Disclamer: I have worked only 2 days of the last 19 and obviously have too much time on my hands, because I'm spending way too much time in the DISboards and am thinking of things like how I can improve my housekeeping skills!
I am intrigued by the "Do you reuse your towels" thread and how it has progressed and it got me wondering how other people go about keeping their house clean. I feel rather inadeqate in my housekeeping abilities. I have a few friends that have homes that are always company ready and even greatly resemble model homes. Yes, they have kids, and No, I have no idea how they do it, but I am envious!
We clean the main floor (LR, DR, FR, Kitchen, Toy room, laundry room, bathroom, foyer) every week in one day, top to bottom.
We clean the 2nd floor (3 BR, Loft stairs and landing, 2 baths,) every other week. I would like for this to be cleaned weekly, but it usually gets bumped for weekend plans or a special project that takes priority.
In between cleanings: empty garbage cans, extra toilet cleanings, general tidying, my kitchen counters get cleaned daily and appliances get wiped down almost every day, spot cleaning/vacuuming as needed, special projects (organize a drawer, cabinet, closet, whatever)
The good part about this plan is that the weekly cleaning is a "family" responsibility. Everyone's involved. The bad part is that it kills the weekend and I have other ideas for "family time".
I am thinking about trying a "room/area a day" approach. I don't think any room can go more than 10 days without a top to bottom cleaning and I'd prefer it to be done every 7. So if I can consolidate my 14 areas into 7-10 and have a day by day plan, I think I can achieve this. (I'm not even gonna talk about the garage or basement!) However, I know my DH has no problem cleaning on weekends, but likes his butt parked on the couch every weeknight. I will be going this alone! I am thinking he can pick up a "special project" every weekend and he is getting off easy!
Since the kids are older, I am thinking they should be completely responsible for the toy room, their rooms and bathroom. They do most of their basic room cleaning anyway (minus washing the floors, wiping baseboards, washing curtains, dusting ceiling fans). The bathroom will require my assistance, but I think I'm going to try to turn it all (except the toilet and shower tile) over to them. Is this unreasonable? I can assign (chart) them a small daily task so they are also not spending their entire Saturday cleaning either. I am OK with their areas being on a 10 day breakdown/schedule. I will pick up toilet duty every few days.
This brings me down to 10 rooms and I think eventually I can consolidate a couple and make this a 7 day routine. There are certain things I can't figure out, though. Our 1st floor is almost entirely hardwood. Do I clean it all at once or room by room? Will I feel like my house is always clean or will it seem like it is never clean (because it's not all freshly cleaned at once)? Is this going to be any easier?!!!
So, how do you do it?
