Caring is very tiring work, so you both need to make time to look after yourselves, and make sure you eat and sleep well.

whiteguineapig

I agree with wort, my house is much easier to keep on top of since I did a really thorough "kondo", I am not very tidy so less stuff looks tidier, its still not very clean but it doesn't look too bad

Shropshirelass

Lots of good advice here, just try things out and see what suits you.

I want to echo what Juliettet said, working nights can play havoc with every aspect of your life, so don't be too hard on yourself. But be determined to make the best of of your time.

I remember discussing night shifts with a fireman, he said after research it had been found that if you have to work nights the healthiest way is to work regular shifts i.e. the same hours on the same days so your body can get into a routine. If you can insist on this it may help you to feel physically more normal and less likely to get depressed. Make sure you get out in the daylight every day, probably best after you have slept, and if necessary think of taking a vitamin D supplement. Good luck

monnagran

I bet the last thing you feel like is doing housework when you get home. Lets face it, when does any one ever feel like doing housework?

when I was working I know what a temptation it was to stagger in and collapse into the nearest chair.

Several things kept me sane.....

Work expands to fill the time available. A kitchen timer will be your friend. The kitchen looks grubby and unloved so set your timer for 15 minutes and go like the clappers. Fill the sink with hot water + washing up liquid and dump everything that needs washing into it.
leave that and straighten up everything on the counters and wipe with a damp cloth.
Back to the sink and see how fast you can get all those crooks swished round and stacked on the draining board.
Leave them there. The air doesn't need your help to dry them.

Sitting room. Set the timer again for 15 minutes.
Scoop up everything that shouldn't be there and dump into a box or basket.
Plump up cushions.
Shuffle anything spread about on tables or window sills into neat piles. Takes seconds and the room looks tidied instantly.
If there is time and you have a fluffy duster wave it swiftly over Dusty surfaces.

Back to the kitchen. Timer on for 5 minutes. Grab tea towel and give the crocks a cursory wipe and put away.

The basics are now done in 35 minutes.

Get the idea?

Be fly lady and always wash up and polish over your sink before you go to bed so when you get back from work the kitchen will still be tidy and you can set your timer a whip the vacuum around.

Don't be too fussy. Remember that 'perfect is the enemy of done.'

When you get up, always make your bed, an unmade bed always looks sordid no matter what Tracey Emin thinks.

Little jobs done fast and regularly will make everything better. Good luck.

P.S.. I type on a tablet that tends to have its own ideas about spellings. However I rather like the idea of you rounding a gang of 'crooks' and tipping them into hot soapy water.
Crocks is so much more boring.

kerri_gt

I echo the list of small daily things to be done, like kitchen cleared and wiped before bed (though if you and your son are working different shifts I appreciate it might feel like the kitchen is never kept tidy, can you both agree that you'll at least try and leave it cleaned / .wiped for each other perhaps?)

I Hoover a couple of times a week, we have a fur ball and wood floors downstairs so they do show muck and it irks me.

I have started sorting a pile of washing a night, put it in the machine and then I just need to add detergent and switch it on in the morning when I get up. This works well for me as we are naturally better at decision making when we've been awake and alert so I can actually think what is the next load I need to do at night. It also feels I've made progress on something immediately the next day.

I also try and take sometime upstairs to pit away if I'm going up, or vice versa (even toilet rolls down to the bin for recycling). If I'm going up .or down anyway then doing that isn't adding significantly to my chores.

Longer term, try and work on one room at a time to get things to where you're happy. Be kind to yourself and don't stop having people round, friends are coming to see you, not inspect your house x

suki1964

Welcome to my world

Health problem, work, and feeling too shattered to keep a house clean as well as cook, shop and do the laundry and ironing

I concentrate on kitchen, bathroom and living room.

I keep a micro fibre cloth under the sink in the bathroom, two minutes takes care of the sink, taps, mirror and vanity. The loo gets a bit of bleach before bed and a wipe of the seat with a bit of tissue paper and spray, the shower gets a going over once a week . Floor gets hoovered when Ive the hoover out and mopped every now and then

Living room, clear all clutter out, it only collects dust. Every day I straighten cushions, tidy away the junk we had out the night before ( books, lap tops etc) chuck the cat toys in a corner. Every few days a wipe of the coffee tables, tv, window cills, lamp shades - seriously, if you get shot of the clutter it really does only take minutes, once a week hoover doing the skirtings etc

Kitchen I am lucky I do have a dishwasher but it is only a slimline so not everything fits in. Once dinner is on and cooking, sweep the floor, wipe the table and wipe down some of the cupboard doors or the fridge door. Once dinner is eaten, wash the dishes that don't go in the washer, load the dishwasher, wipe down surfaces, clean the sink, empty the caddy or the bin. Once a week wash the floor and in my case clean the patio doors - cat nose art

Hallways get hoovered when the hoover is out at the weekend or day off.

Bedroom, well now Im a lazy mare, I get up at 5am for work, Dh gets up at 7am and we work different days so the bed is never made in the morning and often not at night either, who cares? It gets a hoover when the clothes get picked up off the floor which is about once every ten days

I do actually keep up with the washing and ironing. As soon as Ive a load on it goes and I iron Sunday mornings whilst I catch up with a soap

Im never ashamed if anyone calls. My house isn't spotless but its fine by me and I really don't care if there is a cob web or a bit of dust or pigeon poo on my window

Ive a massive house, and I wouldn't spend more then 5 hours a week cleaning it. Getting rid of clutter has been the best thing for me and this year Ive worked through each room and cleared everything I really don't have a need for. The floordrobe is because my wardrobes are still waiting to be sorted ( Rome wasn't built in a day ) and its so much of a flaff trying to get clothes hung away tidy when they are such a mess, where as every room I have cleared, theres a place for everything and everything has its place so nothing really looks untidy even if Ive sat on my bum all week

oystercatcher

Consider if the budget would cover a cleaner ?

I have health problems, am not well enough to work and found I was really struggling to keep up with chores and getting depressed about it, I felt embarrassed to have visitors and didn't enjoy any 'me' time as I always felt I should be doing chores instead.

I finally decided to spend my small amount of disability allowance on a weekly cleaner and it has been life changing. With the main chores done I can spend a little time decluttering so the house is slowly improving and I can spend time on my hobbies without feeling guilty. I am also tidier as I have to go round once a week clearing clutter so the vacuum cleaner can get round.

Obviously not everyone can afford to have some help but maybe even once a fortnight having a little deep clean would help you keep up with things ?

klew356

I do things so they fit in with me, I have a relatively small bathroom and once a week I give it a good spray and bleach before/during and after my shower! Most mornings I throw some sort of cleaner in the loo and make sure the sink is clean when I do my teeth. Squeeze and Spray the shower before I get out.
Im terrible for letting clean clothes pile up then feeling like I have nothing to wear. I find now that one of the best things I can do is watch a program that’s an hour long, in my bedroom whilst putting clothes, shoes things that don’t belong in other areas of the house away. What a difference it makes.
I have learnt to keep my living room quite minimal so tidying and cleaning take no time at all. It also feels more relaxing?!
I find hoovering upstairs a chore so it doesn’t get done as often as it should – this is something I need to work on

Bubsmum

Thank you everyone for your replies, each and everyone giving good advice . Night off tonight so have cracked on in 15 min bursts as wide awake , kitchen and bathroom looks presentable now , lounge looks cleaner and tidier than it has in months , I was amazed (ashamed) with how much clutter had built up , have 2 big bags of stuff to go upstairs to be put away later , don’t want to wake son up as he has work in the morning but will leave him a note asking him if he will just take them upstairs before he leaves for work if he has time . Washing machine doing it’s thing as is the dishwasher . Me I’m now off to sit down for half an hour with a hot drink as think I deserve a break , my body will not appreciate my efforts when I wake up but it’s done now . Thank you all for all your help and motivation . A problem shared and all that jazz has definitely helped . Will be making a daily plan tomorrow to keep on top of it

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Bubsmum wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your replies, each and everyone giving good advice . Night off tonight so have cracked on in 15 min bursts as wide awake , kitchen and bathroom looks presentable now , lounge looks cleaner and tidier than it has in months , I was amazed (ashamed) with how much clutter had built up , have 2 big bags of stuff to go upstairs to be put away later , don’t want to wake son up as he has work in the morning but will leave him a note asking him if he will just take them upstairs before he leaves for work if he has time . Washing machine doing it’s thing as is the dishwasher . Me I’m now off to sit down for half an hour with a hot drink as think I deserve a break , my body will not appreciate my efforts when I wake up but it’s done now . Thank you all for all your help and motivation . A problem shared and all that jazz has definitely helped . Will be making a daily plan tomorrow to keep on top of it

Well done Bubsmum :T Now that you have made such an excellent start & have a plan in place, you will find everything quite a bit easier The ‘No Clutter to be Seen’ thread is a quite useful place to post if you decide to start disposing of things :rotfl:

I wish you continuing success in your journey

MrsSD