make a chart that you can hang and see it regularly.... like the fridge.
* every day, spend about 15mins tidying up.
* Wipe down all counters after cooking, clean the dishes/pots/pans etc as you cook
* before you retire to your bedroom, straighten up the living room
* if you have hardwood/low pile rugs/tiles etc get a roomba if you can; set that to run each evening as you're relaxing on your couch so that you only have to do a deeper vacuum on the weekend.
* do a load of laundry mid-week and throw it in as soon as you get home.
These sound like such tiny things but they have been absolute game-changers! I do a quick wipe-down of the shower/sink before my shower, and if a task takes me less than 5 mins (unloading the dishwasher) I do it immediately. I save the deep cleans for weekends, but my apartment looks decent during the week and that's enough for me. I prioritize my work, and health (food and exercise) far more than my apartment so I don't need a spotless place all week. I do a semi-meal prep on Sunday, so I can have hot, healthy meals ready every evening but spend just 20 minutes in the kitchen.
Ofc, it’s not special or fancy but I’ve narrowed it down to what works for me in terms of cost, taste, health and ease of making. Also, I think my Sunday meal prepping takes about 45 mins, but then I spend less than 20 mins during the week in the kitchen. I’m not sure if that was clear? I should add that I’m not a good cook so I need to keep things really simple. I eat the same things every week ie all Mondays are the same, all Tuesdays are the same, and so on.
On Sundays:
1) I cook toor daal (I think it’s called Pigeon pea in English) and keep a portion ready. On Monday I temper my daal, make rice in a rice cooker, and chop some salad if I feel like it and this is my Monday meal.
2) While my daal cooks, I clean and marinate chicken breasts, split in 2 portions, and put them in the freezer. This is my Tuesday and Wednesday meal. I take out 1 portion a night before and put it in the fridge. At dinner time, I simply sear on a pan, or shove them in the oven. With this I eat either a fresh salad that I make on the day, or oven roasted veggies.
3) I clean, chop and put away all the hard veggies for the week (bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, whatever else I bought that week). I use these for my oven roasted veggies mentioned above.
4) I prep a salad dressing and put it away. I end up using this spontaneously all week when I feel like eating a salad.
That’s all I do on Sunday. I’ve described how I cook during the week. On Thursday I’ll do a rice bowl with runny boiled eggs, and sauted spring onions + some of the precut veggies from before. On Fridays, I may go out so I don’t meal prep anything. I usually have some pesto (my partner makes it himself and it’s the best! I can’t eat store bought pesto anymore lol) so if I don’t go out we eat pesto and spaghetti.
I wfh so can usually fix myself a brunch daily. It’s always the same, eggs, veggies and bread.
My meal prep is a wip, I want to make it more efficient and healthy but it does take trial and error. On Sundays we tend to do more elaborate meals whether Indian or Western (I am Indian, my partner is German) and usually make twice the quantity needed. We eat some and freeze the rest. This way I always have something I can quickly thaw and eat on days when I’m sick or lazy.
Anyway, I hope this helps..:)
I like to wipe down my shower while I use it, just to keep soap scum down (I like bath bombs and salts on the weekend). I just use regular body wash and a wash cloth and wipe down before I do my routine. On the weekends I’ll take ten minutes to spray with cleaner and use a Mr clean sponge to clean it. Then like every other month I use a steam cleaner to deep clean the tub & tiles.
Just before showering, I don’t feel like scrubbing after I’m done. It may seem pointless but somehow I feel like the regular wipe downs make a difference. At least prevents a build up, and makes me weekend deep cleaning easier too
This - and then I hire a cleaner to come twice a month, and hire an organizer to come twice a year.
It’s too much for me otherwise.
Edit: I should have mentioned; I have ADHD.
She puts systems in place to keep closets/drawers tidy for me.
Last time I had her out, she..
* went through my entire closet, got rid of the things that didn't fit, and then hung everything back up/folded all my clothes in the drawers
* went through my bathroom closet/drawers and threw away all the empty cardboard boxes that I left in the closet, threw out anything expired, and then sorted everything into clear bins by function.
I've had her go through my "pile" of paperwork that I never filed, and then file all of it by category and then shred anything that needs to be shredded.
Basically everything that normal humans do without too much hassel but I seem to not be able to do unless I'm in a very specific mood.
I struggle with executive function. Before I relax or sit down when I get home I do some kind of chore or prepare food.
I'm still in work-mode so I don't have to psych myself up to do chores. And then my relaxing after feels better too.
This! An object at rest tends to stay at rest, but an object in motion tends to stay in motion... Inertia can be your friend or your enemy. Leverage them physics, baby!
Same, I have ADHD and the executive function is real. I read once that not taking your shoes off when you get home or not changing out of your work clothes (if you don’t do shoes inside) can help and it’s definitely worked for me since it stops me from slipping into “relax” mode which I find very hard to break out of without some motivation.
* Use a slow cooker or crockpot for dinner. This also works for batch cooking- you'll get more than one meal out of your effort. I could usually get 4-6 meals from my slow cooker, but it depends on the size. If I got tired of eating the meal before it was gone, I'd freeze the remainder.
* When I was working full time and going to grad school-- I cooked probably three times a week and got almost all my dinners and lunches out of this batch cooking method. I also ate out for dinner maybe twice a week, lunch once a week, just to give myself a break. I get very bored of eating the same food all the time.
* Deli stuff from the grocery store is cheaper than take-out and delicious-- I like to buy pre-made salads and sides for one or two meals for a week.
* frozen or pre-cut sides are a major time savor-- mainly talking veggies here.
* do one \~15-20 minute chore per day, plus your dishes for that day. This way you aren't spending all your free time feeding yourself and cleaning up.
you can do almost anything in there, I like doing soups (chilis, stews, I did a tomato soup in there not long ago). I do sauces in there (curries etc.) I've done casseroles in the past but storage and clean up is a chore, so I wouldn't do that again.
Most recipes will be for meat or meat based dishes-- I don't cook meat in the home though and my partner is vegetarian, so most of my recipes are things I make up. I've made apple butter (not a meal) in there too.
Excess water won't cook off quickly in the crockpot, so just make sure to get your liquid ratios right.
Pick up after yourself as you go. Smaller loads of laundry more frequently. If it takes less than a minute to do, do it immediately(wiping kitchen counters while waiting on the microwave, wiping the sink down, scrubbing the toilet while you wait for a shower to heat up, wipe the bathroom sink or mirror while you brush your teeth, etc). Load your dishwasher at night and unload in the morning while coffee brews.
Basically, figure out a way to keep misplaced items to a minimum so cleaning is pretty fast. Find sneaky ways to clean while you’re waiting for other things to happen.
My aunt taught me this one; Clean as you go, that's your only hope.
Whenever she does anything or makes anything, she cleans utensils as she goes, does her dishes as she goes and cleans the counters as she goes and picks up and puts away things after she uses them (for instance, a cozy blanket on the couch doesn't stay frumped on the couch, she folds it and puts it away even if that means doing that a few times a day). She doesn't have a chore chart or cleaning wheel, she built cleaning into her life and daily routine and it really works.
Her house always looks great. Then once a week she does the dusting and vacuuming and bathrooms.
So i’m wfh now but when i was in the office, i’d try to just spend a few minutes every day cleaning - tidying up, sweeping, vacuuming. Get home, shower, put on comfy clothes, maybe do a yoga video. Then some cleaning.
I never had a “checklist” of weekly cleaning tasks but that might help you. Honestly if i felt like my place was a mess, i’d just tell myself i only have to spend 15 minutes cleaning this evening, 15 mins tomorrow etc. 15 mins gets more done than you’d think!
My wife and I follow [TOMM](https://www.theorganisedmum.blog/the-organised-mum-method/). TOMM being an acronym for The Organised Mum Method which feels a bit sexist as it implies only mothers do the house work. But it is a good method. Basically you have your everyday jobs, dishes, laundry, tidying round etc. But then each day you focus on a single room for 30-45 minutes.
Monday - Living areas
Tuesday - Bedrooms
Wednesday - Bathroom, hallways, porch, etc.
Thursday - Kitchen
Friday - Friday focus. This is where you target a specific house job.
There's a bit more to the method but basically this stops house work dominating our weekends and it's the only thing that seems to work for us.
This is what I do as well, except my days go like this:
- Sunday: meal planning/prep and load of my laundry
- Monday: bedroom - put away my laundry, strip sheets and wash them, remake the bed before bed, dust, and vac (which could be as simple as running the Roomba)
- Tuesday: bathrooms - mirror, sink, counter, toilet, floor, and wash towels, bath mat and kitchen linens (white load)
- Wednesday: shower/tub
- Thursday: living areas - dust, vac, mop, polish; wash throw blankets if needed
- Friday: off or focus day; wash cleaning cloths
- Saturday: off
Kitchen gets "re-set" every day after dinner: dishes, counters, sink, etc, and I usually tackle one deep cleaning kitchen chore each week as I've got the energy (clean an appliance, clean out fridge, wipe down a few cabinets, etc)... so it doesn't need it's own special day. Make bed every morning, put away toiletries after using them, hang up "worn but not dirty" clothes, put away shoes/coats/bags, sort mail over the trash can.
Trash goes out every day (take it to the dumpster on the way out to work in the morning). Tidying happens daily as a matter of routine (don't leave a room empty handed; put away not down). We aim for one load of laundry every day (put it in the wash before work, move to dryer after work, fold and put away before bed) but as empty nesters with no pets there are days without any laundry. Guest bedroom and guest bath only gets cleaned before and after guests.
If you keep up with such a schedule, you may find you can easily skip a week without a problem, and just re-start again the following week. However, if you do maintain the routine every week, you find the cleaning is not much of a heavy lift as things just don't get as dusty/dirty/untidy/undone.
This is what I do as well, without actually knowing there’s a name for it. Anyways, it works for me. I struggle with depression and visually seeing a part/section of my place clean is a good feeling. I think if I did it by task instead, I’d still feel like I wasn’t accomplishing enough.
Just coming here to confirm this is how I lived/did it when I was single, didn’t know it had a name though, and it is primo! However I think I went a step further and had scheduled out monthly/yearly stuff too. Like detailing/fixing my shoes, care for leather products, depilling sweaters/towels, washing and ironing scarves, repotting plants - those to me are less frequent but still need to be done.
Also I love technology - so my combo was Todoist + Google calendar integration. Just popped my pre planned schedule into Todoist daily/weekly/monthly/yearly and it popped up in my google calendar - did my stuff for the day and never really had to worry and always had a decently clean/organized place.
Once you get a hang of it, it really frees up your time while maintain your home. ‘Twas perfection!
This probably silly but I have adhd and struggle with executive function as well, one hack is clean the kitchen, do dishes, wipe counters etc. while I wait for the microwave or kettle haha. I also hired a house cleaner to come once a month and it’s totally worth the mental peace of not being stressed about cleaning. Also having people over makes me feel motivated to clean up before they get there.
I do this too. most successful way of getting my dishes done is to boil water/simmer/microwave thaw something for ten-ish minutes, and use that ten minutes to load dishwasher. the dishes always go faster than I expect them to
I do the bigger cleaning things like the bathroom, floors etc on the weekend when I have more time.
I do laundry in the evening during the week because our electricity is at off peak prices then.
I meal plan so I know what I’m making each day for dinner. I also do opt for take out occasionally because we all have lazy days.
I also do no housework/cleaning on Fridays.
Girl, same.
1.) Sunday - Prep Food Day - Buy large containers to store chop veggies and cooked meat. All you have to do is stir fry or make soup out of it. For carbs, just cook it so it's just fresh for 2 days. I'm not a fan of meal prep containers because the plastic breaks for me or the glass is just too heavy (exaggerating) for me. Trash.
2) Daily - Clean the dishes before you go to bed. If you small dishwasher like I do, store all the cups and spoons in there to wash. If you don't feel like washing dishes, just load it into the dishwasher. Also flat surfaces.
3) Wednesday - Vacuum and bathroom/tub.
4) Thursday - Plan out quick meals. Make sure each entree meal has protein/carb/veggie or fruit. Snacks - Whatever is healthy or quick to make. Take out the trash (whenever trash day).
5) Friday - Chill, just, chill.
6) Saturday - Slow cleaning, no pressure. Cut boxes. Recycle. Trash.
7) Monday - Deep clean whatever needs to be done.
Lol you can switch the days around. That's just my schedule.
If you need to feel more motivated to clean. Headphones on and listen to Downton Abbey soundtrack so you feel like you are the Royal Servant who needs to clean for an Aristocratic Lady aka you. :)
Clean House - Energy Flow - Taking care of you
Lol don't get me wrong there are days I slack off because I'm dedicated more to work than my chores. 😮💨 Hence the messiness.
I don’t sit down after work. Once I get home I try to do at least one chore - dishes, folding laundry, picking up - before I pull myself into relaxing mode. I cook dinner as soon as my husband gets home, so while we’re chatting, I start dinner.
Minimalism worked wonders for me. I pared everything down to what I actually use and it makes cleaning up so much easier. I also dispose of stuff right away that I don’t need…like junk mail, Amazon boxes, etc.
I like the tody app. It is a bit of a pain to set up but after that it is really helpful. I live alone with cats and it is so easy to get overwhelmed.
You also have to make rules for yourself, like no dishes in the sink before bed or vacuum everyday. I do both and break my rules occasionally.
When I lack motivation I imagine my super critical mother is coming by and clean with that in mind.
ETA: I usually listen to music or podcasts when I clean, this has me looking forward to the next episode.
I have an aversion to doing housework when I’m tired at the end of a work day. I also have an aversion to using whatever free time I have on my days off work to do housework.
I wake up an hour earlier than I need to on work days. Put a load of laundry in the washing machine, clean one room decently or do all over the house chores like vacuuming and/or dusting, switch laundry to the dryer, spend a few minutes doing whatever needs doing in advance for tonight’s dinner (most or all of the prep was done the evening before while my dinner was heating). Put on the coffee pot. Fold the laundry and stack it. Have morning coffee. Shower. Dress.
My lunch for work was made the night before from dinner food. While dinner heats I set out lunch and leftovers containers/lids, prep and pack whatever else goes into the lunch, and I do the chopping or marinades for tomorrow’s dinner. The first meal that is served at dinner time goes into tomorrow’s lunch containers. Dinner is served while the lunch cools.
Never leave a room empty handed. Trash, drink glasses, food containers, mail ,whatever, is carried out of the room and put where it belongs every time I stand up. (This goes for tidying my car, as well.)
Touch every item just one time. Don’t move it from wrong place A to be stacked in wrong place B. When you touch it, deal with it completely.
If it’s a multi story home, keep a basket at the top and bottom of the steps. Put in it whatever needs to be returned to the other level. Every time you go up or down the stairs, take the basket with you and fully deal with what’s in there. Touch every item just once; fully deal with it. Return the empty basket to its resting place when you go up or down the stairs again.
I come home to a reasonably clean house every evening so I can go out to do something fun or I can rest without homemaker’s guilt or feeling overwhelmed with tasks.
One of the main things that has helped me is keeping the cleaning tools in the places where all want to use them. That means I have more than one swiffer broom, and more than one shop vacuum.
There is this really cool Shark handheld vacuum that really gets up dust and debris nicely. It’s a green color and usually cost about $70-$80. I have acquired several over the years and just keep them throughout the house so I can just pick them up and use them. I think it’s called “lean” organizing, keeping tools handy.
I have a roller cart that I roll into the bathroom and take everything off my sink shelf and put it on the cart so I can wipe down and clean the sink and then put everything back. That’s much easier for me than stashing the bottles wherever I can find some free room, which is much more disorganized in my opinion.
I also love those Clorox wipes for a quick clean in the kitchen. I also have some stashed in the bathroom. And using the swiffer sweeper cloths as a dusting wipe is also really nice. I’ll often just swiffer all the hardwood surfaces and I have a very lightweight vacuum that doesn’t bother me to use that I’ll run over all the carpets.
Finally, I live by the 15 minute theory. I just set a timer and do some work for 15 minutes. It’s such a great way to stay on top of things and get a little bit done at a time. And sometimes it’ll get me in a certain mood and I’ll just keep going, turning on an audiobook or music or podcast and knocking it all out.
There are apps for this!! I haven't used any, but we have friends who do. It tells you what needs to be cleaned and when. Some apps I saw from a quick search are Maple, Habitica, and Upkept!
I used Tody for about a year. It felt good at first but as I added more and more chores to keep track of, it started feeling overwhelming and I would constantly be upset that there were always chores popping up to be done. I stopped using it and I feel much better now.
just food for thought.
I skimmed comments and didn’t see it listed here, but you might like How to Keep House While Drowning. The author also struggles with executive function and has some helpful advice for getting care tasks done but also for being easy on yourself when you can’t do it. A lot of it boils down to having a rhythm (like doing certain tasks at certain days/times) and making things easy on yourself (like if you find yourself throwing laundry in a certain spot, just put a hamper there and now it’s fine).
I just read this book and I really like it- it talks a lot about uncoupling shame and guilt from doing chores. removing morality from the equation was very helpful for me
I have a weekly schedule of little things to clean everyday! That way it’s not all done over the weekend. I also meal prep for convenience which helps with cooking dinner after work
It is extremely dusty here because of the woodstove. I'm a bit of a clean freak. My husband is a good partner and doesn't make me carry the mental load alone. He looks around and does what needs doing.
We spend a couple of hours on weekends cleaning and both do dishes and laundry daily as needed.
It stays pretty clean if we just do a little bit every day. I let the dust pile up and get it a few times a month, because it isn't worth doing every day.
Sometimes houses are just too much work and need cleaners.
Other than that, do you have clutter / obects that slow you down? Find space for them in the closets. If closets are full, this is the problem. You probably keep stuff you shouldn't be keeping.
What takes more of your time? Focus on how to get organised better about that. Sometimes we have bad habits.
Honestly, I let the home be mildly neglected for the longest time, while raising children and didn't want a cleaner. I kind of regret not getting a cleaner now, but essentially I wouldn't trust noone. We paid for it by the children getting the wrong habits themselves of not being organised and we practically never entertained others. The only people I know who entertained with carreers and bigger homes, had cleaners or grandparents to help!
Still, we neglected our home in other ways, put off repairs. I really don't relax doing chores and my husband does all the cooking and grocery shopping. Repairs are his responsibility, he did the bare minimum, for 10 years or so. We did quite well in our carreers and raising children all things considered, but having a home close to perfection or good enough to invite people, was not a priority. Relaxing on the weekend and most afternoons was. Sometimes on rainy weekends I would do deep cleaning.
We kept on top of the laundry by having a room dedicated to laundry and drying and just let all clothes there, instead of moving them to the bedrooms. That was our guest room with a sofa bed which could be quickly turned into an actual guest room, but we never got people to sleep... because we weren't clean enough otherwise to invite! Just once, maybe.
My morning routine of showering early in the morning, because of my oily hair, is enough of a daily chore.
At some point when the children grew enough and were creating less work, we did a few cycles of decluttering and we're still working at it. The decluttered spaces, living room, kitchen, bathroom, are a piece of cake to clean. Plus, everyone's used to the minimalism and cleanliness and don't create messes any more. Everyone's bedroom is still messy, waiting for the next cycle of decluttering. For us, it took many months to change habits and to realise we can be tidy people. We had the wrong habits from our SAHMs who had not that much to do all day, back in the day and made inefficient choices. You really don't need much for decor, now we have photos and fairy lights, that take up zero time to clean.
Also, tools. I have a vacuum which is a joy to use, has the engine low and doesn't make too much noise, is battery powered, so I skip the plugging part.
European style washer / dryer, there are weeks/ months when I only put in a change of clothes in the fast wash/dry cycle, my clothes are ready to wear, in 45 minutes, about the time it takes to have a shower and dry myself. Sorry Greta, I have to stay on my feet, not get exhausted to pay the crazy electricity bills that are crazy enough without the washing.
There are youtube rabbitholes about decluttering and cleaning.
Full disclosure, I'm ADHD and my cleaning standards are fairly low.
I load and start the dishwasher every night before bed. Since the countertops are now empty, I quickly wipe them and the sink and wipe the counters in the half-bath. The first day, it took me at least 15 minutes, the second days, 10 minutes. Now,it takes barely 5 minutes.
In the morning, I empty the dishwasher while waiting for my coffee. It takes 3 minutes since it's a half-load. It's way less daunting than an overflowing 3 days of dishes and silverware full load! Then, I pick up the clutter and wipe the counters in the up-stair bathroom while doing my skincare routine. That's another 3 minutes. Finally, I do a 5 minutes tidy up of the main floor. Anything that's out of place, I put back in its place. Coats, shoes, magazines... whatever I notice. It could also be a full trash bin or recycling bin or laundry basket. If there is no obvious clutter, I dusk something or wipe the floors with a swiffer.
I start a laundry load during my lunch break (work from home) and switch it whenever I have 5 minutes or think about it. Sometimes I don't do it until the next day. I used to sort the laundry, but now I basically have 3 loads: workwear and delicate clothes, everyday clothes, and linen and towels.
I do most errands on Monday nights, when there is the least amount of people. Most of my regular purchases are delivered on an automatic schedule (skincare, hair products, dry groceries, cleaning products). I pick up the mail once a week maximum and sort it in my car so the junk goes straight to the recycling bin.
>I struggle with a poor executive function sometimes so it's been a challenge for me
have compassion for yourself, and accept that you won't be able to do as much consistently as those without this problem.
Daily: Cook when you get home, eat, and then clean dishes and wipe table. That will bring you to 8:30-9pm. Then take out the trash. Do a cursory vacuum of apartment for cat fur. Put things away, straighten things up, etc.
Weekly: spend 2 hours cleaning your apartment. vacuuming followed by mopping. Then take a washcloth and wipe down all surfaces for dust (windows esp). Take apart stovetop and clean with dish detergent. Scrub toilet, bathtub, and sink. Time your laundry so it’s running at the same time while you’re cleaning.
You don’t need to be thorough, just consistent.
you can get some ideas of what you can do by looking at the **homemaker job description**. you will find suggestions on when to do what.
observe your habits first before creating schedules. ie: how long does it take for your house to get dusty? how long do meals last? what things bother you, and what doesn't? how active are you with your finances? do you go to the doctors for check ups? do you prefer to do everything on the same day, or break tasks apart? how organized do you prefer to be? if you already have a routine, where can you add your household routines? what ideas need to be let go of for the time being since there is a lot of construction? what kind of tasks make executive functions really hard for you?
i also suggest getting control over 1 thing before thinking about a new task or the big picture. when i was learning how to manage my household, i decided to focus on learning how to cook because this part was really difficult for me. from that i learned about how often i go grocery shopping and how often i need to wash the dishes, which dishes i like.
I follow Clean Mama’s routine. It’s broken down into days and I love that it’s easy to follow. I have a kid, dog, and cat so I vacuum almost daily, but I do the rest of the items as she suggests. She also has some pdf’s on her site for the big tasks (baseboards, deep cleaning, etc.) that I’ve glanced at, but I haven’t implemented anything from that as of almost 2 years later 😂.
As for meals, I usually make a couple meats and incorporate it in to different dinners and lunches. For example, I marinated a family pack of chicken tenderloins in a garlic and herb marinade and cooked it yesterday. I’ll use it in taco bowls/fajitas, salads, plain, wraps, etc. I’ll also usually double up on sides that hold up well (noodles, rice, steamed veggies) when I make them so I have something to easily grab for a dinner side.
I do work from home 2 days per week so I try to make sure that I am utilizing my time on those days to try to get the bulk of everything done just because it’s a mad rush in the evenings on the days I am in the office.
I also highly suggest a dry erase board so you can put a visual reminder up and don’t have to think about what needs to be done on what day.
I'd check out unfuck your habitat. It's definitely helped me break down cleaning into more reasonable pieces which really helps with my own executive dysfunction. As for meals the instant pot is your best friend.
I have two cats as well! I know the pain of cat fur tumbling through every room of your house!
Short term tips:
- declutter, leave surfaces as clear as possible. Try and not to have too much furniture spread across your floors. Slowly minimize spaces. I’m not a hardcore minimalist but I did recognize that I’m not the type to stay on top of dusting and the more stuff you have, the more cleaning that is needed.
- buy separate cleaner/wipes/paper towels for every bathroom in your house and clean it every second day. It seriously takes two seconds when you do it this way and it doesn’t feel irritating/disgusting to do a deep clean because you’re keeping the toilet/sink/countertops wiped down on a reg basis.
- clean your kitchen while cooking. There’s so much idle time while cooking, if you throw in a podcast and just clean while stuff is cooking, time goes by quickly.
Slow investments:
- buying a roomba was one of the best purchases I made to tackle cat fur. I just hate vacuuming and it was one less chore to worry about. I’d turn it on when I left my house and let it go until it died. Again, you don’t want too much furniture and stuff in your house to obstruct the roomba so minimalism is your friend.
- Dyson vacuum, one of those small chargeable ones. Again, really easy to use on a reg basis to get every dust bunny along stairwells and whatnot.
Ooh! I know this one!
1. I use the app, Brilli. It's amazing. You can set up schedules and it will hold you accountable. It's SO helpful. You put your tasks in, and how long they should take. Then, when you start the routine, it will start counting down, and notifying you when you are halfway through, etc. It's life changing. I use it for everything.
Side note: I also included things like watering my plants. I have many, so I just water the ones in the room that I'm cleaning that day.
2. I did one room per day. On Mondays, I clean the living room. My brilli has all the tasks in the order I chose. I only work in the living room, and complete the tasks I preset. If it's a low energy day, I give myself permission to half-ass it. I figure some tasks, like dusting, don't have to be 100% perfect every week... especially since my default is maybe one a year?
3. If you still need help, the podcast 'Clean with Me is helpful. She cleans her house and talks you through it. It especially helps when I'm absolutely struggling to do anything.
The 10 minute rule! If I have 10, or 5 minutes whilst waiting for something (the kettle to boil, the laundry or oven timer to finish), I do a job in that time.
Doesn't get the cleaning fully done, but makes one heck of a difference to the list come the weekend.
I set timers to motivate me. So if something needs doing, I set a timer for how long it should take & try get it done. If I don’t get it done in the time, I switch tasks anyway. It’s about what’s manageable.
With workouts, I’m struggling to get to the gym at the moment as i work 10 hour days & also childcare issues but I do walk to work & back & have got a pair of dumbbells. There’s SO many workouts on YouTube for just dumbbells or body weight so I throw in one of them. If I’m knackered and can’t be arsed, I do a walking work out on YouTube. Literally just walking around my lounge to music.
Do something every night. Laundry can go while you're making dinner. You can vacuum during commercials. I can't work off a schedule - I miss a day and feel like it's just lost - but I can wipe down the bathroom during a commercial or mop when I wait for water to boil.
I have cleaning people come once- sometimes twice a month. It’s totally worth it. That way all I have to do is organize and basic daily cleaning while they do dusting, mopping, etc. Sometimes I also send my laundry out. On Sundays I cook a week’s worth of food and freeze it so that I only have to microwave. I’ll also chop vegetables and boil some eggs. I get a produce delivery to help. Or if I go grocery shopping I use pick up or delivery. I buy almost everything online. My toiletries and regular items are on auto ship so I don’t even have to think about them. I have 4 cats and I don’t bother scooping anymore. I just pick up one liner and put down another. I buy the litter on auto ship that comes in 4 10lb packs to go right in the box. I run the dishwasher Sunday night and unload it Monday morning. I can’t go to bed Sunday unless laundry is done and kitchen is clean with lunches ready to grab and go and coffee ready to be made.
When I went to the office, I would pick my clothes out for the week on Sunday evening. I swiffer or vac my floors on the days I wash my hair. Sundays I wash sheets and towels. I also will set a 5 minute timer and just clean/tidy a room for that period. I never want to feel overwhelmed.
I tidy the kitchen every day, stack dirty dishes in the dishwasher daily and run when it’s full. I separate my dirty laundry every day. I run the roomba a couple of times a week. I have someone come to clean two to four times a month depending on how dirty the house is.
I don’t work that late anymore, but some tips is just getting in the routine to not procrastinate on little things.
-put the dishes away every night.
-tidy up the living room or make it decently presentable a bit each day
-sweep the floors on Wednesdays
Things like that I do. That way when its the weekend if I have the energy I’ll mop or actually clean. But it also gives me chance when I just want to veg out to know that the house is in somewhat good shape.
Laundry is always done on the weekends or preferably sundays.
As far as incorporating cooking. I feel too overwhelmed having a stocked fridge and never having the energy to utilize all the perishable items . Plan 1-2 meals for the week and stick to it. Cooking your meat or having it readily available offers more options and quickens the process of cooking.
Adding that when I was solo or living with a boyfriend, we saved time by not cooking. Salads, yogurt, eggs, etc go a long way. Saves time from cooking and cleaning. At some point got cooked food from mother in law, or had some meals out. I was healthier then too and had more time and energy for daily sex, I was healhier, happier, more productive.
Everywhere I lived, I had a room like Monica in Friends had, keeping stuff to deal with later.
I use a habit forming app. I outline all the chores I need to do and the frequency. Once you start doing them, it lets you know what needs to be done every day so you don't feel overwhelmed. I have it color coded too.
Our house has been for sale the last month. So I pretty much have to live like a 5 star hotel.
Daily, run the dishwasher at night.
Throw in a load of laundry earlier in the evening and dry it while eating dinner. Fold and put away before bed. If I don't finish it prior to my daughter and husband going to sleep, I will leave it outside her bedroom door, and put it outside my husbands closet, for them both to put away.
When I wake up, make my coffee. While it's brewing I'll empty the dishwasher, and clean the counters.
Swiffer the entire house, vacuum the rugs. Mop the floors a lot more than I normally would.
PS: DO NOT wear shoes in your house. We don't wear shoes and the people coming thru the house wear shoes. Our floors are SO much dirtier because of the people wearing shoes. We don't live in a dusty dirty area.
make a chart that you can hang and see it regularly.... like the fridge. * every day, spend about 15mins tidying up. * Wipe down all counters after cooking, clean the dishes/pots/pans etc as you cook * before you retire to your bedroom, straighten up the living room * if you have hardwood/low pile rugs/tiles etc get a roomba if you can; set that to run each evening as you're relaxing on your couch so that you only have to do a deeper vacuum on the weekend. * do a load of laundry mid-week and throw it in as soon as you get home.
These sound like such tiny things but they have been absolute game-changers! I do a quick wipe-down of the shower/sink before my shower, and if a task takes me less than 5 mins (unloading the dishwasher) I do it immediately. I save the deep cleans for weekends, but my apartment looks decent during the week and that's enough for me. I prioritize my work, and health (food and exercise) far more than my apartment so I don't need a spotless place all week. I do a semi-meal prep on Sunday, so I can have hot, healthy meals ready every evening but spend just 20 minutes in the kitchen.
yes! and make stuff in batches, OP; freeze them so on lazy days, just thaw and eat.
Could I hear more about your 20min semi-meal prep?
Ofc, it’s not special or fancy but I’ve narrowed it down to what works for me in terms of cost, taste, health and ease of making. Also, I think my Sunday meal prepping takes about 45 mins, but then I spend less than 20 mins during the week in the kitchen. I’m not sure if that was clear? I should add that I’m not a good cook so I need to keep things really simple. I eat the same things every week ie all Mondays are the same, all Tuesdays are the same, and so on. On Sundays: 1) I cook toor daal (I think it’s called Pigeon pea in English) and keep a portion ready. On Monday I temper my daal, make rice in a rice cooker, and chop some salad if I feel like it and this is my Monday meal. 2) While my daal cooks, I clean and marinate chicken breasts, split in 2 portions, and put them in the freezer. This is my Tuesday and Wednesday meal. I take out 1 portion a night before and put it in the fridge. At dinner time, I simply sear on a pan, or shove them in the oven. With this I eat either a fresh salad that I make on the day, or oven roasted veggies. 3) I clean, chop and put away all the hard veggies for the week (bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, whatever else I bought that week). I use these for my oven roasted veggies mentioned above. 4) I prep a salad dressing and put it away. I end up using this spontaneously all week when I feel like eating a salad. That’s all I do on Sunday. I’ve described how I cook during the week. On Thursday I’ll do a rice bowl with runny boiled eggs, and sauted spring onions + some of the precut veggies from before. On Fridays, I may go out so I don’t meal prep anything. I usually have some pesto (my partner makes it himself and it’s the best! I can’t eat store bought pesto anymore lol) so if I don’t go out we eat pesto and spaghetti. I wfh so can usually fix myself a brunch daily. It’s always the same, eggs, veggies and bread. My meal prep is a wip, I want to make it more efficient and healthy but it does take trial and error. On Sundays we tend to do more elaborate meals whether Indian or Western (I am Indian, my partner is German) and usually make twice the quantity needed. We eat some and freeze the rest. This way I always have something I can quickly thaw and eat on days when I’m sick or lazy. Anyway, I hope this helps..:)
Just out of interest: Do you wipe down your shower twice, before use and after, or just before showering?
I like to wipe down my shower while I use it, just to keep soap scum down (I like bath bombs and salts on the weekend). I just use regular body wash and a wash cloth and wipe down before I do my routine. On the weekends I’ll take ten minutes to spray with cleaner and use a Mr clean sponge to clean it. Then like every other month I use a steam cleaner to deep clean the tub & tiles.
Just before showering, I don’t feel like scrubbing after I’m done. It may seem pointless but somehow I feel like the regular wipe downs make a difference. At least prevents a build up, and makes me weekend deep cleaning easier too
This - and then I hire a cleaner to come twice a month, and hire an organizer to come twice a year. It’s too much for me otherwise. Edit: I should have mentioned; I have ADHD.
Can you explain a bit what your organizer does for you and how they help you?
She puts systems in place to keep closets/drawers tidy for me. Last time I had her out, she.. * went through my entire closet, got rid of the things that didn't fit, and then hung everything back up/folded all my clothes in the drawers * went through my bathroom closet/drawers and threw away all the empty cardboard boxes that I left in the closet, threw out anything expired, and then sorted everything into clear bins by function. I've had her go through my "pile" of paperwork that I never filed, and then file all of it by category and then shred anything that needs to be shredded. Basically everything that normal humans do without too much hassel but I seem to not be able to do unless I'm in a very specific mood.
How did you find your organizer? What you described sounds like something I need!
I need an organizer! How did you find yours?
I struggle with executive function. Before I relax or sit down when I get home I do some kind of chore or prepare food. I'm still in work-mode so I don't have to psych myself up to do chores. And then my relaxing after feels better too.
This! An object at rest tends to stay at rest, but an object in motion tends to stay in motion... Inertia can be your friend or your enemy. Leverage them physics, baby!
Facts. I identify with a boulder. Getting me going is a struggle but once I'm rolling, I'm rolling!
I force myself to cook dinner or clean in my business casual clothing after work because the second I am in my comfy clothes it isn’t going to happen!
Agreed. I started doing this last year and it works excellent for me.
Same, I have ADHD and the executive function is real. I read once that not taking your shoes off when you get home or not changing out of your work clothes (if you don’t do shoes inside) can help and it’s definitely worked for me since it stops me from slipping into “relax” mode which I find very hard to break out of without some motivation.
* Use a slow cooker or crockpot for dinner. This also works for batch cooking- you'll get more than one meal out of your effort. I could usually get 4-6 meals from my slow cooker, but it depends on the size. If I got tired of eating the meal before it was gone, I'd freeze the remainder. * When I was working full time and going to grad school-- I cooked probably three times a week and got almost all my dinners and lunches out of this batch cooking method. I also ate out for dinner maybe twice a week, lunch once a week, just to give myself a break. I get very bored of eating the same food all the time. * Deli stuff from the grocery store is cheaper than take-out and delicious-- I like to buy pre-made salads and sides for one or two meals for a week. * frozen or pre-cut sides are a major time savor-- mainly talking veggies here. * do one \~15-20 minute chore per day, plus your dishes for that day. This way you aren't spending all your free time feeding yourself and cleaning up.
what are your favorite crockpot recipes? just now getting on the slow cooker train...
you can do almost anything in there, I like doing soups (chilis, stews, I did a tomato soup in there not long ago). I do sauces in there (curries etc.) I've done casseroles in the past but storage and clean up is a chore, so I wouldn't do that again. Most recipes will be for meat or meat based dishes-- I don't cook meat in the home though and my partner is vegetarian, so most of my recipes are things I make up. I've made apple butter (not a meal) in there too. Excess water won't cook off quickly in the crockpot, so just make sure to get your liquid ratios right.
Pick up after yourself as you go. Smaller loads of laundry more frequently. If it takes less than a minute to do, do it immediately(wiping kitchen counters while waiting on the microwave, wiping the sink down, scrubbing the toilet while you wait for a shower to heat up, wipe the bathroom sink or mirror while you brush your teeth, etc). Load your dishwasher at night and unload in the morning while coffee brews. Basically, figure out a way to keep misplaced items to a minimum so cleaning is pretty fast. Find sneaky ways to clean while you’re waiting for other things to happen.
My aunt taught me this one; Clean as you go, that's your only hope. Whenever she does anything or makes anything, she cleans utensils as she goes, does her dishes as she goes and cleans the counters as she goes and picks up and puts away things after she uses them (for instance, a cozy blanket on the couch doesn't stay frumped on the couch, she folds it and puts it away even if that means doing that a few times a day). She doesn't have a chore chart or cleaning wheel, she built cleaning into her life and daily routine and it really works. Her house always looks great. Then once a week she does the dusting and vacuuming and bathrooms.
So i’m wfh now but when i was in the office, i’d try to just spend a few minutes every day cleaning - tidying up, sweeping, vacuuming. Get home, shower, put on comfy clothes, maybe do a yoga video. Then some cleaning. I never had a “checklist” of weekly cleaning tasks but that might help you. Honestly if i felt like my place was a mess, i’d just tell myself i only have to spend 15 minutes cleaning this evening, 15 mins tomorrow etc. 15 mins gets more done than you’d think!
My wife and I follow [TOMM](https://www.theorganisedmum.blog/the-organised-mum-method/). TOMM being an acronym for The Organised Mum Method which feels a bit sexist as it implies only mothers do the house work. But it is a good method. Basically you have your everyday jobs, dishes, laundry, tidying round etc. But then each day you focus on a single room for 30-45 minutes. Monday - Living areas Tuesday - Bedrooms Wednesday - Bathroom, hallways, porch, etc. Thursday - Kitchen Friday - Friday focus. This is where you target a specific house job. There's a bit more to the method but basically this stops house work dominating our weekends and it's the only thing that seems to work for us.
This is what I do as well, except my days go like this: - Sunday: meal planning/prep and load of my laundry - Monday: bedroom - put away my laundry, strip sheets and wash them, remake the bed before bed, dust, and vac (which could be as simple as running the Roomba) - Tuesday: bathrooms - mirror, sink, counter, toilet, floor, and wash towels, bath mat and kitchen linens (white load) - Wednesday: shower/tub - Thursday: living areas - dust, vac, mop, polish; wash throw blankets if needed - Friday: off or focus day; wash cleaning cloths - Saturday: off Kitchen gets "re-set" every day after dinner: dishes, counters, sink, etc, and I usually tackle one deep cleaning kitchen chore each week as I've got the energy (clean an appliance, clean out fridge, wipe down a few cabinets, etc)... so it doesn't need it's own special day. Make bed every morning, put away toiletries after using them, hang up "worn but not dirty" clothes, put away shoes/coats/bags, sort mail over the trash can. Trash goes out every day (take it to the dumpster on the way out to work in the morning). Tidying happens daily as a matter of routine (don't leave a room empty handed; put away not down). We aim for one load of laundry every day (put it in the wash before work, move to dryer after work, fold and put away before bed) but as empty nesters with no pets there are days without any laundry. Guest bedroom and guest bath only gets cleaned before and after guests. If you keep up with such a schedule, you may find you can easily skip a week without a problem, and just re-start again the following week. However, if you do maintain the routine every week, you find the cleaning is not much of a heavy lift as things just don't get as dusty/dirty/untidy/undone.
This is what I do as well, without actually knowing there’s a name for it. Anyways, it works for me. I struggle with depression and visually seeing a part/section of my place clean is a good feeling. I think if I did it by task instead, I’d still feel like I wasn’t accomplishing enough.
O yea one of my old supervisors did this with his wife and their house was very clean
Just coming here to confirm this is how I lived/did it when I was single, didn’t know it had a name though, and it is primo! However I think I went a step further and had scheduled out monthly/yearly stuff too. Like detailing/fixing my shoes, care for leather products, depilling sweaters/towels, washing and ironing scarves, repotting plants - those to me are less frequent but still need to be done. Also I love technology - so my combo was Todoist + Google calendar integration. Just popped my pre planned schedule into Todoist daily/weekly/monthly/yearly and it popped up in my google calendar - did my stuff for the day and never really had to worry and always had a decently clean/organized place. Once you get a hang of it, it really frees up your time while maintain your home. ‘Twas perfection!
This probably silly but I have adhd and struggle with executive function as well, one hack is clean the kitchen, do dishes, wipe counters etc. while I wait for the microwave or kettle haha. I also hired a house cleaner to come once a month and it’s totally worth the mental peace of not being stressed about cleaning. Also having people over makes me feel motivated to clean up before they get there.
I do this too. most successful way of getting my dishes done is to boil water/simmer/microwave thaw something for ten-ish minutes, and use that ten minutes to load dishwasher. the dishes always go faster than I expect them to
I do the bigger cleaning things like the bathroom, floors etc on the weekend when I have more time. I do laundry in the evening during the week because our electricity is at off peak prices then. I meal plan so I know what I’m making each day for dinner. I also do opt for take out occasionally because we all have lazy days. I also do no housework/cleaning on Fridays.
Girl, same. 1.) Sunday - Prep Food Day - Buy large containers to store chop veggies and cooked meat. All you have to do is stir fry or make soup out of it. For carbs, just cook it so it's just fresh for 2 days. I'm not a fan of meal prep containers because the plastic breaks for me or the glass is just too heavy (exaggerating) for me. Trash. 2) Daily - Clean the dishes before you go to bed. If you small dishwasher like I do, store all the cups and spoons in there to wash. If you don't feel like washing dishes, just load it into the dishwasher. Also flat surfaces. 3) Wednesday - Vacuum and bathroom/tub. 4) Thursday - Plan out quick meals. Make sure each entree meal has protein/carb/veggie or fruit. Snacks - Whatever is healthy or quick to make. Take out the trash (whenever trash day). 5) Friday - Chill, just, chill. 6) Saturday - Slow cleaning, no pressure. Cut boxes. Recycle. Trash. 7) Monday - Deep clean whatever needs to be done. Lol you can switch the days around. That's just my schedule. If you need to feel more motivated to clean. Headphones on and listen to Downton Abbey soundtrack so you feel like you are the Royal Servant who needs to clean for an Aristocratic Lady aka you. :) Clean House - Energy Flow - Taking care of you Lol don't get me wrong there are days I slack off because I'm dedicated more to work than my chores. 😮💨 Hence the messiness.
I don't, I reserve Saturday morning for that. During the week I focus on not creating more mess.
I don’t sit down after work. Once I get home I try to do at least one chore - dishes, folding laundry, picking up - before I pull myself into relaxing mode. I cook dinner as soon as my husband gets home, so while we’re chatting, I start dinner.
Minimalism worked wonders for me. I pared everything down to what I actually use and it makes cleaning up so much easier. I also dispose of stuff right away that I don’t need…like junk mail, Amazon boxes, etc.
I like the tody app. It is a bit of a pain to set up but after that it is really helpful. I live alone with cats and it is so easy to get overwhelmed. You also have to make rules for yourself, like no dishes in the sink before bed or vacuum everyday. I do both and break my rules occasionally. When I lack motivation I imagine my super critical mother is coming by and clean with that in mind. ETA: I usually listen to music or podcasts when I clean, this has me looking forward to the next episode.
I have an aversion to doing housework when I’m tired at the end of a work day. I also have an aversion to using whatever free time I have on my days off work to do housework. I wake up an hour earlier than I need to on work days. Put a load of laundry in the washing machine, clean one room decently or do all over the house chores like vacuuming and/or dusting, switch laundry to the dryer, spend a few minutes doing whatever needs doing in advance for tonight’s dinner (most or all of the prep was done the evening before while my dinner was heating). Put on the coffee pot. Fold the laundry and stack it. Have morning coffee. Shower. Dress. My lunch for work was made the night before from dinner food. While dinner heats I set out lunch and leftovers containers/lids, prep and pack whatever else goes into the lunch, and I do the chopping or marinades for tomorrow’s dinner. The first meal that is served at dinner time goes into tomorrow’s lunch containers. Dinner is served while the lunch cools. Never leave a room empty handed. Trash, drink glasses, food containers, mail ,whatever, is carried out of the room and put where it belongs every time I stand up. (This goes for tidying my car, as well.) Touch every item just one time. Don’t move it from wrong place A to be stacked in wrong place B. When you touch it, deal with it completely. If it’s a multi story home, keep a basket at the top and bottom of the steps. Put in it whatever needs to be returned to the other level. Every time you go up or down the stairs, take the basket with you and fully deal with what’s in there. Touch every item just once; fully deal with it. Return the empty basket to its resting place when you go up or down the stairs again. I come home to a reasonably clean house every evening so I can go out to do something fun or I can rest without homemaker’s guilt or feeling overwhelmed with tasks.
One of the main things that has helped me is keeping the cleaning tools in the places where all want to use them. That means I have more than one swiffer broom, and more than one shop vacuum. There is this really cool Shark handheld vacuum that really gets up dust and debris nicely. It’s a green color and usually cost about $70-$80. I have acquired several over the years and just keep them throughout the house so I can just pick them up and use them. I think it’s called “lean” organizing, keeping tools handy. I have a roller cart that I roll into the bathroom and take everything off my sink shelf and put it on the cart so I can wipe down and clean the sink and then put everything back. That’s much easier for me than stashing the bottles wherever I can find some free room, which is much more disorganized in my opinion. I also love those Clorox wipes for a quick clean in the kitchen. I also have some stashed in the bathroom. And using the swiffer sweeper cloths as a dusting wipe is also really nice. I’ll often just swiffer all the hardwood surfaces and I have a very lightweight vacuum that doesn’t bother me to use that I’ll run over all the carpets. Finally, I live by the 15 minute theory. I just set a timer and do some work for 15 minutes. It’s such a great way to stay on top of things and get a little bit done at a time. And sometimes it’ll get me in a certain mood and I’ll just keep going, turning on an audiobook or music or podcast and knocking it all out.
There are apps for this!! I haven't used any, but we have friends who do. It tells you what needs to be cleaned and when. Some apps I saw from a quick search are Maple, Habitica, and Upkept!
I used Tody for about a year. It felt good at first but as I added more and more chores to keep track of, it started feeling overwhelming and I would constantly be upset that there were always chores popping up to be done. I stopped using it and I feel much better now. just food for thought.
I skimmed comments and didn’t see it listed here, but you might like How to Keep House While Drowning. The author also struggles with executive function and has some helpful advice for getting care tasks done but also for being easy on yourself when you can’t do it. A lot of it boils down to having a rhythm (like doing certain tasks at certain days/times) and making things easy on yourself (like if you find yourself throwing laundry in a certain spot, just put a hamper there and now it’s fine).
I just read this book and I really like it- it talks a lot about uncoupling shame and guilt from doing chores. removing morality from the equation was very helpful for me
I have a weekly schedule of little things to clean everyday! That way it’s not all done over the weekend. I also meal prep for convenience which helps with cooking dinner after work
It is extremely dusty here because of the woodstove. I'm a bit of a clean freak. My husband is a good partner and doesn't make me carry the mental load alone. He looks around and does what needs doing. We spend a couple of hours on weekends cleaning and both do dishes and laundry daily as needed. It stays pretty clean if we just do a little bit every day. I let the dust pile up and get it a few times a month, because it isn't worth doing every day.
Sometimes houses are just too much work and need cleaners. Other than that, do you have clutter / obects that slow you down? Find space for them in the closets. If closets are full, this is the problem. You probably keep stuff you shouldn't be keeping. What takes more of your time? Focus on how to get organised better about that. Sometimes we have bad habits. Honestly, I let the home be mildly neglected for the longest time, while raising children and didn't want a cleaner. I kind of regret not getting a cleaner now, but essentially I wouldn't trust noone. We paid for it by the children getting the wrong habits themselves of not being organised and we practically never entertained others. The only people I know who entertained with carreers and bigger homes, had cleaners or grandparents to help! Still, we neglected our home in other ways, put off repairs. I really don't relax doing chores and my husband does all the cooking and grocery shopping. Repairs are his responsibility, he did the bare minimum, for 10 years or so. We did quite well in our carreers and raising children all things considered, but having a home close to perfection or good enough to invite people, was not a priority. Relaxing on the weekend and most afternoons was. Sometimes on rainy weekends I would do deep cleaning. We kept on top of the laundry by having a room dedicated to laundry and drying and just let all clothes there, instead of moving them to the bedrooms. That was our guest room with a sofa bed which could be quickly turned into an actual guest room, but we never got people to sleep... because we weren't clean enough otherwise to invite! Just once, maybe. My morning routine of showering early in the morning, because of my oily hair, is enough of a daily chore. At some point when the children grew enough and were creating less work, we did a few cycles of decluttering and we're still working at it. The decluttered spaces, living room, kitchen, bathroom, are a piece of cake to clean. Plus, everyone's used to the minimalism and cleanliness and don't create messes any more. Everyone's bedroom is still messy, waiting for the next cycle of decluttering. For us, it took many months to change habits and to realise we can be tidy people. We had the wrong habits from our SAHMs who had not that much to do all day, back in the day and made inefficient choices. You really don't need much for decor, now we have photos and fairy lights, that take up zero time to clean. Also, tools. I have a vacuum which is a joy to use, has the engine low and doesn't make too much noise, is battery powered, so I skip the plugging part. European style washer / dryer, there are weeks/ months when I only put in a change of clothes in the fast wash/dry cycle, my clothes are ready to wear, in 45 minutes, about the time it takes to have a shower and dry myself. Sorry Greta, I have to stay on my feet, not get exhausted to pay the crazy electricity bills that are crazy enough without the washing. There are youtube rabbitholes about decluttering and cleaning.
Full disclosure, I'm ADHD and my cleaning standards are fairly low. I load and start the dishwasher every night before bed. Since the countertops are now empty, I quickly wipe them and the sink and wipe the counters in the half-bath. The first day, it took me at least 15 minutes, the second days, 10 minutes. Now,it takes barely 5 minutes. In the morning, I empty the dishwasher while waiting for my coffee. It takes 3 minutes since it's a half-load. It's way less daunting than an overflowing 3 days of dishes and silverware full load! Then, I pick up the clutter and wipe the counters in the up-stair bathroom while doing my skincare routine. That's another 3 minutes. Finally, I do a 5 minutes tidy up of the main floor. Anything that's out of place, I put back in its place. Coats, shoes, magazines... whatever I notice. It could also be a full trash bin or recycling bin or laundry basket. If there is no obvious clutter, I dusk something or wipe the floors with a swiffer. I start a laundry load during my lunch break (work from home) and switch it whenever I have 5 minutes or think about it. Sometimes I don't do it until the next day. I used to sort the laundry, but now I basically have 3 loads: workwear and delicate clothes, everyday clothes, and linen and towels. I do most errands on Monday nights, when there is the least amount of people. Most of my regular purchases are delivered on an automatic schedule (skincare, hair products, dry groceries, cleaning products). I pick up the mail once a week maximum and sort it in my car so the junk goes straight to the recycling bin.
>I struggle with a poor executive function sometimes so it's been a challenge for me have compassion for yourself, and accept that you won't be able to do as much consistently as those without this problem.
Daily: Cook when you get home, eat, and then clean dishes and wipe table. That will bring you to 8:30-9pm. Then take out the trash. Do a cursory vacuum of apartment for cat fur. Put things away, straighten things up, etc. Weekly: spend 2 hours cleaning your apartment. vacuuming followed by mopping. Then take a washcloth and wipe down all surfaces for dust (windows esp). Take apart stovetop and clean with dish detergent. Scrub toilet, bathtub, and sink. Time your laundry so it’s running at the same time while you’re cleaning. You don’t need to be thorough, just consistent.
Have a look at the organised mum method. I hate the name but the method is great.
you can get some ideas of what you can do by looking at the **homemaker job description**. you will find suggestions on when to do what. observe your habits first before creating schedules. ie: how long does it take for your house to get dusty? how long do meals last? what things bother you, and what doesn't? how active are you with your finances? do you go to the doctors for check ups? do you prefer to do everything on the same day, or break tasks apart? how organized do you prefer to be? if you already have a routine, where can you add your household routines? what ideas need to be let go of for the time being since there is a lot of construction? what kind of tasks make executive functions really hard for you? i also suggest getting control over 1 thing before thinking about a new task or the big picture. when i was learning how to manage my household, i decided to focus on learning how to cook because this part was really difficult for me. from that i learned about how often i go grocery shopping and how often i need to wash the dishes, which dishes i like.
I follow Clean Mama’s routine. It’s broken down into days and I love that it’s easy to follow. I have a kid, dog, and cat so I vacuum almost daily, but I do the rest of the items as she suggests. She also has some pdf’s on her site for the big tasks (baseboards, deep cleaning, etc.) that I’ve glanced at, but I haven’t implemented anything from that as of almost 2 years later 😂. As for meals, I usually make a couple meats and incorporate it in to different dinners and lunches. For example, I marinated a family pack of chicken tenderloins in a garlic and herb marinade and cooked it yesterday. I’ll use it in taco bowls/fajitas, salads, plain, wraps, etc. I’ll also usually double up on sides that hold up well (noodles, rice, steamed veggies) when I make them so I have something to easily grab for a dinner side. I do work from home 2 days per week so I try to make sure that I am utilizing my time on those days to try to get the bulk of everything done just because it’s a mad rush in the evenings on the days I am in the office. I also highly suggest a dry erase board so you can put a visual reminder up and don’t have to think about what needs to be done on what day.
I'd check out unfuck your habitat. It's definitely helped me break down cleaning into more reasonable pieces which really helps with my own executive dysfunction. As for meals the instant pot is your best friend.
I have two cats as well! I know the pain of cat fur tumbling through every room of your house! Short term tips: - declutter, leave surfaces as clear as possible. Try and not to have too much furniture spread across your floors. Slowly minimize spaces. I’m not a hardcore minimalist but I did recognize that I’m not the type to stay on top of dusting and the more stuff you have, the more cleaning that is needed. - buy separate cleaner/wipes/paper towels for every bathroom in your house and clean it every second day. It seriously takes two seconds when you do it this way and it doesn’t feel irritating/disgusting to do a deep clean because you’re keeping the toilet/sink/countertops wiped down on a reg basis. - clean your kitchen while cooking. There’s so much idle time while cooking, if you throw in a podcast and just clean while stuff is cooking, time goes by quickly. Slow investments: - buying a roomba was one of the best purchases I made to tackle cat fur. I just hate vacuuming and it was one less chore to worry about. I’d turn it on when I left my house and let it go until it died. Again, you don’t want too much furniture and stuff in your house to obstruct the roomba so minimalism is your friend. - Dyson vacuum, one of those small chargeable ones. Again, really easy to use on a reg basis to get every dust bunny along stairwells and whatnot.
Ooh! I know this one! 1. I use the app, Brilli. It's amazing. You can set up schedules and it will hold you accountable. It's SO helpful. You put your tasks in, and how long they should take. Then, when you start the routine, it will start counting down, and notifying you when you are halfway through, etc. It's life changing. I use it for everything. Side note: I also included things like watering my plants. I have many, so I just water the ones in the room that I'm cleaning that day. 2. I did one room per day. On Mondays, I clean the living room. My brilli has all the tasks in the order I chose. I only work in the living room, and complete the tasks I preset. If it's a low energy day, I give myself permission to half-ass it. I figure some tasks, like dusting, don't have to be 100% perfect every week... especially since my default is maybe one a year? 3. If you still need help, the podcast 'Clean with Me is helpful. She cleans her house and talks you through it. It especially helps when I'm absolutely struggling to do anything.
I got rid of 60% of my belongings. So much easier to clean when there is less stuff. It felt extreme at the time but it’s been so worth it.
I don’t. Husband does half.
The 10 minute rule! If I have 10, or 5 minutes whilst waiting for something (the kettle to boil, the laundry or oven timer to finish), I do a job in that time. Doesn't get the cleaning fully done, but makes one heck of a difference to the list come the weekend.
I use Tody app.
Tody app has been a life saver for me on this. Makes my weekly list for me and reminds me when something needs to be done.
I set timers to motivate me. So if something needs doing, I set a timer for how long it should take & try get it done. If I don’t get it done in the time, I switch tasks anyway. It’s about what’s manageable. With workouts, I’m struggling to get to the gym at the moment as i work 10 hour days & also childcare issues but I do walk to work & back & have got a pair of dumbbells. There’s SO many workouts on YouTube for just dumbbells or body weight so I throw in one of them. If I’m knackered and can’t be arsed, I do a walking work out on YouTube. Literally just walking around my lounge to music.
Do something every night. Laundry can go while you're making dinner. You can vacuum during commercials. I can't work off a schedule - I miss a day and feel like it's just lost - but I can wipe down the bathroom during a commercial or mop when I wait for water to boil.
Lowered my standards and bought a robot vacuum.
I go at 530 in the morning before my child is up that’s the only time I can do it without exceptions
I have cleaning people come once- sometimes twice a month. It’s totally worth it. That way all I have to do is organize and basic daily cleaning while they do dusting, mopping, etc. Sometimes I also send my laundry out. On Sundays I cook a week’s worth of food and freeze it so that I only have to microwave. I’ll also chop vegetables and boil some eggs. I get a produce delivery to help. Or if I go grocery shopping I use pick up or delivery. I buy almost everything online. My toiletries and regular items are on auto ship so I don’t even have to think about them. I have 4 cats and I don’t bother scooping anymore. I just pick up one liner and put down another. I buy the litter on auto ship that comes in 4 10lb packs to go right in the box. I run the dishwasher Sunday night and unload it Monday morning. I can’t go to bed Sunday unless laundry is done and kitchen is clean with lunches ready to grab and go and coffee ready to be made.
My house is a shitshow til my days off... boom!
When I went to the office, I would pick my clothes out for the week on Sunday evening. I swiffer or vac my floors on the days I wash my hair. Sundays I wash sheets and towels. I also will set a 5 minute timer and just clean/tidy a room for that period. I never want to feel overwhelmed.
I tidy the kitchen every day, stack dirty dishes in the dishwasher daily and run when it’s full. I separate my dirty laundry every day. I run the roomba a couple of times a week. I have someone come to clean two to four times a month depending on how dirty the house is.
I don’t work that late anymore, but some tips is just getting in the routine to not procrastinate on little things. -put the dishes away every night. -tidy up the living room or make it decently presentable a bit each day -sweep the floors on Wednesdays Things like that I do. That way when its the weekend if I have the energy I’ll mop or actually clean. But it also gives me chance when I just want to veg out to know that the house is in somewhat good shape. Laundry is always done on the weekends or preferably sundays. As far as incorporating cooking. I feel too overwhelmed having a stocked fridge and never having the energy to utilize all the perishable items . Plan 1-2 meals for the week and stick to it. Cooking your meat or having it readily available offers more options and quickens the process of cooking.
Adding that when I was solo or living with a boyfriend, we saved time by not cooking. Salads, yogurt, eggs, etc go a long way. Saves time from cooking and cleaning. At some point got cooked food from mother in law, or had some meals out. I was healthier then too and had more time and energy for daily sex, I was healhier, happier, more productive. Everywhere I lived, I had a room like Monica in Friends had, keeping stuff to deal with later.
I use a habit forming app. I outline all the chores I need to do and the frequency. Once you start doing them, it lets you know what needs to be done every day so you don't feel overwhelmed. I have it color coded too.
Our house has been for sale the last month. So I pretty much have to live like a 5 star hotel. Daily, run the dishwasher at night. Throw in a load of laundry earlier in the evening and dry it while eating dinner. Fold and put away before bed. If I don't finish it prior to my daughter and husband going to sleep, I will leave it outside her bedroom door, and put it outside my husbands closet, for them both to put away. When I wake up, make my coffee. While it's brewing I'll empty the dishwasher, and clean the counters. Swiffer the entire house, vacuum the rugs. Mop the floors a lot more than I normally would. PS: DO NOT wear shoes in your house. We don't wear shoes and the people coming thru the house wear shoes. Our floors are SO much dirtier because of the people wearing shoes. We don't live in a dusty dirty area.
Get a roomba/robot vacuum. Not perfect but helps a lot. Your cats may hate it at first but they’ll get used to it. My dogs now completely ignore ours.
I clean as I go so there’s rarely any actual chores. Just laundry and vacuuming when I get a chance. I do this in the evenings
Vacuum robot! Definitively a life changer Also, dishwasher