A clean house makes a clean mind. I’m not sure if that’s the saying, but you know what I mean. I’m not a very tidy person. Maybe that’s the creative in me. I flit from one thing to another and then back and forth several times. Things rarely get finished in one go as my brain is always drifting off to other tasks. This extends to chores as well.
Since having children the mess has gotten somewhat out of hand. I’ve never been very good at tidying as I go, frequently walking past the ‘stair pile of doom’ (which lets be honest is a safety hazard!) or leaving my nighttime water glass on the bedside table… but there’s always something else in my hands… normally a small child.
So I need a solution. A plan. What are the things I absolutely need to do every day to keep things neat, tidy and clean. What can I leave for once a week and what about fortnightly? Because once everything is tidy, away and freshly hoovered my mind feels calmer, less cluttered and more ready to focus on a single task. Which is why to get onto the task of making everything tidy I went online to check out Wired Smart and the various robot vacuum cleaners they had along with reviews to buy the right one for my house.
We have a fairly large dog who malts constantly all year round. It is ridiculous so vacuuming and using a mop to get shiny tiles is absolute priority for us, over everything else. But it was driving me mad. So time consuming; getting the vacuum out, unravelling the cable, plugging in, switching on then doing that all in reverse to get it to a different room and don’t get me started on the stairs! Trying to manoeuvre the beast around the pile of doom was getting ludicrous.
So two weeks ago I went vacuum cleaner shopping and I bought my very first Dyson. I don’t want to be over dramatic but it has changed my life! Maybe that is slightly OTT but the difference it has made is invaluable. I went for the cordless V7 Animal. I was so skeptical of wether it would be powerful enough but it’s great. It deals with the dog hair wonderfully, there’s no plugging and unplugging. I pop the main body out and plug the animal attachment straight into the main motor and the stairs are done in a second. The kids often have snacks in the lounge (lazy parenting 101) and I had this naff little handheld to clear up all their bits which just wasn’t any good but this? You’d never know they’d even been there.
So what about everything else? I’ve had a bit of mooch about the internet to see what folks generally recommend you need to do and put my own handy pin together for you of the rules I’m going to start following. Have I missed anything? Or would you do anything more frequently than I’ve suggested?
The next step is to decide whether to go really hardcore and make myself a weekly rota of what to do. Do you do that? And do you stick to it? Please can you tell me how to become a domestic goddess. Thanks in advance.
{PIN HOW TO KEEP ON TOP OF YOUR CHORES}
Header image taken from Rebecca’s amazing utility room make over!
Oh Becky I could weep, this is perfect (I love a household chores post). My house is an absolute tip and I cannot keep on top of it! There’s only three of us and a cat.
I mean, I go to other people’s houses and I see how clean their skirting boards are… Who has the time to clean their skirting boards? Everybody but me apparently.
I completely agree that a Dyson is life changing, even though I’m still on an old City Dyson from when I had a tiny house, it’s little enough to hide in a corner and have a quick whip round every day – The dream is a cordless!
But anyway, I’m actually gushing. That list is 👌👌👌 I’m going to print it out and live by it.
Karen I always think the same! I always dread an impromptu neighbour visit but it can be impossible to keep on top of everything sometimes can’t it? The cordless is worth the investment… I hoover my sofas and everything now 😂 x
Have you heard of the organised mum method? Google it!
The idea being there’s some level one jobs that must be done each day then each day you do a separate room/area in more detail. (Level 2)
With two under three and one bedroom being stripped out I just can’t keep up with it at the moment but the idea is useful and there’s a Facebook group where people share motivation and cleaning tips. (Oh I’m so old and rock and roll!!!)
I’ve also just bought a spray mop, complete game changer. At the end of the day I can’t be bothered to get a mop and bucket out but the spray mop with a machine washable microfibre head can be whipped round in seconds. My floor has been mopped twice this week. It doesn’t know what’s hit it!
I try not to stres about the chores and remember the kids are only little once etc and won’t be impressed by a tidy house but I do need a certain level of clean in the main ‘traffic areas’ to stay sane!
Oh this sounds good! I’ll be googling ASAP! I have a spray mop too. So good aren’t they and so much easier to store as well! X
I have just googled spray mop and now cannot wait to get one for all the wooden/laminate floors in my new house!!
Yes!!!! The Organised Mum Method is amazing. You can tweak it a bit to suit you too xx
Hi Becky, have you heard of The Organised Mum Method? Gemma has a FB Page. The idea is that you Bootcamp your house and from then on you should be able to spend 30 mins a day and keep it clean and tidy. It’s all about making it manageable. It’s definitely worth a read.
Love the sound of this Kate. I’m definitely going to have a look 🙂
We bought a cordless Dyson at the tail end of last year and agree it’s life changing! 🙌🏼
I’m the opposite when it comes to tidying / cleaning. A total neat freak. I wish I didn’t stress about dusty skirting boards and the like but I do, I could even be found down on my hands and knees cleaning them when I was heavily pregnant / post c-section.
It’s deffo a personality thing because I have 2 sisters who were brought up in the same house as me and neither of them are as militant about cleaning as I am 🙈
I’m so impressed and jealous that you can get away with a load of washing every other day! Maybe it’s the sports kit but if I miss a day I am in real trouble and it all builds up.
We always have a frantic clean up if important visitors like my mum are coming but she always finds something- cobwebs behind picture frames or grime under the fridge.
My pro tip is to have one area and the bathroom ready for terrifying neighbour drop ins- our dining room is almost always pretty ok- and hide the ongoing battle against toys, clothes, books, whatever…
I like the idea of always having a neighbour proof area 🙂 And I try one load every other day but find that over the weekend I often do three, sometimes four loads!… Where does it all come from?!
Just chiming in to say that I’ve started doing The Organised Mum Method too and yep, life changing. Although I only give myself 20mins a day as opposed to the recommended 30mins. My house is actually pretty much always clean now (never thought I’d be saying that).
And I recently bought the cordless shark hoover. It’s anazing how much having to plug in a hoover bothered me before. Now I think nothing of a quick whip around with the shark ☺️
Heard good things about Shark! I can’t believe how much easier it is without the cable. I’m definitely going to have to get into this Organised Mum Method aren’t I!
I was going to comment and ask if anyone had a shark hoover, my husband has been in charge of the new hoover research before we buy one and this is the one he is wanting us to go for. Would you recommend?
Highly Izzie! I am in love!
But invest in the one with the double battery. They last about 45 mins a piece (standard for cordless hoovers I think), so it’s nice to have another one to switch out if you’re doing a deep clean (or realistically like me, you forget to charge the one in the hoover!).
In agreement with all those supporting Gemma of the Organised Mum Method!! I have a dog and 2 children (1 & 4) and recently went back to work part time! The organised Mum method has saved my sanity! I have adapted it slightly to suit my days at home and combine the Hall with the lounge as we only have a small hall. My mind is clearer and I don’t get annoyed come the weekend that I have the whole house to do! Even my husband has commented on how much more relaxed I am about the housework!!! Can’t beat the Dyson!! Xx
Alex you sound in a similar life stage to me. I’m definitely going to have a look and see if I can adapt it to my days ‘off’ as well 🙂 x
You’ll never look back Becky! Xx
We’ve got the our home app I gives each task points so now husband and I have a weekly competition! We have lads fewer arguments and it makes it easier to keep on top of things.
Vacuum wise we no longer are part of the Dyson posse. After his stance on brexit and then shifting production to the far East we didn’t feel comfortable buying one. So after much research we went for a shark vacuum. Half the price and just as good! We’ve got a very hairy Sprollie dog and so far it’s doing well!
Haha I like the idea of making it a competition! Will check the app out 🙂
I too was really disappointed with James Dyson’s brexit views. I already had bought a Dyson before but agree it would put me off buying another – good to know the Sharks are just as good!
I didn’t know about the Brexit nonsense with Dyson to be honest! My mum has the cordless Dyson and I just find it uncomfortable to use and doesn’t last a charge too long. I have the Shark too and it’s incredible.
This morning I got back from sorting the animals out in the snow and am already late starting work and the house looks like a bomb has gone off and I just can’t switch my head to work when I know that every single room is littered with stuff. I was in London yesterday and my husband seems to think that he does O so much. We both work from home and he can happily get to the end of the day without going near the dish washer, I have to nag so much and then he gets annoyed that I’m nagging! Any tips on how to get a husband to do his fair share of the chores?
Oh Jess, I would also love to know how to get my husband to do his fair share of chores! He just doesn’t seem to notice the mess like I do. He just says ridiculous things like ‘I’m not very good at knowing what needs doing’…… Grrrrrr!!!! If anyone has any tips for husband management, I would love to know!
Ah Jess it’s so tough isn’t it. Have you tried assigning specific jobs? For example in our house, Anthony always sorts the dishes after dinner and certainly before we go to bed so that when I get up in the morning and have to sort the boys I know that I can walk in to the kitchen without wanting to throw everything out of the window. The app that Claire Mc mentions above might be worth a try too? If he likes a bit of competition x
Jess, this Organised Mum method thing that a few of us are banging on about has printouts of what needs done each day (I do about 20 mins). I have toyed with printing them out, pinning them up in the utility and splitting the days between us. Then it’s clear not only who’s doing what, but when. There’s a definite imbalance in our house, so like you, I’m up for ideas!
I got half way through your article and said out loud “you need a cordless dyson”! I got one last year and like you my V6 has changed my life. My other life changing tip is to get a cleaner! I know… not particularly frugal, but we have a lady who comes once a fortnight for a couple of hours to do the big things (hoover & mop all floors, clean 2x bathrooms and dust). £60 a month well spent! It means that my bathrooms are never more than a fortnight away from a deep clean (wiping quickly with baby wipes doesn’t really count!) and I always feel comfortable to have visitors. The cleaner doesn’t touch the kitchen (other than the mopping), but I have a rule to wipe surfaces down before bed anyway.
I also aim to have 1 load of washing in the machine and 1 drying every day. If I stick to that pattern then generally we keep on top of it. I don’t do ironing, so that helps too!
Sara I have talked endlessly about getting a cleaner. I think I should just do it and I like the idea of a fortnightly visit just to get all those important jobs done that can be left a little bit longer. I hear a lot of them change the beds and will do ironing as well! I was having the chat with Anthony this morning and he said he is going to try and find us a washing lady… Does such a thing exist? He doesn’t think the cleaning is the issue… he thinks it’s the washing that seems to take forever. He wants someone to come and collect it, wash it, iron it and bring it back. I have to admit… Sounds pretty flippin amazing!
My cleaner offered to do ironing and change bed linen, but I decided to have her focus on other areas that never seemed to get done. Washing to me is an inevitable necessity… whereas dusting isn’t! My friend has a lady who picks up her washing then brings it back washed, ironed and neatly folder or on hangers which sounds amazing!
Oh- and my husband didn’t think we needed a cleaner, mainly because I was doing most of the housework. We had a long chat where I told him I was at breaking point with a full time job, 2 kids and a house to keep clean/organised and off the back of that we decided to get a cleaner on a trial basis. 6 months on, we’re now at a stage where I don’t know how we coped without her. I look forward to cleaning day and coming home to a clean smelling house, plus my other half has a happier, calmer wife to boot! x
We have a fortnightly cleaner for a couple of hours too! She does all the bathrooms properly and the floors mopped and ‘deep’ hoovered! They also clean all the appliances and in and under the sofa cushions! I’m off to look at this ‘method’ you guys are chatting about… I always get stressed because of mess!
Another member of the cordless Dyson fan club here! We bought a V7 animal last year to deal with the cats fluff everywhere and it’s genuinely life changing.
The floors are spotless but the rest of the house is less so… No children to blame but two cats and a boyfriend who forgets he’s no longer a student!! I had to laugh at that list as most of these tasks would move at least one time category further up if not more in our house. We’ve talked about getting a cleaner but it feels too extravagant as only a couple not a family.
I know plenty of couples who have cleaners Becca… Anything to make life easier right? That applies to those with and without children in my book!x
Another fan of the cordless Dyson! Makes it so much easier to just have a quick whip round. I do go through periods of getting stressy about housework and how much I do vs my boyfriend. We both work full time, he commutes for 1.5 hours a day and we also want to fit in exercise and eating healthily. We run the washing machine at least once a day and that’s just for two of us, god help us when we have kids! We have considered getting a cleaner, I’m thinking maybe every other week to do the bigger jobs like mopping. I bloody hate mopping.
pfffft I hate mopping too Bunny! Especially this time of year as we have continual muddy paws to content with too. I got a spray mop for every/every other day washing over and then use the big mop once a week but I actually think the spray mop does a better job! x
Me too on the mop hate. It’s the bucket and the water and all that nonsense. I recently started using Method direct spray and a microfibre mop. It has definitely made the mopping dramatically easier. And I do like that I can just chuck the mop head in the wash.
I also came on to say The Organised Mum Method – I haven’t got on with starting it because I work full time and haven’t worked out how to fit it in yet, but it sounds like a great idea … but also because her Instagram stories are hilarious!!!!!!
A spray mop has made a difference to how clean our kitchen floor is though!!!!
Can anyone recommend a particular brand of spray mops? I’ve gone for Amtico throughout the ground floor of my new house which I love but it’s a big area to mop!
Can anyone recommend a particularly good spray mop please? I’ve never heard of then before reading this but now feel I definitely need one in my life! Thanks
Vileda 1-2 spray mop
I am googling this Organised Mum Method immediately!!!! We have a cleaner once a fortnight, which started once our first child arrived as I completely ran out of time to do anything more thorough than a quick wipe or whizz round with the hoover. She is amazing, it is so lovely knowing that the bathroom is done and the floors and surfaces are clean (she also does our skirting boards :)). The rest I try to keep on top of as best as I can but with a toddler and husband habitually dumping things/spilling things everywhere I can’t say I do a great job. Plus the piles of stuff that just mount up everywhere! I have to say my husband is amazing though, he has always done all the washing, and irons all his own things and quite often our daughter’s stuff too. I adore these RMS posts I must say, thanks as always!!!
Oh how I love a chores post, ha! We have wooden floors in most of the downstairs. I only own a steam mop for the tiled kitchen floor so cleaning the wood floors is a hands and knees job, which is why it doesn’t get done very often! Any tips on how to clean wood floors quickly – do I need a spray mop?! Xx
Method wooden floor cleaner and a microfibre mop thing that you can pop in the wash afterwards – transformative!!
Annie, is that the stuff that smells like almonds?? I think I already have some of that! Good idea to get a microfibre mop to use with it, thanks!
Yes!! Much prefer almonds to an overwhelming smell of bleach 🙂
Hubbie and I do 20mins a day while dinner is in the oven and it’s really helped us keep on top of everything (and stop arguments). Having clean floors makes the rest of the house seem much cleaner, so the hoover is out everyday some of the rooms. Growing up my mother always spent half of Saturday cleaning – that would drive me mad!
One big ‘tip’ is that there are 2 adults living in the house, so both should be equally doing their share. I’m disappointed by the number of comments where it seems the females do the majority of the housework. None of us were brought up to wait on husbands!!
Hi everyone, Gemma here (creator of The Organised Mum Method blushing at all the love! Thank you for all your lovely comments ❤️
Useful post as always! I don’t really know whether this would be possible/feasible but it would be so useful to have that pinnable list changeable so people could amend as suits them!
Oh wow, there are so many things on that chart that I … ehm…never or hardly ever do O.O I’ll definitely save it and try to do better! I really love having gotten a cleaning lady though. There’s nothing better than coming home to a clean home! And it got me to tidy up the evening before she comes! Oh and I love our new Dyson too. It definitely is a game changer!
Haha don’t worry, I felt the same! Hoovering every day and emptying bins and wiping sinks every second?! Definitely not happening in this house, and that was before the baby arrived! 😂 At the moment we have a cleaner coming every week, it was supposed to be a temporary thing for the first few months with our wee one, but he’s 11 weeks and I’m already trying to convince husband it’s worth £20 a week (or at least a fortnight) forever more!
I’ve got a G tech and it’s so much quicker for me as have 2 children at home and 2 westies. Also we we renovated our family bathroom last year I moved my washing machine and tumble dryer upstairs, it has made life so much easier it hardly ever builds up now 👍 I wash hang out upstairs ( in daughters bedroom who’s at uni) tumble dry other stuff and iron up there and put away straight away 👍 it might look like widow twankys’ up there but nobody sees it! 😊
Don’t know if this has been mentioned but when I went back to work after mat leave we got a cleaner. It was my bargaining for going back full time. OMG. Best money we spend every month. They come fortnightly and it’s unbeliveable the difference. Obviously there’s still stuff to do, but it really takes the pressure off.
I’m naturally a messy person, but it makes me tidier because I know there are people in my house every other week 😂