OT: Keeping up with Housework

[baileybaileybne]

I am the same: I can't stand mess at home, especially now that I'm there so much rather than at work!
My tips really relate to how your LO is. My DD loves to hang over my shoulder while I walk around and bounce up and down, so packing away things and loading the dishwasher/washing machine is the perfect kind of movement. It helps me keep on top of things so there isn't a huge job to tackle after a week of build up.
If I get her to have a good nap, it's a chance to sweep the floors then we're pretty much done.
If she's happy in her bouncer for a while, I can fold and pack away laundry while she's in the room too.
I suppose what I'm saying is I try to keep things pretty clean and tidy each day to avoid it getting away from me and being a big job later on, because big blocks of time are rare and when they arrive, I want to have a cup of tea and rest not clean for hours!
Good luck.

[carolyngrace]

I rotate things similar to @bubbs119, but not on particular days. It comes pretty naturally to me to just pick the dirtiest room each day and clean it.

However, Saturday was always "cleaning day" in my house growing up, and even now I spend the most time cleaning on Saturdays. That's when DH and I do laundry and do a deep-clean on the kitchen together, which is the room that gets the dirtiest & most cluttered. I like starting the weekend with a clean house!

[gigi3126]

I struggle with this also, but I've been trying to get organized with a schedule too. I found a few on Pinterest. I liked this one because MH and I both work, but it seems doable.

[bendherova]

hahahahahahah. no. Laundry gets done a load in the evening after the boys are in bed. Dishes, well, I bought some paper plates
to help that out.

[turtletyme]

I do at least one cleaning thing every day, and laundry every 2-3. Like @bubbs119 I have had to let my laundry compulsion go. I know I can't keep this up once I go back to work, but when I work from home I at least do laundry/dishwasher.

[billyhorrible]

I put up a load of laundry in the morning, DH folds in the evening. I do dishes and wipe down the kitchen after the boys go to bed. DH vacuums and cleans the bathrooms on the weekends.

[baileybaileybne]

Woah!!! Yeah there is no way I could keep up with a set schedule like those! I spend a few minutes wandering around each room putting away things that don't belong there each afternoon. I feel like if I left each room to only be done once a week they'd be a disaster! I also like to have a day or two off rather than cleaning every day. Tidying sure, but I don't want to be scrubbing a shower on Sunday afternoon when DH is off work and I have company. Whatever works for each person I suppose, I just don't want to resent being a 'house wife' so I try to keep it quick and easy.

[musicfrk2002]

I clean when I get enough energy and time. I have a dry erase board on the refrigerator that I write tasks on so I can erase them once they are done. H does his own laundry and I do mine and we both take care of J's. Some days I get nothing done, other days H comes home from work and is immediately placed on baby duty while I clean. Our place is currently a disaster though, maybe tomorrow I will get some things done.

[sidneyvicious]

My kid likes constant movement, so I get a lot done as far as tidying and laundry and vacuuming while wearing him since he won't let me sit long! I bust out the cleaning supplies and do one small chore during most naps. It's not perfect, but my house looks pretty good most of the time.

[erbear]

I need to get better at cleaning with her. I keep finding dust bunnies and cobwebs...

My h cleaned and organized the living room while I was out, though. This also means I will need to clean and organize the dining room where I saw he put stuff on the table!

[leenziepops]

I wear LO so I can do basic kitchen cleaning and I do the laundry. Thats all I can manage on top of cooking, social activities and exercise. My loving MIL comes to do vacuuming, mopping and bathrooms every 1 to 2 weeks. DH does the dishes, bedding, bins and outside work.

[Widget123]

Our house is the cleanest right now as it's been in years, but with me going back to work soon I expect it will fall off to some degree. I usually do the things that absolutely have to get done no matter what such as laundry, running the dishwasher and putting away dishes, taking out trash and recycling, etc. DH is in charge of the more periodic tasks like moping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, etc.

[ladysif]

I can't follow a schedule as it would only stress me out, each day is different. But I have become awesome at throwing in a load of laundry every day, sometimes multiple. I clean randomly, I will scrub a toilet or wipe down a counter while DS1 tries to go potty on his little potty, etc. I make the most of a few minutes here and there and it has really made the overall cleaning much easier to keep up with. DS1 has his own little cleaning supplies toy cart and does a decent job swiffering with me! My bedroom suffers the most neglect. It takes a while and I feel like I am constantly improving/adjusting to managing a household. Cut yourself some slack right now. Our babies are still super young and needy, and as that poem goes, the dust will keep.

[missjenniebean]

I have yet to get my life under control but will try all these tips!

[baytosa2013]

I just printed a chore list this week. Mostly because DH kept taking it like I was saying he did "nothing" when I kept asking for more help. No dear I'm not saying you do nothing, I'm saying there is now MORE to do with a whole other human here. I think it's helped him realize everything that needs to be done, especially at night before bed and that we don't have the luxury of sitting on our asses after work anymore !

[sully326]

I clean my house just about every other day & I do laundry once a week. I honestly don't find it too difficult to clean, even with two kids. DS pretty much occupies himself and I clean either while DD is asleep or while she's chillin' in her swing or on her activity mat. It's been like this pretty much since we came home & like I said, it hasn't really been an issue. I honestly don't feel like having her has interfered with my cleaning at all. Our house is pretty much always clean.

[txngrl31]

I have the maids come once a month to do a deep cleaning. I basically almost kiss them when they arrive hahaha. I swiffer the floors and vacuum rugs twice a week. Laundry once a week for us and every other day for LO.

I need to make a daily chore list like pp have mentioned. What a great idea!!

[jessila]

In preparation for having a baby, DH and I gave each other a Roomba for this past Christmas. Our house is one level so it works well for us. We try to run it twice a week.
I try to keep up with dishes and do laundry about twice a week. Owen has been super fussy for the past week or so and won't let us put him down after 2pm. So I try to get things done before then. He doesnt like being in the Ergo....hoping to work on this this week. Dusting I usually do before guests come over. We really try to keep it tidy in general.
We'll see what happens once I'm back to work. Right now I usually pass O off when DH gets home so I can do things with two hands. I'm figuring my mom will help keep up with dishes and the like while she's here babysitting.

[tulips114]

Well, when I SAH I had a schedule and I'm doing the same now on maternity leave -
Monday grocery shopping and DH and my laundry.
Tuesday - vacuum
Wednesday - free/make-up day
Thursday - bathrooms
Friday - vacuum and mop
The kitchen is wiped down every night when doing dishes. Dishwasher gets unloaded in the morning while the girls are eating breakfast. Kid laundry gets done randomly throughout the week. We also pick up toys and organize every night - everyone helps clean up before bath time.
But going back to work will make this a lot harder. Everything gets crammed into the weekend and I hate it. I like the schedule gigi3126 posted. I may try something like that.
ETA - I vacuum while wearing the baby, otherwise I will move his little bouncy seat around the house or do it while he's napping.

[seannemairi]

My husband's aunt lives down the street so once a week I take DD over to her house and go to town on cleaning. I really can't do much on my own because she will only fall asleep on me during the day and if I want her to nap for more than 10 min I have to KEEP her on me. She hates to be worn and hates to be put down for more than 10 or 15 min at a time.

[dogmama22]

Aug 9, 2015 5:28:07 GMT -5 missjenniebean said:

I have yet to get my life under control but will try all these tips!

+1 but I didn't want to admit it!

[tulips114]

Aug 9, 2015 15:07:17 GMT -5 @freckleface said:

Thanks for the advice everyone! I like seeing what other people do because I'm nosey I generally keep the house pretty tidy but the one thing that I absolutely cannot stand is the accumulation of dog and cat hair. We have one dog and one cat but the amount of hair they shed drives me nuts!

I forgot to mention that's why vacuuming is done twice a week on my schedule. It won't get done that often once I go back to work though. The hair drives me nuts too. My cousin has a roomba and someone else above mentioned it. She loves hers and says it really helps.