what is your cleaning schedule like?

mgra328 · May 2009

i feel like ever since my third was born, my house is in utter chaos!!! i can't seem to get myself on a good cleaning schedule.

to make matters worse, i am tragically disorganized by nature. there are toys and papers everywhere but it's hard to get rid of any toys knowing theres going to be another baby coming.

now that i'm expecting #4 i am absolutley terrified that we're going to live in a disaster forever.

help!

ps...i've tried flylady and her constant emails drive me crazy. i think i've tried her method 3 times and everytime, i seem to not be able to stick with it. thanks so much! :

HarrietNJMommy · May 2009

I'm assuming you can't hire a cleaning crew. Maybe even for a short period of time to help out?

Is there any way to hire someone to come in and "declutter" for you? Once that's done, then you'll be better at upkeeping.

I have a cleaning crew come in bi-weekly, and in between I do light work when the kids go to sleep (at night). A load or 2 of laundry gets done every day (I have a schedule). The playroom gets cleaned at night - I get the girls to pitch in.

GL - it's not easy to get into a good groove, but you need to do it in a way that won't be such a burden to you......

DevonPow · May 2009

I only have one kid, so I am sure that makes a vast difference.

That said, I am very OCD about things being organized and clean, and I find that once everything is de-cluttered and streamlined it is easy to keep things neat. My house is pretty clean and it takes me about 30 minutes a day tops to keep it that way - a quick vacuum, a quick toy pick up before nap and bed, wipe down the bathrooms and the kitchen, etc. A deep clean once a week (an hour or two tops) to mop, scrub bathtubs, etc. happens either when DS is asleep or on the weekends.

So, I would do a big de-clutter/organization weekend. If you don't want to get rid of toys yet at least cull through them now, organize them and put some in storage. I find that DS enjoys his toys more when there are fewer toys out in the playroom (plus, nothing helps a rainy day like being able to bring a toy bin up from the basement!). Get rid of all clothes you haven't worn in the last year, file all papers and put a tray/basket of some kind where objects tend to accumulate to keep things organized, etc.

Of course, take everything I say with a grain of salt - I am one of those weird people who lives at the Container Store and has my closet arranged by season and color, LOL.

gobigblue · May 2009

the one thing i try to remember to do is never leave a room empty handed. walking to the kitchen, i bring any dishes, recycling items, etc. going upstairs, i take laundry, toilet paper, whatever.

hayleydeee · May 2009

Pretty much non?existent. I try to keep up with things as much as possible, and do something every day. But I beat myself up too much if I try to stick to a "schedule" and fail.

?I do like some of the basic ideas and methods from Fly Lady, but her entire system is just too complex for me right now. If the emails are too much, you can change your subscription to get only one big bulk on a day through Yahoo groups. I usually dont get around to reading even that one though.?

mandymack · May 2009

Oh my, dear... you have three kids, how can you have any time for anything much less cleaning?!?! I'm sure you are doing the best you can and I, too think you need a Maid... you deserve some help!

I am a bit OCD about being clean & organized and I, too never leave one room to go into another without straightening up or carrying something into the room it belongs in. Thankfully, I have a DH that helps out tremendously every morning (i.e. unloading the dishwasher, getting Emily up/dressed/fed & ready for the day, does all the laundry on Sundays, cleans up after dinner every night, etc.) and I have a Maid service that comes every Friday that helps with the "heavy lifting" like dusting, cleaning the fans and cabinets, the stove, etc.

gatogrrl · May 2009

I only have one, so probably it's you who should be giving me tips!

My main rule is to keep it simple. Figure out how much you can realistically do in a week. Budget in time for yourself to relax, because (at least in my case), you know you're going to goof off sometimes. And you should. Just call it "your" time and not procrastination.

Think about the 5 things that really have to happen for your household to feel clean and organized. Just do those bare minimum things for a while. Is it working? Then add in a few more. And get the kids to help! But my rule is to enjoy my family first, then work back from that to clean floors.

DBurket · May 2009

I try to do one room and one type of laundry each day. The up-side to this is that it's never too much for me to handle in a day; the down-side is that my house is rarely all clean at one time. But, it is definitely working better for us then when I didn't have a schedule(which just meant I was always overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done, so nothing got done. I'm sure you know how that goes!) Anyways, here is my schedule...

MONDAY: Clean kitchen, mop and polish wood floors (hallway, entry, kitchen, powder room). Laundry = baby's clothes and bedding.

TUESDAY: Clean bathrooms. Laundry = towels, bathroom rugs.

WEDNESDAY: Clean dining room and office. Laundry = darks.

THURSDAY: Clean laundry room and living room. Laundry = lights.

FRIDAY: Clean bedrooms, do meal planning. Laundry = sheets.

SATURDAY: Vaccuum stairs and hallways, grocery shop. Laundry = delicates and ironing.

SUNDAY: Rest

I like to have my house picked up, but I'm not obsessive about how CLEAN it is. So my schedule works for me. My sister, who is totally OCD about germs, mops daily (while I feel good about getting it done weekly). I think you just have to find the balance that works best for you.

GOOD LUCK! (And know we are all struggling!)

little_mrs · May 2009

I don't have a schedule (yet). Just wanted to say that I agree with you regarding the flylady thing. Too many emails!

mgra328 · May 2009

thanks so much for the tips. i appreciate your help!

i would LOVE a cleaning lady!! LOL. that is just NOT happening any time soon. with soon to be 4 kids and one about to enter catholic school, it just isn't in the budget.

i guess i just need to break down the jobs and tackle them as i can. i do get really overwhelmed when i think of everything that needs to be done at once.

thanks again!

emilychristine7 · May 2009

DevonPow:

I only have one kid, so I am sure that makes a vast difference.

That said, I am very OCD about things being organized and clean, and I find that once everything is de-cluttered and streamlined it is easy to keep things neat. My house is pretty clean and it takes me about 30 minutes a day tops to keep it that way - a quick vacuum, a quick toy pick up before nap and bed, wipe down the bathrooms and the kitchen, etc. A deep clean once a week (an hour or two tops) to mop, scrub bathtubs, etc. happens either when DS is asleep or on the weekends.

So, I would do a big de-clutter/organization weekend. If you don't want to get rid of toys yet at least cull through them now, organize them and put some in storage. I find that DS enjoys his toys more when there are fewer toys out in the playroom (plus, nothing helps a rainy day like being able to bring a toy bin up from the basement!). Get rid of all clothes you haven't worn in the last year, file all papers and put a tray/basket of some kind where objects tend to accumulate to keep things organized, etc.

Of course, take everything I say with a grain of salt - I am one of those weird people who lives at the Container Store and has my closet arranged by season and color, LOL.

We would get along so well! This is me exactly! My friends and hubby think i am so weird for arranging our closet by color and season!

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