Keeping House Clean with No Time.

I just started Flylady.com and ended up buying her books since I didn't have time to read all the e-mail suggestions as they came.
The reason I like her philosophy is that she is so suportive. She gives you babysteps to work towards getting out of the mess that has accumilated.
It doesn't happen overnight but she gives good habits to try that will make you feel like you are on the right path.
Try it out - it is free to join.

Every object in my house has a "home" and if I see anything that is not in its home, I return it immediately (e.g. dirty dishes go in the dishwasher, dirty clothes go in the hamper, all toys go into the toy bins at the end of the day).

If there is a chore that you put off, figure out why and try to make it easier. For example, papers that needed to be filed would always pile up because I hated filing them. So I stopped. Now I only file the really important papers. Everything else goes into a ziploc bag with the year written on it (e.g. utility bills, bank statements). When one bag gets full, I mark the end date and start another. Just an example.

Also, try to make things simple. If you hate dusting, get rid of all the knick knacks. In general, if you don't use something, get rid of it. Less stuff means less cleaning.

I also try to do one load of laundry per day.

And finally, two days per week my husband takes my daughter out of the house for a couple hours so I can clean in peace. That's when I mop the floor and clean the bathrooms, etc. But I continue to spot-clean throughout the week. If I notice the toilet is dirty, I clean it. If the floor needs vacuuming, I do it. Also, try to keep the cleaning supplies as close to the spot you use them as possible, even if you have to buy multiple sets of cleaning supplies.

Hi K.,

I am right there with you. I am a 48 year old grandmother with custody of my 3 grandchildren. I work full time and know exactly how frazzled you feel. I am sorry to say that I do not have any suggestions, other than hiring a housekeeper, which you probably cannot afford. I know, I can't.

I just try to keep up with the dishes, laundry and bathroom. I run the sweeper as often as I can, but not like I used to. The only way I get anything done, is if I can get someone to take the kids for a couple of hours. But, even with that, they get home and everything is cluttered again. Mine are 2, 6 & 8.

You should not stress about it. Do what you can and get to the rest as you need to.

Good Luck!

Hi K.,

I completely relate to what you are saying. Nearly a year ago I finally hired a cleaning service. Most of them will do a free estimate on your house, and you have the option to have it cleaned weekly, twice a month, or monthly. Most of them will bring their own cleaning supplies and vacumm cleaner. I am a SHM, but I work part-time out of my house. For me it is way more cost effective to not have to clean my own house. With doing my part time business and keeping up after an active 2 year old, I'm alrealy frazzled enough and the last thing I want to do or have time for is house cleaning. They do the deep cleaning that I would never be able to get to. Believe me, having a cleaning service is worth every penny!

J.

I'm struggling with the same thing. I just have to make sure I clean up the little messes every day so they do not become a big mess to deal with on the weekend. I do have a tip for the bathroom. Keep a tub of Clorox wipes in every bathroom and wipe down the vanity and toilet every day. It takes about 30 seconds and saves you some major scrubbing later on. Good luck!

I would pick one day a week for deep-cleaning and washing clothes. And baskets come in handy. I have a wicker baskets that I can throw things that don't belong in living areas in to make the house look tidy. Don't beat youreself up it's only 24 hours in a day and you have a home not a museum.

I totally hear you! I have two kids, 15 months apart, that are 5 and almost 4. I am a real estate investor, so I'm always on the phone with my realtor, looking at houses 3 times a week, and working at houses that I've invested in and getting ready to resell. It seems like when we're home, I do a little work, like make calls or work on the computer, and I turn around and my house looks like we just had a preschool playdate! I am finding that my best sources are the kids. They're old enough now that they can go through and pick up all their toys. Plus, when they pick up and clean their rooms, I give them an allowance. As far as the general house cleaning goes, I'm finding that if I just put about 15 minutes into it whenever I get a free second, it's easier to keep up on. I just do little things at a time, dust the livingroom one time, then one bathroom the next....Also, I bought clorox wipes and put one in my kitchen and each of my bathrooms. They're so handy! While I'm brushing my teeth or whatever, I just wipe off the counters, mirrors, and back of the toilet. It really makes it a lot easier because you're not having to go grab a bunch of cleaners. I am also responsible for all of the outdoor work. My husband helps sometimes, but he owns his own business and is working about 60-70 hours a week....so, I am trying to fit that in there somewhere too! I finally talked with him about how busy my responsibilities are making me, and we've decided that on the weekends, we will make sure all of the outside work gets done. I told him that I can get everything done, but in order to do so, I'd have to be going nonstop all day everyday, and it's not fair to me or the kids to have to do that. So, I don't know if that helps or not, but I think if we realize that we just can't do everything, and ask for help, it makes a big difference. Taking care of two small children is hard, it's a lot of work, and when you add a full time job on top of that, you've got the equivalent of 2 or 3 jobs. Don't let everything overwhelm you, and just take one day at a time and one task at a time.

Oh! One more thing, I have started doing laundry twice a week too, which makes it seem like less of a task!

K.,

I work Full Time and have a 2 y/o and a 11 week old. I'm a freak about a clean house and am bothered by any mess. Here's what I've found that works for our house:

1 - I absolutely do one load of laundry a day. I put it in the washer before I leave and do the rest in the evening. That way I don't have 10 loads of laundry waiting for me on the weekends or clothes spilling out of the hampers (I HATE THAT)

2 - After some research, I bought a Roomba vacuum. I set "Roombie" in the morning and when I come home he's back in his charger with the floor vacuumed clean.

3 - After my older son goes to bed (8:30pm), I go to my husband and I say. "Ok, do you want to take Ryan or (insert chore here)?" OR, I'll say, "I'll give Ryan a bath but could you please (insert chore here)" My DH is a little intimidated with bathing the 11 week old.

4 - After Ryan goes to bed (about 9pm or so), it's time to relax and watch some TV. We DVR just about everything. Instead of fast forwarding the commercials, I get up and do something (pick up toys), put away laundry, clean up the kitchen...etc.

5 - I live close enough to work that if it was a rough night the night before I head home and power-clean for 20 minutes or so during lunch. It's AMAZING how much can get done when I'm by myself.

Just some ideas. We have a landscaper cut our grass ($30/week) and it is the best $ spent (according to my husband). It takes them 15 minutes to do what would take us a couple of hours. Now that the summer is gone, I am considering a cleaning-service every other week to do the things I hate...dusting fans, cleaning blinds and SCRUBBING the tubs. We'll see.

Good luck.

T.

Have your children help you out....Also come joing us on this chat it might help you out.... http://www.a-mommys-world.com/chat.php

We hired a bi-weekly cleaning service. It's worth every penny, in my opinion because it is one less thing that I stress over.

Hi K.!

My 2 children, Rick & Angie are 15 months apart. Hello! The most important advice I can give you about how and when; etc. to keep to home clean with taking care of our babies and our c
children + hundreds of other things, at the same time, it always seems is this advice: Get your children on a regular nap and bedtime schedule and stick to it, no matter what, where or why!

When they take their nap(s), then work, work and work more on your home.

When they are playing together in playpen, in fenced-in yard, in same room where you can work, work some, also, on your home, as time and as they permit.

Most importantly: get your sleep and rest!!!!! I was incredibly blessed that my Mom took my 2 babies every Friday so I could go grocery shopping, clean my entire home and MORE!!! Worked like a charm. Mom even prepared a lovely, family mean for all of us when I returned to pick up Rick and Angie. My husband joined us over at Mom's, too, + my siblings who still lived at home and my Daddy was often there, too.

Those were the days, K.!! Wouldn't trade them for millions of dollars!!!!! Our babies, kids of ALL ages are priceless, precious and incredible.

Hope some of this advice helps you in some way(s). If your Mom does not live in same town where you live, then trade time with a close girlfriend who also has little ones/children and/or of whatever ages and help each other. I also did this and it worked, GREAT@@@

Sincerely,
L. G.

Here is what I do....I call in help! It is worth it to me to call who I highly recommend, Hollie~! It is worth a little bit of cash to ease my mind....then with her help, I am not SO far behind that I cannot catch up! Tell her you heard about her from A. on this website. Everyone that I have referred her to really loves her and trusts her. You will too!! ###-###-####....she has pretty good availablity right now~! Big or little jobs!

Good luck,
A.

K.,
i am a single mother of only one two and a half year old. i work full time, try to keep my house clean, try to stay on top of erronds, grocery store, family, friends, and most importantly, time with my babydoll. i know how you feel! the only thing that works for me, (mind you, the cleaning never stops when kids are present) is making sure my daughter has a set bed time. for a little while, that was a ginormous issue (after she started going to a now ex-babysitter). her bedtime is 8:00. after she goes to bed, each night a try to get a couple of tasks done, then sit down for "me time". there is no possible way to save all the cleaning for the weekend as that's when we have to do erronds, or if we do stay home, it will be a wreck any way. i have started telling my daughter that she has to put some toys away before she moves on to another toy or activity. (i threaten her with getting rid of or throwing away her toys if she doesn't :) - works every time :) also, for me, it's difficult to clean because if i'm separting laundry, she's putting something in the dryer, or standing on the piles of clothes. if i'm doing dishes, she wants to put clean dishes in the dirty water or pull up a chair to "watch" or make a watery mess really :) if i'm folding laundry, she wants to put on the clothes. if i'm cleaning the bathroom, she's playing in the sink. i don't want to always tell her no and i like for her to have fun. i just find ways of working around it by telling her which clothes to give me for the washer, or i'll give her some dishes and tell her to cook for me, etc. it is exausting, but that's motherhood i suppose. so, in short, i suppose my "solution" is to make fun ways for your kids to help you or make sure they go to bed each night at a decent hour so you can get a few things done before relaxing and sleeping. good luck to you!

Have you tried FlyLady? She seems to do wonders for lots of moms!!! You don't have to do it exactly like her...just tweak it to suit your needs!

I second flylady.com
I would take her with a grain of salt, but she is good for getting routines established. Basically, she had "rules" for things you get in the habit of doing each day- like making your bed, swishing the scrubber in the toilet, cleaning your sink each night, etc.
Once you actually get into the habit of those little things, you start to form other habits- like since your sink is clean, you want to declutter your countertops, etc etc.

Setting a timer works well for me too. I will give myself 10 minutes or so to get done everything I can in the kitchen, etc.

I am lucky because I have a nanny and she does some light housework such as laundry, dishes and sweeping the floor. I try to keep my bedroom tidy, so I put everything away every morning as I dress. The bathroom I clean while doing my teeth each day. The kitchen I clean just before I go to bed and I run around and put all the toys in a toy box - baby is too small to put away her toys. Apart from that, I let the dust go and only dust once in a while - more dust will be coming. Once in a while maybe every two months, I get a cleaning service in to do everything from top to bottom. But I try not to stress about it as they won't put on my gravestone "dearly beloved by her swifter" - so I rather spend time with sweetie than the swifter. I find if the place doesn't get too messy, then it can be under control. I also do the mail every day as it comes in and pay the bills on line as they come in.