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

We spend ahout 2 hrs every morning kitchen, bathroom, tidy l/room quick vac. But lunch and dinner and laundry and little extras all seem to take so much longer than a couple of years ago. It never ends. I have M.E. I think I'm very slow now. Its such a waste of time.

I used to do the housework on a Saturday morning when I was working( apart from the time when I had a cleaner ). I still regard Saturday as chores day but if I am honest, I do a bit then take a break to catch up with the papers, then a bit more. I just don’t have the energy. What doesn’t get done is left until I feel like it, which isn’t often. That said, I clean the toilets and basins twice a week, floors once a week, dusting about every three weeks, stairs every two weeks.
I try to do little jobs whilst I am waiting for the kettle boil, or for the washing machine to finish. It is surprising what you can achieve in around 8 minutes.

My one huge luxury, is that a younger friend comes to clean for 1 hour every Friday. She whizzes through the place so fast and efficiently, and always make sure we tidy and pick things up, etc- so she doesn't waste time. And then on tuesday-ish - I'll hoover kitchen and lounge, and clean bathroom sink. My friend also comes for a few extra hours if we have visitors or to do the windows.

I spend a lot more time gardening than doing housework! But that is a joy and pleasure.

Never plumped a cushion in my life.

I'm shocked, Amberone!

Take it from me, plumping cushions makes it look as if you've actually done some housework!!
Even if you do nothing else.

Lucca

Remember the glorious pages long chat about dishcloths?,

?

I live alone in a very small house so very little time on housework and prefer sandwiches to cooking so not much of that either.

Nobody on their deathbed ever said, " I wish I had spent more time cleaning".

We spend ahout 2 hrs every morning kitchen, bathroom, tidy l/room quick vac

Do you live in a mansion?

I’m another as little as possible.
I only wear glasses for reading so generally don’t see the dust. ?
Will have a bit of a blitz if guests are due though.

With the sun streaming in, I’ve noticed lately that the sitting room windows are in dire need of a good clean inside (window cleaner does the outside) so must prompt dh to play with the window cleaning gadget he bought about a year ago.

I'm on my own & don't have people in very often. If I start the dishwasher and the washing machine. I feel as though I've done a good job.
I make my bed every day because it makes the rest of the room look tidy.
I could spend my life doing housework but why would I?

I Hoover up once a year whether it needs doing or not ?

We have a morning cleaning once a week DH does the hoovering which takes far less time than I take dusting and cleaning the bathrooms . When my children were school age I could spend whole afternoons baking and loved it now I do none. I will have to be really in a bad way before I get a cleaner again I hate a stranger working in my house .I quite enjoy ironing so it is no big chore and we have the odd ready meal but never a take away . Oh how I remember the nagging of teenagers to tidy their rooms .

I press the button on the remote control of the robot hoover every now and again!!

Good to hear how many retired people are not so fussed about having high standards. On mumsnet I think people are generally less relaxed about this although obviously there is a range of attitudes in both forums.

Callistemon

^We spend ahout 2 hrs every morning kitchen, bathroom, tidy l/room quick vac^

Do you live in a mansion?

Just as well I don't!

We don't do anything unnecessary.(I think)
Breakfast. Then I clean toilet and sink and tidy beds while husband fills dishwasher and wipes worktops. We spend ten mins brushing kitchen and vacuuming living room. Tidy papers cushions etc. Maybe its not two hours ? but the day seems to pass so quickly. Lunch and dishes. Couple of free hours and then time to make dinner. More dishes, pots. Laundry, ironing...always something needing done.
I would love more time and energy for the fun things like painting. Sorry I sound like a right moan but I do get tired. I love when we go to the caravan. We do very little there.

Karyj do you only clean your kitchen worktops once a week?

Sorry should be Katyj

No sorry should have read worktops once a day, kitchen cupboards once a week.

,Three or four hours a day. I have always cleaned a lot but its even more important now to keep the house dust free and surfaces clean and clutter free.

My flat is easy to run, and with just me living here requires very little work. Occasional vacuum, floors mopped over. A quick occasional flick with a duster. Toilets cleaned most days.

Okay, once a week have the 'hard work' of putting everything into washing machine (sometimes two loads), taking them out and putting in tumble dryer. Hardest part is folding and putting away. Supermarket shop (I still prefer to do my own) once a week. Cooking for myself, washing up by hand (unless I have visitors), tidy bed daily. Need to water balcony pot plants most days. Wow!!! all of that must add up to about six hours each week,

I enjoy housework, but I have honestly never looked at the clock while doing it.

At a guess, I estimate that I spend half to three quarters of an hour after breakfast doing the washing up, which I only do once a day, attending to the cat's litter box and making our bed.

Once a fortningtI spend about five minutes dusting the bedroom and another ten minutes hoovering the upstairs . floors; Another day I do the downstairs floors and dusting.

Toilets, handwash-basin and bath cleaned when they need it. Floors likewise washed when their condition attracts my attention.

Household shopping: DH and I spend three hours shopping at the start of every month, buying the things that keep, like toilet paper, cat food, coffee etc. etc. Once or twice a week one of us nips up to a local shop on foot or bike for cream, yogurt etc.

Washing bunged into machine once or twice a fortnight as needed. Ironing max. half-an-hour weekly.

Shoes cleaned when they need it, overcoats washed or taken to dry cleaners once or twice yearly.

Max. five minutes a week emptying inside bins the day before the bin-men come and putting outside bin out onto the pavement. It takes all of 1 minute to bring it in again the next morning.

As little time as possible spent gardening which we both abhor. Lawns mown once a month from May to September, weeding restricted to half-an -hour daily when the vegetable patch needs it. Rest left to run wild. Attacked with seceuters now and then.

I think that's it.

But I do still clean thoroughly before Christmas and Easter, including cleaning windows, which otherwise get done when some dratted bird has soiled them!

As little as possible most weeks and then about a week catching up if we are having visitors.

Housework? What's that?

I shall always be beyond grateful to my MIL - who was quite a 'strong' woman and at times, unbearable ...

she worked full time, primary teacher than later her own fashion/tailoring shop and made made to measure clothes for the wealthy ladies in her area- and she taught the 3 children to cook, sew and iron, 1 girl and 2 boys. My husban does his own ironing- much to the absolute shock of our rural neighbours

As little as possible. I no longer iron since hubby retired and doesn't need pressed shirts. The dishwasher is loaded throughout the day and runs at night. Hoovering once a week. We don't have a pet so things stay quite clean. The rest I do when it looks like it needs it. I am very tidy so that helps.

GillT57 has said it right, get your priorities sorted. If its sunny outside a walk or sitting in the garden is my priority, if weather is not so good a favourite TV programme or reading a book in a comfy chair is priority and spending fun time with grandson or being with friends is definitely a priority ? housework is to be done as quick as possible and fitted in when I am bored