Keeping Your House Clean?

[momneedscoffee]

How do you guys keep up with cleaning your house? I feel like I am thrown to the wolves every day. I really don't like spending what little free time I have cleaning and I only have 5 kids total. Laundry, dishes, dust, dirty floors... it never ends and piles up fast!! Words of wisdom, please

[Miss A]

I clean as I go, all day long. If I am helping a child in the bathroom, I am also wiping the counter down with a Clorox wipe. If kids are eating lunch, I am cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, etc. I do as much as I can during the day while the kids are going about their normal routine.

[Blackcat31]

I clean as I go, all day long. If I am helping a child in the bathroom, I am also wiping the counter down with a Clorox wipe. If kids are eating lunch, I am cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, etc. I do as much as I can during the day while the kids are going about their normal routine.

I do the same. Clean as I go.

I do not want to spend any more time at work than I need to so the cleaning is done as needed when needed.

[BabyMonkeys]

I can totally relate! I have 3 toddlers and I feel like all I do all day every day is pick up after them, and then actually have to clean when they are gone. I burned out fast with that, so I had to come up with a routine that works for me.

At night before I go to bed I start the dishwasher. When I wake up I unload it and throw a load of laundry in. I attempt to load the dishwasher as I go, but with 3 toddlers... I frequently fail. There are days they will eat nicely and other days that I have to take everyone's fork away because they want to scratch the walls, or comb their hair, or even better comb their friends hair.

At nap time I will throw the clothes in the dryer, and load the dishwasher. There are a million tasks I could do at this point, but I NEED that break. At some point in the afternoon I will bring the clothes in and everyone will "help" me fold them.

My boys LOVE the swiffer. I bought three of them and made them "toddler sized" by not using all of the rods for the handle. I put a dry cloth on them and they clean the floor all day. I'm always shocked at the amount of dirt they are able to pick up! I didn't realize my floors were that dirty! At the end of the night I wet Swiffer. It only takes a few minutes. I actually only scrub the floor on the weekends, other than any messes of course. I think cleaning as you go is the number one thing.

I don't know how old your dcks are, but they might like to help. Give them a wipe and tell them to go clean something.

With this routine I don't really have to do too much at night. I clean the kitchen while I'm making dinner every night. On the weekends I scrub the bathrooms and floors.

[Ariana]

This is by far my biggest pet peeve about working at home! I honestly have no idea because I hate cleaning. My older kids help and I do clean as I go but it is a full time thing.

I wish I could justify getting a professional cleaner to help me. The three meals and 2 snacks a day are killing me!

[NillaWafers]

I use an app called home routines. I make sure to clean after every meal. This app is based on FlyLady, which is a system that focuses on 15 minutes of deep cleaning a day. I also have a rotating chore list that I go through (ex: Monday is dusting, Tuesday is cleaning bathroom)

I also do a load of laundry a day, because if I don't I get horribly behind and I spend my entire weekend washing and folding laundry.

Without this system I am lost, I have adhd and nothing gets done without a list or some sort of alarm. As it is I don't mop as much as I should but at least I don't allow shoes on in the house haha.

[DaveA]

I wish I could justify getting a professional cleaner to help me. The three meals and 2 snacks a day are killing me!

We have one come in twice a month to do the deep cleaning stuff that I tend to overlook in the eternal march of picking up, vacuuming, and cleaning.

[Unregistered]

I do laundry every day. Whatever was dirty that day gets washed in one load. I don't separate (unless it is something I know will cause a problem) I put the clothes in the washer every morning after I get up and run it. Later on in the day or early evening I transfer everything from washer to dryer. Run a load to dry. Before bed I fold and put away the dry load.

Dust one or two rooms a day. I vacume one level a night alternating. I have a two story home.

Bathrooms I swish the toilet clean each afternoon and wipe down the counters and mirror quickly.

I empty all trash each afternoon and put in the garage.

Dishes I wash as I use or finish up. On particularly hectic days I will put an inch or two of water in the sink and soak the dirties until I am gettting lunch or dinner ready.

[momneedscoffee]

I use an app called home routines. I make sure to clean after every meal. This app is based on FlyLady, which is a system that focuses on 15 minutes of deep cleaning a day. I also have a rotating chore list that I go through (ex: Monday is dusting, Tuesday is cleaning bathroom)

I also do a load of laundry a day, because if I don't I get horribly behind and I spend my entire weekend washing and folding laundry.

Without this system I am lost, I have adhd and nothing gets done without a list or some sort of alarm. As it is I don't mop as much as I should but at least I don't allow shoes on in the house haha.

I might have to try that! My kids are so messy! My biological ones are the worst! And my husband isn't much better most of the time haha. It's like while I am cleaning one thing, a mess is being made elsewhere. And I am the same with laundry. Lately I have had my spare pack n play FULL of clean laundry waiting to be put away, ugh. Mopping is another thing I dislike haha I have hardwood and some times wish it was carpet so I could just vacuum and be done #

[momneedscoffee]

This is by far my biggest pet peeve about working at home! I honestly have no idea because I hate cleaning. My older kids help and I do clean as I go but it is a full time thing.

I wish I could justify getting a professional cleaner to help me. The three meals and 2 snacks a day are killing me!

I've been considering that! Even once a month to do deep cleaning. I don't mind cleaning when I have an empty house, but kids make it so hard to accomplish anything!!

[BabyMonkeys]

Lately I have had my spare pack n play FULL of clean laundry waiting to be put away, ugh.

I don't feel so bad now. I thought I was the only one that turned a pnp into a huge clean clothes hamper. ::

[Josiegirl]

I need to get rid of more stuff. I'm sick of constantly finding a trail of things kids seem to just drop on their way through. And it's even the older kids??? If I have less stuff, it'll be less stuff to clean right?
I'm really bad at windows and woodwork because they're such tedious areas to clean. And I'm so lazy.
Dishes usually get done at each meal, sweeping too. Vacuum every a.m. right before kids come. Dusting gets done by the kids with dusters. Hey they think it's fun. Garbage also gets taken out every a.m. I have more energy before my day starts than evenings.
Deep cleaning? Haha.

[Pepperth]

I don't feel so bad now. I thought I was the only one that turned a pnp into a huge clean clothes hamper. ::

I've done that too. Laundry is my biggest weakness. I'm so glad you guys are making me feel normal.

[momneedscoffee]

I need to get rid of more stuff. I'm sick of constantly finding a trail of things kids seem to just drop on their way through. And it's even the older kids??? If I have less stuff, it'll be less stuff to clean right?
I'm really bad at windows and woodwork because they're such tedious areas to clean. And I'm so lazy.
Dishes usually get done at each meal, sweeping too. Vacuum every a.m. right before kids come. Dusting gets done by the kids with dusters. Hey they think it's fun. Garbage also gets taken out every a.m. I have more energy before my day starts than evenings.
Deep cleaning? Haha.

Yes! I just put away more than half the toys and there is still stuff everywhere!! I wish they would just keep them in the playroom. Or actually play with them, not just drag them around

[momneedscoffee]

I've done that too. Laundry is my biggest weakness. I'm so glad you guys are making me feel normal.

HahahaI'm Glad It's not just me!!!