What is your cleaning routine? How do you find time to get it all done?

Question

For some reason I find it so hard to keep my apartment clean. It's not even big, but I have a two year old and before I can get the kitchen done, he's destroyed the living area again. I dont' even want to discuss my laundry room or his bedroom. I'm just going around all day cleaning this and that and before I get that done, this is a mess again. Is there some kind of trick? lol

Also, do any of you go by the Fly Lady routines? I've read the website, but I can't get into the whole idea of cleaning just one thing a day.. I'd feel like nothing was getting dong.. am I just looking at it the wrong way? Thanks for any and all advice! :)

Answer 1

I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old and believe me I know what you are going through!! I make sure I do the dishes and vacuum everyday, I clean the bathroom everyother day and I put a load of laundry in whenever I get a full load. On the days I'm not cleaning the bathroom, I clean the kitchen and mop the floors. I have learned to not worry about the messes my kids make until after they go to bed. I make sure I pick up all the things lying on their bedroom floor before they go to sleep, just in case of a fire, but once they are asleep, that's when I pick up the rest of the house and fold laundry. Try not to stress yourself too much over the messes...it will just be there again tomorrow. Just worry about the important stuff.

Now that you child is 2 try playing a pick-up game with him at night before he goes to bed. Start teaching them to help you pick up the toys in their room. My sons, seem to think its alot of fun and they like helping mommy :)

Answer 2

I didn't like flylady...the shiny sink thing doesn't do it for me, LOL..

Clean one room at a time.  Don't leave it until it's done.  

Consider putting up a gate to keep him contained while you're cleaning, OR just do what I do.....

I let my 3 year old destroy her room while I'm cleaning the rest of the house as long as she's contained in HER room.  That means she's NOT dragging out toys.  We can always tackle her room later.  And I make her help me.  

If that don't work, maybe put a tv in his room and if he'll sit still, let him watch tv in his room or something while you 'bask' in your clean house, lol....kidding there actually.

I have 3 kids, ages 3, 5 and 7.  My house is clean actually opposite of what you'd think.  It's "deep" cleaned, but sometimes it looks messy due to all the toys.  I just remind myself, and anyone else who comes over that I share a house w/ 3 small kids.  It's just a fact that there will be toys out, unless you don't allow your kids to play;)

Answer 3

wait til you toddler is sleeping then go through

Answer 4

LOL! I laughed when i read this....i have a 5 and 6 year old i'm still dealing with that!! However its not as bad as it once was. The one item that u need, and i do mean NEED is a baby gate!! You little one is only two and you may not like the idea of locking him up in a room but trust me, put them in their room with some toys and maybe a movie or even at nap time and gate the door! I still use my gates to keep my kids out of certain areas of the house on certain occasions and to keep my dog and neices contained when needed!!  Now i don't know what the fly lady is but it sounds like a site i''ll check out, but that is exactly what i do...i have one day a week, saturday, where i clean the entire house, walls windows baseboards every thing! Then every day i clean one room and the kitchen because i find the kitchen is the one room that even leaving it for 2 days makes everything ik! Yes they get messed up, usually the same day i clean them, but by having them clean it just makes the room that much easier to pick up at the end of the day or the next day or whenever it may need it. A friend of mine has her cleaning schedule on her wall, a different room for everyday of the week, saturday is whole house day, and laundry day is sunday. I do my laundry on wed and then one load a day the rest of the week. Also, on my saturdays, i combine rooms, i am to ADD to clean one room at a time! I have a huge tub from walmart and i start upstairs and work my way through the entire house picking up toys, then i disperse them all to the toy room. Then i head back upstairs filling the bucket with laundry, then i empty it in the laundry room, then i go back through the house with a garbage back and empty trashes and pick up garbage. Then i start one room at a time picking up the floors. Then i back up and go through the rooms and dust, then back through and vaccume, then do the sweeping, then the mopping, then the windows and so on. Even in the bathrooms i do the mirrors, then the tubs, then the counters then the toilets. If i do one entire room at a time i always end up giving up before the house is all done and the day is over. Sorry this was so long but i hope it helps lol!!

Answer 5

Try this method instead of flylady -Speed Cleaning

http://www.thecleanteam.com

Best of Luck!

Jana

http://www.summerhouseliving.com/

Answer 6

Ignore the small stuff & do what you feel is the obvious. I think everyone's need for cleanliness varies.  I know if my bathroom & kitchen are clean, then I can overlook dust in the living room for days. Put away toys at night, not all day long. Have your toddler help with the toys & laundry. My toddler loved putting away folder items in drawers (wouldn't know it now by his room-- he's 20!) Make it a game to help you. If you're home all day, it's certainly different than if you're also working. However, you will need to be energetic for years. Sitting around & looking at a mess will get you down. Now that my family is older & I work all day, I try not to do much during the week & we do it all on Saturday.  Remember the saying "Don't sweat the small stuff & everything is small stuff".