Share your cleaning routine

**Palooka** · 05-20-2008, 01:08 AM

Or do you have one or just clean whenever? I always keep up with laundry so that means about every other day.

How often do you clean your bathroom, kitchen, mop and dust and all that fun stuff? Do you have certain days or times or schedules?

The reason I am asking is because my one year old takes most of my time during the day and some things I just can't do when he is awake.

I am a night person and I am sitting here feeling guilty because I should go scrub the bathroom, but too tired.

I guess I am trying to find a way to keep organized/routine in the cleaning department.

Share yours...

**Lilolme** · 05-20-2008, 01:28 PM

I don't really have a routine, I pretty much just do it as it needs done!

I'm also a night person. My DH works for UP so he is gone for 2 days at a time. This gives me a lot of time to do those extra's that I don't even think about doing when he is home! Like dusting...I really hate to dust!!!!

**Momto2Boyz** · 05-20-2008, 01:37 PM

I have a routine, but it's really pretty flexible.

I get up in the morning before the kids, grab my cup of coffee and unload the dishwasher as I drink my coffee. So that by the time breakfast is done, the washer is empty for those. Throw a load of laundry in, then take my oldest to school.

I do laundry most mornings, and pick up kids toys throughout the day. I tend to sweep the floors and vaccuum (not every day, but every couple of days) in the afternoons. Bathrooms get cleaned, floor gets mopped, kitchen gets really scrubbed and things get dusted on Saturday mornings. That way, DH is home and either he can entertain the kids or they are content watching cartoons while I get all this done. Make dinner in the evenings, make my hubbys lunch for the next day, then load & run the dishwasher to get ready for the next day!

It takes awhile to get a routine down with a toddler. I seriously think my house was a disaster from the time my oldest was born until my youngest hit at least 2!

**Buc-O-Mama** · 05-20-2008, 04:49 PM

I don't really have a cleaning routine, except that when I get home on Thursday nights I clean like crazy for an hour or so so that everything is done for the weekend. Other than that, I enlist the troops to keep things up during the week. I do the floors as needed, keep the kitchen clean and laundry done on a daily basis. Laundry might be one routine thing, I try to get it washed and hung out by noon, about 2 loads almost every day. I'm trying not to use my dryer, so I can't let it pile up anymore.

**The Muse** · 05-20-2008, 05:20 PM

I keep trying to get a routine together, but it always falls apart. DH said I could hire a cleaning person, but it seems a waste of money for something I can do myself.

I generally spend Saturday morning cleaning the house, but I'd really like a more staggered plan that is maybe an hour or so a day. I do well with picking up. It's the deep cleaning I'm not so good at.

**PrairieRose** · 05-20-2008, 06:20 PM

I used to (back in the old days) clean my house from stem to stern every Monday morning. I could do it all in about 4-5 hours, have her shining like a new penny. Nowadays (the old grey mule ain't quite what she used to be

) I clean it a room or 2 each day, till I get all the way through it. I do this on the first of the month. The rest of the month, I sweep the floors as needed (usually every 3rd or 4th day), damp mop as needed (not that often, it's just me and Gripey, no kids at home anymore), swish and swipe the bathrooms about once a week and bleach the kitchen sink about every 2 weeks, but keep it clean the rest of the time. I wash off the countertops daily, do laundry as needed and wash my sheets once per week. If the bedrooms need to be vaccuumed I'll get it out in between but usually it's just our's since it's the only one that gets any traffic to speak of. I also will run around with the lambs' wool duster about once per week. Tada...that's it. Doesn't take me long everyday to keep it pretty much company ready (oh I didn't mention I try to pick and put up things at night before I go to bed so it's neat when I get up). When my kids were at home there was much more cleaning and laundry to do, but if you will work at keeping it picked up and clean but not perfect you'll find a good balance.

**shoiji** · 05-20-2008, 06:20 PM

I truly loathe cleaning. I do enjoy a clean place. So, Tuesdays I vacuum, Friday is dusting and vacuum, Saturday is clean bathroom, sweep and mop floors. Every other Tuesday laundry. This seems to help alot since I used to do everything on Saturday and end up feeling overwhelmed and really not wanting to do anything.

Well, guess I better go vacuum now. : )

**cab54** · 05-20-2008, 07:20 PM

I have 'spurts' of energy, rather than long sustained energy. So I use the spurts to get a lot done in a little time, and don't beat myself up if I let it go a bit between. If I'm in the bathroom and go 'yuck!', I just grab the sponge and cleaner spray bottle I keep under the sink (something I keep hidden all over the house) and get at it.

I'm 53, so like PrairieRose, I'm slowing down, and can't do an all-day clean.

By doing it when I have a spurt (LOL!

), I don't feel angry because I'm being forced to do something I don't want to and don't have the energy/inclination to do that day.

**Palooka** · 05-20-2008, 09:45 PM

I am really good at keeping my house always picked up, its the deep cleaning that I need to get down better.

Cab, I understand those 'spurts.' That is pretty much what I do.

I think part of my problem is that my house is always under construction/remodling from dh and there is always a project going on with his tools and stuff laying around. GRRR. I think I get burnt out because it never seems to come to a finish.

I am usually a super clean/neat freak, but I think I have been slacking.

I am sure it is just a lack of energy because I never know what mood I am going to be in that day or feel.

**ShawnaRae** · 05-20-2008, 11:17 PM

I have a friend who, during the week, deep cleans just one of the rooms in her house a day. She takes a break on the week-end. She says that focusing on just one room a day is less stressful than looking at the entire house as a whole. She still does dishes and laundry as needed, of course. But her house is always so clean. But, my advice is, to not fret about housecleaning when your children are young! I like an organized space, but seriously! Your kids are young just once, so keep it balanced! I have talked to so many older women who have told me, they wished they wouldn't have worried so much about the housework, and just spent more time with the kids! I'm sure you do spend great time with your kids! That's not what I'm saying! But don't get stressed over mess! I guess I'm just a slacker! LOL! As long as I know my toilet has been scrubbed sometime in the last week, and there aren't a ton of dirty dishes in the sink, I'm okay with a bit of clutter! Although, now that my kids are getting older, I really should get into some kind of routine! I'm running out of excuses! LOL! Maybe I'll try the 'one room a day' schedule!

**StartingOver** · 05-21-2008, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by The Muse

DH said I could hire a cleaning person

Boy I wish my DH would offer that! I would jump at that

I work outside the home, so I have a pretty set routine. I do at least one load of laundry a night. Before I got to bed, I make sure everthing is picked up and put back in their rightful place and things are all set to go for the next morning.

I do my cleaning Saturday mornings. It takes me about 3-4 hrs and usually if I can get myself up out of bed fairly early, I can have everything done by noon, which gives me the rest of the day to spend with the kids.

**Edelweiss** · 05-21-2008, 01:55 PM

I have a cleaning lady - this is one of the main reasons I'm frugal in other areas...so I can afford her! DH and I are both extraordinarily poor housekeepers, and neither of us wants to deal with the dusting and vacuuming when we get home from work.

She comes on Wednesday and does everything from top to bottom. She doesn't do laundry, exactly, but she does change and wash the sheets and blankets. If there are any dirty dishes in the sink, she washes them. Which means all the cleaning we do ourselves is picking up after ourselves, change the litter in the litter box (we do that on Tuesdays), dishes, and laundry. We do laundry on the weekends, except when we're either too busy or too lazy, and then it gets put off until the next weekend.

**annymoll** · 05-21-2008, 05:16 PM

I have a cleaning lady to help with wood(we have an older home- lots of wood. Pretty, but dusty.) and to help with any deep cleaning.We both work together on windows and mopping. We do bathrooms daily, change linens on our bed daily, and mop the kitchen daily. Every day I skim clean, then do a few deep chores. Whatever bothers me the most at the moment.Laundry(other than our towels and linens) I just do a couple of times a week.This all goes to pot the days I babysit any of the grandkids. I do nothing on those days. By the time we color, take walks, play, etc. it takes the whole day.I try to spend weekends with the family, so I might do some laundry, light chores, or do it yourself projects, but mostly like that time with DH and family.