Cleaning

I find that the benefit of a regular routine is that you can ignore it, when it conflicts with something else and know it won't be left too long to cause panic. I cleaned earlier this week but I am away until Tuesday, so no cleaning next week and DGC and parents are with me the following week so it will not be done then either. When I pick the routine up again in early November, nothing will be neglected so much that it needs more than a normal weekly clean.

I also never have to rush round cleaning if visitors are expected.

I still use the method I did when I was working. I have a box of cards labelled 1 to 52 weeks and master cards with jobs to be done in various rooms with number of weeks between eg
fridge 4weeks, crockery cupboard 26weeks etc. Each job is put on the numbered cards and carried forward when done so that I know what I have to tackle each week. Unfortunately now I'm retired life gets in the way and more often than not the jobs get put on another card labelled "outstanding". DH is a great help now he is retired. We get up early on Monday do what housework is necessary and do our own thing for the rest of the week.

I could clean my house from top to bottom fairly well (not spring-cleaning) in a day when I was younger, then I found I could only tackle upstairs one day and downstairs another day. Now I tend to do it 'as and when'.
It's easier to clean now the family has all left home as there is not so much 'stuff' around and I think de-cluttering would help even more, if I can get around to it.

When we think of downsizing others always suggest that it would be cheaper to get a gardener and a cleaner than losing all that money in removal costs.

packing summer stuff away replacing with winter clothes
I should do that morethan2 but it's been so mild that I wore a short-sleeved top yesterday.

I belong to the Monica group. I cannot stand housework but living alone my flat stays reasonably tidy and i confess to finding out of date stuff quite often!

No one will remember you for your housework.

Cambia. Do you have family and pets ? how does your property need two hours of your life on a daily basis spent cleaning it and you claim two hours is not always enough? Get a domestic.

Going to be hard as I'm a hoarder inside struggling to take over.
oh dear, that's me too peaches
I always think 'I may need that again one day'.

I cram it into Mondays as well M0nica and occasionally a quick whiz round near the weekend if someone is coming.
However, if someone is coming to stay, then I do make much more of an effort!

i'm 76, partially disabled and not in good health. I struggled with cleaning, and no way can I move heavy furniture. I now have a cleaner, she comes every other saturday morning for 2 hours, today she will change the bedding, then she does the kitchen, bathroom and vacuums the lounge, I have a very small flat and what she does for me has to suffice. so now I hardly do any housework at all, maybe dust occasionally, worth paying someone else to do this, well it is for me anyway.

I suggest, Morethan2, you take a deep breath and go on to YouTube and tap in "Britains Worst Hoarders".

The amazingly dreadful state of some people's homes that you will see will put things in perspective and help you to relax just enough.

Should the mood to clean arise, I usually lie down until I feel better ?.

morethan2 you deserve a pat on the back and should feel very proud of yourself.

Now sit down, put your feet up and have a

(before you make me feel even more guilty)

I just checked out the Maria Kondo method for sock drawers and, although hers looks neater than mine I do use a similar method.
Lidl were once selling small fabric boxes of varying sizes which together fit into a drawer and they are excellent for storing socks, scarves etc. I'm sure other retailers stock them.

I am very lucky to have a
lovely cleaner for 5 hours every Thursday which, as she doesn't speak English, also helps me with my Portuguese. As a result it is just a case of keeping the place tidy and sweeping the kitchen and lounge floors (as the dogs tend to bring bits in on their fur) for the rest of the week.

I feel for you morethan2 because although the weather is still lovely here I need to do a change over of clothes because I shall need winter clothes for my trip to England in early November. Now I really must get off GN, get showered and dressed and put the first load of washing out

I bought a set of those boxes from Ikea, they are really good for separating socks, undies etc. Just need to tidy them up now!

Housework is unlikely to kill you, but why take the risk?

my daughter and two grandaughters moved in almost four years ago now. as i've only got a two-bedroom house they have to sleep in one room. it's now a tip but i try to ignore it.
the dining room is getting almost as bad as my daughter doesn't do anything about it (i won't even mention the conservatory as it's just a general dumping ground).
i've had to put up with it for over two years owing to severe arthritis in one knee (other one was replaced in 2009). i was virtually housebound until my recent second knee replacement.
hospital advice is not to do any hoovering until three months after the op so i have to put up with a dirty house! daughter won't hoover, 16 year old hoovered one room but hasn't done any more, almist 13 year old just won't do anything (she's on the autistic spectrum and has a meltdown if asked to do anything at all).
so next month i'll start cleaning again! before i had my op it took me all morning to clean the bath, basin and loo - not the floors or dusting - so i'm hoping it won't take me as long to do bith rooms.
but i'll do one room at a time and hopefully that way i can get the house clean and tidy (apart from their room) in a week.
the girls want a dog so i'll have to explain that dogs can't live in the mess we currently live in - maybe that will encourage them to be a little more tidy ....... well i'm hoping it might!

My mum (who's home was immaculate, and I can never live up to it!), always used to say housework is there long after you're not, which is so true. My knee plays me up now so I do have to pace myself with housework. Still work part time, but same principle as when I worked full time. A room thoroughly a day. Chores like windows I do a window a day when needed. I have started to declutter, and do again maybe a cupboard a day. Once its decluttered I keep it that way. Got my grown up children to my house, and they took anything, or binned anything that was left here. Mostly that was my loft, and some of them left home years ago! I am also a lover of 'wipes'. Cuts down cleaning, and looks as good. My attitude if it doesn't at lest the place is clean.
I have recently cleaned out my airing cupboard, and loads of bedding etc went to the charity shop. I tend to do these types of jobs when the weather is bad. I definitely never give up a visit from someone, or going out in favour of house work. I also have a cordless Dyson which is a god send.

If you can’t affird a regular cleaner perhaps you could afford a “deep clean” once or even twice a year that could do the heavy stuff like moving and cleaning behind furniture, woodwork, windows etc?

2 hours a day does seem excessive. Why not do it every other day and find something more enjoyable to do? Walking, reading, visiting friends etc. Life is too short to be forever pulling out the furniture and hunting cobwebs.

How the other half live!Why are you doing all this?

Lupatria - it seems to me you are being too soft on your daughter and her children by allowing them to disrespect your home and kindness. But if you don't change anything, then nothing will change.

I decided when I retired at 68 that if the queen visited she was unlikely to look under he furniture for dust. Life's too short as you get older to worry about much far less worry about dust.!!!

I'm trying to do an hour every day to keep up with the housework but don't always achieve this. Hectic home here with me, OH, Adult daughter, DGD aged 4, 2 dogs, and homeless adult niece on the sofa. But things will change after Xmas as daughter, DGD, and niece will all move out, house will be sold and we're retiring to the coast. I can't wait.

Does nearly every one posting on here live alone? There's minimal mention of partners/DHs. Surely cleaning should simply be a shared task?