How do you clean your house?

[can'twait]

I absolutely hate cleaning. I admit I do a "rush job" to get it over with, and often the house either doesn't look that much better when I'm done or seems to get dirty again awfully quickly, which is demoralizing. I feel a sense of accomplishment when something gets done and stays done. That just never seems to happen with housework! I've been looking at other people's houses, and I often wonder how they get their homes that clean and how they keep them clean. What am I doing wrong? Not investing the right time? Or effort? I often wish I knew how to clean better and/or faster, so that I can do a good job and get it over with sooner. Two weeks ago I spent my entire Saturday cleaning and neglecting the kids. I know I should do it on a Friday night so it can be done when the kids are sleeping and I can have a clean house to enjoy with the kids over the weekend, but I'm just not in the mood to do it then. Let's face it, I'm NEVER in the mood to do it, and often I just don't. DH sits in front of the TV guilt free, so why shouldn't I? Right. I've actually bought a couple of books on "speed cleaning" and general house cleaning concepts, but I haven't yet decided how I want to approach this. I have tackled some of those things I usually don't do in small pieces so that it won't seem overwhelming. The thought of a traditional "spring cleaning" just turns my stomach. I'm starting to wonder if I should vacuum one day, dust another, clean the bathroom the next, etc. But then you always have something hanging over your head and never truly get an entire day off. Or you can blow your entire day Saturday doing it. Which is worse? Ugh. What do you all do?

 

[DVCLiz]

Get a maid.

Seriously, if you can afford it, get a maid. If it's tight, see if you can find a high school student or someone like that, even for an hour a week, to do the two or three things you hate the most. You could probably pay a high school girl $10.00 for an hour to at least clean one bathroom and dust.

I'm all in favor of getting housework done by someone else if at all possible, unless you really enjoy it or help is just completely out of the budget!!!! Of course, getting hubby off the couch and having everyone who lives in the house help clean it are options, too.

But a maid is really, really nice....

 

[polly p]

We clean the house as a family. I pick up the slack during the week with quick fixes, but come the weekend everyone has their tasks, even my dd7. We split the house up and I spot check to make sure no one is short cutting it. We can get the whole house done thoroughly in about 2 hours. And it is a top quality job. My ds does toilets and let me tell you, since he is the one cleaning them he is much neater in the bathroom. it works well for us. At one point the kids asked for a cleaning person, but they prefer to get a better allowance.

 

[Bob Slydell]

We have a cleaning person, she comes every other Monday. In between, we do what we need to do to keep things clean.

 

[can'twait]

We did try a cleaning company once and it was incredible, but I just couldn't spend the money. A high school kid might be a good idea. I like the hubby off the couch idea the best, but unless I set the couch on fire, I don't think I can count on that.

 

[Christine]

I usually start on Friday night. All I generally do then is the laundry (which takes most of the weekend). That way I can do "something" while still kind of kicking back.

Saturday morning starts the real work: usually bathrooms (3) and then I will vacuum/dust the rest of the house. If I'm really industrious I will clean the hardwood floors with a vinegar/water solution.

This will usually carry over into Sunday (that's when I do the grocery shopping). I usually have a clean looking house on Saturday night and then it starts going to pieces on Sunday evening.

My friend's house is constantly immaculate, but she cleans all the time. She does not sit down during the week and be a couch potato. When she's not at work, she is cleaning, or picking up, or putting something away.

 

[icebrat001]

I don't, I get a maid.

 

[71010]

I actually clean every day. just a little bit. maybe 20 or 30 min. not even that. i do most of my stuff at night after I load the dishwasher. throw in a load of clothes and wipe down the kitchen, or wipe down the bathrooms or run the vacuum in a couple rooms. it doesnt have to be an all day project if you do it a little each day and then it just becomes part of the routine of the day and its no big deal.

 

[buddy&wooz]

I hate housework too but I find these products make everything much easier: Swiffers, Mr. Clean Magic Sponges, Clorox Wipes, and dozens of microfiber cleaning clothes bought at a big box store.

I try to keep the clutter under control but only do the rest of the cleaning once a week, usually on Fridays because I refuse to clean on the weekend but if things are dirty it bugs me the whole time!

It also helps to have older kids who do most of the vacuuming and dusting.

 

[azgal81]

I don't have time to clean I'm too busy. My house is a mess. Ooooo well there are other things I would rather be doing then cleaning. I do try to do a task each day so it doesn't build up to a long affair but sometimes that works better then other times. I guess after working 8 hours, coming home cooking dinner, by then it's 7 and my tv shows are starting and I normally want to read some before going to bed or watch a movie. The cleaning just isn't that important to me.

 

[jennyl772003]

My house is by no means immaculate, but we have a pretty good system. The key is that my DH helps. There is no way around that!

While I do the kitchen, he does the bathroom. After we get those 2 big jobs done, Dh starts decluttering the rest of the house while I sweep and mop the floors. Then we dust and I vacuum.

We can get the place done in 2 hours.

 

[2buzzboys]

I do 1 load of laundry and spend no more than 1 hourcleaning a day. Usually one day I will just do floors(mopping & vaccuming), next day bathrooms, next day windows and dusting and so on till every is done.The rest of the time is just spent picking up after the kids. Is seems to work.

 

[4cruisin]

I've found that if I keep up with it everyday and don't let things build up, it is much easier. I hate spending all day Saturday cleaning and since we go away almost every weekend, I really need to do it during the week. Dh helps when he can, but he usually doesn't get home until 7:30 or 8 pm so there is no way I expect him to start helping me clean at that point. He is a big help with the laundry though.

I wipe down the counters and clean the bathrooms a couple of times a week and vacuum and dust once or twice a week after work. It is a lot of work and sometimes I don't feel like doing it after working all day but I like a clean house.

I would get maid service but I have a funny feeling about someone going through my stuff. I would be afraid of having stuff stolen...heard too many horror stories on the news.

 

[antmaril]

I have a cleaning lady - every other Tuesday.

Money very well spent.

 

[minniecarousel]

I pay someone to do it every other week.

 

[aprincessmom]

Saturday morning I do the big cleaning...complete vacuum (moving furniture and all mattresses and upholstered furniture), scrub both bathrooms and kitchen (all surfaces and floors), dusting (including baseboards), and change all the sheets. Once a month I toss in windows, cleaning behind the appliances, dusting the ceiling fans, and doing cobweb patrol. Twice a year I shampoo the carpets and wash the curtains.

During the week, I do the small cleanups. I do the tubs and sinks twice a week, vacuum every room at least once (just the floors -- no furniture or mattresses), sweep the hardwoods each day, wipe down the stove and counters in the kitchen each night after dinner. That way my Saturday clean up only takes about 2 to 2 and a half hours. DD has been helping me since she was a toddler -- they can clean a baseboard like no one's business since they are much closer to it -- so it makes it go quickly. And that is not an option, it's a requirement.

But I like cleaning and love a clean house...I find it relaxes me and makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

 

[puffkin]

I think the key is to not let the house get out of control. We try to keep things picked up and put away as much as possible. That saves a lot of time from the cleaning.

I alternate my cleaning. I do the upstairs thoroughly one week, and the downstairs thoroughly the next week. I do our powder room (downstairs) every week though as well as vacuuming our family room every week. I spend at most 2 hours a week on cleaning. Not having clutter and staying on top of things really helps!

Also, I don't understand what people mean when they clean their kitchens? I wipe down my counters and stuff after meals. If things spill or splatter I wipe it up when it occurs. The only cleaning I do on a weekly basis with the regular house cleaning is sweeping and mopping the floors. So, not sure what people are cleaning in their kitchens.....

My motto is "A clean house is a happy house"

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I would love a cleaning lady, but being a SAHM I just can't justify it. I usually do laundry every other day. I have a two-story home, so I usually start downstairs and work my way upstairs - kitchen first, then bathrooms. I've realized that no matter how clean I get house, if things don't have a place then it'll just get messy again hours later. I'm in the process of reorganizing my home and getting rid of things that are just cluttering the place. Baskets are awesome for putthing things away - shoes, toys, bath supplies, misc. stuff in the closets....I am slowly stocking up on as many baskets as I can get! I leave a basket at the bottom of the stairs, and I use it the end of the day to collect and put away all the things that made their way downstairs. I think the kids rooms are next to impossible to keep clean! I don't deep clean every day, but before I go to bed the kitchen has to be clean and the floors swept. I hate waking up in the morning to a dirty kitchen!

 

[Christine]

Also, I don't understand what people mean when they clean their kitchens? I wipe down my counters and stuff after meals. If things spill or splatter I wipe it up when it occurs. The only cleaning I do on a weekly basis with the regular house cleaning is sweeping and mopping the floors. So, not sure what people are cleaning in their kitchens.....

My motto is "A clean house is a happy house"

Agree.

My kitchen is wiped down after dinner each night--counters, stove, sink. So what else is left besides the floor?

 

[aprincessmom]

So what else is left besides the floor?

I clean the oven, the inside of the microwave, the toaster oven (inside and out) and wipe down the shelves in the fridge. I also wipe down the cabinets with Murphy's Oil soap, clean the top, sides and front of the fridge and scrub the sink with a disinfectant cleaner (I only wipe it out with Clorox wipes during the week).