At the start of summer I told myself that it was going to be a summer of maintaining. I would maintain the house...keep it picked up, clean what needed to get by, not worry about falling a bit behind...the focus was going to be on the boys and survival. Getting through the first trimester of this pregnancy where not feeling great, eating, and being exhausted impact the day to day moments. I wanted the boys to have a great summer - fun, time outside, friends, mama's attention.
But as we hit the mid-summer days I am feeling a lot of pressure because it is driving me nuts that I go to bed with toys scattered ALL OVER OUR LIVING AREA. The kitchen is often piled with dishes and projects. Our garden is totally overgrown with weeds. The boys clothes are in laundry baskets, not hanging in closets or put away in drawers. The bathrooms could use a good scrub and the floors a good vacuum. And dinner has been a mish mash of quick fixes.
Beach towels get washed, grapes are washed and bagged ready for the lake or park playdates, the car is actually clean and not a disaster with sand toys, waterbottles, sunscreen and lawn chairs ready for any pitstop....
But really, I just feel soooo behind that I can't seem to catch up. Yesterday I worked on the kitchen floor and while I did that the boys trashed two other rooms that I never got on them about picking up. So this morning when I wander downstairs that overwhelming feeling is going to hit.
But does it really matter? Is it okay to just let it go for now?
A day is all I need...a day where I can clean up without more stuff being taken out. Without distraction. Where I have energy to use the day to get caught up.
So I want to know...
HOW OFTEN DO YOU:
Clean your bathrooms?
Change sheets?
Scrub floors?
Vacuum?
Clean/ scrub the fridge?
Wipe down cabinets?
Dust?
And do you have a strategy so it isn't overwhelming? I have made cleaning schedules, lists, etc. Breaking it down does help but right now breaking it down seems so overwhelming and pointless.
Do you have help? Would you give up your month gym membership to have someone come in and do some of the jobs that you like to think you can fit into the day but when reality hits and you are busy breaking up light saber fights and toting them here and there and just maintaining the baskets of laundry and the unloading and loading of the dishwasher...a little help isn't such a out of this world thought.
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17 comments:
Oh boy, I feel like I'm constantly cleaning up. Small house, quickly messy. Change sheets-not enough, wash out fridge-you're supposed to do that?, clean floors-constantly (white floor, big dog & 2 year old), clean bathroom-when I can't stand it anymore.
Grandma-in-law to mom-in-law: Tommy is such a well-behaved, happy boy...Kim should have more time to water her plants & dust her shelves.
Mom-in-law's response: Maybe he's happy and well-behaved because she doesn't worry about that stuff.
Kim
Honestly Sarah does it really matter how well or how often someone else does their house work. YOU ARE PREGNANT!!! And your body is in over drive.... We both know that you will go through the "explosion" of energy and things will start to come together again... and then there is the period of "nesting" where everything has to be perfect, clean and ready for the arrival of the new bundle of joy!!! Just relax, kick-up your feet and enjoy some well needed "Me" time and watch your boys have fun being boys. Good Luck to you and once again Congrats!!!
Wow! I think I could've written that post! I feel like I'm always behind. There is stuff piled everywhere and I get to it when I can! My thought is that as long as we are clean enough that no one is getting sick - we are good! Some days I can stay on top of the dishes - some days I can't. And I don't care as long as we have clean dishes to eat on - we are all good! :) The bathroom - I'm with the previous commenter - when I can't stand it anymore - I go in and do a 10 minute scrub down of at least the shower, sink, and toilet. The floors? Since summer hit (and my youngest isn't crawling anymore) I can't even remember the last time I mopped - I sweep almost daily but mop? Not lately.
And yes - I am totally trying to convince my hubby to let me have someone come and help me clean. Just because I'm a SAHM doesn't mean I want to spend all my extra time cleaning. If I could just have someone come in once a week and clean the bathroom and mop the floors - I would be psyched!
I say - don't worry about the cleaning - as long as the kids are happy - just relax... you'll get to it eventually! :)
Since you asked, and I know you like feedback!
How often do I...
Clean the bathrooms: my cleaning lady does that - I keep them tidy, and the vanity and toilets looking clean, but she scrubs them down for me.
Change sheets: weekly. Usually on Sundays.
Scrub floors: weekly. I have a little machine that I love that works slick on the tile, so I use that and my cleaning lady does it by hand when she's here.
Vacuum: more often then I should. I'm addicted to the Dyson Animal...so, prob every other day? (At least downstairs; the upstairs not so frequently cuz I'd have to haul the beast upstairs)(Kinda need to - 2 kids=crumbs, sand, etc; and we have 3 cats and 1 dog)
Clean/scrub the fridge: when something gets spilled! Actually, it usually happens just before I go to the grocery store for the 'mother-load' of groceries.
Wipe down cabinets: when I see they are dirty enough to warrant a wiping down. Grubby little hands...
Dust: about every other week. My cleaning lady gets the inbetween weeks when she's here. And, that little swiffer thing is addicting as well! Sometimes I can't help myself...
I love my cleaning lady. She's the best decision I made! :)
Uh-uh, I'm NOT telling you this. Though, it would probably make you feel better about yourself.
I don't clean as often as I should but I "straighten up" a little bit every night and then first thing on friday night after work or early saturday morning.
I tend to do "deep cleaning" either when guests are coming over, or when I only planned to straighten and I just end up getting a surge of motivation.
I think I may end up vacumming a little bit more often now that Jack is somewhat on the move and Rocco's hair is EVERYWHERE with the wood floors.
I would LOVE to have someone come in and clean my house, if only once a month. It would help out tremendously!
I think when all is said and done, a clean and orderly house lends itself to feelings of peacefulness but being prepared for adventures (having beach towels, snacks, and chairs handy) lends itself to lasting memories. You may not be good at "keeping house" but you are awesome at being a real mom and making long lasting wonderful memories with your kids...and THAT's what counts!
Ahhh... my personal struggle. I have to say I am good at keeping my house picked up and fairly organized.
I don't have a regular routine and when I was working full time even less. But I probably clean clean the house once a month or so. I am constantly pick up throughout the day with dishes, toys, laundry, ect.
I don't change my sheets enough. My floor should probably get scrubbed once a week.
My big struggle right now is the pressure I put on myself to do "big" cleaning/organizing projects. I like to clean my windows once a year. So far I have 5 of the 21 windows done. Stressed about that. I have Sam's baby book to finish. Stressed about that. I have a stack a bills/important papers to be organized and filed. I have million pictures on my old PC I need to organized and put on my external hard. I feel like those things will never get done.
I mostly feel that I use my energy keeping up with the day to day stuff, that I can never get to the bigger jobs of deep cleaning, and organizing projects!
So there... now you know how I feel. :)
Believe it or not - this is exactly what I thought today while I swaddled around the house with my baby belly !
I think I need to find a schedule to maintain my house. I find it overwhelming to do too when I have everything to do.
But on the flip side I don't want to spend every day cleaning something, then I never feel like it is clean.
My big thing is to keep the main floor clean b/c that is where we live the most.
So how often do I?
Clean bathrooms - the first floor and upstairs, most likely weekly, but it has been known to be more. Depends on if my son is using them.
Change sheets - not enough - and that is all I am sayin.
Scrub floors - what is that? Ha, ha. I maybe mop the wood floors once a month...maybe. The dog drips water on them daily so what is the point?
Vacuum - at least once a week - but I have a big golden. Just back from a week at the lake and she is molting - I am not exaggerating!
Clean the fridge - when I get new groceries I take out the old stuff does that count?
Wipe down cabinets - seriously? Ummm - probably a year ago, who knows.
Dust - kind of goes hand in hand with vacuuming and only b/c of the dog. Stop over unannounced someday and you will see what I mean:)
So tell us how often do you do these things?
I don't have help - sometimes want it but I feel like I still would need to vacuum regularly. So the help would need to come once a week to make it worthwhile.
I try to plan out my week and figure out what I need to tackle. Then each day I have a list and I tackle it. Today was weeding outside and laundry.
Most of the time I despise cleaning. It is the last thing I want to do with my free time. So, that being said.....how often do I:
Clean the bathroom?
Pretty much when I can't stand it anymore or company is coming over.
Change the sheets?
Usually every other week if I remember to throw them in the wash with everything else.
Scrub floors?
Never. Mike does that; usually weekly.
Vacuum?
Again Mike does that.
Clean/scrub the fridge?
This doesn't happen unless something has spilled and requires a good cleaning.
Wipe down the cabinets?
I don't think we have ever done this, not that I can remember anyway.
Dust?
Yep, Mike does this one too!
I have seriously been considering hiring someone to come and give the place a good clean every other week or so. That way we can just 'maintain' during the off weeks. I think Mike is actually warming up to the idea too...which he should since he does a lot of the cleaning!
Becca
Good post and interesting to read the other comments! I do all the cleaning once a week but make a schedule so that I'm only doing 1-2 things per day. Makes it more manageable and less overwhelming and leaves it so I still get part of a nap either to relax or to nap myself. I leave the weekends open just for family time...if I find time to do some cleaning, fine, but I don't plan on it. Laundry is different...that gets done whenever it needs to be done and I don't need to tell you that's more than once a week!
So hard...I want to post as anonymous so no one knows it's me!
Disclaimer: We have a cleaning service come in once a month.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU:
Clean your bathrooms? Once a month with touch up whenever I can fit it in.
Change sheets? Every three weeks??? More often for the kids.
Scrub floors? yeah right...
Vacuum? Every day (damn dog)
Clean/ scrub the fridge? three times a year???
Wipe down cabinets? leave it to the cleaning service.
Dust? yeah right...I just blow the stuff around.
You're not alone...it's all so hard!
Can I just say that I think vacuuming every day helps with the dust?? I really do!
OK, since you asked:
Living room, kitchen and bathroom on first floor: a quick once over about every 2-3 weeks, spend a little more time when someone is coming for a visit
Sheets: every couple of weeks, love hanging them outside now, in fact, hanging out almost all of the laundry I do has become very enjoyable for me lately (fluffed in the dryer for 10 minutes first)
Scrub floors: Love my new Libman mop, but I use it infrequently, usually when someone is coming, therefore less than once a month
Vacuum: the wood floor and tile instead of sweeping, every couple of weeks, sometimes just swiffer it; upstairs and basement, rarely
Fridge: wipe up spills, once a year wash everything
Cabinets: once a year, wipe down if I notice something has run down the door
Dust: swiffers are great, about every 2-3 weeks, much less upstairs and basement
Who knew? Who knew so many of us think about this daily? My favorite things in the world are a clean house, clean sheets, and clean windows - but ... there's no set schedule in our house. Thursdays I try to do so much that I crash right after supper, but then the weekends can be free for fun if I got lots done. A cleaning lady helping out monthly is a valuable treasure ~~~ worth every penny!
I'm in the "feels like all I do is clean" category when at home. Dusting / vacuuming get done more often than the rest since I can watch t.v. :)
Floors get swiffer-mopped all the time - does that count? Most of the time all of it gets done once the girls are asleep (ha, they can't mess it up!)
Dad likes the picture of the flowers!
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