SAHMs: When do you clean your house?

[ourbabygirl]

Just wondering if you do it bit by bit throughout the day, in the evening after your DC are in bed, only on weekends when your spouse is around and they can watch the kids....
Especially if you have a baby and a toddler, how & when do you do it? DD is 2 and really isn't able to help me clean (makes messes throughout the day, too), and I'm currently using her afternoon nap time to nap since I'm up throughout the night with our 1 month old. I'm really not in the mood to clean at night after she's in bed because I'd rather veg. out & decompress, but I'm also not amped to clean on the weekends! ;)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[SnuggleBuggles]

In the evening when dh gets home and he is either on cleaning or childcare duty. I also just work bits and pieces here and there when the kiddos are happy doing other things.

Beth

[Smillow]

When the planets align...

DH is away every single weekend so it gets done (or not :bag ) in bits and pieces and never all at once.

[HIU8]

Daily cleaning is done throughout the day (beds and bathrooms in the morning, kitchen after each meal etc....). We pick up toys throughout the day and at night everything is put away before the kids go to bed. I wash the floors as needed (means usually every other day) and vaccuum as needed or once a week. I dust etc... once or twice a month (by this I mean the big major cleaning that takes 5 hours to accomplish). I do this starting on a Friday night and into Saturday morning.

[Raidra]

We have Latin class at our house every Monday morning, so we tidy up over the weekend and I do the finishing touches Monday morning. That's the only time my house is spotless. :) The rest of the week involves tidying up here and there, but nothing major. I have zero energy these days and cleaning is last on my list of things to do.

I use naptimes either for doing things with my bigger kids or for me-time. I usually have some involved project going on.. it was just creating tons of decorations for Colwyn's Harry Potter birthday party. Right now, I'm on a writing kick and trying to get as much done as possible this month. In December, I'll be working on homemade gifts. Getting that stuff done during naptime, doing something I really enjoy, helps me deal with the exhaustion of being with the kids all day and Niall all night.

[TwinFoxes]

Well, Heather puts me to shame...cleaning floors is an every other day chore?? Wow! :bag

Anyway, I clean the kitchen while the girls eat breakfast, so I can get their breakfast dishes in the DW. When they nap I clean various things, bathrooms, their playroom, I declutter various holding areas. DH cleans a lot on the weekends. It's a never ending process. I've recently hired a housekeeper, which should hopefully take some pressure off.

[sarahsthreads]

Never? Always? Depends on the day and what needs doing!

It gets easier. Really, it does - the kids go through phases when they get older where they actually want to (and can) be helpful. These phases, unfortunately, seem to be bracketed by phases where they whine and tantrum if you ask them to pick up their toys. ;) But a 2 year old (with supervision, of course) can help unload the silverware from the dishwasher, help wash and dry the table, use a feather duster (not terribly effectively, but it keeps them occupied and at least bits and pieces of the room are less dusty), etc. If you involve her in your chores starting now it gets easier to keep her involved as she gets bigger.

We try to do a big clean on Sundays - which more often than not involves me cleaning while DH tries to keep the kids from following behind and making more messes - and focus on keeping the kitchen clean all week long. As far as the rest of the house during the week: the toys get picked up enough to not be a tripping hazard, beds *might* get made if there's a spare few minutes in the morning, laundry gets washed and dried and *maybe* folded.

I save naptime for me, because I've found if I don't take that time for myself I am not the most pleasant mom for the rest of the day. If I *want* to clean during naptime I will, but more often I watch TV and knit, or work on some project that I need a dedicated chunk of time to do. (Sometimes that project is cleaning out my closet or sorting through outgrown kids clothes!)

I have the most messy house of anyone I know, but it's not dirty - just cluttered - and while I'd love to live in a spotless house, when I've tried to make an effort to keep things neater and picked up more, everybody (especially me) gets grumpy about it. We just don't invite people over too late in the week. ;)

Sarah :)

[elliput]

Never? Always? Depends on the day and what needs doing!
:yeahthat: Heck, I even break up chores in to little bits in order to get stuff done.

[LexyLou]

I think the better question is, when am I not cleaning my house? Seriously, I feel like all ever do is clean. It starts with making beds when everyone gets up, cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast, coming home in the afternoon and cleaning a bathroom or two, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming when children are awake. In the evening I clean up the kitchen after dinner, maybe mop, put toys away, etc, do laundry...it's never ending!

[jjjo1112]

I do what I can during the day but if we have to get to preschool and have playdates or classes and stay out til naptime-the breakfast stuff might get left out, pjs thrown on the floor and tv left on :) Once I get home I take 10 minutes when everyone goes down for a nap to pick up breakfast/toys and then I take the rest of nap time to relax or nap or have me-time. The majority of the cleaning gets done when the kids are in bed and DH/I both tackle it together. I need nap time to recharge for the afternoon and would be miserable if I had to use it to clean. On the days I'm home (which is rare, maybe 1x week), I do more in terms of cleaning/laundry. DH and I are on the same page that it's more important to be focused on the kids and getting them out for social interaction and to experience all life has to offer :)

[brittone2]

I try to do a bit throughout the day, but if it doesn't get done then DH and I work together in the evenings. If I'm getting DD to bed he'll vacuum with DS2 in the sling and clean up the kitchen (which usually gets DS2 to fall asleep at the same time). If we need to catch up we do it on weekends when there are 2 of us.

We are getting ready to move again, and have boxes to pack, Christmas and bdays to prepare for, will have a realtor showing our rental to potential tenants, etc. so I wanted a new system. I've been trying Motivated Moms and DH and I really like it so far. This is only the 2nd week I'm using it, but it was only 2 bucks to try until the end of the year. It gives you daily chores to do and breaks the bigger tasks into small daily tasks (so if you need to clean the fridge one week it gives you "wipe off top shelf" one day, then "wipe off middle shelf" another day. I like that :) because sometimes I put off doing something since I can't do it 100 percent before DS2 needs a nap or the other kids need me, kwim? It is 8 bucks for the full year, so I thought I'd try it until the end of the year for 2 bucks and then decide if we want to continue in the New Year.

I could make up a system like that, but seriously, it has been really nice to have the list. I've been doing okay with keeping up with it even with three kids and HSing. I don't do every thing on the list because I really don't care about a few items on it. But overall I'm finding it helpful. DH insists he really likes it because everything is spelled out and he knows what he can do if he has a few extra minutes.

[egoldber]

I've been trying Motivated Moms and DH and I really like it so far. This is only the 2nd week I'm using it, but it was only 2 bucks to try until the end of the year. It gives you daily chores to do and breaks the bigger tasks into small daily tasks (so if you need to clean the fridge one week it gives you "wipe off top shelf" one day, then "wipe off middle shelf" another day. I like that because sometimes I put off doing something since I can't do it 100 percent before DS2 needs a nap or the other kids need me, kwim? It is 8 bucks for the full year, so I thought I'd try it until the end of the year for 2 bucks and then decide if we want to continue in the New Year.

:yeahthat:

When DH was laid off and we dropped our cleaning service, this is what I did. It really helped me to have it all spelled it. I treated her list as a weekly list vs a daily list, and I just did things as I had time.

The thing I missed most about not having a service was that my whole house was never all clean at the same time!

[Melaine]

In the evening when dh gets home and he is either on cleaning or childcare duty. I also just work bits and pieces here and there when the kiddos are happy doing other things.

Beth

:yeahthat: I've learned to adjust my preference of cleaning. For instance, I'd so much rather do a BIG complete house cleaning once a week and get it all done at once. But I've learned to save my sanity, it works better to just do a little daily. I usually manage most of it during the day and sometimes I will do the bathrooms after DH gets home.
There are times when I am really thankful that we have a small house!

[Jenn27]

I do things randomly when they need it and I can. If we are having company, I do a big clean with DH home. Normally, I vacuum the main floor every day (our dog recently went blind and won't venture to the other floors) and the basement and upstairs on once or twice a week. Dusting gets done while DD and I are playing. It sometimes takes all day and happens at least once a week. Bathrooms are usually snuck in during my 'bathroom time' a few times a week. The kitchen I clean up after each meal and sweep/swifter every day when I can, and I do a deep clean once a week either after bedtime or on the weekend when DH can occupy DD. She will also help me clean he toys if she's in a good mood. I don't make beds :)

[fumofu]

At first I let the dishes pile up so DH :heartbeat: can wash them for me when he got home. Now I wash them whenever DS lets me. I do my laundry usually on Fridays. I start out on my own and then have DH take care of DS once he gets home from work. On the weekends I clean the bathrooms and kitchen, DH vacuums while one of us look after the baby.

We'll have to clean more frequently as DS gets older. He rarely can nap without being in contact with me. When he does I usually try to declutter mail and other miscellaneous tasks.

[vejemom]

I'm a neatnik by nature, so it really bothers me not to have the whole house clean at the same time. But I'm slowly getting over it. The house is too big and DD#2 is at an age that I can't leave her on one floor while I do chores on another, KWIM? I do spend most of the time I'm at home working on the main floor of the house, where we spend the most time. DH hasn't been very good at getting on board, making the older kids clean, unfortunately. Just this past week, the exterminator was in the basement spraying. He came up to tell me that someone had left a bag of popcorn in the media room, and that the field mice had been enjoying movie night! We live in the country, so it is almost impossible to totally exclude mice, but sheesh! Pick up after yourselves!

[Seitvonzu]

When do i clean my house? when we are having people over? ;)

not really, but that is the only time i reallyreally feel like the house is "spic and span." if i'm hosting a playdate, or we are having friends for dinner, or if my parents or ILs are visiting (which is at least 4 times a year, seldom in the same month--so that gets me a superdeep clean, as opposed to "normal deep," without thinking 4 times a year, at minimum) when you throw in the nearly monthly playdate (normal deep clean) & random "special" get togethers-- that's a bare minimum of top to bottom clean once a month. some months much much more (holiday months-- we are about to start a run of this-- friends this weekend, inlaws, general holiday readying (i clean before decorating and after), etc)

before kiddo, i would try to clean the whole house on monday morning (to the level of "spic and span")-- so that it would be clean for the week, without ruining dh& my weekends. that was a nice system, and i'll probably go back to that-- when kiddo is in school. of course, then there might be another kiddo, making that system a pipe dream :)

before everyone thinks "ew" on my "once a month figure"--we DO keep up with dishes (i'm insane about not letting dishes sit, i actually feel sick waking up to dishes ....it's veryvery rare in this house, i'd rather stay up all night cleaning up a party than wake up to mess), tidy lu's toys (big job!) and do random chores when lucy is occupied. i agree that more gets done on our "home days" (we call these pj days...so you can imagine , they are rare too!) where we aren't out at a playdate, "preschool," library, playdate, nature tots, errands... that usually gets us to naptime-- can't clean if we aren't home! of course, we aren't messing up the house if we are out...which is nice.sometimes we go out to lunch just to avoid that extra meal prep/clean up *sigh*

our problem is clutter- toys under foot. mail on the counter. i didn't grow up like that, so it bothers me a bit...not enough to get a better system apparently!

oh- one last thing -- nap = me time. sometimes i even nap or just lay down. my child wakes up with the sun, and i am a night owl. something has to give! it used to be my only chance to eat (i have blood sugar issues, must must eat reasonably) and now i typically eat, veg on the computer, knit, etc. my least favorite day is when phone calls have to be made during nap time :(

[♥ms.pacman♥]

When do i clean my house? when we are having people over? ;)


:yeahthat: this is me. i mean, i do basic thngs like rinse dishes and load diswasher, sweep floors, clean high chair etc when DS is watching baby einstein or napping. but as for serious cleaning/decluttering, only when we are having ppl over. it's just too hard plus a waste of time since it gets dirty/cluttered right back again in no time. we're not neat freaks by any stretch. plus, our house is fairly big so that makes it easier for us to be lazy about letting stuff pile up and not cleaning up clutter.

i never put DS's toys away. never. he has a dedicated playroom so there's really no need bc we don't use the room for any other purpose unless we're in there playing with him. i have tried several times to put toys away and clean up, but then as i'm doing that, he takes everything out and undoes why i did in just a few seconds, so there's no use. maybe when he's older to understand teh concept of putting toys away i will teach him.

[ThreeofUs]

When I have a babysitter. It's the only time I can do it without the kids either taking it over (vacuuming), getting into things they shouldn't (bathroom cleaning, even with CHCP safe products), or running around like maniacs.

[Twoboos]

Ummmm.... when the cleaning people come. :bag So every other week.

I try to pick up and do general cleaning (dishes/sweep or vaccum if I'm stepping on stuff/putting away clutter) daily, but since I'm the only one who seems to do it it's kind of pointless.

We do a major declutter/straighten up the day or 2 before our cleaners come.

[lchang25000]

I have a big house and clean it as needed. Sometimes a bathroom here and there. I rarely clean with DS is napping (I like that time to do other things), but usually when DH is home or when DS is watching tv or playing. He likes to follow me around and watch me clean also. I usually don't clean the basement guest bathrooms and bedrooms unless we have guests staying with us. I clean the kitchen daily.