How do you tackle housework- regular routine or as and when (lighthearted) (lighthearted)

Monday downstairs apart from kitchen, Tuesday upstairs, Wrdnesdsu kitchen. One week I will just dust and hoover everywhere, the next week will be a big clean, coving, skirting boards, furniture pulled out, cupboards tidied. Kitchen worktops cleaned and kitchen tidied daily. I like knowing it's done so that if I have a busy week, or I'm not well, it doesn't matter if it's left for a week.

My priorities have always been that I am clean, and my clothes. That food is prepared in a hygenic way, and the bathroom is cleaned. But as I am the only person here, such things as cleaning windows and hoovering, they only get done when I see the need and , or cant see through the windows! As for dusting it is bottom of the list for me.

But my days now, at this time of year, is firstly what the weather is like. Dry and decent, get the washing out or off to the shops while I can. But unfortunately, whatever I have planned or want to do is governed by what I can manage to do, and I have no choice but to manage what I can, when my back hurts too much to do much and the frustration levels rise. So I have to sort of have two lists, what I can do if it is a good day, and what is only possible with a struggle. Recently I have been given attendance allowance, so I do have an hour a week when someone comes, who thankfully can turn the mattress over and reach up to the cobwebs or whatever and change lights etc etc. I have had to admit I would really be stuck without the chance for someone to reach to the back of the cupboard or whatever.

I have always tried to cook something once that can provide me with two meals, either some of the original frozen for another day, or add curry to ordinary mince and have with rice kind of thing. So that is also something I try to do on good days, but also keep some things like fish or a frozen fish pie, when I see them, for a change and I no longer feel the time to make one from scratch is worth the effort for me.

I don't do housework, just cooking and laundry, my husband (in theory) does the housework, but not very well. Every now and again, usually if we're having visitors, we'll have a good go at it - but really not that fussed in general.

Graunty7

I like to clean and I am quite ocd . I had a stroke 7 years ago and although more mobile my energy is shot to pieces. I do have a cleaner . But it’s never up to my standards ( even though it’s three hours a week)! Cleaners seem to dislike wiping coasters 🤷‍♀️. And using proper wood polish . I can’t stand them wiping over with multi surface and suffocating all my wood . I do mention it but nothing really happens.
I always ask my cleaners to sit down when they finish each room because that’s how people ( I) see the room . Not standing up .
Anyway it is what it is . I have three dogs and considering that I think we keep it quite clean . We have a big utility for them to get clean in before entering .
This is the first house with utility and it’s made a huge difference. I Also find putting coats on them in the winter helps less mud and dog smells.

What do you mean you get them to sit down?

Both of those can should have been can't

As I live alone, I try to keep the down stairs as dust free and clean as needed without doing too much. The upstairs gets done when I can stand it any longer. I can dust and vacuum.if the upstairs is cluttered.

We have an amazing cleaner, a young Brazilian girl, and the house has never been so clean. Yes, it’s expensive but I’d rather go without wine than lose her! I like a clean house but loathe housework, but don’t mind any amount of ironing. I always make sure the house is very tidy before she comes.

fancythat

I do the work that needs doing until 10am.
After that, I do what I want of it, at a pace to suit me on that particular day.

It never occured to me that everyone does it different from each other!
Well, apart from those who have a cleaner.

Fancythat
Are you seriously saying that you thought everyone does housework the same way as you do.
Don’t you think that’s odd 🤷‍♀️

I like to clean and I am quite ocd . I had a stroke 7 years ago and although more mobile my energy is shot to pieces. I do have a cleaner . But it’s never up to my standards ( even though it’s three hours a week)! Cleaners seem to dislike wiping coasters 🤷‍♀️. And using proper wood polish . I can’t stand them wiping over with multi surface and suffocating all my wood . I do mention it but nothing really happens.
I always ask my cleaners to sit down when they finish each room because that’s how people ( I) see the room . Not standing up .
Anyway it is what it is . I have three dogs and considering that I think we keep it quite clean . We have a big utility for them to get clean in before entering .
This is the first house with utility and it’s made a huge difference. I Also find putting coats on them in the winter helps less mud and dog smells.

I clean house thoroughly, polish, hoover, wash floors, clean insides of windows, dust ornaments, clean bathrooms to the nth degree - every single time visitors are coming. The rest of the time, not so much!

I never dust higher than my tallest visitor…also I spray polish around the doorway, then if you’ve only dusted it’s like you’ve really polished. Only before visitors though.

A relative bought me a plaque with a relevant message 'if the dust ball moves - it's the cat. When first married I mentioned a cleaning routine to DH and his reply was 'do it when it needs it'. I've stuck to that mantra ever since. Curly dust - that's what you get when you run your fingers along a surface. No point in dusting - it can be hoovered up. Having said that I do tidy up using the 'rule of five' As I walk around I pick up/put away 5 items at a time. That works quite well!

I enjoy housework, so I tend to do the washing and ironing on Monday and Tuesday, often do household shopping on these days too and do the bathroom and floors towards the end of the week.

Living in the country, the windows stay relatively clean for a long time, so I clean them twice or three times a year, usually just before Advent so they are clean for Christmas, towards the end of the summer and just before Easter.

Other things like tidying the cellar get done as the need arises.

I like having an underlying routine that gets all housework over and done with in a few hours over several days then I can forget it for the rest of the week.

Having an underlying routine also means if the routine has to be thrown to the winds for a couple of weeks at any time, it doesn't matter. When the cause of the hiatus passes life just picks up as before.

kittylester

We have always had a cleaner and I'm not giving her up now.

Respect !! Kitty Lester.......
At the moment I do my own.
I spend Thursday cleaning the house thoroughly because himself likes a clean house.( if I were left to my own devices ....not so much??😄😄)
Friday is shopping and ironing.
The rest of the time I don't do much frankly believing that there is more to life than perpetual cleaning......
OR I'm a lazy little Oik 🤣🤣

I like to be tidy so put things away as I go. Loos,basins and sinks cleaned each day. A quick go with the vacuum a couple of times a week. Most other stuff as and when needed. I have far more interesting things to do.

I used to love housework, but not so much now I’m older.
I keep the apartment tidy, always make my bed once it’s aired and I do wash up so dirty dishes aren’t sitting around. (I miss my dishwasher but it’s not worth having one just for me and I don’t have the room anyway).
I do always make sure the washbasins, bath and shower in the bathroom and cloakroom are clean and hygienic. I clean the toilets every morning before my shower. Can’t bear stained toilet bowls and soapy sticky washbasins. Dusting and vacuuming get done as and when. Apart from that, I’m not houseproud as such. I just hate mess lying about.
I think you can get away with a lot if the rooms are tidy and uncluttered. It’s easier to clean then, too.

I hate housework, have always done what absolutely needs to be done and every few months will do a more thorough clean.
As long as the house is tidy - I can’t bear mess - then I think is fine. And since caring full time for my DH I don’t agonise about it, keeping him clean and tidy is now a bigger priority.

Bathroom and kitchen every day, rest of the house on a 30 minutes a day rota for me.

I’m feeling very virtuous because I have spent this morning cleaning and polishing the inside of the conservatory windows, and rehoming the ladybirds who had decided it is the ideal place to hibernate. Feet up this afternoon!

I do the work that needs doing until 10am.
After that, I do what I want of it, at a pace to suit me on that particular day.

It never occured to me that everyone does it different from each other!
Well, apart from those who have a cleaner.

Years ago some friends wanted to get married on a Tuesday as it was cheaper but were told "you can't do that, it's the day Mum does the ironing"

We've dogs - I hoover daily, make the bed, clean the kitchen whilst cooking, wash inside windows often and leave cleaning to our cleaners.

I know I should just scroll on, but a discussion about housework ?

Really?

In dribs & drabs, whatever I feel like doing.
If I do a chore it will be done thoroughly. But the days have gone, where I would be at it all day, on my day off.
We are decorating at the moment, all the furniture is piled into the conservatory, so sat here on GN, in what what feels like Steptoes yard 😂

I try my best to keep our house clean but a little while later it's back to what it was before! Still, people always seem happy to come here which is good so I shouldn't moan