any WOHM NOT have cleaning help?

[knaidel]

I work full time for a government contrIactor. Right now, I telecommute most of the time and go in to the office a few times a month.

to make a long story short.....I currently have a cleaning lady who comes once a week, (3 hours at $12 an hour) but I don't feel like she does such a fabulous job. I would love to get a real "service"--- but those are pricey in my area ($75 per week, at least).

I really want to just go back to cleaning the house myself and save the money for ME! :) I feel like for the half-baked job she does, I could probably do the same...and keep the money! :)

any suggestions for getting into a cleaning routine? Fly lady is way too much for me!

[mommylamb]

We don't have one. I've suggested that we get one, but DH, who does pretty much all the cleaning in our house, doesn't want one. He comes from a very working class background and doesn't feel comfortable with it.

[weech]

We don't have one either. My DH is just cheap :ROTFLMAO: He does most of the cleaning, though. The dishes get done in the evening, we vacuum very rarely, dust like twice a year, etc. Don't follow our plan :)

[misshollygolightly]

We don't have a cleaning lady. Honestly, the most helpful thing is that we have a tiny house (one bathroom!) so it doesn't take terribly long to clean. About once every 7-10 days DH and I work together and spend about an hour or two picking up and cleaning (he vacuums/swiffers the floors, I clean the bathroom and the kitchen counters and the stove, we wipe down the table and try to hit the other key spots). Other than that, we'll do a more thorough cleaning if company is coming to stay or we're having new people over and I want the house to look nice. For that, we try to get the junk mail off the piano and dust it, vacuum the couch cushions, *maybe* clean the mirrored closet doors and windows to get the fingerprints off, dust the shelves, wipe down the kitchen appliances, etc. in addition to the basic stuff. We probably do that once a month. Maybe 3-4x/year we move some of teh furniture around and shampoo the carpets (we have a dog and small kids). Our house isn't superclean most of the time, but it's also not usually too gross. I make our bed daily and we try to pick up all the toys about once a week.

For an hour a week (DH and I working together) I feel like we can keep our little house moderately clean--at least clean enough that I wouldn't be mortified if a good friend stopped by. In addition, I probably spend about 15-20 minutes every day doing little things like cleaning messes in the kitchen, making the bed, straightening stuff, putting away clothes DH leaves out (UGH!).

[sweetsue98]

I clean throughout the week. The bathroom (sink, toilet)gets a quick wiped down 2-3 times per week right before bed. I sweep after dinner. The kids help pick toys up before bed. My bathroom deep cleaning is done 2x per month usually on Saturday while the girls are napping. Other deep cleanings when we have time. I'll be honest, my hardwood floors have not been cleaned in a month just because of time.

[mytwosons]

We don't have one due to cost.

Being on top of picking up saves us. I can clean the house so much faster if things are picked up. I also feel better about sudden drops in if the house is picked up.

[marymoo86]

Unfortunately no - not entirely opposed but DH doesn't think anyone will clean to his expectations (apparently he doesn't meet his own!). We have been in middle remodeling projects so it really hasn't made sense.

Surface cleaning gets done (mostly) but I would really love a top down deep clean.

[wendibird22]

DH and I both WOH FT. We don't have a cleaner.

[peanut520]

We both WOH and don't have one. I just can't justify the cost for a 2400 sq ft house. It is not the easiest to juggle but as pp mentioned it is about staying on top of it or you will spend a weekend morning doing it.

[ckso]

We do surface clean regularly so it doesn't get that dirty. But we do have a cleaning Lady come every 6-8 weeks to do a thorough cleaning. So scrubbing the bathrooms, all the window, dust, vacuum under furniture etc.

Cost us $100 each time but she does a great job and it's manageable. I can do surface clean which doesn't take too long but leave the deep cleaning for the cleaning lady

I can't afford to have her come weekly or even bi monthly either.

[Simon]

We don't have one, but I also wouldn't recommend our standards of cleanliness :ROTFLMAO:
IIWY, I'd look/ask around and find someone better. They are out there, its just a matter of finding them. A great team (not service) works for our neighbor across the street but you can only find them through word of mouth.

[Meatball Mommie]

We don't, but I'd love to have someone come in once a month and do the floors and deep clean the baths/kitchen. We surface clean, but I feel like our house could use a good scrubbing!

I would love, love, love to hire someone to clean our windows, but with the number of windows we have, it would be around $400 probably :( So, they remain dirty for now...

[pantrygirl]

We don't have one. I've suggested that we get one, but DH, who does pretty much all the cleaning in our house, doesn't want one. He comes from a very working class background and doesn't feel comfortable with it.

:yeahthat:

[khalloc]

No cleaning lady here and my house is a mess so I cant help with a cleaning routine. Sorry! Everytime we talk about hiring a cleaning person, DH finds a reason we need to save that money.

[KDsMommy]

I'm a single WOTH mama and do not have cleaning help. I just try to keep things picked up as best as possible, the dishwasher empty, laundry done, beds made, and anything else is a bonus. It's all on me and I don't have a lot of time, although DS now likes to "help" with the vacuuming and mopping. :ROTFLMAO:

[AnnieW625]

We have one come once a month now, but prior to this month she was coming twice. We started having her come in March. We had a cleaner come from Jan., 2007 until DD2 was born, and then did not have one from May, 2010 through Feb., 2012. We pay $85 per visit and she is worth it, and we like more than the old one who at the end was having turnover issues. The cleaner expense is the first to go.

[mmommy]

We have no help. We just live in filth :ROTFLMAO:

[TwoBees]

We don't. We have a cleaning person that we call every so often, usually once a month or once every 6 weeks, to give things like the kitchen and bathrooms a deep clean. But she doesn't come regularly. I wish I could give you some cleaning advice, but I don't have a system, and while our house is not dirty it's not clean either (clutter is mostly the issue).

[JElaineB]

I don't, and frankly my house is a mess. DH basically thinks I'm lazy for wanting to hire a cleaning service, and when I've discussed it with him he gets worked into a frenzy and so angry that I'm even suggesting it that I've given up. My "cleaning routine" if you can call it that is that I do the laundry and clean the toilets and sinks on the weekends, and keep the kitchen relatively clean on a daily basis, but things like dusting, vacuuming, floors get done on pretty much an annual basis, if that. Windows, pretty much never. Yea, it's a sore subject.

[klwa]

We don't have one. I'd LOVE to have help, but I don't trust anyone in the house while I'm not there.

Oh, and our house stays a mess.

[Rarick0]

My husband and I both WOTH fulltime and farm on the side and we don't have any cleaning help. We get by only because our current place is small. We have two big, furry dogs in the house so I vacuum every 2-3 days and wipe down the kitchen/empty dishwasher every night. Toys get picked up every night. I try to do a load or two of laundry most evenings. Dusting and deep cleaning the bathrooms is done on the weekends, about every two weeks. Mopping only happens on weekends too, unless company is coming. It's usually fairly clean, although rarely do I have time to do a really deep cleaning of the whole place.

[knaidel]

My husband and I both WOTH fulltime and farm on the side and we don't have any cleaning help.

You FARM on the side? OMG, and I thought I was busy. it's funny, because my husband is always talking about how much food we can grow in our small backyard, etc.... I always say, "I don't have time to fold the laundry, never mind grow kohlrabi."

thanks everyone for your responses. everyone made me feel better that I definetly have company in terms of not being so on top of cleaning.
now i need to start another thread...."what's your cleaning routine?" :)

[Mamabear4]

We both WOTH full time and don't have a cleaning person. I would LOVE to have one - we NEED to have one!

DH doesn't like the idea of a stranger coming into our house and getting access to it. :rolleye0014:

We have 4000 square feet, two animals and our house is definitely NOT one that you'd be able to eat off the floors (or the counters for that matter, many days). We do the bare minimum to keep it from looking like a complete disaster.

All of what I'm about to type makes my MIL think I'm a complete failure and will make all of you feel better:

Laundry:
Weekends - I start my first load Saturday when the kids wake up - I've found that I can get 1-2 extra loads in if I simply start at 7am.

I don't fold the boys' clothes anymore - lay out and stack nicely (i.e. no wrinkles) their PJ's, underwear, and school shorts & shirts. They are placed into the drawers. Their nicer clothes are hung in the closet, but we're typically only wearing those on weekends, so it's easier to manage.
The boys 'clean' the shower on the weekends when they take a shower with their dad. Their bath hasn't been cleaned in a long time...

Kitchen:
I already feel like I spend all my time in here - getting lunches ready and putting away stuff day's lunch and dinner. I wipe down the counters, but by the end of the week, it still gets very cluttered. Since i don't have to make lunches on Friday nights, I try to get a jump on the straightening of the kitchen that night.

Vacuuming:
DH does this on weekend with kids. We try to wash down our hardwoods every couple weeks (they NEED it every week).

Bathrooms:
Once it gets so disgusting that I can't stand to look at it, I clean them

Master Bedroom/Bath:
Getting the clothes up for laundry day has it looking the best, but by the end of the week, it's a disaster again. We don't make beds - unless there are guests coming. Every 30 seconds counts...

Kids' rooms - We will play the cleanup game one week night per week to try to get their rooms organized. For the most part, they're playing downstairs, though, so it's really just books that are laying around.

Toys: Most nights after the kids are in bed, we'll pick up the toys in our main room and it looks a little better (until the next morning when they're at it again)

When we have guests, it involves at least a 2 day session of deep cleaning. I'm not proud of this.

[bigsis]

We don't have a cleaning lady. If you want to do it yourself, I have 3 words for you: Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance :)

If you spill a drop of milk, wipe it off. Do the dishes once a day---even if the dishwasher is only half full!! I know, it's not eco-friendly, but like I said, maintenance is the word. The laundry is done on Saturdays. I fold while watching TV.

If you get the mail, sort it right away. Purge as much as you can.

Toys need to be put away by the end of the day, or else it'll pile up.

Vacuuming and dusting is done once a month, or less ;)

[HonoluluMom]

I don't have a cleaning person and WOH.

Dishes and tidy up every day.

Laundry on Saturday and Sunday.

Vacuum, dust, and clean the bathrooms and kitchens every Sunday.

[lizzywednesday]

DH and I both work FT.

I WOH twice per week.

I am not a housekeeper; it's hard enough for me to keep up with DD!

Laundry:

DH does his own (personal preference; he also prefers to use scented detergent & I am sensitive/allergic to artificial fragrances) while I'm in charge of DD's and mine.

I try to do laundry for DD at least once a week. Especially now that I try to keep her in cloth undies at home to encourage PT-ing. We also cloth diaper overnight, so that's 2 more loads per week.

I have enough socks & undies that I can go up to 2 weeks without NEEDING to do laundry, though the rest of my wardrobe is so limited I have to do other laundry more frequently.

Clutter:

I need help.

Dust:

Once a season. Dusting aggravates my allergies, though, so I tend to procrastinate on it.

Vacuum:

As rarely as I can get away with it, though I should do it more often.

Mop:

More frequently, as DD is potty training.

Dishes:

Clear up & into the dishwasher on a daily basis.

Toys:

We have an IKEA toybox in the living room with smaller bins inside for things like Thomas trains & tracks, blocks and playsilks and a plain white milk crate from Target that I use to store puzzles. In our bedroom, we have a plastic bin with stuffed toys and a teal colored milk crate where we're storing DD's books (we will need another one soon.)

I also added IKEA mesh lingerie bags to the toybox so I could store DD's lacing bead sets all together.

I like toys that come with their own storage bins, like the B. Toys drum or the set of Duplos DD got for Christmas.

I do not ask for huge monstrosities; I don't have the room for them. My family is mostly

We need to clear out a lot of our junk from other areas in the house; it's tough because the weather has been hot, so we've not been motivated to attack our 3rd floor.

[Nooknookmom]

Never when I worked 50-60 hrs a week in HR and construction mgmt. I handled DD, childcare and cleaning.

Years later when we started our own company, I had a cleaning lady for a while, but I kept coming home and having to re-clean what they missed. Haven't had one since.

[nbarrett78]

I work part time out of home and am enrolled in fulltime graduate studies, have 2 under 4yrs and pregnant with third. We have a cleaner that I would die without, or at least DH would die without. I tried to keep up with it myself but DH and I just fought because I was so overwhelmed and stressed out.
I have gone through multiple blah individual cleaners and finally went with service. I found service through livingsocial or amazonlocal or some other deal site. They do discounted beginning clean. You can call and get quotes for bi-weekly or weekly, whatever you prefer. I did my HW and found reviews on company on website. In ATL, it is Kudzu.com, but other places will have their own like Angieslist. Anyways, find one that has good reviews but is still fair. We have 4bed, 2.5bath and they clean for $100. So is manageable. That said, I am not super picky, and definitely do not go behind people. It is better than I would do, and I leave it at that. My mother is pickier than me and she has been pleased the last couple of times she visited so the cleaners seem better than previous. Really the service was not more than the individuals when you take into account the amount they work, plus it is always a pair of cleaners for me.
So, my vote... shop around and research. You will find someone to be happy with!

[Moneypenny]

We both WOTH and don't have help. Our house is in pretty good shape, and by that I mean I'm not totally embarrassed if someone drops by. I do laundry on weekends, and DH and each do about 10-15 minutes of cleaning a night. I might clean toilets while he dusts or whatever. This means our house is never completely clean all at the same time, but it generally hasn't been more than a week or so since something was done. If we have guests coming over, we do try to fit a whole-house cleaning in at some point before they come.

[mom2binsd]

I'm a single parent and work FT and don't have a cleaning lady..I generally do laundry at night and clean when I get a chance


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[ChefGirl]

I work full time and we don't have any outside services except for pest control and pool guy. I do all the lanudry (washing & folding), all the cleaning around the house, cooking/carry-out, clean after the kids and husband; DH mows the grass. I really do not have any routine per se except I normally mop the kitchen floor once every two weeks and toilets once every two weeks as well. Of course I do the dishes every day....vaccum the rugs once every two weeks. Perhaps a deep clean once every 1.5 to 2 months.....My head is spinning right now.

[mom3boys]

Well, we have one, she comes once every 2 weeks. It sounds like maybe you could just find a cleaning lady that is more thorough but comes a little less often--she might be more expensive each time but have her come less.

Also, personally I like hiring a person rather than a service. I am happy knowing my cleaning lady is personally getting the money I'm giving her, she knows my house now (vs. service might have different people each week) and she actually considers how to clean each surface rather than just putting the same orange cleaner everywhere (my experience with a service).

We pay her $125 each time and she stays for about 5.5 hours. But she does everything. She cleans inside the refrigerator. She straightens up my closet. The first time she came she cleaned the hair out of my hairbrush! (there was a lot). Oh, and she'll watch DS3 for me for 15 minutes while I drive older kids to school.

We need a cleaning lady because it really prevents a lot of fights between myself and DH. It's cheaper than counseling!

[aa2mama]

No cleaning lady here. I would love one, but it's not in the finances. I work fulltime, DH works 60-70hrs/wk. He likes the house very picked up and clean although that does not translate into help from him. More like nagging reminders. Anyhow...

What works for me:

Laundry - I toss one load into the washer as soon as I get home from work and fold it before I go to bed.

Floors - I set my Mint vacuum loose on a different room every night on our hardwood floors. It's not a true vacuum, more like a robo-Swiffer that sweeps and mops. It's not perfect, but it saves a lot of time and sweeping!
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Robotics-Mint-Automatic-4200/dp/B00408PCEW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348089535&sr=8-1&keywords=mint+vacuum

Putting the children to work - My kids are old enough to help out around the house. They have unpaid daily chores and optional paying chores that are conditional on their completing their regular chores first. They pick up their toys, the dinner table, water pets and plants, sort recycling, etc, basically anything I can dream up for them to do:-) Until I put them to work, I was beginning to feel like the household servant.

Home Routines app - Truth be told, I just purchased this and haven't really tested it out but it looks cool!

Saturday morning cartoons - The chores that I can't do during the week or with the children get done while they veg in front of the TV on Saturday mornings. Necessary evil.

My biggest struggle is piles of paper. They're like weeds!

[codex57]

Used to have one, but don't right now. I think we oughta start again.

We just did once a month with a service. I think it was like $120/mo or something like that. Not too bad and they do all the tough stuff so the house isn't super chaotic.

[deborah_r]

We both work full time (and then some) and have no help with cleaning. And it shows. And I'd love to know how to actually have a life and go do something fun on the weekends instead of spending weekends cleaning. :(