Housework blues.

Like you, since my husband dies, everything has become - I'll do it tomorrow !

Have a cleaner coming, as I am so ashamed

shysal

No routine for me, I do things if and when I feel like it, which is not very often.

High five!

I would suggest you start by deciding what you really think your standards are.

We are none of us getting any younger, so ask yourself, do you want to try to keep to the standards of your younger self and perhaps spend twice the length of time doing tasks, or find yourself unable to move tomorrow because of what you did today?

Once that is decided, spring clean as described above, and when everything is spick and span, decide whether you actually like it like that, or prefer a little more clutter and comfortably lived in look to your home.

Then examine your preferences: do you prefer to do a little every day working to a schedule, or have a grand tidying-up session once a week, once a month or twice a year?

A new way of doing things might be what you need, but it is YOUR home, YOUR time and YOUR life, so YOU decide and to hang with the nosy neighbours who think you ought to have cut the hedge, mowed the lawn, or washed the kitchen floor!

I have 2 cleaners for one and a half hours every week. I could do it myself but choose to do other things. I also have a gardener for 2 hours a week.
I like to sit in a reasonably tidy room but do not stress about it as long as the bathrooms and kitchen are clean I do not worry.
Like everything else house work has its place but not at the top of the list.

When I am in a can't be bothered to do housework mood, I put on a tv programme like poirot which has ad breaks. Each break I get up and do a little task or part of a task. It quickly mounts up. I always make sure the kitchen is clear before I go to bed as that helps my mood in the morning. I keep to a routine and have a set day for cleaning the bathroom, changing bedding, dusting etc. I suppose it depends on how big your house is and how much clutter is in it.

Set a stopwatch and time how long it actually takes you to do a job, whether a routine job or a one-off. You'll be surprised how short the time is. That way you won't be put off doing things. If you know cleaning a floor only takes 10 minutes, you can look forward to a cup of tea in 10 minutes. If you think it'll probably take half an hour because that's what it feels like, you are less likely to even start.

Glad I'm not alone in this struggle. Oh I wish I had the energy I had when the kids were little! Then again, that was 20+ years ago. I remember waking up actually looking forward to doing laundry and cleaning. Doing the floors in my hands and knees, Murphy Oil on the woodwork weekly... Now I'm just uninspired. I love a clean house but it's the getting there that I'm not so good at. I just put things off forever and it gets overwhelming. Then again, I do work as a bedside nurse which takes a lot of energy although I love it.

Could it be possible that after decades of cleaning, it just loses it's thrill?! My house would be pretty clean except for my husband and pets. Husband spilling things and somehow getting ice cream and yogurt all over the fridge handles- it's like having a toddler in the house only much less charming. Then the rabbits and their hay and fur everywhere- they're a mess but I do love them.

I think I'd be embarrassed to have a housecleaner- I would put more effort into getting the house ready for the cleaner than I do into doing it myself.

I have a friend who is fanatical about cleanliness and tidiness - I don’t know what she must think of me but we are good friends so chez moi can’t be too much of a health hazard- but recently a visitor complimented her on her house which they said was “like a show hone”.
She was delighted, but I’d have been horrified, my house is lived in -and looks it!

I am always busy, sewing, spinning, knitting, gardening, batch cooking for ready meals for the freezer. My house is fine, it does get messy when I am busy eg I am altering a paper pattern and the cut off rubbish is on the floor. I used the stick blender this morning, no point in putting it all away as the battery is still charging

I forgot to make my bed this morning but I don`t care, a full day of airing will only be good. I do leave my kitchen tidy every evening, sink area very tidy and newly cleaned. I am clean, my house is clean. I am not a very tidy person but don`t hoard or make clutter. I set roomba to work whenever I notice crumbs or fluff and I dust skirtings every so often. Bathrooms are always clean and neat

I don't spend too much of my time cleaning. Only me here and I clean and tidy as I go and I don't make much mess.
I just make sure the kitchen and bathroom are hygienically clean and the rest is done when I feel like doing it.

According to DD2 my house is "organised chaos" which can be translated as "busy", "stuff happening", people doing things they're interested in", and the like. Or, as a good friend puts it: "always something to look at".

I clean up as I go where hygiene and infection control are needed. Blank page type tidiness has no appeal for me.

Urmstongran, I'm with you. I like to sneak up on myself in doing housework, or I might be tempted to stay in bed.

I don’t do any housework on a daily basis! I live alone and tend to tidy up as I go along so my house is fairly tidy. I manage to pee into the toilet and wash my hands without splashing so no need to do the bathroom every day although I do have a quick wipe round if I am expecting visitors! I don’t make my bed, I think mattresses need to air thoroughly so most days I just sweep the covers back neatly!

I do have a cleaner for two hours every two weeks as I have mobility problems so she keeps my little bungalow looking great, I rarely need to do anything between visits.

Am just off to empty the dishwasher, my task for today!

jaxjacky, we are both capable to but prefer doing other things.

I can’t justify a cleaner as we’re both capable. Kitchen, bathrooms and toilets are always clean.
The rest gets done when it needs doing, having a minimalist house helps, no ‘Nick nacks’, no pets.

I am a neat freak as I may have mentioned before. So is DH so while I'm doing that he's buzzing about too.

I'm in the Maw camp too, except I don't have a cleaner.
Bathrooms get a deep clean every Monday, the rest of the week they get a quick tidy and wipe over.
Kitchen tidied and wiped down every day, dishes in the dishwasher.
I run the hoover over downstairs every day, as I have two white long-haired cats.
Things get dusted when I can see the dust!
Bedrooms hoovered and dusted whenever I change the bed.
Washing done as and when needed, but towels once a week.

There's only me to see stuff - except if I'm expecting visitors, when it has to be neat and tidy!

I'm in the maw camp.

We have a cleaner (2 hours per week) upstairs one week, down the next! I sort of clean the kitchen and utility room daily, hoover the floors when they look bitty and do my own thing the rest of the time.

I'm ashamed to say that I've just found my crocodile hair clip under
this table . I've been without it for 2 weeks . The floor is swept and hoovered regularly but missed this bit. Our house is basically clean and tidy, and on wet days I try to get hoovering done by 10 at the latest.

I would think I am about average regarding the state of my house. Reasonably tidy (if someone is coming , very tidy- where it shows) and clean, but I am frankly gobsmacked at what some people seem to do on a regular basis.
And speechless in admiration.
I have a cleaner once a fortnight and there’s only me and the dog so we don’t make much mess (well I don’t) but a quick push round of the hoover, tidy the bathroom, squirt stuff down the loos (especially the cloakroom) plumping of cushions and a sweep of the papers off the kitchen table and I’m done. The dishwasher takes delivery of mugs and plates, ironing (?) is well out of sight in the utility room . Anything more counts as Spring cleaning.
I remind myself it’s my house, my stuff and I am answerable to nobody but myself so I would say to OP, what is acceptable to you? Do that but don’t beat yourself up about it if you’re not Marie Kondo or Mr Carson of Downton Abbey.

Have a look at FlyLady, she has suggested routines for each day of the week.

I don’t like housework, but do like a tidy clean house. So like others I whizz around every day. By 11 I’m free for the entire day.

I do concentrate on a room a week, that way nothing ever gets grotty. It is such hard work otherwise.

My aim is to enjoy my life.

We have just found a cleaner who started last week. Never had a cleaner before and it’s taken the pressure off dh and me and we already look forward to seeing her next time.

Good luck OP! I hate routine. I wouldn’t want to swing my legs out of bed if I thought I’d be wielding a vacuum cleaner in an hour! Or to think ‘it’s Wednesday - such and such day’.

That said, we live in a small space, no garden to maintain, no craft rooms to tidy, no freezer to defrost etc. I tend to wipe everywhere down with a damp cloth once a week whether it needs it or not ha! ?
#lazygran

No routine for me, I do things if and when I feel like it, which is not very often.