How much cleaning is enough?

Wow! grannytotwins
That sounds really interesting.
I bet he had some stories to tell.
I have a book by Daniel Farson, ex BBC reporter and his stories of Limehouse, Francis Bacon and cohorts are, to me, an eye opener.

I work four days a week and am a carer for my DH with dementia. Doing a daily wash and a two course meal every day, organising food shops and unblocking a loo several times a week (don't ask!) means I haven't the energy to do much beyond washing up, tidying and the occasional hoover. I "treat" myself to a cleaner once a week and that's it.

Where does anyone find the energy to change their bed twice a week? About once a fortnight for me. Kitchen & Bathroom kept clean(ish), dust when I feel like it & hoover when it needs it.

I've never been a huge housework fan, doing what was necessary, I'd rather be out in the garden or coffee/lunch with friends. Life's too short.

O yes, NflDumpling...and didn’t bits and stirrups come up lovely and shiny in the dishwasher!

I like to do little and often. I clean the shower cubicle while having a shower. I usually dab a bit of cheap shampoo on a cloth and wipe over the glass. (Shampoo is 80p from Tesco, hubby washes his hair with it too) I keep bathroom wipes by the toilet and wipe the seat every day. These are also good for the sink. I hoover about once a week although if the grandchildren have visited it needs doing as soon as they leave. I am very tidy, whilst hubby leaves everything to be picked up later!

Kitchen every day (but not floor). Bathrooms/loos when they look as if they need it. Occasional vacuum. Cleaning lady once a week.

I liked the poem Anmarr. Do you know who wrote it?
I ageee with all the go-easy-on-the-housework comments. Too many other (nicer) things to do. Best spur for me is anyone coming to the house.

I've an embroidered cushion which reads, 'Housework won't kill you but why take the risk?'
I do the 'necessary' and the rest gets done as and when.

I live on a boat and for me it is when I can't stand it anymore...as I cant shut a room off. Errrrr the sun is showing it up I have noticed...sighs

Do the washing up, tidy kitchen, wipe down worktops and cooker every day, and a quick clean of the bathroom and loos after my shower. Tidy the rest when it looks like it needs it. Hoover the cat fur up a couple of times a week. Not much dust and mess when there's just me..... Don't iron, either. Too many books to read, walks to go on and films to watch!

I clean when the dust and dirt is enough to annoy me.
I find those large disposable floor wipes really handy for the odd stains and spills on kitchen floor.
Saves having to get the mop and bucket out every time.
Can’t abide a dirty bathroom or toilet.
And yes, that does seem to get extremely dusty.
Just had plumber doing bathroom makeover and generally making a mess, so another clean up tomorrow.

I find cleaning therapeutic ( apart from the bathroom ) I enjoy getting everything spick and span then sitting back and feeling virtuous.. Even I draw the line at daily bed changing though. I am trying to teach my dogs to levitate so they don't get paw marks on the floor.

As little as possible, once a week max, do not even do it then if you can get away with it.

Worktops, hob and kitchen sink every day.
Bathrooms twice a week.
Beds changed once a fortnight, unless the weather is hot.
Vacuume when the dog hair starts to collect around the floors.
Damp dust when I can write my name on the furniture! We live in a dusty rural area and the dust just seems to settle overnight.
When we have guests staying it takes me about a week to get the house 'guest clean' before they arrive and another week to clean up when they leave! DH helps.

I generally keep on top of the cleaning without turning it into a marathon. The kitchen, bathrooms, get done each day, thoroughly every week, dust reglarly, and vacuum if the floor looks 'bitty', sometimes swish round the skirting boards with a long-handled duster.

The sun is at that angle at this time of year to show up dirty windows, dust etc.

Is that why we 'spring-clean' - because we suddenly notice it?

I'm so pleased to see the number of grans who clean their houses as I do mine - when they feel like it. Of course, loos, sinks & worktop do get daily attention but a lot of the other stuff has to wait til we're expecting visitors. I suffer with costochondritis and fibromyalgia so cleaning is pretty low on my list of daily necessities

My loos, sinks and worktops do not get daily attention, just as required.

Enough to keep kitchen and bathroom clean and smell free. The rest is done when I feel like it, within reason.

Worktops and bathrooms need to be kept clean. But unless visitors are coming I just dust and vacuum when necessary.

Remember seeing an episode of "Roseanne" years ago. Roseanne was out, leaving her husband Dan and children to do some housework. He said to the children "Remember kids, we are just going for the illusion of clean!"
Made me laugh then, and still makes me laugh when I think about it now.

How much cleaning is enough? The absolute bare minimum.

we are just going for the illusion of clean
Love it!

Just looked at that "organised mum" site, scary! That poor woman looks as though she has OCD of some sort.

inishowen

Those wipes don't degrade so just another 14 per week added to landfill.
Great...
You're obviously not bothered about reducing waste.

GabriellaG54 - agree - can't believe some people don't know this.

Never flush down the loo either. They don't degrade and block the sewers by combining with the 'fat slug'. This fact is advertised on most water authority vans in bright eye catching colours and lettering.

I stick to the 'smell free' idea. If I walk in and there's a smell then its time for a clean up.

Bins, toilet/bathroom and kitchen with a once a week vacuum. I live in a city so there's always masses of fluff in hoover. Love that! If I hoover one day then again the next there's always a bit more fluff!

All in all I quite like a good spring clean - a lovely binge clean - all stuff out of kitchen cupboards - good wipe and dry everywhere. Brilliant workout and what a fab kitchen at the end.