S/O of Cubby's post, and might be a flame -

springmom

Really? ?How dirty is your house that you are taking time away from your children to clean? ?I'm just curious because maybe you just need to tweak your schedule a bit. ?I certainly don't lock my kids in the garage to clean for 2 hours in the morning, but our house is always in good shape. ?We just clean as we go (make beds when you get up, put things away after using them, sweep vacuum once or twice a day, etc). ?Then I do a heavy cleaning project or something when they are napping or in bed for the night.

??Just curious. ??

crazynervous

mine is a sty!  And if I do start cleaning Aiden will ask me who is coming over!!

emiliemadison

Well, we're not living in filth, but god help me, I dont vacuum twice a day! Seriously, even if it doesnt take time away from my kids, I just dont see the point. I dont LIKE to clean. Sometimes I have dirty dishes in my sink for a day. Sometimes there are toys on the floor. Sometimes we have a big pile of dirty laundry in the hamper.

eclaires

I loathe cleaning.  If you came over to my house right now it would be a disaster, but we are in the process of moving.  That's my defense.

Anyway, I totally agree - if you keep up with it, it takes no time at all.

r9stedt

I'm sitting here staring at the three pieces of paper L tore to shreds at about 5 oclock tonight.   I fully expect it to still be there tomorrow...

 

I did clean my house at 545 the other morning because L deemed it an appropriate time to wake up.  He watched Nemo, I cleaned.

goodheartedmommy

I do get up before the kids, and stay up long after them. The older 2 do not nap, but have rest time. I'm lucky now if Maile's naptime falls during that. I can usually strap her to my back and clean, but there are certain things you just can't do with a baby on your back! I'm obsessive about vacuuming, mopping, cleaning toilet and sinks, counters, dusting, washing windows. I want everything done top to bottom each day--and it seriously stresses me out when it's not done. Plus, 3 kids+2 adults=big mess.

r9stedt

I don't even want to discuss the baskets of laundry that needs to be put away. 

emilykristene2006

The house is pretty spotless before we go to bed every night. Dishes are always done, floored swiffered (whatever) toys picked up.

We are neat freaks though. My neice has been here all week. DH thought it would be cool to put a tent up in our livingroom. It's driving me insane! I like to have everything picked up ready for the next day.

springmom

emiliemadison:

Well, we're not living in filth, but god help me, I dont vacuum twice a day! Seriously, even if it doesnt take time away from my kids, I just dont see the point. I dont LIKE to clean. Sometimes I have dirty dishes in my sink for a day. Sometimes there are toys on the floor. Sometimes we have a big pile of dirty laundry in the hamper.

The ONLY reason I vacuum like a maniac is because we have a dog, and I swear she's shedding 8 dogs worth of hair an hour right now.?

AZ_Erica

Well for us it's mostly the floors I would love to have a housekeeper to do.  We have tile throughout our entire house and it's hard work to mop.  Plus we have a dog that sheds like crazy so we really should sweep/vacuume the whole house every day.  Not to say I really can't do that, but I hate cleaning and would really rather spent my time elsewhere.

emilykristene2006

goodheartedmommy:

I'm obsessive about vacuuming, mopping, cleaning toilet and sinks, counters, dusting, washing windows. I want everything done top to bottom each day--and it seriously stresses me out when it's not done. Plus, 3 kids+2 adults=big mess.

You do all of this everyday???

eclaires

Also, MH is a slob.  Like a serious slob, and he just doesn't change his ways.

Every so often, I get really bitter and just stop picking up everything to see if he notices that it's disgusting to leave crap everywhere.

It never works, and ends up just making more work for me.  Another issue we have is that my MIL likes to bring us crap all the time that we don't want that just clutters up my house and I have no idea what to do with it.

I'm taking our move as an opportunity to get rid of pretty much everything.

summerbrideDC

is this going to turn into "baseboard-gate '09"? ?

My house is super cluttered. ?We rent right now and just don't have room for all of our stuff. ?I'm not bothered by it. ??

springmom

eclaires:

Also, MH is a slob.? Like a serious slob, and he just doesn't change his ways.

Every so often, I get really bitter and just stop picking up everything to see if he notices that it's disgusting to leave crap everywhere.

It never works, and ends up just making more work for me.? Another issue we have is that my MIL likes to bring us crap all the time that we don't want that just clutters up my house and I have no idea what to do with it.

I'm taking our move as an opportunity to get rid of pretty much everything.

?

I was the slob who married a neat freak. ?But some how I rubbed off on him. ?Ugh, it drives me nuts. ?I thought I was going to come home to him scrubbing the baseboards every night, but nope. ?He's lazy. ?A couple of days ago, he was ticked because he couldn't find his favorite koozie, so he asked me what I did with it. ?"It's on the beer, you were drinking 2 nights ago, upstairs in our bathroom. ?Where you left it." ?Ugh. ?gross.?

JenniC1135

I have 3 kids ages 3 and under who spend their days trying to think of new ways to create messes, I think.  Between the dishes and stickiness 3 meals a day create, the dirt and hair that the kids and dog trek in and out of the house, and the toys, it's all I can do to keep up with them.  They destroy one room as I clean another.  The other day I was doing laundry and in the five minutes I left the family room, the twins colored my basement floor tile grout hot pink and navy blue with crayons.  Try getting that out.  By the time I keep up with the daily messes, there's just not time for the deeper things, and that's even with DH being a huge help.

goodheartedmommy

emilykristene2006:

goodheartedmommy:

I'm obsessive about vacuuming, mopping, cleaning toilet and sinks, counters, dusting, washing windows. I want everything done top to bottom each day--and it seriously stresses me out when it's not done. Plus, 3 kids+2 adults=big mess.

You do all of this everyday???

I try. It's really not that time consuming in our house...just hard with kids around. It's about an hour of work total. I get up a few hours before the kids most days, and stay up later. The days I get stressed out by it are the days I try to sleep in. If I don't start off the day with a clean house, my day is just downhill from there.

FWIW, I am a slob by nature, so the only way I can keep our house clean is by being obsessive about it. It's one or the other with us, and I know once I let it slide, I will continue to do so.

eclaires

springmom:

eclaires:

Also, MH is a slob.  Like a serious slob, and he just doesn't change his ways.

Every so often, I get really bitter and just stop picking up everything to see if he notices that it's disgusting to leave crap everywhere.

It never works, and ends up just making more work for me.  Another issue we have is that my MIL likes to bring us crap all the time that we don't want that just clutters up my house and I have no idea what to do with it.

I'm taking our move as an opportunity to get rid of pretty much everything.

 

I was the slob who married a neat freak.  But some how I rubbed off on him.  Ugh, it drives me nuts.  I thought I was going to come home to him scrubbing the baseboards every night, but nope.  He's lazy.  A couple of days ago, he was ticked because he couldn't find his favorite koozie, so he asked me what I did with it.  "It's on the beer, you were drinking 2 nights ago, upstairs in our bathroom.  Where you left it."  Ugh.  gross. 

Jeff does that and it makes me want to throw it at him.  It's SO disgusting.  Fuckingthrow away your beer, jackhole.  Anyway, I am making two big changes with our move - one is getting rid of a LOT of stuff and two is making sure when we move that we are immediately organized.  We totally didn't do that when we moved to Carmel, and it's been impossible to catch up.  Not to mention, our renovation projects took precedence and made their own mess.

Brideofranken

 A couple of days ago, he was ticked because he couldn't find his favorite koozie, so he asked me what I did with it.

 

He has a favorite Koozie?!

I laughed out loud from my very soul when I read this.

springmom

Brideofranken:

?A couple of days ago, he was ticked because he couldn't find his favorite koozie, so he asked me what I did with it.

?

He has a favorite Koozie?!

I laughed out loud from my very soul when I read this.

Hell yeah he has a fav. ?And I really just think was his fav because he KNEW he had it within a few days ago. ?Fear not, BOF, it does not have a shadowbox display case over the?mantle?when not in use. ?He's not that?attached?:-)?

eclaires

Wait, who doesn't have a favorite koozie??!?!

springmom

eclaires:

Wait, who doesn't have a favorite koozie??!?!

yeah bof, want me to monogram one for you and add some feathers? ?I can make that dream a reality if you want it!?

eclaires

I want a koozie with a monogram.  I'd monogram anything if I could get a monogram on it.  I'm Southern that way.

I loooooooooooove monograms.

CubbyMama

The stuff that takes forever is dishes (emptying and reloading the dishwasher and doing the hand-wash stuff takes a solid hour, I'd say) and laundry (all of DH's work clothes have to be ironed, even though they're allegedly "wrinkle-free" pants, and just sorting, hanging, and putting away everyone's laundry for the week takes hours...most of it ends up just laying in baskets sorted, and we wear it out of there!)  I think the ages of your kids matters, too.  I had no trouble keeping up with DD1 and the two of us, but once DD2 came along, now I have a toddler making messes and a baby who won't let me put her down long enough to clean them up.

Chrisy-Wyobride

For me it's not a time issue, it's a desire issue.  I don't like living in filth (& I don't) however I also get so sick of picking up/cleaning the same crap over & over & over several times everyday.  It's the boredom of it that gets to me.  So I let it pile up over some time (a week approx) & then when I do clean it feels like a real accomplishment & I see a huge difference in my surroundings.  I wish I could just "maintain" like that, but it's just not my personality.  I have little tolerance for monotiny & the constancey it requires.  My DH does the laundry thankfully too.  But picking up DD's doll off the floor 10 times a day is a waste of time when I can pick it up once at the end of the day GWIM?  So that's just my mentality when it comes to cleaning...works for us.  Obviously I am not a neat freak who has to have cleanliness to be relaxed/comfortable, really the opposite is true for me. 

Zenya

My house is very messy (and sometimes dirty) but it has nothing to do with having kids.  I just hate to clean and I'm lazy and I spend too much time on the internet.

Any nest regular who says they don't have time to clean if full of it!

eta:  but I see nothing wrong with having one.  I'm talking about people who make out like it's impossible to have a clean house and spend time with their kids, too.

DevonPow

I am one of those people that said cleaning could take time away from my kids - granted, I am very type A about a clean house. My house is pretty clean on any given day, but of course that takes time. I have 3 bathrooms to keep clean, all hardwoods that have to be cleaned, lots of laundry, washing windows, keeping all the crap that DH and DS drag through the hosue organized, etc etc. Sure it may only save an hour or two a week to have someone come and scrub my baseboards and mop the floors for me, but that is still an hour or two.

Plus, I am sure it makes a difference if you have kids who are capable of indpendent play. DS is not.

pincushions

My house is tidy but it isn't clean.

I can't keep up with it all. If the baseboards aren't done at least 2-3x a week it is awful. I can't reach most of the ceiling fans without a ladder so honestly having someone come in 1-2x a week to do all the laundry, bathrooms, baseboards and fans is wonderful.

It isn't that it takes all my day but honestly living out in the middle of nowhere, it takes half my morning just to get the kids fed, dressed and out the door so we can drive 30-45 minutes to go and do something fun, then by the time we come back I don't want to have to deal with any of that.

Hell if DH could find a lady he liked he would build her a house in back and keep her. He has always wanted to hire a live in house keeper. Only because he would like to not to do any house work.

 

 

eta: our floors need to be sweeped and mopped like 2x a day because of the dog. We have to constantly wash all the kids and our bed linen because of the dog.

Emilia lives to make a mess.

shouldbeworkin

How old are your kids?  Mine are 2 and 4 and leave a trail behind them wherever they go.  It's particularly bad if we're running around a lot.  We tend to stop at home and dump stuff off.  Eventually we have to clean it up.

CleoKitty

Our house is often messy, sometimes downright dirty. I probably spend about 3 hours/day doing household related chores like laundry, dishes, cooking, sweeping, picking up toys and clutter, swishing poopy diapers, sorting through the piles of paper that seem to accumulate, etc. With 5 people, 2 dogs and 1 cat in 1200 sq. ft. the mess (and the pet hair- OMG, you wouldn't believe how much these animals shed!) multiply faster than I can keep up with it. Dh also spends a signifigant chunk of his time when he's home doing housework. 

I could quit spending my time online and have more time to dedicate to the house, but I really just don't have the energy. I want more than anything to have a sparkling clean house, but it just doesn't really seem attainable right now without more work than I'm willing to put into it.

triplea1819

I am a work at home mom, 1 kid, 2 pets, and a dirty husband.  i need a house keeper!!  We have one that usually comes every 2 weeks, but has not come in about a month.

 the house is a mess!!!  it is awful!!

Bellisimo

Well, in a two story house, I can't be upstairs scrubbing tubs, toilets, vacuuming and such while my kids (ages 2.85 and 4 mo.) are downstairs having their way.  Also, I can't be upstairs doing all of that while my toddler is up there sleeping (napping).  I can pick up, do laundry, do dishes, cook while we're all downstairs, but as for deep cleaning.....there'll be none of that!  ;-)

Bellisimo

Disclaimer:  I haven't read the other replies yet!...so I don't know who cleans what and for how long each day.

BUT, let me just say that I believe that some folks on here are totally lying about how much cleaning they're doing each and every day WHILE taking care of their kids......why do I think that you may ask....because they're ALWAYS on the nest!!!  Who has time for tending to your kid(s) and being Suzy Homemaker all while nesting all d@mn day?  Not buying it!