How do you cheat on your house work?

Hope - posted on 12/25/2009

Include the kids although I know I always have to go back and redo what they've done; It sorta feels good to delegate chores to someone else.

Renae - posted on 12/24/2009

I have recently discovered the art of cheating! And YES, other people do cheat! I have posted before about how I cant seem to get on top of my housework and wondered how other people seem to clean in just a few hours a week. I have people in my mothers group who have a babysitter one afternoon a week and do ALL of their cleaning in one afternoon!



After much talking, asking and thinking about this, I have decided that I do things too perfectly. When I clean my bathroom it takes an hour, yet everyone I ask spends 20 minutes. I don't work slowly, in fact I work at quite a pace. It turns out that I clean every last thing spotless every time and this is why I don't have time to get everything done. So I am now running on a "close enough is good enough" policy! AND IT WORKS! My husband hasn't noticed, I recently told him I was skimping on the cleaning and he shrugs and said, I can't see a difference. That's the thing, I used to clean so I knew it was clean, but now I see that its ok to do a quick clean so that it LOOKS clean, as long as on occasion (every few weeks) it gets done properly. Heres some things I do to cheat:

Only dust what I can see (i.e. yesterday I skipped behind the TV, on top of the clock and a few other places noone ever looks - I'll do them next time)

Only vaccum/mop what I can get to without moving things, last time I mopped I moved the island bench but not the dining table chairs, next time I will do the opposite.

Stuff the machine extra full... hey they still come out clean!

Use the dryer in the middle of summer.

Sometimes quickly run a rag over the sink, coat the shower in mould remover and wipe the mirror - bathroom looks clean and only I know I didnt scrub it.



Before I was a mum I thought my house had to be "white glove" clean. You could run a white glove over the top of any door, behind any appliance, inside any vent and it would be spotless. But I am having to learn that this standard just is not maintainable and playing with my baby is more important.



Somebody also recently told me about flylady.net, take a look, some good advice there.

Jennifer - posted on 12/22/2009

I guess I'm not healed yet then, because I have to make sure the labels are the right way in the cupboard. The funny thing is that I used to not be so picky. When I was pregnant with my third child I had that nesting syndrome really bad, and it never went away!

Temeka - posted on 12/22/2009

My son can help throw stuff away, finally... it used to be he liked to throw things away, unfortunately that included EVERYTHING!! We actually had to lock the pantry door so he couldn't get to the garbage... It was quite pathetic when you could hear toys in the garbage "singing their song". ...yes, I fished them out :-( I'm cheap, too!

And Jennifer, I'm with ya' on how particular things have to be...I have come a LONG way since pre-babies... I was absolutely insane before...as a matter of fact, wow - I don't turn all the labels out on the cans in the cupboards anymore!!! I'M HEALED!!!

Carolee - posted on 12/22/2009

My son and I make a game of cleaning up the front room. He likes to throw things away, so he takes care of all the things (junk mail) that are trash. Then, we race to pick up his toys, and he will actually take toys out of my hands so that he's put most of them away.

Jennifer - posted on 12/22/2009

I never thought about letting them splash the water out of the tub. That is a great idea. I do already clean the sinks, toilet, etc. while they are in the tub, because they love to be in there a really long time. I try to let them help with other things, but I am so picky about how things get done that it is really hard for me. I just started letting them make their own beds, because they don't do a very good job, but I figure that if I just don't look at it, it will be ok.

Temeka - posted on 12/21/2009

Hah!! Good question! I think everyone wonders that same question...However, it takes thinking outside the box. Call me crazy - but if you have dishes to do - let the kids "help". Depending on the age of course. My son likes to splash water everywhere SOOO I automatically get the counters AND the floors clean when I mop up the water! and the kids are happy!

Um, other little bits - I clean the shower when I'm in it (that is if I get one). I allow the kids to splash out of the bath when they're in it and I get a clean floor, too! I wash the sinks and mirrors etc, while they're bathing. I'm not just sitting there while they play with bathtoys, I'm cleanin' too!

I still have yet to come up with a good plan for folding laundry without them "helping", cuz it's really impossible...:-P

Stephanie - posted on 12/21/2009

I don't really cheat on my housework but what I have realized is that I could get everything done in one day but then I would be pushing myself a little to much. What I do is I do a couple things (Clean the bathroom, do a couple load of laundry) one day then the next day I do something else (Mop the floor, and more laundry.) The one thing(s) I do everyday is vacuum and sweep and clean up her toys when she's in bed. But other then that I just spend time with my daughter and do a few things when she's down for the night or napping.Even some stuff you can get your little ones to help, my daughter love's to help Vacuum. Of course if there are cleaners involved she doesn't help me. Once you get caught up on your housework you will find that this method is much easier, and my house is still very clean. Good luck I hope I have maybe helped a bit.