Retired folk - how long do you spend on household chores?

BBbevan

Best thing to do is plug the hoover in then read a book, or some such. If anyone visits you were just in the middle of hoovering. Simple. I have done this for years

great idea!

I do feel better after reading all the comments though as there are many who clean more than me.
But I'm still resolved to cut down.

Probably works out at 2 hours per day. My husband has a serious skin problem and needs clean clothes daily (sometimes more than that) so I spend quite a bit of time washing and ironing. I also do all the cooking, as he has shaky hands and cannot manage sharp knives or lifting heavy pans with hot food in. We have a chap who cuts our very large lawn once every two weeks, but we shop at a supermarket still, as I was not happy with the service when trying home deliveries during lockdown. Kitchen and bathrooms cleaned most often, and we have carpet only in our living room (Laminate everywhere else, for ease of cleaning). Window cleaning is the biggest chore. It takes both of us about two hours to go all the way around the outside of our three bed bungalow to wash, spray clean and squeegee all the doors and windows, including the double patio doors, and the utility room door and windows, as well as the garage window. I would love a window cleaner, but haven't seen one since we moved to the Highlands of Scotland, earlier this year! A cleaner who could clean the inside of all the windows (and the kitchen) would be great as well! Any offers would be welcome!

I use my cleaning, washing, ironing and cooking time as my exercise regime and do a couple of hours’ worth every morning. I also find that mindless, physical tasks de-stress me and keep the ‘mental ‘elf ishooes’ at bay.

I take two walks a day and aim for about 14,000 steps on my Fitbit a day. Engaging with nature and the outdoor world keeps me calm and content. In the afternoons I rest, read and relax.

More than when I worked, I had a cleaner then. Now at least 3 jobs per morning not counting cooking, I do that Mon/fri DH sat and together on Sundays. DH cuts grass and we have a gardener. Oh and a window cleaner.
I am a bit of a tidy freak everything has its place and we tend to stick to it makes cleaning easier.

The whole house in 3 hours?
Blimey.. send her to me for how she does this please!!!!!

I should add that I love to cook, even everyday things, so don't regard it as a chore.

I suppose I spend 30-40 minutes cooking every day and 15 minutes doing the laundry (no ironing!) three or four days a week. DH does the cleaning.

I clean the house properly, change sheets once a week, towels at least twice a week, tea towels and dishcloths daily. Do washing twice a week but iron as little as possible. I vacuum twice a week and wash bathroom and kitchen floors every other day. Usually give the bathroom and kitchen a wipe over daily. I damp dust two to three times a week as we live on a busy main road and it gets dusty. I shop on line while watching tv. I suppose it takes about 9 hours max and dh usually does breakfast, lunch and odd tasks as required! I can be persuaded to abandon duties if a better offer comes along, or any offer come to that. I enjoy having a reasonably clean home and don't mind most housework. Love gardening and sitting in a shady spot reading more.

'Household Chores'
What are they ? ?

I live alone in a 3-up, 3-down. I have a housework rota which means I do one room a day and nothing on Sundays! Although my rooms aren’t that big, I do clean them quite thoroughly. My back garden is simple - artificial grass and the rest slabs; plants in pots. Very easy to maintain. My neighbour paints my fences when they need doing and I’m happy to pay for the paint. I clean my inside and outside windows when necessary. I vacuum quite often, especially when my dog is shedding. Most of my groceries are delivered, although I do the occasional top-up at the local shops. I don’t spend ages cooking! I do the occasional bit of paid work but I have plenty of free time to devote to leisure pursuits. Washing and ironing once or twice a week!

As little as possible, i make the bed if i feel like it, clean the kitchen and lounge, do a hoover once a week, the laundry is once a week. Shopping is once a week. I dont know, i guess maybe an hour a day

As little as possible....

My sister loves cleaning. She lives about 250 miles away and that's the nearest I get to housework.

I do what needs to be done at the time. If I don’t feel like doing it, it gets done next time. Nobody gets medals for housework, and I certainly wouldn’t time how long it takes.
My kitchen, bathroom and downstairs loo are always clean and I’m quite a tidy person but don’t panic if some things are left undone.

We have a small bungalow,when Iwas fit and with it I could go all round in a couple of hours, probably missed corners, now trying to get a cleaner for 2 hours every other week, seems to be the average, one lady came twice and never came again! Now waiting to be ‘interviewed’ again this week??The dust is mounting up but my eyesight is bad so not helping. Some friends have husbands who help, mine hasn’t got a clue.??

En-suite and downstairs loo are cleaned everyday, as is the kitchen. Main bathroom cleaned weekly even though not regularly used. 4 beds, stairs, hallway, landing through lounge and dining dusted and hard floors cleaned twice weekly. Upstairs vacuum twice weekly, downstairs daily. Windows cleaned monthly. I’m at bit OCD, especially in bathroom and kitchen areas, but I also like cleaning ☺️

I spend as little time as possible on the wretched task. I know I should get the duster and the vac out as I may get a visitor tomorrow but I'm putting it off.

As little as possible here too.

I just swept the front drive

(polishing my halo)

I would do more than 12hrs a week as I live alone so have do it all , so never mind the cleaning, cooking, ironing etc, over the weekend there I had to cut the grass, weed the borders and paint my fence.

Do the bathrooms/loos everyday and also keep the kitchen
worktops and cooker clean everyday. Living room and bedrooms clean about every two days. Get in the groceries and cook also feed and walk dogs and potter about in the garden.

I always joked when I was working that I had to retire because
the work at home kept me too busy.

sf101

I'm in the camp of 'as little as possible'. We all know by now that however much you do, it will always need doing again!!
Just had fake grass put down in my small garden so don't have that job anymore either. Happy days.

Leaving your lawn to re-wild would have been more environmentally friendly and very fashionable too.

When I can't stand it anymore... hahaha. The sun showed me this morning that the portholes need cleaning. Shopping....well...I have just returned from an hour and half walk to village coop and back. I can't drive at the moment as waiting for cataract surgery....

sf101

I'm in the camp of 'as little as possible'. We all know by now that however much you do, it will always need doing again!!
Just had fake grass put down in my small garden so don't have that job anymore either. Happy days.

That’s really sad for the wildlife.

I agree, when I feel like it and as necessary only. Then I'll do a blitz on each used room every 6 weeks or so. House work is not compulsory, A famous person, can't remember his name, I think he died, he was gay. And his policy was when you can write your name in the dust that's the time to clean. Gone are the days when the housewife was supposed to spend all her time housewifing.