How can I simplify my housework?

[baxjul]

It seems like it's a never ending cycle of laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. How do you simplify yours? Any ideas will be very appreciated!

[Libby]

Streamline similar chores and assign days. Or assign a room/day of the week to go through the weekly basics.

This of course doesn't work for dishes

[IntlMom]

I keep it "easier" by not having so much stuff in the first place. I pretty much pick up as I go along..... that way it's never too overwhelming.

[Contrary Housewife]

Don't make the mess in the first place.

For example, I once watched a cooking show where the cook used 7 !!! different utensils to stir ingredients into a bowl and put it into a baking dish. She had people to clean up after her, I don't.

DH is always complaining there are no clean spoons. He drinks about 4 cups of tea a day and is always using a new spoon. Guess what, in less than 48 hours we have no more clean ones. I keep telling him it won't kill him to re-use a spoon.

Shoes off at the door = less dirt tracked inside.

[baxjul]

We already do all those things. LOL I'm thinking it's most husband mess.

[Grainlady]

I like the ideas already posted....and it IS a never-ending process.

-I'm yet one more person who believes in regular schedules...and a do-it-now philosophy.

*Make the bed as soon as we get up (15-seconds).

*Last one out of the bathroom in the morning wipes everything down with a small microfiber towel (dries quickly and is reusable for several days) and a spritz of 50/50 alcohol and water, change towels, if necessary (2-minutes).

I maintain dish clothes/towels, dust cloths and cleaning cloths are ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL, so everyone can use them.

*Wash (or place in the dishwasher) as many dishes as possible during meal preparation and do dishes as soon as the meal is done (10-15-minutes).

*Sweep non-carpeted floors and vacuum carpet Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

*I clean the whole house Friday. Occasionally we'll clean on Saturday when there are tasks that are better done with 2 people.

*Laundry- Tuesday night - two loads (hang to dry in the basement and take down Wednesday morning). Saturday morning - 1 load sheets/bedding/bath towels (hang outside when possible, or in the drying room in the basement when not), Saturday night launder 2 more loads (hang in basement and take down Sunday morning).

-Divide and conquer. What duties can you hand off to others?

*When they were home, our children each made one supper meal each week and hubby made one meal on the weekend. If they forgot, they had to pay to take us out to supper with their own money.

*After dinner each night, hubby dumps trash from all the trash cans into the kitchen trash and takes it out to the trash cart and collects recycling and puts it in the recycling box. I take out the compost. During the growing season, after we're done with the trash and compost, we grab a watering can and hand-water the garden, containers, and other landscape plants.

*Before going to bed, we "police" the area. Pick-up and put away (books, remotes, throws, straighten pillows, put dirty dishes in the sink/dishwasher, etc.)

*When our kids were home, we ALL (kids AND hubby) cleaned the house between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, usually Saturday morning - depending on everyone's schedule and what was going on. Each person took on a portion of the cleaning (appropriate for their age and ability). We could clean the house in 30-minutes when everyone pitched in. Then we could go do something fun. The secondary benefit, when kids help clean everything, they tend to keep it cleaner.

[Siebrie]

When I grew up we did a 'grand clean' on Saturday mornings: 2 people did the top floor (including changing beds), 2 people did the ground floor (including taking out the trash). No-one was allowed to leave the house before everything had passed inspection.

Cooking: mum cooked during the week, my sister and I at the weekend from age 8. Mum did the dishes, with either my sis or me helping her.

Etc! I'm with Grainlady: routine and off-load! I give dd22m a dustcloth to help me; and she loves to handle the vacuum and floor wiper.

[Dancing Lotus]

Get a maid....

No really, it's been a constant struggle for me. One thing that helps is to do A 10 minutes clean up right after dinner.
While I clear the table I set a timer for 10 minutes and the other family members have to go around and pick up anything that they used or took out during the day.

[beks37]

Definitely staying on top of it helps!

I run the vacuum around our hard wood floors every 3 days (it takes 15 minutes).

I run the vacuum on the carpet every 3 days (it takes 10 minutes).

I dust the entire house every 3 days (it takes 15 minutes).

I make sure the dishes are put away as I am making dinner and right afterwards.

We pick up after ourselves each day and make the bed (just pull up the comforter) each morning.

We do laundry every Sunday (4-5 loads) 1-my clothes, 2-dh's clothes, 3-whites/towels, 4-dh's slacks/jeans, 5-sheets (not every week). Dh is in charge of the laundry and he does a good job of it!

I try to do a thorough/detailed cleaning of each room once a month which takes an hour each week.

[Mom2-3]

I do as some other posters do. Clean as I go. Seems simple, but really works.

Make the family pitch in. Everyone has a chore or ten! lol We do a deeper clean on Saturday mornings.