Do you follow a schedule for house cleaning? If so, what is it?

Question

I am an at home mom... and am struggling with housework. When I was a working mom, things got done becuse they had to... I was always rushing around and most things were done. Now I have lots of time but don't know what I do with it. I am very active with my 2 1/2 year old, coloring, reading, playing... Before I realize, the day is over... I need to be more successful with housework.

Do you have a set schedule? Shortcuts or easy ways to get things done? Hired help is not an option here! LOL

Answer 1

Housecleaning always gets ahead of me, too! I work part time and have two large, goofy dogs who need a lot of attention (and are rather messy, some times). I try to keep a schedule but it doesn't always work. I try to get the bathrooms, dusting and kitchen done on my day off and I try to nag my husband into vacuuming and floor scrubbing on his day off. If the president comes to visit, we'll go into a cleaning frenzy, but I've just learned to live with less than perfection.

Answer 2

Well, the first thing is to set a schedule that will work for you and keep it as regular as you can.

I call my method the clean, sustain, and improve method.

Since I work, most of my time that I have to clean is on the weekend. On the weekends I will do laundry and clean the bathrooms. So the weekends are the cleaning portion. During the week is the sustain and improve portion. Sustain, meaning by the end of the day I try at least getting the house back to the original shape that it was at the beginning of the week when it was all clean. That means...you dirty some dishes or get something spread out across the floor...the dishes get cleaned and stuff gets put away by the end of the day. If there is extra time, after I finish the sustain portion I use that to start the improve portion. That means getting the house to look better than it was after I cleaned it on the weekend. When I do that I'll list a couple of projects. Some of those might be decorating, but often it means going through stuff and deciding whether it should be pitched or if it should stay. We all have a ton of stuff we keep like pack rats. The more stuff you get rid of that you really don't need, the easier it is to keep the house clean and the more room it seems like you have.

So clean on the weekends. Sustain that cleanness during the week. Then improve/sort/decorate during the week if you have extra time.

Answer 3

Pardon the sympathetic chuckling here. :-)

Yes, I do have a few shortcuts. And while I don't have a schedule as such, there are certain things I do without fail.

Right when I get up, I make the bed. If I don't, I will forget.

Shortcut #1: I keep diluted spray bottles of Lysol in the bathroom and the kitchen. I grab a cleaning rag when I go in the bathroom in the morning, and after I'm done I spray down the sink and the outside of the toilet, and wipe them down. That takes maybe 10 minutes, and prevents a large portion of the dirt build-up there.

Shortcut #2 (sort of): If you have laundry to do, Start it. Then dust and vacuum the floor. And if it's needed, mop. By the time that's all done, the wash should be ready to go in the dryer.

After that, you can take care of the small stuff. And have fun with your baby!

Answer 4

I have been both a stay at home mom and a working mom. I have always kept the same scedule. I keep the house picked up though the week. Vaccuuming everyday, dishes everyday, and laundry a couple times through the week so it's not overbearing on the weekend. I keep the toys picked up and stuff put away. Then on Saturday I deep clean. I get all of the sheets washed, the bathrooms get scrubbed, the appliances get pulled out to sweep and mop, the laundry gets finished, everything gets dusted, the kids rooms get cleaned and organized again. Once a month I will shampoo the carpets and clean ceiling fans. It takes most of the day but my house doesn't get dirty that way. I hope this helps!

Answer 5

I normally get my house work done like this . I pick one room to work in set the alarm clock to go off in 15, min´s time , never take things back to their rightful places till I have finished , just leave outside the door I´m working in . When the alarm goes off I either call it a day , or do the same again set the clock for 15 min´s and continue like this . I always reward myself even if I have´t finished the room , read a magazine ,or anything else like come here answer a couple of Q then start again . 15, min´s here and there make a big difference especially for you as you have a little one to look after. I also put the washing machine on at night, clothes ready to hang first thing in the morning, even clean the bathroom´s at night once everybody finished ,lot less to do the next day, Just a normal cleaning of the kitchen everyday ,I cook twice a day & always people in and out , then every 2 week´s it get a good going over , windows once a month .It´s all the 15, min´s that I work with . try for yourself you will be surprised

Answer 6

I am not a stay at home mom, or a mom at all, but I congratulate you on being a mother, and being a great mother by staying home and taking care of your little ones! I am recently married and I work 8-5 Monday through Friday which leaves little time to clean as well! I reccommend that while your little one is reading or coloring in a certain room, clean and organize that room and talk to your child so they know you are concentrating on them but you are also getting things done at the same time. Make it a point to bring them in the room that you would like to clean!

On Mondays I will gather the laundry and seperate it and try to get that done thoughout the evening.

On Tuesdays I will concentrate on the kitchen. My dishes pile up so quickly you would think 5 people lived there.

On Wednesdays, I concentrate on the bathrooms, which are usually the dirtiest.

On Thursdays I concentrate on the bedrooms, I have a new puppy and I try to keep the carpets cleaned and shampooed so she doesnt get sick, and so the house continues to smell nice and clean!

FRIDAYS! Fridays are my relaxtion time or gardening time, I concentrate on the outside of the house, and it gives me some fresh air from being in the office all week!

I hope this helps!!

Answer 7

No. I have NO schedule.. I work full time and am a single mama of 2 grrls.. So the very last thing I want to t do on my days off is clean..
I have laundry issues.. The 3 of us have a ton of clothes.. So I just started doing 2 loads a night and putting them away..
I clean the kitchen and bath room as I go.. Then monthly try to scrub really good. But try to focus on 1 room a night for at least 30 minutes.. That is after preparing dinner, homework, and my workout!!

Answer 8

I'm a stay at home mom as well.

I can't stress enough about picking up as you go thru your day. If you see something out of place, put it back. Dishes in the sink, put them in the dishwasher. Crumbs/spots/spills, wipe them up as soon as you notice them. Wipe down the bathroom and kitchen once a day (about 5 minutes a piece). Make cleaning a fun thing to do with your child... my 3 year old LOVES the swiffer duster. I have her dust while I wipe down the tables/tv/mirrors/etc. If you keep up with these little things, your actual clean day will only take about an hour to REALLY dust/vaccum/mop floors.

Also, my morning routine is to get up about an hour before my daughter does, and while the coffee is brewing I wipe up the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, and pick up whatever else is out of place in our living area. By the time I'm done, the coffee is ready, and I sit and enjoy my "alone" time on the computer! :)

Answer 9

the first week i spent getting the house totally cleaned --now i have diff rooms for each day

each day i do laundry ( with 5 in the house i cant skip days)

monday is kitchen and dining room
tuesday is living room and bathroom
wed is bedrooms
thurs.. i do all linens and curtains
fridays i do windows and basement
weekends are spent with light housekeeping -- pick up as you go or have time

all of it changes around a bit according to school activities and such -- but make you a chart that you can check off as you go on what HAS to be done-- that way if you get sidetracked you can go back and pick up the slack during freetime

Answer 10

nicely your 2 older childrens must be waiting to atleast sparkling there rooms, and thats leaves you with the different issues to rigidity approximately. i might advise alliminate extras, issues you dont desire mendacity around and walk around your domicile with a trash bag and throw away broken toys, papers, magazines, ect...My frind has this rule of if she sees any toys on the floor it is going to the trash regardless if its in good undertaking that way her childrens on no account placed issues on the floor. yet another factor, that I do is skill sparkling, I sparkling so quickly as though corporation is coming over, you would be marvel how a lot you probably did in a million hour, lol. yet on the top you may not assume a sparkling domicile everyday. you ought to convey somebody like a million time a week to scrub, seem it the telephone e book for domicile cleaners, that way they're going to do the heavy cleansing. good success!