dust, mop, wash, sweep - AGHGHGH!

HOW do you all keep your homes clean? I can't believe that we are having this much trouble - and it is only my husband and myself and our dog and cat! It seems like there is another room to clean every single day and I don't know how to keep up! Or is this real life and I am just now awakening to this phenomenon? Part of the problem is that I still haven't finished completely unpacking and rearranging but - any tips on how to manage this?

Yuck!! Sounds like you are having my week last week! The only thing that I can add to help is that it does help me to organize things a bit in terms of what I clean and who is allowed to play in what room. I clean the rooms that are least used first and then move down to the kitchen/living room last...because they are being used all day anyway...and I throw in laundry, which is probably multiplying as we speak when I think about it...a couple of times a day...I've given up on sorting things though



For us, because we have small children, the kid's toys remain in the playroom, which helps. Aside from the lovely messes that children make (um...I went to the check the mail yesterdy and Alex poured out 3 that is THREE boxes of cereal on my freshly cleaned kitchen floor before I got back...it took me about 1 minute to get to the mailbox and back, btw!



All I can say is welcome to the club, and if you come up with any creative tips, let me know!!!



Kris




Time is a Dressmaker, Specializing in Alterations!

[Meenah]

I gave up years ago. I wash clothes as the hamper fills up. Haven't sorted in years. I rarely put it away, just use it out of the basket!!! My daughters (16 & 1 won't let me touch their laundry!!!! Housekeeping is way down at the bottom of my list of priorities.

Luanne

hahaha....glad to meet another domestically challenged mom!!!



Kris
Time is a Dressmaker, Specializing in Alterations!

[houseelf]

I also suffer from an unclean house. All the ladies' magazines say just to let the dirty house go and live life, but I can't! I need cleanliness in order to feel o.k. with my world. Yet, everyday, I stare at traces of peanut butter on the tv screen, pen marks on the pleather couches, cereal ground into the floor, and finger smudges on the mirror! Perhaps the biggest perpetrator of the mess is my dh who continues sees no need to throw his dirty clothes in the basket when it lies a mere 12 inches from the landing spot of his clothes! He is also a major packrat which makes me crazy! I've tried to inculcate the phrase "if in doubt, throw it out" to no avail.



I've learned to relax somewhat over time, but ughhhh, this kills me! I'm ashamed to admit that it actually prevents me from inviting people over sometimes. (I know, true friends will not care about my less than white glove standards, but I will.)



I can not bring myself to spend any hard earned money to pay someone to do it either. I feel that if we have spare cash it needs to be attributed to debt reduction or savings. It is a real catch 22.



Kelly



Kelly

[DCJenn]

I was unfortunatley raised by a woman whose house is cleaner and more organized than Martha Stewart. So, therefore, any level of schmutz anywhere makes me stressed. My compromise was- I got maid service for six month for Christmas which was fabulous. I've only used them once but it was good to get ahead of it all for once. I had them do all the stuff that I never do like clean the oven.



My husband does the dishes. Period. If he doesn't do them they don't get done. I do just about everything else. Laundry is rarely if ever put away (but not only because I hate to do it but there's actually no place to put it!!)



Luckily my yard is xeriscaped (you knowl all native water tolerant plants that require no work no that they've all been trimmed back. Maybe a dandelion or two will need to be dug up. That helps. I promise you all that I will never live in a house that requires hours and hours of yard upkeep.



My pet peeve is the bathroom, so I clean that about every weekend. We killed the new vacuum cleaner (it sucked up part of a rug and the belt broke) so that needs to be repaired. I swear, it's always something. I can't imagine trying to deal with kids messes on top of my own!



I don't think there's any good answer. I say just deal with the stuff that makes you nuts. I also throw away or donate tons of stuff. Anything that isn't touched in a year- goes. I sell books on half.com and Salvation Army gets everything else. I recycle cardboard and magazines at the dump sites at the high school across the street and my cat will only urinate on newspapers (the kitty potty is known as the "Pissoir") so I have at least one full bag on newspapers in the kitchen at all times. It makes me nuts so I've started hiding them in an empty drawer.



Good luck-



Jenn

I fortunately have a husband who can't stand a messy house worse than me so he helps a TON! I basically try to keep the kitchen and living room clean all week because that is what people see when they come over. Before we go to bed my kids have to clean their rooms (thank heavens they are old enough to help!) I have one hour in the morning that I devote to straightening up and then before bed. My room and bath is always the last to get clean, which drives me nuts but I just don't always have time. Saturday morning is the big clean up where I scrub my bathroom. Jacob is old enough to clean the other one, with some prodding.



I am terrible at laundry. It has become my husband's job as far as the washing and drying goes. Everyone else seems to run out of clothes before I do. So I forget to throw them in the washer. I fold them most of the time usually when I am taking a break and watching tv. They all sit nice and folded on the couch and when my kids get up in the morning they know to put them away before Dallin wakes up and destroys! Then the kids have to fold their own clothes which is not their favorite thing to do. It works for us but my house is still never REALLY clean. I can count on one hand how many times we have washed our windows in four years!



I had a friend who chose one room every day to REALLY clean. It worked great for her but I couldn't keep up with her strict schedule. Now I just do the best I can and wait for the weekend when I can put my kids to work. They don't clean great but it is better than nothing and much cheaper than having a service come in!



Robin

[Meenah]

Give up, turn back, run as fast as you can!!!!

If it isn't in your genetic makeup to keep a clean house you won't change yourself or anyone you happen to be related to!!! I really do hate housework, but I like the house when it is clean. I have decided that I must not like it enough, because I don't keep it that way. If anyone knows me well enough to just drop by, they know my house won't look like Martha Stewart lives here. Don't waste your precious emotional energy on worrying about housework!!

Just my opinion.

Luanne

Our room and bath are also the last to get cleaned up, Robin...which kind of drives me nuts....I do focus on the areas that people will see if they happen to drop by. My biggest pet peeve is our downstairs bathroom, which is what any guest would use...the kids use it in the morning, after school, etc...because it is so conveniently located in our house...and it is always a total MESS.....half the time I'd die if anyone would drop by...



I like the idea of focusing on one room....but hmmmmmmm where to begin!!!



Kris
Time is a Dressmaker, Specializing in Alterations!

Kris, etc:

I'm trying the one room per day plan right now. I wish that I could ignore the mess but I am very anal about cleanliness in the house - now my car is a different story! I did the kitchen today - so that should look OK for a few days - tomorrow is the bedroom. This just might work -

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who is embarrassed about a messy house! It was messy when it was just me and my husband and now we have a 2-year old! My husband isn't home very often, of course, but if he were home one night to invite friends over - we wouldn't! Because there would never be enough time to make the house presentable! I have to know a week in advance to feel comfortable inviting anyone over. I think it limits us from having close friends. Everyone is kind-of kept at an arms-length away... and not really allowed to enter our life. And residency is a time when I REALLY need a support group of close friends! I hate living in this mess - the worst for me is the pile of laundry- I have a mountain in our bedroom - it's disgusting, really. But I have to catch up before I can begin to do better with a routine. My mom is coming to visit Thursday, and I am freaking out about how to get the house decent between now and then (in-between all the other things to do like be a mom to my 2-year old). She won't care if it's a mess, but I will.

[Phoebe]

Oh my gosh! I stress out all day now that I am home with my 5 month old about cleaning the house. I need to let it go, but I can't. I see dust bunnies on the floor and want to scream in between feedings, playtime and other general household responsibilities. My mom came last weekend and I was freaking out beforehand trying to get everything cleaned before her arrival. While I was doing that, my husband feel asleep on the couch with our daughter sitting on his lap. Hello! I can't do everything at once.



My husband's brother is visiting this coming weekend and I told my husband I am not lifting a finger to make our house clean because he just watch me clean and couldn't even watch our daugther without falling asleep when my mom came.



Jennifer



Jennifer

You know, this is going to sound so childish but I have made myself a "chore list" - yes, like the ones we had when we were in grade school! But it has kept me on track (for the most part). I have the five days listed and each day I do two to three things - like the bathroom and file junk - someone else had suggested this earlier. I think it was Robin! This way there is always something that is somewhat clean -