Housework tips

[Mrs Doddy]

I've spent all day doing housework where lo is sleeping - washing, folding washing, washing bottles, tidying and the house still looks like a mess

How do you do things ? I haven't sat down all day apart from when I'm feeding !

How do you organise x2 + kids/house stuff

I tried wearing lo in a sling this morning - not ready with c section scar to do this for long

 

[aimee-lou]

Little and often, and lower your standards! lol

I confess, I'm not a domestic goddess. I should be upstairs tidying the bedroom which is currently a full on dumping ground but as DS3 is asleep in there at the moment it's not a possibility. I should also be doing the washing up, but tbh, I'm comfy! lol

Every day I try to do the basics so kitchen tops, at least some of the dishes, and a load of washing. Push the vacuum around the downstairs. Tidy the living room of all rubbish and plates etc and stack toys neatly at the end of the day.

Add in to that the cooking and general maintenance of the children that's the day full already.

Usually I can put DS3 down for a nap 2x a day, so I use that time to try to do a 'job' so something like dishes, folding washing, hanging it out to dry, clean the bathroom or sorting out the bins. When he was younger and napped more I had a vibrating rocking chair that he would sit in and I would move it from room to room as I moved.

Hubby has the fish tank, most of the garden duties (although I do these if he's away/busy) and he fetches and carries out of the loft.

I then have a set day when I change bedding or vacuum the whole house. These are normally days where I know I have no-where else to be so I can do them quite early on then spend the rest of the day catching up the rest of the jobs. Either that or they're done on days when hubby is home to watch the kids and i run around like the proverbial blue-arsed fly lol.

I try to spend no more than 1 hour a day doing general house-keeping tasks. I also confess that if I have a couple of 'off' days if I'm ill or if we're busy and in and out a lot, the housework does get forgotten, but it's still there the nest day so I just deal with it then.

 

[aimee-lou]

Another thing I do that is a tip I picked up from somewhere (not sure where) is to grab a carrier bag and do a sweep of rubbish. Then grab a laundry basket and do a sweep for all clothes. All the rubbish goes straight in the bin, clothes straight in the washer. Half the battle won!

 

[vegazbaby]

my best tip was getting up at 6, an hour before lo, so i could get stuff ready but the little monkey changed his sleeping pattern.

2 hoovers - always plugged in ha ha, one upstairs and onedownstairs
he loves bashing his feet on the bath room floor and it entertains him long enough for me to clean it.
sat up in his cot wiht the mobile going and cuddly toys gives me 15 minutes to straighten up his room
and on to our bed with a different toy while i have a scoot round there
naps tend to be enpty dishwasher, reload dishes from breakfast . and maybe steam the kitchen floor
he naps at 9-10 and 12.30 - 1.30
i tend to do most after 7pm, where i do bottles, refill tommy tippee and reload formula tubs, get his meals out the freezer. make husband packed lunch. reload dishwasher, washing in and clothes set on timers in the tumber drier.


generally i take him round the house once a week and he plays on the floor while i clean, but its really tough, i never feel like i get time to sit down, but i dont care anymore, when he first arrived i was ooh must clean now i think oh sod it.


i want to look back in 5years and think what an amazing time we shared together not wow wasnt my house tidy

 

[catty]

I feel the same! Always cleaning but always a mess (although not dirty)
To save time I only do the washing at night once babys in bed. This means I only have to do the washing up once and then its always clean before I go to bed.
I try and put a load of washing on everyday even if I dont have too much to do so that I stay on top of things.
Sometimes if I go to the toilet I take some baby wipes and quickly wipe down the sink etc and then out cleaner down the toilet (takes 30 secs
I sweep up quickly after lucas eats and iv got a steam mop which I actually enjoy using so that helps and I probably scoot this around 3-4 times a week (takes 10mins to do all the floors!)

I only do ironing on a sunday night which takes me about 2.5 hours so I save up things id like to watch on tv and get it all done in a oner rather than have to do it multiple times a week.

things im bad at are - hoovering, I hate my hoover so maybe thats why.
Dusting
I keep sooo much stuff that isnt neccessary so iv always got clutter, I cant help it though. I keep thigs like diluting juice plastic bottles just incase I need one - iv about 20, if I decluttered id have alot less to keep tidied

 

[sequeena]

I bought a dishwasher and a tumble dryer. Made life a little easier wish I could afford a house keeper!!

I try to follow flylady but I get distracted easily. My kitchen and bathrooms are cleaned every day and I hoover downstairs every day. Other than that stuff piles up until I get round to it

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

Leave it!

It will still be there tomorrow so don't stress over it. When the opportunity arises, have a cuppa, sit down and embrace the mess, it won't be there forever

 

[aimee-lou]

Leave it!

It will still be there tomorrow so don't stress over it. When the opportunity arises, have a cuppa, sit down and embrace the mess, it won't be there forever

I have a theory that when the kids are in school I'll have nothing but time and I'll have this lovely pristine house. It's like paying your dues lol We'll see when it happens....it's highly likely I'll end up rocking gently in a corner instead! lol

 

[Snow Owl]

Top tips I've been given are...

Get a tumble drier

Get a dishwasher

Get a mini battery Hoover. Means you can attach the high traffic areas regularly without dragging the main one out.

I also tend to sort rooms / put washing away while LO is in the room with me. The one job I can't do is hang the washing in the garden as I can't let him toddle around the garden (not child friendly enough).

 

[Leeloo]

I do one room a day and have days for laundry. But if LO has been especially demanding that day I don't do anything else!

 

[Cccbb61013]

I keep a pretty clean house. Granted, my house isn't huge so it may be easier than others. I'm very big on multitasking & keeping up with the work so it doesn't take me too long to straighten it up because it certainly doesn't stay clean throughout the day. A few tricks I use that always make my house look fairly clean even if it's not as clean as I like is... make the beds, never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight (any major messes after dinner I try to wash as I'm cooking & clean up right after dinner), don't let junk sit on my dining room table & don't let my messes be "messy" (I.e. Have a laundry basket or 2 or 3 in every room so the clothes, even if dirty, do not overflow. An organized mess is better than a sloppy one).
I try to straighten up the house every night before bed or with free time during the day. As far as multitasking go, I'll wipe down the bathroom while my oldest son is in the shower since I have to be in there anyway. Or I'll wipe it down before I get in the shower. It only needs a deep cleaning every week or two because I wipe it down at least every 2 days so it has the illusion of clean. I have a kitchen scrubber in the shower with dish detergent & vinegar in it & I clean my bath tub while showering. I will usually wipe down the stainless steel in the kitchen before I wipe down the bathroom.
I have a tote in the living room, a toy box in the dining room & totes in DS1s bedroom to throw toys when we're (as in him & I...he's 4, old enough to help me clean up) straightening up.
I still sterilize bottles which take 4 minutes each cycle. During each of those 4 minutes I will dust, clean off the dining room table (no junk piling up!), go around & pick things up, run the sweeper, put dishes away etc. After the sterilizing, I will wash the dishes which doesn't take long because I try to keep up with them. If there are too many, they go in the dishwasher.
I got a steam mop for Christmas. Best. Invention. Ever. I can mop daily if I choose & it takes as much time as vacuuming.
I find starting the day by making the beds gives me the incentive to keep the rest of the house in order. Some days are harder than others but I find if I keep up with it, my house is normally at least presentable if an unexpected guest drops by.
And if the baby is fussing, I will tend to him or I will bring him with me. Sometimes all he wants is a change of scenery. He'll be perfectly happy laying on a blanket in the kitchen while I do dishes or sitting in his bumbo or I have big brother entertain him.
I also do a load of laundry a day. Typically no more, no less (I do give myself permission to skip a day if I want to or do more if I feel like it). That way I always have the energy to wash, dry, fold & put away. And my laundry never gets out of control.
My house used to get out of control & I would be overwhelmed & in a bad mood. Now that I've developed a system & started multitasking, it's so much easier. Plus I can get things done & chill without feeling guilty! And anything I don't need I get rid of. Hate clutter.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

I guess I just need to get into a routine, it will be a slow process as even 6 weeks after my c section I get pain if I overdo it , the main thing for me is that the kitchen is clean and tidy, washing / tumble dryer on, bottłes washed

I guess the house looks more cluttered becuase we have Lisbon big baby things now - bouncer., swing ect which clutters up the house

Yesterday seemed particularly bad becuase I did so much washing - if I try and do little and often with everything it will help, alternatively win the lottery and get a cleaner !!

 

[AmarettiEtJus]

I have a cleaner come in twice a week for 3 hours each day. She does a deep clean everytime she comes. The stress that would build up if she wasnt here would be so much. I only have to maintain what she has done, so am spending 10-15 mins whilst D is sleeping each day. The rest of the time I spend reading for my degree/relaxing.

It's not that expensive. £12 per hour and that is considered a high rate. There are cleaners out there that are as little as £9 per hour. Depending on what part of the country you are in. I am in London so the rates will be higher.

If an hour a week is all that is possible at the moment - try it and see how it goes. You wont regret it.

 

[w8ing4bean]

I make a point of doing clothes and dishes every day, the rest i dont stress about, it gets done as and when i can!

I have friends that rush around while the kids are napping...i settle down and catch up on the soaps

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

Leave it!

It will still be there tomorrow so don't stress over it. When the opportunity arises, have a cuppa, sit down and embrace the mess, it won't be there forever

I have a theory that when the kids are in school I'll have nothing but time and I'll have this lovely pristine house. It's like paying your dues lol We'll see when it happens....it's highly likely I'll end up rocking gently in a corner instead! lol

I'll be right there with you!

I'm dreading it!

 

[wtbmummy]

The best thing I ever did was get a dishwasher.
Since that happened the kitchen doesn't take long and everything else seems to have fallen into place

Dishwasher = Lifesaver

Ds was 5weeks when we got it, before that I was a mess with mess

 

[annio84]

I like to try and maintain the kitchen and bathrooms daily and I try to have a policy that all dirty washing goes straight in the washer and is turned on as soon as full then a bigger a clean at the weekend. I try not to get stressed about it though. I remember seeing this poem when DD was a few weeks old and thinking, actually yes, I'm never going to get this time back with my baby.

I hope my child looks back on today
And sees a mother who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking,
But children grow up when you�re not looking.
Tomorrow I�ll do all the chores you can mention
But today, my baby needs time and attention.
So settle down cobwebs; dust go to sleep,
I�m cuddling my baby, and babies don�t keep.

 

[cherrylips100]

Multitasking. I wash the bathroom when I'm having a shower, hoover whilst cooking and anything else at superspeed during naptimes. Things like cleaning the skirting boards are a thing of the past now!

 

[KAH1990]

I do one big clean every 2 weeks takes me about 3/4 hours and then just keep on top of things. Hoover every other day, fluff sofa cushions twice a week, bedding once a week etc! I do end up washing up about 3x a day because I can't stand it piling up I would love a dish washer. When I was pregnant I had a massive de clutter of the house which defiantly helped it doesn't look so busy! Some days I'm out all day and don't get things done or the washing will pile up for days without me doing it but I don't stress too much, LO is always in clean clothes and happy that's all that matters!

 

[Equreuil]

The best thing I can say is multi-tasking, and be forgiving with yourself. Especially if you're still recovering from a c-section.

Like if you're going from the bedroom to the bathroom and there's some laundry between you and the door, pick it up and put it in the hamper as you go by, give the bathroom sink and mirror a wipe while brushing your teeth. Little stuff. Or if you need to let dinner simmer a while, do the vacuuming, or start a load of laundry. Do the dishes throughout the day.