Personal cleaning up methods

[SuzySunshine]

I pay someone to come twice a month and do the basics. I clean up as needed in between. It's enough!

This is us too - we are currently deciding what we'll do while the kitchen is under construction. I think I'll still have them come do the 2nd floor because the bathrooms are my biggest issue. The other thing I like about having someone come every other week is that it forces us to pick-up the night before they come.

Cleaners really aren't as expensive as you might think - I actually pay less here for a house twice as big as my residency house as a I paid in residency.

[ladymoreta]

This is my dream. If we could hire someone just to do the basics (toilets, floors, etc), I'd be so happy.

Mine, too! And our master bathroom also falls to the lowest priority. Last year, my MIL had health problems and stayed in our bedroom because our guest room is upstairs, and I took over an hour to get our bathroom presentable. Ick!

[Ladybug]

We have a cleaner, but I recently stopped using her because we're in ski season ($$) and we've entered a new parenting stage where the kids are old enough to clean and contribute. It's more work (whining, complaining, fighting) and their work is shoddy, but they getting there. They may even move out someday.

This morning was our most successful and fun(!) cleaning experience. We had a "clean and sing". I blasted the Frozen soundtrack and everyone had specific jobs (laundry, dusting, glass, floors, bathrooms). Let it gooooo, let it gooooo! They were pirouetting and waving laundry across the room. It felt like a Disney movie. When anyone go off track I only said "clean and sing" which felt enormously lighter than my usual nagging. I'm going to pull together a sound saturday morning "clean and sing" playlist.

During the week all bets are off. I can't clean after work. I just can't. I have to cook a reasonably healthy dinner, review homework, get everyone prepared for the next day. etc. If I have any energey I focus on my own spaces: our room, my work desk or the kitchen. Cleaning these places hold the greatest mental benefit for me. Still, it rarely happens during the week.