App Cleaner - What is your house cleaning routiene?

What is your house cleaning routiene?

Just wondering if people with young kids can have a really clean and tidy house? Most evenings my house looks like a bombs hit it, and my kids are 3 and 8! How often do you go all the way through your house and clean it from top to bottom?

Public Comments

once a week. i start in my kitchen, then the bathroom (we're all on one level, so i'm not completely mad) then the front room, bedrooms, hallway last. first thing i do just after kids have gone to bed is hoover. have got two kids under five, and always manage to keep house clean and tidy. rest of time is spent messing with little ones and making some messs myself!
people are different. i have no real pattern that I follow. My neightbor does one room every day, five days a week and tehn next week she does the smae thing and it goes on and on
I wait until someone else does it...
I want to cry. Thassit. Then I start with the kitchen. Last part: My kids are now 24 and 37. Issno better. That's why I cry!
Nah not me. My hubby irons everything and hoovers. We cook together mostly. He shops. I wash dishes, mostly. He puts them away. He sorts the bed out. I have just started to do the laundry because we have a new washer. When I teach him how to use it, he will take over that again. (loads of programs). I did buy him a new feather duster and a new hoover. He is over the moon because it has an on board tool drawer and a see through front so he can watch the muck wizz around. He is spoilt.
I can't stand to see (or feel) dirt on my flooring or carpets, so I'm always quick with a broom or vacuum cleaner. The more tedious chore is actually mopping or scrubbing floors, but I do that too, just cuz I hate dirty floors. Most of my rooms in my house are cluttered up with stuff, cuz I'm basically a human pack-rat, always bringing stuff home, and never wanting to throw it out. But lately, I've thought about how good it would be to give stuff away to other people, who might be able to actually USE it, instead of it just sitting at my place, collecting dust. So I'm boxing up lots of things - books, cookware, clothes, etc. - and taking it to donation sites. Last but not least, it helps to cultivate a mentality of not buying all sorts of things in the first place. If you can get away from a material-based mentality, that will solve most of your problem right there. (I know it's hard, what with all the endless advertising and other temptations of modern society, but give it a shot!)
Since June I have been working 3-4 jobs, so I don't have a lot of time to clean. My kitchen, after doing my Christmas baking is just starting to get back to normal. I forgot I actually have counters!! The laundry is mostly clean, but not folded. We just dress out of the piles. I have a nasty cold right now so not even doing much of anything right now. My bedroom looks like a clothes store exploded. I have bags of clothes and a box of toys for the Prison Ministry here in town, but don't really have time to get it there right now.
Working full time, kids etc etc doesn't leave me a lot of time to have an immaculate house. I do keep the bathroom and kitchen as clean as I can. My house is a home and somewhere for us all to relax in without me nagging everytime a cushion is out of place. It is far more important for your children to have time with you, cos when they have grown they won't remember if the dusting was done under the bed, but they will remember you playing games with them or taking them places. Kids aren't kids for long, enjoy them and don't let the mess get to you!
My house isn't completely spotless but, it's more/less tidy...I have a very easy routine that I follow daily during the week... I also work a part-time job at night and I have 2 toddlers 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 I also have a dog... In the AM I go into the bathroom and quickly wipe down the toilet, sink, and countertops as well as the doorknobs/mirrors... I like to use Lysol/Clorox antibacterial wipes.... *Then once a week I will remove ALL the rugs/towels and I will deep clean both bathrooms... I also use bleach in my toilets and swish with a brush....To clean my tub/tile surround I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and scrubbing bubbles... I sweep/mop the floor with Lysol disenfectant cleaner It takes me roughly 5 min. daily to *tidy* up the bathrooms and 1/2 hour to DEEP CLEAN both baths.... I then move on to the kitchen.... I quickly use anti-bacterial wipes to wipe down applicances,countertops and sink(s)... AFTER I make breakfast for the children I unload/load the dishwasher... While they are eating I will either vacuum the livingroom/diningroom OR start a load of laundry When they are finished I load their dishes, wipe down the high chairs and sweep the kitchen.. 2x a week or more if needed I will sweep/mop the kitchen.. I also on SUN. clean out the fridge of any stale/bad food. Since MON. is garbage day. The livingroom/diningroom get a good once over with a microfiber cloth.. Which can be used w/o cleaning products.. They are really handy and picking up dust/dirt.. They are reuseable as long as you don't wash with fabric softner OR dryer sheets... Then once a week I will polish the furniture with lemon oil... I also use my vacuum attachements to clear any cobwebs and to vacuum my furniture... The bedroom linens get changed/washed once a week...I like to keep each beds linens under the bed in storage containers.. It frees up much needed storage in the linen cabinet and there's no mixing up linens. I also give the furniture a dust once a week and a polish 1x a week.. I vacuum the carpeting in ALL the rooms once a day... To keep dust/dirt to a min. we do NOT wear shoes in the house we wear socks/slippers... We take off our shoes/coats in our office/mudroom. It really makes a HUGE difference on the amount of dust/dirt in the house. The basement playroom/family room gets a through cleaning about once a week... I put up ALL the toys and vacuum the furniture AND sweep/mop the floor.. If I keep up with the "routine" I can deep clean my house is about 2 hours if I'm uninterrupted which rarely happens... *My husband/children have a "routine" for when I'm at work...After dinner my husband will load the dishwasher and set it for "time delay". He helps the children clean up any toys BEFORE bath/bedtime.. He also is in charge of folding and putting away any laundry in the basement/laundry room... Even though my children are only toddlers they know how to put away their toys and put their clothing in the hamper... Which is very, very helpful. They also "help" me sort the laundry by lights and darks and put clothing in the dryer... So, my "advice" to you is to have your husband/children help you in any way they can to make the house more clutter free...Start out by having them put their clothing in the hamper and before too long they can help you by doing their own laundry and other easy chores... Like vacuuming/dusting OR even helping to prepare a meal with an adults help.... I see since you have a 3 yr./8 yr. old that maybe you should go through the toys and put some toys in a bin and swap them out.. When they get "bored" with them.. That way you will have less to clean-up and you can rotate your toys... It works very well... Good luck Good luck
I try to follow the Flylady method, but that doesn't always happen. I am a stay at home mom of four kids, only two are in school. Generally I spend a bit time planning on Sundays, I look at what is going on for the week and by that plan what jobs I can get done on what days. I generally try to throughly clean my Kitchen twice a week, and the living room, that way if someone pops in those are presentable. The otehr rooms get some where between so-so and through cleaning weekly. In each room I have certain things that are must do's, and then if the schedule permits I do extras. for example I always pick-up dust and vacuum, if there's time, I clean up cabinets/closets, etc.......or I might wash the windows in that room only. I have lots of things I do every day, like 2 to 3 loads of dishes in the dishwasher, fold clothes (kids putaway) make beds and a quick pick up plus try to do Flylady's Swixh ans Swipe in the bathroom every day. My husband is on trash detail (we live in the country so the burnables get burned, the rest recyled, etc) and he also does the washing and drying part of the laundry. Our older kids are in charge of the daily pick up, their rooms and putting away most of the laundry. Little two are starting to have some chores. Our house is mostly visitor ready at least the living room and kitchen. Some days cleaner, some days worse. Back to your question top to bottom cleaning two or three times a year. Picked up, livable, every week. Best of luck, I know how you feel.
i generally give my house a good top to bottom clean about once a month. i dont have time to do it any more as i have to work at the weekends, go to college in the week and have a seven year old daughter to take care of as well. the house never looks overly messy though as i try to tidy up as i go. as my daughter has got to the age she is she is now mainly responsible for keeping her own room clean and tidy. the house did always look alot messier when she was younger as she used to always leave her toys everywhere but she has now learned to put things away when she has finished with them.
i have about 5 jobs a day to do - basics in each room and 1 other that is a weekly job that way i dont feel bad that the house has not been done from top to bottom, but i feel good that i have achieved my 5 jobs! also when the house is tidy - take the kids out! - over grandmas, over friends, walk ion the park...... that way it keeps tidy! also dont stress - its not worth it!
i clean top to bottom when 5 yr old is at school then wash up after tea then hoover tidy toys when in bed also clean bathroom at nite after bathtime