Efficient housework

Much easier to keep the house tidy when living alone.

I live on 2 floors and have a vacumn on each floor and a "hand held" vacumn for the stairs. One of my greatest fears is falling DOWN the stairs while vacumning - ie getting tangled with the vacumn cord!

Husband (deceased) was required to keep the upstairs clean (the spare bedroom was his "den"). He hired a house cleaner.
 

I'm doing the best I can! 😊

Housewife Housework GIF - Housewife Housework Cleaning GIFs

 

I usually vacuum, dust, clean bathroom and do laundry once a week. Inside windows are clean, but outside, not so much. I only mow once a month and am getting to the age where even with a riding mower it takes me a while to recover. I am thinking about hiring someone to do that if I can find anyone. I do some light weed eating with a rechargable because the gas powered one got too heavy for me. With 5 acres, most of it wooded, I could work out there forever and used to really enjoy doing that. Still enjoy it, just can't do as much as I used to.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
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. :)
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Start simply, just decide two or three tasks that have waited a long time. Be specific about when to do them and realistic how long it will take.

My experience is it takes far more energy worrying about doing things than actually getting straight on. It usually takes far less time than you think and is very satisfying.

Simply planning and doing things with a little discipline yields remarkable results. So tackle that overstuffed cupboard, overhaul your food cupboards, reorganise your cleaning supplies under the sink. It leaves you relieved and feeling better.
 
Rose65 said:
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.
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I was part of a volunteering program. I was asked to go to a house about 10klms away from my place. The man said he had a vacuum cleaner in his cupboard which I could use. I attached the hose to the motor and proceeded to vacuum each room. I thought it didn't do the job very thoroughly but discovered the hose had left the motor in another room and I just kept on going. Not happy about that job.
 
I make lists every evening of what I will do the next day. Living alone and in a small studio apartment makes it easy to keep clean. I put everything back as soon as I am done using it. I don't mind doing it myself because it keeps me active and doing things. Otherwise I would never get off this computer.
 
I have ground rules, I work on similar principles to office admin filing. Everything has a system, a rota, every item it's place. It makes life smoother.

In office filing the rule I had was never shuffle paperwork ineffectively, only handle a document once - it is actioned, filed or binned. Same in the house, decide a task and complete it.

I turn back the bed and smooth it all upon rising, airing being vital. Never leave a room without a quick check and tidy, remove mugs, plump cushions etc. It only takes a moment to leave order rather than chaos.
Never go up or down stairs without carrying something. I wash up AND dry and put away dishes/cups as I go along - so no buildup. If in a very big hurry I soak items, detergent and water - dried food is far harder to scrub - try telling my husband!
Change the bin soon as it's full. Never ever leave a mess before going out shopping, as it is overwhelming to come back to it as well as all your shopping to put away.
Before going up to bed my kitchen is tidy and clean so I start with an advantage next morning. If we have friends over, I stay up afterwards no matter how late as I refuse to face dirty wine glasses, empty bottles next morning. Even after a takeaway it is amazing how much rubbish there is - so the binliner must be changed.

I do not insist on obsessive perfection as that is just unachievable. But I do have my tried and tested methods of keeping an orderly home. I certainly do not dust and polish too frequently as I don't believe in wasting my energy. I just need a sense of order around me to enable me to do the things I want - such as reading.
 
Alligatorob said:
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.
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It can be overdone, I know women who seem to clean endlessly as if they live for it. In the end nobody cares! No inspectors come to award medals.

I would aim for reasonable tidy surroundings but a cosy inviting warm home. Some dust here and there matters not. Showtime standards are not only unnecessary but off-putting to me.
 
Rose65 said:
So are you feeling in control or overwhelmed with jobs in the house?
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During my working years, oh so long ago now, I worked with a manager that we planned our days tasks. When our shift started we sat down and wrote out our current todo lists, special jobs and seasonal changes. He had the master and we had our sections. When the day ended we started the next days on a new list so only had to review and get any new assigned tasks added to the list. We discuss and prioritize the jobs. It was large retail business so that was never ending changes and challenges to complete.

Longer story longer… I started doing this at home then and to this day still do. Difference is it is electronic now. I also get to go at my own pace. I too, as others have stated, I do a room at a time, broken into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly for each area inside and out. I think it is the accomplishment and satisfaction of doing.
 
Here's a tip I find very effective. Let's say you know a job needs doing but you just keep leaving it. Example: cleaning the bathroom.
Solution: put out everything you need the night before right outside the bathroom.
This goes for every job, put your tools out ready. A note in the diary is not enough.
 
Wontactmyage said:
During my working years, oh so long ago now, I worked with a manager that we planned our days tasks. When our shift started we sat down and wrote out our current todo lists, special jobs and seasonal changes. He had the master and we had our sections. When the day ended we started the next days on a new list so only had to review and get any new assigned tasks added to the list. We discuss and prioritize the jobs. It was large retail business so that was never ending changes and challenges to complete.

Longer story longer… I started doing this at home then and to this day still do. Difference is it is electronic now. I also get to go at my own pace. I too, as others have stated, I do a room at a time, broken into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly for each area inside and out. I think it is the accomplishment and satisfaction of doing.
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Good system! Very similar to mine.
It gets enjoyable to accomplish tasks systematically.
 
I'm relaxed, unscheduled and free-form when it comes to housework. When something needs doing, I do it.

When floors needs sweeping, mopping or vacuuming (er...Roomba-ing), I take care of it. The bed is made as soon as we get up. Bathrooms stay clean as does the kitchen. Laundry is done when a full load has accumulated. Dusting happens when I get to it or if someone is coming over. Dishes are pretty much done immediately.

My house is clean but it looks like people live in it. Which we do.
 
Living alone it’s much easier to keep my condo clean because my last husband was very messy and never helped. It doesn’t get as dirty as my house because it’s in the back of the building away from the street and it’s a secure building so dirt on people’s feet is lost long before they get to my door. Unless you have a big messy shedding dog I can’t imagine needing to vacuum and mop daily.
 
I've been following the same routine for so many years I don't have to make any lists, I just know if it's:

Monday: Go through the house with a duster for blinds and woodwork, a soft brush for upholstery, polish for wood furniture, Windex for glass and crystal. Then vacuum. I had to give up my Dirt Devil vacuum which became too heavy for me and my broken leg, and buy an Oreck because it was much lighter. I can cover the 2000 sq ft with the Oreck in 22 minutes. Total time about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Tuesday: Clean son's bathroom and wash and change his sheets. 30 minutes

Wednesday: Clean kitchen and master bath, (counters, fixtures, cabinets, Swiffer then mop floors) 1 hour 15 minutes.

Thursday: Change sheets on master bed. Sweep porches. 40 minutes

Friday; Grocery shopping. 1 hour shopping, 20 minutes putting it all away.

Daily: Feed and water animals, do laundry while cleaning, keep dirty dishes rinsed and in the dishwasher until running the dishwasher after dinner, take out trash after dinner. Unload dishwasher in the morning while coffee perks. Cook dinner.

I do a long deep cleaning twice a year. Wash windows and comforters every couple of months.

We're all tidy and keep things put away when we're done with them, which makes cleaning so much faster.

I once left a small vase in the wrong place after cleaning the mantle (phone must have rung.) A short time later the dog was barking at it.

Sometimes people who visit complain that it feels "sterile" and makes them uncomfortable, at which point I pick up an accent pillow and throw it on the floor for them.
 
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