What is your daily routine for housework if you work full time Mon - Fri 9-6 - I can't fit it in!?

Question

By housework I mean daily chores like dinner, loading & unloading the dishwasher, laundry, ironing as well as general cleaning, vacuuming, food shopping and the household finances and admin. I cannot get motivated when I am running out of time which is the case every evening after work so I end up spending every weekend cleaning the house but never get it all done. I have to do the household finances at work as I don't have time at home. I am a 30 year old female and when I see women at work who work full time and have kids I don't know how they cope. Any advice on how you cope appreciated!

Answer 1

My other half & me tend to share household chores. I do the cooking because I am fab at it & she isn't! I do the ironing, (one reason why she says she is marrying me on September 1st - she HATES ironing!!!), because being an ex-serviceman (Army) I am very fussy when ironing clothes, & I would only re-iron mine after her anyway! We share the washing up, & laundry, but when it comes to cleaning the house Sian usually does it, but if I'm day off work, & Sian is working, I will usually dust & run the cleaner over.....Sian always does the bathroom - I hate doing that! Also the garden is hers too!!!

Answer 2

Yes, I completely agree with you; you are not bl**dy Wonderwoman and it is impossible to do it all single handed.
If you have a family it is also their responsibility. The problem is that if they do chores half heartedly and do a bad job they can make more work. But if they want you to be a stay at home servant who exists only to service their needs because they are too good to pick up after themselves then they also have to accept that they'll be poor.
You really need to explain to your family that;
- There are not enough hours in the day for one person to do all of the work generated by 4 or 5 people, and a full time job.
- If they think that they are 'too good' for housework, if it is beneath their dignity, what does that say about their attitude towards you?
-They must be responsible for putting their own laundry in the basket, putting their clean clothes away, picking up after themselves, keeping their things tidy, washing up and any other little chores they can manage like dusting and hoovering.

The problem is when you do it its free; when you pay someone to do it then you have to pay a reasonable amount. So you end up working to pay other people to do the things that you would have time to do yourself if onl;y you didn't have to go to work. Like childcare and ironing and cleaning. Its nuts.
9-6 is a long working day for a mother. Can you cut down your hours or look for another job?

Answer 3

it really depends want I am in the mood for. I have a lot of doctor appointments that are hour drive to and can be there half the day. I am also a stay home mom all three of my kids has disability and medical problems. This reason why mostly I have a lot of doctor appointments. I do dish daily. I vacuum when needed or after I clean a room. I sweep the kitchen floor which I try to do daily. Mopping is weekly. right now I need a better mop because the one i have now doesn't do to well. The boys clean their own room and I vacuum their room. I do my room when needed. The bathroom is weekly and kitchen and living room has well. Also I do four loads a week and I do that in one day at the laundry mat. I am try to get myself into a routine on cleaning so this place will stay clean and looking nice.

Answer 4

yes it is very difficult to do, I used to spend all weekend cleaning, sometI'mes I still do, but here is what im trying, keep in mind I do have a 13 year old daughter who I try to get to help, but without much luck, anyway, I get up about 5:30 - 6am, get my shower done, get my daughter up for school, and look around for light housekeeping to do, usually a load of laundry will go in, breakfast dishes will get done, and some vacuuming, I save the big stuff like the bathroom for my days off, also a crock pot really helps! when you come home from work, dinner is done. I find that early in the morning I can get more done, if you do it all week, you really wont have that much to do on the weekend! hope this helps a little,

Answer 5

I do the housework round getting the children up. So first thing in the morning. The two mornings a week that I go out at 6.30 I don't do any, but on Tuesdays I hoover round, and the children dust. On Wednesdays I do loos and bathrooms, and on Saturdays the kitchen. Each chore only takes half an hour or so.
For dinner - we have a roast on Sundays and eat it cold for the week. The children have school dinners. Mind you I have only been in full time work for a fortnight. I don't know how the hols will be.

Answer 6

why can,t you get up early and do some basic house work, laundry put in washer night b 4,do in morning,use dishes 4 3days if very lazy then use dish washer set aside 2 hours a night 4 other chores, ironing or balancing accounts, not every night. you can,t be that dirty.wek-ends you may have 2 catch up but always leave sunday for fun or rest.its like balancing plates on sticks you always have to go back to the first one many times b 4 there all done .prioitise you will learn to jugggle.good-luck

Answer 7

Be realistic about what really needs to be done! Use your lunch time at work, time on the potty, or time sitting in traffic to make up a grocery list, menu, or "things to do" list. Plan one visit a week to the grocery store (along with other errands), one day a week to do laundry, and on the other days, set a timer in each room and only clean as much as you can in 5-10 minutes. If too much cooking leads to too many dishes, try eating frozen entrees until you get caught up with other things. The main thing is to be sure and get plenty of sleep each night so you will have the energy to do your work. And, if all else fails--some things just have to be left undone! Who cares if it's perfect? Relax a little!

Answer 8

i do the basics, cooking ,dishwashing, sweeping ,washing clothes and drying, wiping and maybe some food shops for fresh veg ,fruit ,milk on the weekdays and a big clean at the weekend.I start at the top of the house and work down wards (6beds) (4 baths )i get up at 6.30 and go to bed about 12..
my daughter does most of the ironing and both my girls clean and tidy their rooms and help with cooking ,table clearing...
I shop for food and clothes at the weekend.Make a list and prioritise...just do what you can...
Before i had kids, my friends said my home was sterile, but its not so pristine these days..lol
dont stress about this ,what does it matter? do you have someone criticising you or are you unhappy with your own standards?
Lower your standards and go out and enjoy yourself as long as its not dirty and unhealthy it doesn't matter ...
life is too short ,get rid of loads of your stuff,,give it away, make your home simpler to look after..
take care

Answer 9

The answer is to schedule certain things for certain days and stick to it. And it doesnt have to be perfect! You should also enlist the help of others living in the house. I found alot of support and motivation at FLYLADY.NET. Try it. She is great and has great ideas about hardworking women getting all the things done that their second job requires. Good luck!

Answer 10

Get a man who is capable of making lots of money through bieng in some sort of specialist trade, stay home, the things if you are capable to make your home lovely, will make more than you can if you go out to work, ie. decoration, if ya good. plus, if you have a child, you can cook good from scratch food, and then you will have a healthy child. and not one brought up on working mothers marks and spencers pre packed stuff, or mc dinnals.