STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

laken1 · Hermes

How do you get it all done?

FashionPrincess · Hermes

Well, I by no means "get it all done", but what I've found works for me as far as house upkeep is that I set aside one day a week (usually Monday) to get all the housework done. If I leave a little for everyday then I feel like I'm always cleaning! One week I do heavy cleaning (scrubbing tubs, thorough dusting, etc) and then the next week I do a little lighter cleaning (light dusting, mopping without moving every last piece of furniture, etc). That way everything doesn't build up and need major cleaning. It really has made me a happier person, a clean house equals a happy FP

And then over the weekend I don't do any cleaning (except a load of laundry if needed) and minimal upkeep tidying on the other days. It frees up your time to do the other things you need to get done. Anyway, hope that helps!

NCshopper · Hermes

For me, it's all about priorities. DH generally takes care of most of the cooking, and I deal with the cleaning and that kind of thing. We call him the Function Manager of the house and I'm the Aesthetic Manager.

Anyway, as far as cleaning and stuff goes, I try to tidy up a little bit every day--putting the couch cushions back in place, organizing the mail, gathering the dirty glasses/coffee cups that find their way to all of the rooms in the house, that kind of thing. I save the scrubbing and "big" cleaning like dusting/vacuuming/toilet and bath cleaning for Saturday mornings, usually. And I've also had to give up on the fact that the house isn't going to look perfect all the time. I prefer it if the bed is made, but it doesn't bother me if it doesn't happen for a few days.

I also would rather spend time with DH and spend time doing what I want than having a perfect looking house, so as a result, the house doesn't always look perfect, but whatever! That's my long response. Hope it makes sense somewhat. Kinda groggy today.

Drew · Gucci

Well, somethings gotta give, that's how it all gets done! My mom had a house so clean you could eat off the floors, complete with vaccumming DAILY (ugh! I still cringe when I hear a vaccuum), dusting 3 times a weeks, mopping daily... crap I'm simply not gonna do! On the other hand my mom was never there. You know when everyone's sitting down talking or whatever? My mom was cleaning. Constantly.

I did learn a few tricks from mom that help. It's cleaning as you go. I change the hand towel in the bathroom once if not twice a day, and before tossing it in the washer I wipe down counters, shelves, and the floor. This daily ritual keeps the bathroom pretty darn spotless. Also, you can use a dirty shirt (you know a top that has been worn but not truly dirty; I wear new jammies every) to dust your dresser, tv, etc. daily. These daily wipe downs prevent me from almost ever having to do a real dusting (I only do those upstairs a few times a year). In the kitchen after I dry my hands on a paper towel I will use that paper towel to wipe off the trash can lid or run it over a baseboard. When I am microwaving something I will use that time to spray and wipe counters, cupboards, floor boards, whatever is around.

I have found disposable cleaning products to be a big help. If it's disposable I have it. I use Swiffer everything (dry, wet, for wood floors), have the Swiffer duster and love it for cleaning grates, floor boards, shelves when you don't want to move anything..., disposable wipes are great for cleaning counters while cooking (so I can clean as I go but not worry about spray getting into food), fast cleaning of mirrors, TV, pictures..., I also use the disposable toilet cleaners (I put Soft Scrub on the scrubbies for better cleaning), flushable wipes for the bathroom, pretty much anything disposable so cleaning isn't time consuming and easier.

Also, a new thing I do that I am totally loving (it's making me want to clean!!!) is listen to audio books on my Ipod while cleaning or cooking. I get so into the books that I want to keep cleaning so I can keep listening. I just finished Harry Potter's first book and am currently listening to How to Win Friends and Influence People on audio. Cleaning this way really does feel like down time. I've been doing it a week and I know this sounds odd, but I am excited to hear the next part in How to Win Friends so I am actually looking forward to some cleaning tonight.

-- Edited by Drew at 15:30, 2006-04-17

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Well, I am the clean and organized one in my relationship, so in order to get my man motivated, or to make it feel like we aren't forsaking quality time for chores, we do a lot together. Here are some things that we do that might help you.

1. We grocery shop together. This way, we both get what we want, we talk while we shop together and it's nice. Then we get a treat like ice cream or cookies to eath together later as our reward for getting the shopping done.

2. Laundry: I hate putting laundry away. So to make it easier we throw in a movie or get comfy in front of the TV and I'll hang stuff up and make him pair socks.

3. Designate a cleaning day. Put on some loud music that you both like, put on some ratty clothes, slpit up the chores, and get cleaning. It's fun to watch eachother working hard and the reward of a clean place is great!

4. Organize the junk. Yes, everyone has junk and it really doesn't have a place, or it might be something you don't really need but don't want to throw away. So get some cute boxes or baskets and make them "junk" areas. That way, it's not cluttered all over your place, but you don't have to feel obligated to go through it just to get it out of the way. Clutter makes me feel very angry. I have one of these "junk" boxes in every main room. One for me and one for DH, one for mail, one for coupons, ect. That way, if his junk is laying around I just put it all in a basket and he can look there when he needs it. It's very effective and takes less time then going through every single piece of clutter everyday.

5. make lists and keep them on the fridge. I have lists of things I need to do and grocery lists. This way, things don't get forgotton and when I cross something off, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

I know I may sound like a clean/organized freak, but I really like having a clean place and it is fun to make it seem like a DH and me activity instead of seperate chores. Hope this helps!