Upkeep of house

We have a cleaner, but just for 2 hours a week, to do the things I find difficult, such as clean out fridges, wash skirting boards and clean mirrors that are too high for me to reach. Those things only need doing every now and then, so on a routine basis she deep cleans the bathroom, runs a vacuum round and mops the kitchen floor, so the house is surface clean at least. If I need something bigger done, she's usually happy to come for another couple of hours - she's been a Godsend when we've had work done and had to empty rooms and put things back into new cupboards and so on.

The rest of it gets done by keeping on top of things. I keep one of those 'magic' cloths under each sink, and wipe every time I use it. A quick squirt of cleaner (I use Purdy and Figg, so the place smells good, too), then a quick wipe of the sink and polish of the taps takes seconds and leaves the room looking and smelling 'cared for', and cuts down on the time the cleaner needs to spend, as there's no build up.

I scan rooms every time I leave them, and remove empty cups etc, so it stays reasonably tidy, and I sort out cushions (and throws in winter) before going to bed. Every now and then I blitz the coffee table, and get rid of the miscellaneous things that have gravitated there. None of that is onerous, but it does mean that I don't have to gear up for a 'housework session'.

There are places that get neglected, such as the hallway, as there is a table in there where I put everyone puts the 'tidied up' items as I they walk past, and spare bedrooms can become no-go areas - they get mucked out when we have visitors.

So I don't live in a showhome, but it's not a hovel either. We keep the garden very simple - hedges and lawns, mostly, so there's not a lot of work to do there, and Mr Dog keeps on top of it. I do have to declutter regularly though - I'm very bad at throwing things away, and it's hard to be tidy when storage areas are crammed.

I do enjoy "bottom" as a verb.

I am a regular on the decluttering threads.
Nearly finished.

Hoping to get to a stage like one of my aunts, who used to say "I finish all my housework by 10am".

Here's hoping!

I am taking all advice onboard and I think I’m much the same as Kizzy1972 as in I keep up with the day to day, keeping kitchen, bathroom clean and washing etc and luckily I’m quite tidy but I haven’t bottomed everything for a while, so it looks ok but I know it’s not.
Wardrobes and drawers full and need decluttering.
I think I’m a bit overwhelmed and this makes me hide my head in the sand and procrastinate.
It helps that others feel the same and also others are keeping up.
Last time the whole house was sparkling was when my Son and family who live abroad came to stay and that was March. I spent a full week none stop and it was so satisfying at the end, as I think most houses are not totally immaculate all at the same time.

due to all my health problems i am now in a one bed bungalow which sounds easy to keep clean but you would be surprised.
today i tackled the kitchen; loaded the dishwasher, i treated myself to a table top less than £150 no plumbing and is a god send. it might be small but i only need use it every other day. so anyway i loaded that, the washer, the drier, wiped the surfaces, swept floor, then put away as much as i could. yes i am exhausted now but i am happy with that now.
tomorrow i shall do the bed with the coverless duvet which is another amazing thing. i do not have carpet so sweep the floor put the washing away and voila bedroom tidy.
Tuesday bathroom, i am due to have a wet room soon so not too much worry but quick mop of the floor tidy toiletries and window sill bleach in the loo all done
Wednesday is lounge; at the moment i have a pile of my ex's stuff which i am stuck with for now no where else for it to go but i have pushed it in the corner as much as possible. quick dust and hoover tidy coffee table done then quick mop of the hallways
i know thursday i have to rest as i have a hospital apt on friday or i wont be well enough but i know my home is clean and fresh. then probably rest saturday and sunday start again

I sold up and moved to a smaller house, with a much smaller garden.
I now live on my own and although I downsized, it still has 4 bedrooms.
I have always had a cleaner, (ever since I had the children ) . It is such a help , even if it is just to strip the beds and give the kitchen a good clean.
Life’s too short to spend it cleaning.
If you can afford it, have someone to come in and help you. Here in Wales it’s £25/ph. (Husband and wife team )

I suppose Dolly it would make sense to employ a cleaner no, rather than wait.

I think being tidy helps an awful lot. Dob'f put something down, put it away. I find that if I put something down, it takes root abd becomes a permanent fixture.

We have a cleaner for w hours dvery week and the fact that she is coming makes ne tidy before she does.

A lot of it comes down to how much you can afford as ever and how much you want to spend.
We are helping grandchildren through university and our children in their 50s are finding things difficult.
We used to have a cleaner but she went off to be a bus driver and I haven't found another one yet.
It's all about what works for you.
And living a reasonably pleasant life.

It isn't the cleaning that's my problem [although lack of mobility is making that more difficult] but the maintenance. After 25 years of living alone the things that would have been maintained by my husband are mounting up and I only have so much money in my house/crisis fund. Even then it's a case of finding people to do thework. The leaves falling off the surrounding trees have been a nightmare this year; if I had my time again I wouldn't leave near a tree, much as I love them.

I have been feeling the same of late. I am managing a simple daily routine of making my bed, cleaning bathroom and keeping on top of the kitchen and laundry so my house always looks tidy and clean.
It's the deep cleaning that I can't manage. I am wondering whether I would be lucky enough to find someone who would be happy to do, say, 2 hours a week to work on various areas. Perhaps the inside of kitchen cupboards one week, deep clean all floors OR the bathroom another week and so on.
This thread has brought the problem to the fore again and I really do want to make a concerted effort to sort it.
Good luck with finding a solution DollyD

I live on my own, garden, 4 bed and I look after an allotment. Don`t have a cleaner, don`t want or need a cleaner. My tip is not to procrastinate, if it needs doing then do it and at the very least, make sure the kitchen is clean at night, especially the sink area

It depends very much on your own health and energy, I am 78 and my energy level is good as is my health. I bought roomba about 2013, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. They are fab helpers and do such a good job on the floors

An example, I did think I should clean the bathroom drains this morning and straight away I grabbed the brushes that I keep handy, unscrewed the plugs, lifted the shower drain and Bobs your uncle, took me 20 minutes

If it is pecking at your head then start the de-clutter

I can relate abd this summer has been even impossible! How about just looking at one room at a time maybe spending a couple of days on that room and then move on…

I think I would ‘give in’ and get a cleaner. It can make a greater difference than we think.