Tuesday, March 31, 2009

I need help with cleaning

photo courtesy of thisislavergne.files.wordpress.com
Who doesn't? I'd love to have a cleaning lady, but to be honest...that's just not in the cards for me right now. And probably never will be.
So, here is my question for you lovely ladies: do you have a cleaning schedule? Like, bathrooms on Mondays, vacuum on Tuesdays, laundry on Wednesdays, etc.? I never know what to do, when. And then all of a sudden, I need to do everything all at once...and that's a bit daunting to me.
Can you help? What works for you? I need to get on a regular cleaning/laundry/sheet-and-towel-changing schedule and I'd love some guidance from those of you who are perhaps more domestically-abled than I.

I would appreciate any insight you can provide! Thanks, lovelies!

12 comments:

T i f f a n y said...

I wish I could offer you some tips, but it sounds like I do the same thing as you! I just wait until the weekend and dust/vacuum/mop/disinfect the whole house! I do things like laundry throughout the week which makes the weekend chore list a little less daunting. This schedule works for me because when I come home after working all day, the last thing I want to do is start cleaning :)

Lucky in Love said...

I've been wondering the same thing actually.

Currently we do all the laundry on Sundays. This works for us since after we get back from church we're pretty much home for the day. We also do sheets about every other week.

I'm currently trying to do one room a night (and when I say currently...I mean I just started this yesterday!) so yesterday I cleaned the living room....today the bedroom...etc. We'll see how that goes though. After working out and making dinner....it's hard to get motivated to clean.

Lucy Marie said...

Good question - I've been wondering the same thing. We live on a farm and have a dog who goes inside and outside, so I find I pretty much have to (read: should) sweep almost every day because she tracks hair and dirt in all the time. Also, we live in a basement and have a wood fire place, so things get dusty very quickly. Especially at this time of year.

I do the laundry on Monday because I am at home that day. And then usually I clean on Thursday afternoon/evening. This works because I am usually home Thursdays, too (I'm a full time student).

The hubby helps me with major house cleaning so that usually takes place Thursday evening or Saturday morning, depending on the weekend schedule. I'd say we sweep probably 4-6 times/week and then do the major stuff once a week (bathrooms, dusting, vaccuming).

I do the sheets every 2 weeks and towels once a week. Just find what works for you and go with that. Sometimes I prefer to do it all at once because then it's all clean and nice (we have a small place too so it only takes a few hours). Sometimes I don't like doing little bits at a time or else by the time I get through the rotation the first thing needs to be done again and I feel like I can never enjoy the clean house.

One more tip, try to clean up/tidy up things as you go, then the major house cleaning is less daunting.

Wow, that's a long comment. Can you tell I'm a neat freak? Ha!

Anonymous said...

I think you'll need to play with your schedule and see what works for you and Mr. Smith.

Right now, I have been either doing everything on Sundays or breaking up cleaning and grocery shopping to Saturdays and Sundays.

This weekend I did the cleaning and laundry on Sunday but did not do the kitchen or one load of laundry. Dimples is supposed to do the kitchen's weekly deep clean today and finish the laundry. We'll see.

Just keep experimenting and if you have a willing hubby, all the more better! :)

Mel said...

I'm not going to lie... I actually have someone come in once a week.

Here is what I have learned though. I know you don't want to stretch it but really having someone come in once every 4 weeks will save you a lot of backbreaking work when all you have to do is maintain. I have my laundry done but I would say if you have a laundry in your house doing a load every other day is not too bad. Sheets and towels are done once a week. I switch out the flowers once a week and I still dust in between cleanings.

Bathrooms can be done every 2 weeks as long as you maintain inbetween. Kitchens need one good clean every 2 weeks and a minor cleaning every week.

Did I tell you my mom is a housekeeper? Oh and best mop advice? Libman Mop with the green handle, no imitators.

I can clean a house with the best of them, I just choose not to.

Jackie said...

Our cleaning schedule is....clean before someone visits. Which is usually about once a month. Gross, I know. We usually do laundry once every two weeks and will pick up dust bunnies as we see them (we have hardwood floors), but as for serious dusting, cleaning, mopping....it definitely is not scheduled. Maybe when life settles down? No, probably not.

Taryn said...

I don't have one- I just clean when stuff starts to get dirty- every couple weeks or so (unless someone is coming over). But the Hyper Homemaker is all about a schedule. If you want a schedule- she has lots and lots of tips. Good luck!

all i need is love... said...

I wish I had useful tips for you, but I don't! I hardly have time to breathe during the weekdays, so I save all the cleaning for Sundays. Throughout the week, I'll try to pick things up and keep the living spaces organized, little by little.

Happy Cleaning! :)

Christina said...

Before my hubby and I got a cleaning lady we used a zone system. We split the house into seven zones (and split the chores in the zones btw the two of us). We made a pact that we would do a zone every other day (or whatever our schedule allowed). It was a life saver! The house stayed clean and we didn't fight over cleaning. This also works if you are by yourself.

Cristina said...

I clean once a week...usually Saturday mornings, I have my coffee and get in the zone. I have a 2800 square foot house, cleaning top to bottom usually takes 4 hours...lol...yes, I want to die by the end!

I start by sorting the laundry into piles and get the first load going, then I head upstairs and take the sheets off the bed and the towels out of the washroom. Next I vacuum, then dust my bedroom...and then move into the washroom where I clean the sinks (yes there are 2 of them) and toilet. I wash the floor in the bathroom and then in the bedroom and while it dries I go to the laundry room and get the second load going.

When the floor is dry I make the bed, put clean towels in the washroom and vacuum again.

Then...lol...I vacuum the rest of the 2nd floor and clean the other washroom. I move downstairs and vacuum the floors, dust all the furniture, wash the floor and clean the bathroom. All this while continuing the laundry...then I sit down and have a drink, because seriously I need one. Thank God my husband and I are not messy people!

Oh yeah, I clean the kitchen daily after cooking so it doesn't get so gross.

I think it's best to do it all at once and stick to a regime, I dont know how some people can clean like once a month - can you say eww?

Good luck!

Piper Jacquelyn said...

I used to love cleaning, but now I'm getting pretty lazy about it. My trick? Great playlist on iTunes & a couple bottle of champagne. Works like a charm.

Anonymous said...

Check out Katie! I love her!

http://hyperhomemaker.blogspot.com/