Efficient housework

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
As i get older, with arthritis, energy and capability to do regular housework, is harder. I need order and cannot live with disorder.

I used to struggle until I decided to take control, be realistic and simplify things. I have found an amazing change with just moderate planning, including getting up an hour earlier each day and going to bed earlier. That works wonders.

So my main system operates from a 'week to view' A4 diary, in pencil. Each task, once done, the next date is noted ahead so cannot be forgotten. This varies hugely as some tasks can be at monthly, 3 monthly or longer intervals. An example is updating our medicines cabinet every 6 months. I had left it far too long, it was crammed and so many out of date items! It took just half an hour to restore order.

I am realistic not obsessive. I have learned never to expect perfection but just 'good enough'. This is not a showroom. I never overload any one day, but spread jobs out evenly. I aim to do heavier jobs like vacuuming in the morning while I feel strongest, leaving light jobs for the afternoon when I flag.

I put the radio on for longer jobs like cleaning the bathroom but otherwise prefer silence. Minimal distraction means better focus.

So are you feeling in control or overwhelmed with jobs in the house?
 

bingo said:
i am not overwhelmed ...yet.
we downsized over 6 years ago..
the only chore i have trouble with..is vacuuming..
i have roomba..but i like a deeper clean...
i use 2 other supposedly lightweight vacs...
i named one..Shrek...
and one Fiona
roomba is named Fred
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I find vacuuming very tiring and a heavy vacuum cleaner that leaves me achy . So I do just one room on one day. Never do upstairs and downstairs the same day.
 

My wife and I are both in our early 80's. Although we can still do household chores, its a total pain to do so at this age. So we have a bi-weekly crew come in and do our housecleaning, three charming, strong young ladies who bring their own equipment. At my age, I've learned to just throw money at any given problem. It works like magic!
 
I'm allergic to dust, so doing the hoovering is a chore. Thankfully, got a good one with filter a while back, it's very light so easier to do. However, daughter always takes care of it, to save Mummy from sneezing 4 hours straight lol!

I brush counters every morning, with a small brush and pan. Got a cleaner style broom and pan for kitchen/livingroom floors and we hoover them once a month. Kitty litter gets everywhere. Harder to get out of carpets. Got light carpet washer and that's twice a year, if required. Otherwise, just once a year.

Dishes are done in the sink, once or twice a day. Cooker top gets a wipe daily, same for microwave. Oven interior, once a month. Thankfully, not much dust accumulation on furniture. Windows have UV Protective film on them, magically nothing sticks to them.

After hubby died, daughter and I got into cleaning frenzy. It needed it. Wood furniture got orange cleaner/polish. The entire glasses, plates, cups, cutlery plus pots and pans got a good clean. Newspapers wrappings when you move stains all that stuff. We now can see the forest for the trees.

Next planned cleaning frenzy, Spring next year (although around Holidays at end of year, Christmas decorations are bit messy). Washing's a fortnight. Oh get yourself a steam machine, that cleans and disinfects so much better.

I guess it's my OCD in charge of me lol lol lol!
 
I consider myself an efficiency expert and I've always believed in clean as you go. On Sundays I go thru and do a more in depth cleaning but even that only takes an hour or so. A couple of times a year I will move furniture, wash windows, clean grout, sponge trim and blinds, what I call rainy day cleaning.

Keep ahead of it and cleaning is never a hassle.
 
I like to keep things clean and in their place. I make a list of things that need to be done, so I won’t forget. 🙂
I do laundry every day and do the dishes after every meal. I do as much as I can and rest my arm in between chores.
I don’t feel overwhelmed but not sure If I feel completely in control either.

I would love to have cleaning crew come scrub showers and floors. Those are the hardest for me.
 
I used to keep a to-do-list at work so things got done. Some had due dates & others didn't, but it kept worked flowing & relaxed this way. I stopped doing that since I retired, but I think I need to go back to it. Thanks for the reminder @Rose65.

With critters in the house, I move furniture every time I vacuum. As far as windows @hollydolly, my cats insist on putting nose prints on them, so they get cleaned often. Luckily, they only have access to the living room ones & the bottom half at that.
 
hollydolly said:
I have to smile at people who say they only wash windows once or twice a year. My windows get washed at least every month .. and I don't live in high traffic area... I think if I live in the city I'd be cleaning my windows every other day...
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I love clean windows and you're right I should wash them more than a few times a year! I would have to wash them after every rain though to keep them clean.
 
Rose65 said:
So are you feeling in control or overwhelmed with jobs in the house?
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I'm not in control, and I'm not overwhelmed
My lady is a clean freak
A flake of dust never settles on our furniture
(I think she grabs them outa the air with her tweezers)

We don't allow critters in the house (...with the exception of this critter)

I'm not allowed in the kitchen
If coming from the shop, I have to vacuum the man glitter off myself before coming into the house

Heh, she went a bit nuts when we lived at the cabin
(There's clean, then there's cabin clean)
 
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In the summer there are outdoor activities to pursue including yard work. It all takes time and lawn mowing takes a lot out of me so ambition lags when it comes to inside cleaning. In winter it's easier to do what needs doing indoors. I'll do a room top to bottom a little at a time and go on to the next round-robin.
 
hollydolly said:
I have to smile at people who say they only wash windows once or twice a year. My windows get washed at least every month .. and I don't live in high traffic area... I think if I live in the city I'd be cleaning my windows every other day...
Click to expand...
Would you pay $125-$150 every month just to clean the outside of your windows. That’s the going rate and it‘s higher for folks with a two or three story house.
 
Rose65 said:
As i get older, with arthritis, energy and capability to do regular housework, is harder. I need order and cannot live with disorder.

I used to struggle until I decided to take control, be realistic and simplify things. I have found an amazing change with just moderate planning, including getting up an hour earlier each day and going to bed earlier. That works wonders.

So my main system operates from a 'week to view' A4 diary, in pencil. Each task, once done, the next date is noted ahead so cannot be forgotten. This varies hugely as some tasks can be at monthly, 3 monthly or longer intervals. An example is updating our medicines cabinet every 6 months. I had left it far too long, it was crammed and so many out of date items! It took just half an hour to restore order.

I am realistic not obsessive. I have learned never to expect perfection but just 'good enough'. This is not a showroom. I never overload any one day, but spread jobs out evenly. I aim to do heavier jobs like vacuuming in the morning while I feel strongest, leaving light jobs for the afternoon when I flag.

I put the radio on for longer jobs like cleaning the bathroom but otherwise prefer silence. Minimal distraction means better focus.

So are you feeling in control or overwhelmed with jobs in the house?
Click to expand...
Good for you! This is inspirational for me! I need to do some serious planning myself. My grandson suggested I make lists of daily chores and follow through. Making lists does help spur me to action. I know that keeping up with things, instead of procrastinating will make me feel better, freer, less burdened, yet I haven't been doing it. I certainly want to get things done more efficiently and for things to be easier. I think I should read your post daily to keep me inspired. :)
 
Jules said:
Would you pay $125-$150 every month just to clean the outside of your windows. That’s the going rate and it‘s higher for folks with a two or three story house.
Click to expand...
No I would not, that's why I clean my own windows... but the going rate here is £25 per month..I know because the local window cleaner is myneighbourr.. and even at that price I still do them myself....I save £300 per year doing it myself.. it doesn't take long to do..

At my Spanish house... the casa is 4 floors including the basement.. yet I've never had a window cleaner there.. ..and I have 3 sets of french doors, 5 rooms with windows and a livingroom wall of glass curtains...
 
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im in total control,theres only one job that gets done every day and thats the dishes .Im a clean living person, so dont make much mess .No one to please but myself.Most jobs get done when they need doing .Gone are the days when I was a slave to the housework .
 
Rose65 said:
So are you feeling in control or overwhelmed with jobs in the house?
Click to expand...
Neither, I just live with what I got. Doing a bunch today, but am getting tired, may give out soon.

My mother was the most efficient house cleaner I have ever seen. Her house was always clean and spotless and I never noticed her working (I was a kid). Only after moving out on my own did I discover houses were not self-cleaning... A real shock.
 
When you grow up in a household with three women in the volunteers medical field, it gets a wee bit crazy. Like overboard by half...

Funny but I remember... Washing on line in winter... The double sheets of ice, which once indoor took forever to dry and there was ice flakes everywhere. The floors turned into ice skating rinks...

Well one of these women, plied with too much booze, went nuclear on cleanliness and abuse of disinfectant. 6am, fresh towels put in bathrooms and kitchen. Overnight towels in washing. 7am, repeat towels routine. 6am ones in washing. It went on and on.

Washers/Dryers never lasted more than 3 months with motors burned out. Towels, bedding and clothes didn't fare any better. Nightmare!

In our house with parents, tissues got ironed. Father disliking stiff collars which used to cut him at the neck and pants stiffened the same way, always managed to rescue clothing for work by putting it between mattress and box spring.

To this day, even though I've got an iron, my pants, jeans and cotton ones, go under the mattress. Iron stays in cupboard lol! The smell of bleach anywhere makes me vomit... Sorry!
 
My house is very clean and tidy even if I say so myself... it's not germ free ..I;m not a germaphobe.. but you don't have to wipe your feet on the way OUT of my house...lol

It's easy for me to keep it clean, I just tididy as I go... washing up is never left in the sink... for examole.. and where I sit for any length of time..maybe in the TV room.. while I'm in there..on the sofa with me will be several things.. my spec, the remotes.. I'll have a cup on the side table.. all these things are soon picke up after I've finished watching the tv....same here in the office room.. right now on my desk I have a pen, notebook.. battery operated fan.. a cup with a cold drink... specs.. accounts book... makes it look untidy.. but that's ok, because when I turn this computer off, I just pick those things up..and out them away.

Every morning, I vac through the house very quickly with a hand held vac.. it takes less than to minutes to just quickly do everything because nothing is dirty.. and then about once a month I get the heavy duty Miele out and do everything very thoroughly including the ceilings..

the kitchen floor and the foyer floor are vacc'd and washed every morning.. again takes minutes.. ..In fact I spot things immediately which are out of their normal place and put them back.. by doing this.. it literally takes no time out of my day, and I'm not afraid of getting unexpected visitors..

Then of course are my Fairly large gardens which do take quite a bit of my time.. but again, I try to see to a little bit every day..even if it's just a little weeding..or bug spraying etc... and then every 2 weeks on average I'm mowing, and cutting back hedges.. The garden take much more time to keep nice than the whole house tbh
 
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