Everywhere I look something needs doing

phryne

Do you ever get that feeling?

The floor needs vaccing, the pot plant's shed its leaves on the window sill, the mother in laws tongues need re-potting, I've got a letter to write, supper to cook and I've no idea what to do with the golden beet I boiled this morning. Cupboards need wiping, the bath needs scrubbing, the grouting in the bathroom needs bleaching again..

I seem to spend all day pottering around doing things but at the end of the day I don't feel I've actually done anything! I would love to be able to spend a bit of time doing things I actually like doing, but the day seems to be filled up with cleaning and cooking tasks, neither of which put me in a particularly good mood :rotfl:

So, I would like to ask OSers how you manage to organise your tasks in order to keep your home clean and freshly cooked meals on the table? Do you spend long cleaning each day? Similar with cooking and washing up, it seems to take up a lot of my day, which I'm sure it shouldn't.

RebeccaAnn

Yes! Especially when I work 12-hour shifts. I think you just need to be kinder to yourself, you will never get to a point where everything is done. I used to follow the flylady thread but I could never keep to the days. Now I just rope the whole family in and blitz the house on a sat or sun. I don't dust or hoover in between unless I knocked something over etc and then I only do that spot. I will have a wipe around the toilet and bath but not scrub midweek. I repotted all my house plants on the same day and won't touch them now until spring. I also try to cook extra by doubling up and freezing half so we have homemade microwave meals. I just don't have enough hours in the day to keep a spotless home, although saying that I rare half day at work today and have made bread then sat on here with a cup of tea.

-taff

Decide on your priorities....Have you got much energy because it doesn't sound like you have?
Re the cooking - cook a stew - leave it bubble, job done for a meal. Minimum prep, I normally don't bother browning meat, chop up veg, add stock and water, job done. I love cooking one pot wonders, it doesn't take much time and everyone loves a dumpling.


You could make a list. I know if I start doing something I'l get distracted by something else that wants doing and beore you know I]ve got 10 half finished jobs going on...
When I did make lists, it was a lot easier to stick to the one job at a time. If you really waned to be anal about it, make your list and put times next to it and factor in some time to do what you want to do.
Also, always overestimate how much time something will take rather than under....

phryne

-taff wrote: »

Decide on your priorities....Have you got much energy because it doesn't sound like you have?

Yes I think you're right there, and mornings are worse for some reason. (They always have been!)

I have looked at the flylady thread, but when it comes to the kitchen, for example, I think to myself, goodness it would take me all day to get that lot done!

RMJ20

Write a list! Do a bit at a time but don't get caught up in it. You're a long time dead and some things aren't as important as you think they are.

suki1964

I wipe the cupboards whilst Im in the kitchen waiting on the spuds or veg

Im like you, spend the whole day doing nowt ( but thinking I am ) and then look around me and see so much needs doing

However Im not house proud either. As long as the house is hygienic and habitable I don't care. A friend called around Sunday morning. She walked into a living room where the nights before left over Chinese was sat on the coffee table whilst I had the ironing board up and a pile of clothes sat on the sofa , and came into my bedroom with its unmade bed and Saturdays clothes lying on the floor. Neither of us turned a hair

By Sunday evening everything was looking more normal

Ive said this before on this forum and Ill say it again, get rid of clutter and housework is halved at least

I won't have indoor plants for the reasons you say, dropping leaves, need watering and repotting. All gone. I have one wee vase of fake which gets hoovered now and then - job done

Now I do cook. So I do spend a while in the kitchen every day so keeping that clean and tidy is for me easy. Whilst Im waiting on things to come out of the oven I tackle one job. Clean the microwave, sort out one drawer, wipe down the doors and under the cupboards, go through the fridge,. Seriously in the time it takes to boil a pot of spuds I can clean the micro, toaster and kettle. Waiting on a chicken to cook, thats the fridge and under the sink cleared out

But what makes it so quick and easy is dumping the clutter. Nothing in my kitchen doesnt have a real home. Anything I don't use, don't like, sick of the sight of has gone and goes. I don't open cupboards and stuff falls out, Ive pared everything back to what I use

Same with the bathrooms, just what is used. No longer do I have piles of smellies that were bought for me sat their half used using up space - all gone so everything I do use has a place to live

In my shower theres scrubby gloves, nail brush, soap and shampoo and a window blade to scrape down the shower after use - 10 seconds to wipe down after use

On my sink, toothbrush beaker with toothpaste and brushes in it, soap and nail brush. Take two seconds to wipe clean after use

Bottle of flash and beach beside the loo

Takes 10 minutes on my day off to give it a proper clean - 30 mins if the grout needs a bit of a scrub

Sitting rooms, rid of clutter and it gets a dust when I can see it. usually a hoover and a plump up of cushions every couple of days. It always looks untidy as I have cats toys everywhere but hey, he's using them

Meals I try to cook as quickly as possible using the hob. If Im making a roast I"ll make enough for a day or two - its why we have microwaves after all I also never leave dishes for later, they are done the minute Ive finished my dinner, most are done before we even sit down

My house will never be spotless, I live in the country, we have animals and grandkids and I work, so I concentrate on whats important to me - kitchen and bathrooms and getting a meal on the table, the rest, well its not unknown for me to do a months ironing in one go

ancientofdays

I tend to make a list and then mentally prioritise things on it. I like being able to cross completed jobs off. I have a messy family and over the years I've learnt to tolerate a certain amount of mess as long as it is clean enough underneath.

I too tend to do kitchen jobs while I wait for things to cook but I cook only a few times each week, OH does a lot of that. He also does the shopping and we take turns to wash up though he doesn't see dirt and doesn't do cleaning unless I particularly ask him to tackle a specific job.

I also don't expect to get all the jobs on my list done in a day and unless it is some form of emergency, I don't do housework in the evening.

I loathe ironing and tend to leave it and do a load in one go - I do a certain number of items and then I get a small reward such as a few pages of a book, that motivates me. Well it sometimes does but sometimes I just carry on with the book.
Above all - housework will wait if you have something more interest to do!

PollyWollyDoodle

I absolutely agree about getting rid of clutter, jump across to the Kon Mari thread for some tips! I am absolutely not a minimalist and I'm not naturally tidy, so my home is still mess at times, but it's so much easier to clean and much quicker to tidy up since I got rid of stuff that wasn't being used/loved. And I'm also a big fan of the "five minute" job; as Suki says, you can clean the sink while the kettle is boiling for a cup of tea.

I love lists, and I use a 'bullet journal' (just a fancy list book really) and write down each day what I want to get done. However, there is something really crucial that a friend pointed out to me - if your list consists only of chores that you need to get done, that's not going to be a great day, is it!

I always now try to include some fun items in the list. For example, I love sewing, but often I would find that I hadn't got time to do it because I spent all day on the boring stuff. When I'm planning my day I will write down some of the personal projects I'm doing; or it might just say 'read book for Book Club'. This might help you to balance work and play.

phryne

ancientofdays wrote: »

Above all - housework will wait if you have something more interest to do!

Unfortunately I can always find something more interesting to do than housework :rotfl:

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I always now try to include some fun items in the list. For example, I love sewing, but often I would find that I hadn't got time to do it because I spent all day on the boring stuff. When I'm planning my day I will write down some of the personal projects I'm doing; or it might just say 'read book for Book Club'. This might help you to balance work and play.

That is so true, I feel a bit guilty doing fun stuff if there's housework to be done, but housework's never-ending. Fortunately I'm not much of a clutterbug, which helps.

Toomuchdebt

Same here. It's overwhelming so I end up doing none of it

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I use lists extensively, at work and at home, partly because my short term memory is poor, but mainly for the satisfaction of crossing off items (ideally in red pen). It's also clear evidence that you HAVE achieved something with your time, even if it's dull.

Aside from hoovering, I use housework as a chance to listen to music as I don't have any kind of portable device.