Comments on: Stop spending your weekends cleaning your home http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/ Daily tips on how to organize your home and office. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:09:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Mom of 4 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-7026 Mom of 4 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:31:26 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-7026 I do something similar, except that rather than breaking it down by room, I break it down by job. For example, I only get out the vacuum cleaner once/week to do the whole house. Monday is my day to do a major pick-up, dust, and vacuum. Tuesdays and Saturdays are laundry days. I spritz down the bathrooms Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And so on. Generally, I have about an hour's worth of housework per day, which isn't bad for a four-bedroom/four-bathroom house and four kids' worth of laundry/meals/clutter. I do something similar, except that rather than breaking it down by room, I break it down by job. For example, I only get out the vacuum cleaner once/week to do the whole house. Monday is my day to do a major pick-up, dust, and vacuum. Tuesdays and Saturdays are laundry days. I spritz down the bathrooms Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And so on. Generally, I have about an hour’s worth of housework per day, which isn’t bad for a four-bedroom/four-bathroom house and four kids’ worth of laundry/meals/clutter.

]]> By: Diane http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6972 Diane Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:49:01 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6972 I try to keep the number of items in each room to a minimum and find containers for remotes, etc. I've pared down furniture and accessories to that hotel room look. Takes less time to clean and I can finally find my "stuff." I try to keep the number of items in each room to a minimum and find containers for remotes, etc. I’ve pared down furniture and accessories to that hotel room look. Takes less time to clean and I can finally find my “stuff.”

]]> By: Erin Doland http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6625 Erin Doland Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:56:43 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6625 @Michele -- My Friday night cleaning usually starts at 5:30 and is finished by 6:00 ... you still have time to take a disco nap, get ready, have dinner, and hit the town by 10:00. :) @Michele — My Friday night cleaning usually starts at 5:30 and is finished by 6:00 … you still have time to take a disco nap, get ready, have dinner, and hit the town by 10:00. :)

]]> By: Michele http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6624 Michele Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:29:27 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6624 As a single mom and full-time law student, I wait for the weekend -- so that my daughter can help! She's with me four nights per week and most of the weekend. We do the bulk of our housework on Sunday mornings. Then whatever tasks we don't get to, I'll finish up at odd times during the week. Erin, I gotta say that your suggestion of spending Friday night cleaning sent chills up my spine. A Friday night spent at home is a Friday night wasted, as far as I'm concerned. :) As a single mom and full-time law student, I wait for the weekend — so that my daughter can help! She’s with me four nights per week and most of the weekend. We do the bulk of our housework on Sunday mornings. Then whatever tasks we don’t get to, I’ll finish up at odd times during the week.

Erin, I gotta say that your suggestion of spending Friday night cleaning sent chills up my spine. A Friday night spent at home is a Friday night wasted, as far as I’m concerned. :)

]]> By: Melissa A. http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6623 Melissa A. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:41:26 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6623 I'm really going to have to start doing this. I know once I get into it, it will be easy. Right now I tend to just chores when I feel like it. Growing up, Monday was always laundry day. I’m really going to have to start doing this. I know once I get into it, it will be easy. Right now I tend to just chores when I feel like it. Growing up, Monday was always laundry day.

]]> By: Cailin http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6017 Cailin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:47:46 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-6017 I am a working mom and as it is I feel like I don't get to spend enough time with my daughter so I opt for having a cleaning service once a week. It is more expensive than DIY but I see it as an investment in my quality time with my family. I am a working mom and as it is I feel like I don’t get to spend enough time with my daughter so I opt for having a cleaning service once a week. It is more expensive than DIY but I see it as an investment in my quality time with my family.

]]> By: Kath http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5894 Kath Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:49:15 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5894 I love to clean...LOVE IT! I also clean as I go. Given that, when I do clean once a week it takes a little under 90 minutes. I have 1856 sq feet, 2 story, 3 bed, 3 bath. And if I don't have plans for Friday night, that is my night of choice to clean everything all at once. I love to clean…LOVE IT! I also clean as I go. Given that, when I do clean once a week it takes a little under 90 minutes. I have 1856 sq feet, 2 story, 3 bed, 3 bath.

And if I don’t have plans for Friday night, that is my night of choice to clean everything all at once.

]]> By: Aisha http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5893 Aisha Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:49:00 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5893 Is there anyone else here who lives in a dusty enough place that cleaning once a week is not an option? How do people deal with houses that HAVE to be cleaned every single day, or every other day, at most? Is there anyone else here who lives in a dusty enough place that cleaning once a week is not an option? How do people deal with houses that HAVE to be cleaned every single day, or every other day, at most?

]]> By: Ava http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5892 Ava Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:22:06 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5892 I feel the same way as Stephen. I say just get up early one day and do it all in one shot. Even if it takes you two hours to clean the whole house, you can still get up on Saturday time (around 10:00) and still be done by twelve. I couldn't imagine cleaning up every day. I feel the same way as Stephen. I say just get up early one day and do it all in one shot. Even if it takes you two hours to clean the whole house, you can still get up on Saturday time (around 10:00) and still be done by twelve. I couldn’t imagine cleaning up every day.

]]> By: samu http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5881 samu Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:52:10 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5881 This sounds like a good way of avoiding my not-infrequent situation, when my fear of death is due primarily to the fact that it'd stop me tidying my flat before anyone else could see it. This sounds like a good way of avoiding my not-infrequent situation, when my fear of death is due primarily to the fact that it’d stop me tidying my flat before anyone else could see it.

]]> By: Zora http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5873 Zora Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:20:34 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5873 I use the Above and Beyond computer scheduling program and I've got all my household cleaning and maintenance tasks, from daily to every few months, programmed into it. When I keep up with things, that's an hour or so every day to keep the house running smoothly. But when I get behind, it all piles up on me. Still, I'm much more organized than I was. I use the Above and Beyond computer scheduling program and I’ve got all my household cleaning and maintenance tasks, from daily to every few months, programmed into it. When I keep up with things, that’s an hour or so every day to keep the house running smoothly. But when I get behind, it all piles up on me.

Still, I’m much more organized than I was.

]]> By: The Wulf http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5871 The Wulf Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:11:41 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5871 I do something similar, but instead of assigning a tast to each day, I assign a block of time. I list all the chores that need to be done for the week, and then on the day I draw one at random (I made cards for each) and do that task during the appointed time. And after a week, if if I have completed all my weekly chores, I give myself a reward. I do something similar, but instead of assigning a tast to each day, I assign a block of time. I list all the chores that need to be done for the week, and then on the day I draw one at random (I made cards for each) and do that task during the appointed time.
And after a week, if if I have completed all my weekly chores, I give myself a reward.

]]> By: allen http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5869 allen Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:28:25 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5869 I love the idea of breaking it up into manageable chunks. A lot of us (aka ME) hate cleaning, and hate the horrible feeling in our bellies when we see what state we've let our homes get to (that's part of while i read this website, to try to break this cycle), and an idea like this is something i could actually do. @anne: good idea on the alternative of breaking it into tasks instead. Each their own, of course! I love the idea of breaking it up into manageable chunks. A lot of us (aka ME) hate cleaning, and hate the horrible feeling in our bellies when we see what state we’ve let our homes get to (that’s part of while i read this website, to try to break this cycle), and an idea like this is something i could actually do.

@anne: good idea on the alternative of breaking it into tasks instead. Each their own, of course!

]]> By: Greg http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5868 Greg Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:12:13 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5868 I never thought of putting together a 15-30 minutes podcast/mix... that's much more interesting than just using the timer that beeps at the end. Thanks! I never thought of putting together a 15-30 minutes podcast/mix… that’s much more interesting than just using the timer that beeps at the end. Thanks!

]]> By: JC http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5863 JC Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:32:27 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5863 We have a 1850 sq ft home. I have 5 rooms to clean and/or tidy on my second floor: master bedroom, full bath, small library/office/guest room/den/dumping ground for photos, and two kids' rooms that kids keep tidy - I help clean. I have 5 spaces on first floor: living room we really live in, dining room we eat and work in, a small thoroughfare kitchen, lavatory plus mudroom we need to keep clear of crap - pun intended - to allow for steady flow of 5 people throughout each week, plus I'll count the stairs as a space since we ALWAYS have items to go up or down). The unfinished but partially carpeted basement has 5 zones, four that I maintain (my teacher/husband is responsible for his corner office). We have a play area, workshop corner, 10x10' storage loft, and, of course, the laundry zone. Outside? Let's call our 1 vehicle a space in and of itself - constant decluttering required. Half the garage needs to be clear to pull in the car, especially in winter months. The other half stores bikes, lawn/garden equipment, & kids' play stuff. We have a screened-in porch that needs needs seasonal maintenance. And the patio/yards/exterior of house need weekly and/or seasonal attention. I am a full time mom/homemaker/spouse. Well, that sounds ridiculous - "full time spouse." But that shows how stupid the term "full-time mom" actually is. What I do is ... take care of a home most of my 9 to 3 work day. I do the finances, the groceries, the cleaning, the laundry, some repairs - sometimes I hire experts, the decluttering, the research on all topics pretty much, the shopping for gifts, supplies, toiletries, clothes, etc.. Then 3 'til 9 I supervise homework, cook and clean up dinner, play with our kids (ages 6, 7.5, and 9), and get them into bed, brushed and well-read, by a decent hour. Weekends? Last thing I want to do is clean, but our kids have to learn the value and necessity of taking care of a home. So I usually have them clean their rooms ("You can't have a friend over unless your room is tidy!") They always are responsible for daily things like clearing the table, hanging up clothes/towels, emptying their lunch and book bags... My husband IS involved in this overwhelming picture. (empties dishwasher each morning, folds and carries up laundry, etc.) But when a parent works outside the home, he or she only has a few - ugh, forgive the cliché - quality hours to really BE with a kid Monday through Friday. And, I don't want the weekend being spent with Mom and Dad nagging the kids to help sweep the garage, strip their beds, shelve the books, edit their overflowing school paper bins, sweep under the dining room table, blah, blah, blah... (He is the "funnest" dad in the world - mid June through mid-August!) I am teaching my kids how to do those chores - little by little, spill by spill, Saturday by Saturday. But I also know I have voluntarily chosen to maintain a clean, peaceful, and simple home for a family 9 - 3, Monday through Friday. It doesn't pay well, but it's worth it to me. We have a 1850 sq ft home. I have 5 rooms to clean and/or tidy on my second floor: master bedroom, full bath, small library/office/guest room/den/dumping ground for photos, and two kids’ rooms that kids keep tidy - I help clean.

I have 5 spaces on first floor: living room we really live in, dining room we eat and work in, a small thoroughfare kitchen, lavatory plus mudroom we need to keep clear of crap - pun intended - to allow for steady flow of 5 people throughout each week, plus I’ll count the stairs as a space since we ALWAYS have items to go up or down).

The unfinished but partially carpeted basement has 5 zones, four that I maintain (my teacher/husband is responsible for his corner office). We have a play area, workshop corner, 10×10′ storage loft, and, of course, the laundry zone.

Outside? Let’s call our 1 vehicle a space in and of itself - constant decluttering required. Half the garage needs to be clear to pull in the car, especially in winter months. The other half stores bikes, lawn/garden equipment, & kids’ play stuff. We have a screened-in porch that needs needs seasonal maintenance. And the patio/yards/exterior of house need weekly and/or seasonal attention.

I am a full time mom/homemaker/spouse. Well, that sounds ridiculous - “full time spouse.” But that shows how stupid the term “full-time mom” actually is.

What I do is … take care of a home most of my 9 to 3 work day. I do the finances, the groceries, the cleaning, the laundry, some repairs - sometimes I hire experts, the decluttering, the research on all topics pretty much, the shopping for gifts, supplies, toiletries, clothes, etc..
Then 3 ’til 9 I supervise homework, cook and clean up dinner, play with our kids (ages 6, 7.5, and 9), and get them into bed, brushed and well-read, by a decent hour.

Weekends? Last thing I want to do is clean, but our kids have to learn the value and necessity of taking care of a home. So I usually have them clean their rooms (”You can’t have a friend over unless your room is tidy!”) They always are responsible for daily things like clearing the table, hanging up clothes/towels, emptying their lunch and book bags…

My husband IS involved in this overwhelming picture. (empties dishwasher each morning, folds and carries up laundry, etc.) But when a parent works outside the home, he or she only has a few - ugh, forgive the cliché - quality hours to really BE with a kid Monday through Friday. And, I don’t want the weekend being spent with Mom and Dad nagging the kids to help sweep the garage, strip their beds, shelve the books, edit their overflowing school paper bins, sweep under the dining room table, blah, blah, blah…
(He is the “funnest” dad in the world - mid June through mid-August!)
I am teaching my kids how to do those chores - little by little, spill by spill, Saturday by Saturday. But I also know I have voluntarily chosen to maintain a clean, peaceful, and simple home for a family 9 - 3, Monday through Friday. It doesn’t pay well, but it’s worth it to me.

]]> By: devil http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5862 devil Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:29:23 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5862 Whatever works for your family is the right answer, of course. What I don't get is why people who make plenty of money spend precious time cleaning when it would be so much easier to hire a cleaning service. Shop around, they're not very expensive. Life is short and it goes by so dang fast. I don't want to look back on my life and realize that I spent too much time cleaning and not enough time living. Whatever works for your family is the right answer, of course.

What I don’t get is why people who make plenty of money spend precious time cleaning when it would be so much easier to hire a cleaning service. Shop around, they’re not very expensive.

Life is short and it goes by so dang fast. I don’t want to look back on my life and realize that I spent too much time cleaning and not enough time living.

]]> By: Angell http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5855 Angell Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:55:03 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5855 Of course, the size of your house/flat can make a difference. I live (on my own) in a tiny studio flat and it takes me half a day to do the whole thing! But then I do cheat by having one of those robotic vacum cleaners - the iRobot Roomba. Makes life so much easier. Of course, the size of your house/flat can make a difference. I live (on my own) in a tiny studio flat and it takes me half a day to do the whole thing!

But then I do cheat by having one of those robotic vacum cleaners - the iRobot Roomba. Makes life so much easier.

]]> By: Jasi http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5853 Jasi Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:47:11 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5853 Flylady has some ideas on how to make cleaning a small part of a daily routine rather than a long, drawn-out weekend chore. Check it out. Flylady has some ideas on how to make cleaning a small part of a daily routine rather than a long, drawn-out weekend chore. Check it out.

]]> By: Kris http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5852 Kris Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:11:38 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5852 We are fortunate to have a cleaning service that comes in and really cleans the house every other week. With many animals and two small children, we seldom have time to do the cleaning ourselves on a daily basis. I find that I'll tackle certain things daily and then do a massive 'put everything away' the day before the cleaning ladies come so they can get to everything to clean it. It's amazing how organized you stay when someone else is coming in. When I am cleaning, I do the CD timed clean. I pick a favorite CD, make sure the speakers all over the house (wireless speakers are so wonderful) are on and rock out while cleaning up. Works well. Music makes everything better. We are fortunate to have a cleaning service that comes in and really cleans the house every other week. With many animals and two small children, we seldom have time to do the cleaning ourselves on a daily basis. I find that I’ll tackle certain things daily and then do a massive ‘put everything away’ the day before the cleaning ladies come so they can get to everything to clean it. It’s amazing how organized you stay when someone else is coming in.

When I am cleaning, I do the CD timed clean. I pick a favorite CD, make sure the speakers all over the house (wireless speakers are so wonderful) are on and rock out while cleaning up. Works well. Music makes everything better.

]]> By: Anne http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5851 Anne Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:33:14 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/12/10/stop-spending-your-weekends-cleaning-your-home/#comment-5851 Instead of going room-by-room, how about doing one task every night? For example, vacuum on Mondays, mop floors on Tuesdays, clean sinks on Wednesdays, wash windows on Thursdays... I would think it's more efficient to work that way than to drag out the vacuum cleaner every day, clean one room's worth of windows every day, etc. Instead of going room-by-room, how about doing one task every night? For example, vacuum on Mondays, mop floors on Tuesdays, clean sinks on Wednesdays, wash windows on Thursdays… I would think it’s more efficient to work that way than to drag out the vacuum cleaner every day, clean one room’s worth of windows every day, etc.

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