How Clean Is Your House?

[TheDizMom]

My house is never really clean unless we have company or I have just cleaned it. I do a major clean once a week and touch ups and a second vacumming between cleanings. I always try to do my major clean in the morning of the one day a week I haven't got kids home, so it stays clean at least until the next morning . I also try to keep the clutter put away, but once the weekend is up and everyone's been at home there is stuff everywhere . I always seem to have my 2 piles too, one in the corner of one kitchen counter and one on the island. About once a week I go through the island one to keep it to only the things I need during the week, and the basket on the other counter gets gone through once a month or so. The hard part is keeping the kids rooms clean and organized with their toys and books. The bain of my existance it the crayons and coloring books and my DS sketch books. No matter what I do they are always out on the floor or coffee table . Then there's my DH and his clothes, which he seems to have a real aversion to putting into a drawer or closet . He usually had a stack of ties and 1 or 2 pairs of dress pants for work layed out on the pool and air hockey tables. Good thing no one really uses them that often . If I ever managed to keep my house company ready all the time I think that would mean pigs were taking over the skies, or you know where just became an ice packed wonderland . Maybe once my kids move out ! Yeah, maybe not !

 

[mommytomy3]

Ours is usually not dirty...meaning we wash the dishes and sweep up daily (and cleaning lady comes to do bathrooms, floors, dusting, change bed linens, etc. every other week). I do touch-ups on the off-week...but she is just much more thorough.

However, we usually do have clutter. Kids will leave out art projects, mail left out, half-folded laundry in a basket in the family room, just little things here and there.

It has me thinking, how clean is your house on a regular basis?

this sounds exactly how my house is! my cleaning lady comes once a week, and it is spotless, but that only lasts a few hours, lol, then the kid clutter is all out again! but Im always cleaning up after everyone.. the worst is the bathroom.. with a 3 year old DS using the potty now... yikes! what a mess! I hope his aim improves as he gets older!! next year when ds21months starts using it too, Im sure it will be even worse!!

 

[jenrein]

I had to make a decision - more time with my daughter - or more time cleaning?

Needless to say, our house is not the cleanest house on the street. We have laundry in baskets on the couch, toothpaste smears in the sink, "unloved stuff" stacked in the basement, doghair around the dog's cage, pop cans in the sink, unopened mail strewn across the computer desk, and when company comes over, I sometimes don't have enough time to properly clean and our master bedroom becomes the catch-all for all the stuff I don't want to worry about.

Now - let me tell you why:
3-5 nights/week involved with DD's (12) softball
5 nights/week teaching/helping with homework, school projects, etc
Going to middle school plays/concerts with DD to watch her friends
Bike riding
Walking/playing fetch/training dog
Visiting family members
Occassional treat of going for ice cream - yummy!
Going to the park for cookouts, a ball game, etc
Bonfires at my sister's house

Now....just let me add - DD & I & DH all pitch in and do the housework, and I would not be embarrassed of the condition of our "lived in house" if an unexpected visitor popped in. (of course I may run upstairs and wipe out the bathroom sink while my DH is inviting someone in.......


I'm sure my daughter will remember the quality family time we all spend together - rather than having a spotless house every day. Housework can wait - children shouldn't.

I spend maybe an hour a day cleaning with the help of my kids and we do hockey, lacrosse, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, taking dogs for walks and I work full time as well as my husband. The kids are also in band and chorus so yah there are concerts.

 

[makinorlando]

My house is COMPANY clean today, and will be staying this way for however long it takes to sell it. It was listed in the MLS yesterday and we had three visits today! Note to self - don't EVER use vinegar to CLEAN anything in the house close to a showing time! I used some vinegar in water to try and clean up smears on my laminate floor - the family loved the house, but thought it was animal smell. My agent was outside helping with our garage sale at the time, but did not think about what it was right away. They went and got the cinnamon sticks to boil in water to freshen the smell, and then we realized what they were smelling. They are calling the other agent and explaining to him my "bad"! Hopefully they will return! The vinegar smell was gone in a snap.

I also found a great new fragrance for the house at Super Target - Method brand - Vanilla and Apple. Very very refreshing!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my house de-cluttered. I have removed just about everything that sits around. Most of DDs toys are packed in storage boxes. If she wants to play with something that is packed away, she will need to give up something that is already out. I can't believe how many toys my child has. Summer is out, I work at home, and she is home with me all day, so this could be a challenge, but we both are ready to move back to PA to be with our family, and will do whatever it takes!

Once the house sells moving will be a snap, we even had a garage sale this weekend to get rid of more stuff, and what is still in the garage is going to the Goodwill trailer at my earliest convenience!

I am am now a re-formed "stuff" purchaser. I don't care how cute it is (Disney or not) or how useful it looks, unless it is a necessity I will NOT buy it!

 

[disneyfreak74]

Clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

I LIKE THAT!!!!

 

[jcc0621]

So I've been a single dad for 5 years now, and did most of the cleaning prior to that. My DS's are 16 and 13, so old enough to help. I pay them a minimal allowance each week to take care of their rooms, but then I pay them additional small amounts for doing various chores around the house each day that I assign. I don't sit still and relax well, but I hate cleaning and have zero time for just me... so tell me what you think of this --

My DS16 is a baseball player, and now that the high school JV season is over, he's playing in a summer baseball league -- I'm fine with that, by the way. My DS13 is also a baseball player, but his league is about half-way done now.

With baseball, and the local economy, my DS16 really can't find a job that he can work (he had one last summer, but can't have that one again this year).

I've "hired" my DS16 as my summer maid -- he said he prefers the term "butler", at which I told him to go fetch me my shoes!!! Anyway, he's going to vacuum, do the trash, clean the bathrooms, mow the lawn and trim it, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor every week (I already have them help with laundry and dishes for their daily chores). I'm paying him $25/week (it won't take him that much time if he splits it up through the week) and I made a spreadsheet for him to fill out each day as he completes various parts of the list. The money will cover his auto insurance and gas, and his allowance and daily chores will get him to a movie and Taco Bell with his friends each week if he wants, etc.

I told him the work has to be done the way I would do it, so I'm really hoping this works out well for both of us -- and he'll learn to clean and be an active partner in keeping up a house someday!

So what do you think? Suggestions, warnings, ideas, thoughts??!

Thanks!

I think this is fabulous. We actually give DS (3.5) quarters when he helps pick upi his toys, feed the dog, etc. I know a quarter is not much, but to a 3.5 yo its all the $$$$ in the world. He has told us that he is saving all of his quarters so that he can buy himself a surprise at Walt Disney World I am hopingthat by starting out so young, this will instill in him a good work ethic when he is older......
BTW: Tell you DS if he wants to move to Philly for the summer, he can do all those things here and I'll pay him $50/week And I won't even make him hel with the laundy, only his own

To the OP, with a 3.5 yo and both of us working full time our house always seems clutered, ecpecially since it looks like Toys R Us exploded with stuffed animals of every shape and size. My MIL thinks she has to bring him a stuffed animal EVERY time she visits, even though I keep telling her that they are not good for his allergies, but that's a different story. I straighten up each night after he is in bed, but as I said with both of us working fulltime it's hard. Summer is much better becasue DH is a teacher and home, he really keeps up with things.

Janet

 

[Feralpeg]

I am a neat freak, so my house is always clean. When we finish with something, it goes back to where it belongs. At least once a week, I dust, clean all the bathrooms, change beds and do floors. My biggest challange is our animals. They shed, so I am constantly sweeping up fur!

 

[momof296&02]

I am the clutter queen! I have a cleaning lady every week but that doesn't stop my piles. My house is clean, my sheets get changed everyweek, my laundry is done & put away- but i just can't seem to get through all the paperwork & that includes the mail, school notices, newspapers etc. DD5 starts school in Sept & I keep thinking I'll get it together then. We are having too much fun now.

 

[flying_babyb]

Depends on what project moms doing. RIght now, our back hall has stuff everywere. The kitchen couters are imposible to find. the bathroom has cat hair wedged in the corner. the living room has nothing but a desk and fish tank in it. Oh and its pretty tidy minus the changing table (moms making it into desk) and a coffee table i need to buy glass for. My room looks the worst. I got wrappers on the floor, a empty bowl the cats sleeepn in, a towel balled upin the corner.Boxes and junk everywere.....

 

[grlpwrd]

I think we have the messiest house in the neighborhood , but I am the home that all the neighborhood kids come over to and plays with my kids.

I do what I can.... I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[rentayenta]

My house is pretty clean. I can't sleep with dirty dishes in the sink or anything like that. I deep clean (baseboards, clean out the fridge/freezer) once a month. I am fairly rigid about my clean my home is. I just feel more comfortable knowing that anyone can stop by at anytime and I know I won't have to shut any doors.


With that being said my kids have full reign and their friends over constantly, I just clean after they go to bed.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I haven't read the whole thread, and have to sign off, but -

Latley, we have a messy house. I don't know why, i think its the nice weather, i would rather be outside than cleaning. But, I don't like a messy house and normally i am a germ and clean freek.

I have also been seeing the decline due to the nice weather. Keeping up is just so much harder!

Clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

And had to say I love this quote!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

My parents were both clean freaks, as was both my mom's parents! So... I do have the clean gene!! But, since I've had kids, I am not as bad. My mom says things like: 'It's good you can let things go, you'll live longer",, as she is wiping down my kids bathroom counter for the 2nd or 3rd time that day. It used to drive me nuts, now I just ignore her. If she wants to clean my toilets 3 times in a row, go ahead!

We home school, so I have a cleaning lady come in once a week-she dusts( I have allergies, so this is great!!), vaccuums and mops, and scours those bathrooms!! I tell you it is worth it. In about 2 weeks, we are moving and I won't get her back to clean until I start us back in school. If you are a mom and can remotely afford it, go for it.

My kids make up beds every morning, put up their laundry, and TRY to keep their toys cleaned up!!What more can I say-I have trained them pretty well. They really don't like it messy, so, they help out a great deal.


Their are times when I let it go for a day or two and with 5 people it looks like a tornado has hit!! You would think my house is clean, but comfortable.I want my kids to remember me playing with them or going to do fun stuff, not mopping every day of their lives!! That is what I remember about my mom-the mop and the dust rag!! HA!

 

[clm3]

Mine was clean until Friday when the kids got out of school. I usually give up until they go back. I'll do the basic surface cleaning and then get back on track when their in school.

 

[rbork]

Enjoyed this thread quite a bit.

MY house is clean almost all the time. People comment all the time and some actually can't believe kid's live here. DH helps pick up along with DS's 8 and 10 (trained all 3 of 'em). lol. The kids have a whole finished basement to play in and I clean that only once a week. (It's really a disaster down there some days!) I am a housewife all but 4 days a month so I consider it a reflection of "my job" to keep up the house. DH is out making the most of the $. And I keep up the house maintanance both inside and out so we can play when everyone is home! I keep up on the cleaning so I don't have to take time cleaning on weeknights and weekends.

 

[Disney_Dreaming]

My house is mostly clean but I do have to put a few things away. I can't stand a dirty home!

 

[deedeetoo]

Oh I would love to have a clean house. I dream of a clean house.

A cleaning lady - now there's an idea. But wouldn't all the clutter have to have a place to go before she could pick it up?

My house is a complete disaster, The main reason for this is that I am never home. Between working and kids activities, we seem to be in the house just long enough to mess it up some more. What I would give for a couple hours to just clean. I could make such progress but its usually 15 minutes here and there to take care of whatever the worst problem is at the time.

The bathrooms get cleaned about once every two weeks. I've got to do the tub tonight - its got a ring around it. I'll get home probably about 7pm, then dinner so I'll get to cleaning after kids go to bed. I also vacuum about once every two weeks. Kitchen floor also gets cleaned every two weeks or so. I am constantly doing laundry. I put a load in the washer every morning before I leave for work. It gets put in the drier when I get home and put away after dinner.

 

[desireech]

Hi, A PP mentioned Flylady. I use her methods, too. Basically, I clean my house in "zones" (one zone of the house is thoroughly cleaned every week), do a weekly home blessing - quick dusting, vacuuming (vaccuum twice a week, though). I do a load of laundry every day, except weekends, and basically tidy up throughout the day. I have two young children at home with me, so it's never-ending. My kids' rooms are always clean - I do my 2-year old's, but my daughter keeps hers clean all the time - she is always prepared for a surprise visit from the House Fairy, who comes to visit and leaves her notes and a small prize if her room is clean. Works like a charm - at least for now! I usually tackle a "project" each week as well - like clearing out the filing cabinet, purging old clothes, etc.

I wasn't always this clean and organized, but now it seems to come naturally after getting lots of tips from Flylday!

Desiree

 

[RachaelRol]

Clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

Rita,

You hit the nail on the head!!!

This is me!!! I was a complete crazy woman when it came to cleaning. We would get home from work by 5:30/6:00, get dinner ready etc. While I did this DH would make the beds at my insistence. Yes, DS, DH and I were all headed to bed a few hours later, but the beds have to be made.

I have resigned myself to clean bathrooms and kitchens Monday through Friday and big cleaning on the weekends... There just isn't enough time in a day and we'd rather enjoy family time instead of cleaning.

More important to be happy as long as its clean enough to be healthy!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Another flylady diser here. I've been fluttering with flying (a flylady term that basically means trying to follow the system in small steps but not quite there yet).

Flylady would love the quote "clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy".

I try to clean a bit each day. I never quite KEEP up but I did GIVE up the idea of having a perfect company ready magazine perfect house. Boy do I feel alot better after letting the perfection go.