That's it. I give up. I am a no-good housekeeper! And so I need to hear from you all...how do YOU keep your house clean?!
Ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, I put it in my mind that part of my "job" was to maintain an orderly household, and I still hold myself to that standard. Theoretically, anyway. But if this were a "real" job, I'd so be fired! Maintaining a clean house with little ones seriously has become what seems like an impossible task to me. It's weird, because I don't like messiness and chaos. It kind of drives me nuts. Yet it obviously doesn't drive me so nuts that I do what I need to do to keep things looking halfway decent around here.
Now, I know that a perfectly clean house is NOT the most important thing in the world. I spend a whole lot of time every day just playing with the kids and enjoying them, and I know time spent in that way is much more valuable than time spent cleaning. I won't give that time up. On the other hand, I think I would enjoy that time with them more if I didn't have this huge housework to-do list hanging over my head. That, and I do think it's important for kids to grow up surrounded by more peace and order than disorder, and for them to learn lessons in daily responsibilities.
So, I guess I'm looking for the most effective ways of doing things. I know that work is involved, even with shortcuts. But the less time we can all spend on cleaning and chores, the more we can spend doing the things we love! Let's talk specifics...
Here are some problem areas for me:
1. Just keeping stuff picked up. I feel like 98% of the time I have to clean every day goes simply to picking things up and emptying/reloading the dishwasher. Which leaves virtually no time for any other chores. I know this will become less of an issue as the kids get older and can do more of this kind of thing, but for now, I feel like all I do is pick up after others. I will say that I recently dubbed 7:00pm as "clean-up time", with great success. And that way I don't spend the first half-hour of the kids' bedtime cleaning up their toys. (still other clean-up to do, but at least not that). Any other ideas in this department?
2. Laundry!!! Does anyone else feel like they are constantly drowning in laundry? My current system - to let it pile up until it really needs to be done - is not working. Because then it becomes too overwhelming of a task. It worked when there were just two, and even three of us, but not now. So I'd like to know if there's anyone out there who has a system that works for them. Do you do a little every day? All of it on one specific day every week? Twice a week? Any other thoughts?
3. I consider picking stuff up and laundry to be the two biggies. Then there's everything else...bathrooms, changing sheets, scrubbing bathtubs, dusting, organizing closets...you all know how endless this list is. Do you all just do these things randomly as needed? That's what I've always done, but then again, I can't tell you the last time I changed all of our sheets....(I know, that's gross). Dusting...I'm not kidding when I tell you I dust MAYBE twice a year. And our closets make me cringe. Does anyone out there have a cleaning schedule for these kinds of things? I'm considering starting one, but kind of afraid that would mean setting myself up for failure:) But I think I need to discipline myself somehow in order to keep things nicer/cleaner than they are now.
So those are the things I'd like to ask you all about. Solutions that have worked for me...like I said, 7:00 clean-up time. Also, there are some great products out there that make cleaning easier (love my toilet wand, and also anti-bacterial cleaning wipes for counters and bathrooms).
I do know that part of the solution is for me to just buckle down and get it done. But again, I'm looking for effectiveness...to spend the least possible amount of time necessary while still accomplishing what I need to. There are a few of you out there - even moms with young kids - who DO somehow manage to maintain incredible order in your home...I want to hear from you!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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10 comments:
Cleaning is almost fun for me when I crank up my favorite music really loud and dance and sing when I do it! I think you should try it with the kids- it would be fun and productive!
For starters your house is Always super clean when I come over. As for laundry (I secretly hate it too) I do 20 items a day to try to catch up with it. Hope this helps!! Singing and dancing sounds fun too. I'd love to see you try that call me so I can come over when you do! :)!
Cleaning is tough, not fun, and it never goes away. However I agree with you that it's easier to function in a house that is clean and organized for everyone. Here are a few tips that have worked for me. Laundry: I have an actually laundry day- Sunday. I do everyone's laundry and wash sheets as needed. I wash everyone's sheets every other week with the kids one week and ours the week after. That makes it easier to remember. My goal that day is to have all the laundry folded and put away by the end of my laundry day. The kids help by putting their own clothes away. I like this plan because although it's a lot to do, once it's done, it's done and I don't have to think about any laundry until the next week.
As far as organizing, I highly recommend a spring cleaning month. You literally start with one closet and dust, organize, throw away, clean ect. until it looks beautiful and then move on to the next room. I'm talking stuff like cleaning window seals, dusting the floor trim, cleaning out the air ducts in the ceiling, everything! It takes a good month for me, but the house looks great and it really reduces the clutter everywhere.
Also, as far as the everyday cleaning (bathrooms, dusting, ect.). I usually take another day (not my laundry day), and try to clean the whole house. I get the kids to help while I'm dusting, have them watch a show while I'm cleaning the bathrooms, let them play around while I'm vacuming, and give them a snack while I'm cleaning the kitchen. It's a lot to do in one day, but then again, it's done until the next week. Sometimes depending on my kids I might not be able to get all that done, so I focus on one thing each day of the week. Today I'm cleaning all the bathrooms, tomorrow I'll vacum and mop, the next day I'll dust, the next day I'll clean the kitchen ect. That works for me too depending on the week. Good luck and sorry for the book response about cleaning. It really helps for me to have scheduled days. Also, if I'm getting off track, I just invite people over because that will kick my butt into gear;) To me there is nothing more comfy then coming home to a clean house.
OK, I hate the be obnoxious, but I see no mention anywhere of our hubbies helping out.
Seriously. I could not survive if Sam didn't partake in dinner making, using the vaccum, folding laundry, etc.
We hardly ever dust! 2x a year sounds about right!
I used to LOVE doing laundry but find it to be the most overwhelming task now. I actually do laundry on the weekends. Sometimes I fold by myself, but other times I bring out the basket and Sam and I fold together while watching TV or something like that.
Your full-time job is taking care of the kids. Asking yourself to also keep up a house and cook dinner while caring for your 3 wee one's is a lot, and just makes you feel bad b/c it's too hard to do. We don't want you to feel bad. :)
Bathroom - I wipe down counters, scrub the toilet, etc. when I'm in there with Ada while she's taking a bath. She's old enough now that I don't have to sit right at the tub side (I don't leave the room, promise) so can multi-task then. When I drain the tub is when it gets scrubbed.
7pm clean up time is genious!
Good luck - and sorry, Steve! :)
These are great suggestions!!
Bonnie-that really is a good idea. Especially if I make it a "let's see how much we can clean in 2 songs". Travis loves that kind of thing.
Adeliz-that's because I hurry and rush around cleaning stuff up right before you show up, and you never go upstairs:) But thank you, anyway!
Crystal-wow, you have got a system! That's great...it actually makes me excited to develop a system of my own! Maybe I will try a set laundry day, too, particularly the part about making it my goal to have it 100% done by the end of the day. Spring cleaning month - also a great idea! Although I'd have think up some pretty great rewards for myself to maintain motivation:) I will say that there's no way I could clean the whole house in a day. No way. Not with my kids at their ages and personalities and needs. But I think it might be doable to do upstairs one day and downstairs another, especially if at least one of those days lies on one of Steve's days off. And I totally agree that a clean home is a comfortable home (for me, anyway). Thank you for so many great ideas!!
Michele-thank you for making me feel better about my inability to do it all! To be fair, there are certain chores that are totally Steve's...vacuuming, emptying garbages every week, and cleaning the litter box. Of course, I would LOVE for him to do more....I think part of the problem is that I reach mess-induced frustration long before he does. He's not a slob, he's just more comfortable with clutter than I am. So yes, this has been a point of contention for us. Though he would agree that it's really nice when you can actually walk from one room to another without tripping 5 times on the way! I do think both of us are less stressed when things are tidy. You're right, though...it HAS to be a team effort!
Thanks, everyone! Open to more suggestions...
Hey Sarabeth!
As a mother of three (well four if you count the hubby, right?) and I work full-time, here's what we do:
~laundry is on Saturday, which gives the cushion of Sunday if it doesn't quite get done.
~household chores are divided up each day of the week (mopping Mondays, vaccuming Tuesdays, etc). Now I must add here, that as the stay-home Dad, Bryan does the majority of the house stuff (thank you God for my amazing man!)
~the kids have daily chores (picking up toys in bedroom and play room before bed) and weekend chores (collecting used towels and washcloths, matching clean socks, putting underwear in drawers)
As for me, I have to accept that I can NOT be all things to all people. Sometimes the "marathon" week/weekend of sorting and organizing is good (takes planning). Other times, I set a limit of 15 minutes and just accomplish a little bit, once piece at a time.
If all else fails, shove it in, close the door, and run! :)
~Jill
When you all were young, Monday was cleaning day (after the weekend when everyone was home and it got all dirty), Tuesday was laundry day but later I did it as a full load was waiting. Folding is relaxing to me but I hate putting it away. Wednesday was Women's Bible Study day, Thursday was grocery shopping, Friday was straighten up and get ready for the weekend activities. Routines change as kids get older and can help out (I still don't think I made you kids do enough..your rooms were usually a mess!) I'm thrilled Sam helps and I know Steve does more than your dad did!
Your distaste for dusting you get from me...sorry! I do a lot of picking up as I go so that things don't build up...except my desk seems to always be a mess. You are great at spending time with your kids and that is MOST IMPORTANT! Oh, and I put music on also.!
Holy cow, look at all these suggestion . . must be a hot topic! I will vouch for Crystal's suggestions, not because I do any of them myself, but because they must work because her house is always impecable when I'm there! We do laundry almost everyday, but I will say that sometimes we have to re-do a load because we forget about it and it sits in the washer too long. But I totally feel your pain about the dishwasher and picking up toys being the chores that take up the bulk of the time. You and I live so close, we need to just swap kids for a morning once a week and give each other a kid-free 3-4 hours of bathroom/mop/vacuum time. You'd get the better end of that bargain, too, with just Clara, but I'd get you back when the twins are born. :) I'd also be willing to take Evan and Jayna one morning when Travis is at preschool or something.
Check out Flylady.net for some good ideas. That's where I go to get my inspiration.
Hey SB! Great topic lady. Clutter is my biggest problem these days. I know it sounds annoying, but the only way that works for me to keep it under some control is to ask Cooper to clean up his toys before moving on to another toy or project.
If it is morning time and I know he'll play more after nap then I'll often let it slide. But before dinner, toys are cleaned up so that we can enjoy the evening. Teaching the kids to pick up stuff all along the way always helps me with the clutter.
All that other "deep" cleaning stuff I do on a schedule like Crystal. I do a little laundry every day or every other day, but that's mostly because my dryer is broken. :D
I'm with you though. By the time I clean the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, make the beds, etc, the day is already half gone!
Hope this stuff helps out!
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