laundry and house cleaning poll - for those with little ones!

With a 5.5yo and a 1.5yo, I'm killing myself trying to keep up with the
mounds of laundry that accumulate and I'm wondering if I'm creating my
own circle of hell by using too many clothes over the course of the
day/week. So, a little poll on laundry and other housecleaning items...

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

How often do you change the bedsheets?

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

-Karen, mom to Henry 5.5 and William 1.5-

dkhedmo wrote:

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

Dh gets a new set every time but it evens out because he has them wear them
all day the next day and to bed the next night :-) I'm mostly doing jammies
and morning now so I use only 2-3 sets a week. If they eat in them (on
weekends) they get gross.

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

When they smell ;-). Dh is more likely to get a fresh undershirt every
day...and he has no body odor to speak of.

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are
you ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

N/A

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel?

About twice a week. When it is really humid in the summer and they don't
dry I get new ones more often.

For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel
every time?

That would be the kids and no. They usually use mine. They really don't
care ;-)

How often do you change the bedsheets?

Not often enough ;-) When I do there is a 50% chance that Luke will wet the
bed that night, regardless of whose bed it is - grrr. Clean sheets are a
pee magnet I guess.

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

I'm a little obsessive on this note so I usually get them put away about 90%
of the time. I don't do laundry every day though, I do it all in one day or
1.5 days if I've got other things going on.

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Once a week except for the tub. That is about every other week. I used to
do it twice a week but that sparkling tub is history!

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor
maintenance between moppings?

My goal is to mop once a week but it is usually every other week. We have
all pavement or grass so not much dirt like we used to plus the wood floors
hide everything ;-) I sweep about three times a week in the kitchen and
dining room. I used to do that every day :-P. I do the living room once a
week unless I'm gone on the weekend, then it is every other week.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

When I didn't have a dishwasher I did the dishes twice a day. I didn't
always get them put away. Another bit of obsessiveness on my part. I was
sooooo happy to get a new dishwasher earlier this year though!!

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or
week, what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

Dishes, bathroom sink and toilet (I can do those quick while the kids are
bathing though), sweeping, laundry.

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the
brunt of the household responsiblilities?

I've lowered my standards a little. Steve is in charge of a few things
(basement, garage, we share the porch) and I don't bat an eye at them. I'm
fairly organized by nature and can multi-task. Multi-tasking is very hard
with a 1.5yo though. I have it much easier now that mine are 4 and 6.

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

I'm always behind and this week is bad because I've been working extra, will
be gone all night at cubscouts tonight, will be gone this weekend (I do most
of my bigger stuff on weekends), have no Christmas shopping done, need
groceries, and am tired so haven't stayed up to get anything done. The kids
go to bed at 8:30pm and twice a week I watch an hour of TV and the other
times I usually try to accomplish something but lately I've been falling
asleep. I even missed Nip/Tuck ;-)

I expect everything will go to hell in a handbasket in about 3 months and
we'll never get back to normal!

--
Nikki
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Thing One and Thing Two :-) EDD 4/06

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

I make the kids wear pjs and jeans at least two times per week.

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

We live in a cold climate, but the girls are not wearing anything under
their clothes just to go to school. They have snow pants though. We do have
long johns, but they seem to only wear them if they are going to be outside
for any length of time.

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

I am ironing them myself. No extra money to send them out. However, I am
buying shirts that I don't have to iron and I can just put them in the dryer
and hang them up as soon as they are done. Same with pants.

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel?

My husband and I will use the same towel for at least three days unless it
becomes gross.

For those who bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean
towel every time?

I'm still working on my kids. Two of the three take a shower every other
day, one child takes a shower every day. If I had hooks or something they
could hang their towel up, then it would make it easier to keep the towels,
but for right now we are going through a lot of towels.

How often do you change the bedsheets?

I used to be on top of this, but now that I work full-time, I am not
changing them very often, probably once a month. I need to do it more, but I
haven't had the time.

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

Sometimes. Mostly we live off the table that I fold clothes on. I put my
husband's clothes away, as he does not appreciate coming down to the
basement to get his clothes.

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Once a week. I would do it more, but I don't have time.

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

It's been a while. I would like to have them mopped at least once a week. I
do sweep every day though and vacuum the one piece of carpet in the living
room every day.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how often
do you do dishes over the course of a day?

I have a dishwasher now, but I went many years without one so I can tell you
that I did dishes at least twice a day, after lunch and then again after
dinner.

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

The kitchen is my priority. And I try to have the kids clean up their stuff
in the living room every day.

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

Just do the best you can.

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

I'm right with you. By nature, I am a very clean person and I have always
liked a very clean house. Now that I am working full time (at home though)
with three kids who have very busy schedules, not everything gets done and I
am always behind. My goal is to hire a housecleaner when the new year comes
in.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

dkhedmo writes:

With a 5.5yo and a 1.5yo, I'm killing myself trying to keep up with the
mounds of laundry that accumulate and I'm wondering if I'm creating my
own circle of hell by using too many clothes over the course of the
day/week. So, a little poll on laundry and other housecleaning items...

Ooh, interesting, I'm always fascinated by these threads :-)

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

DS is in nappies and fairly often leaks. If not, then he gets a new set
every other day, so 3.5/week.

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

Most things are worn for "up to two days", jumpers for three or four, but
in fact food or paint gets onto most things sooner than that. If I can see
that it's dirty (in a fairly dim light :-) it doesn't get reworn.

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

Oi, what about those of *us* who work in a professional environment?!
Though in fact mine doesn't require me to wear things that need ironing
often, I'm only objecting to the assumption :-). DH irons his own shirts
(and that it almost the only ironing that happens here).

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

*every time*? Yikes. Towels get washed once a week here. After all, by the
time something's being rubbed with a towel, it's clean, right? (IME the key
to making them not feel as though they need to be changed more often is
actually getting them thoroughly dry.)

How often do you change the bedsheets?

In principle once a week; in practice, if it slips to once every 10 days I
don't worry about it.

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

Laundry goes from dirty-washing-bins (presorted), to the washing machine,
to the drying rack, to being put away. It can't stay on the drying rack too
long, since the drying rack is needed for the next load. We only have one
laundry basket, so stuff doesn't stay in it!

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Once a week.

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

Once a week. I only do anything in between if I notice crumbs or something
spilled.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

N/A :-)

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

We recently instigated a new system, which I'm very proud of, so let me
tell you about it :-) [We did have cleaners in, but got annoyed with them
and decided to make it work doing the cleaning ourselves, at least for
now.] For each room I have a laminated sheet listing things to be done
every week and things to be done less often; we write the date on them when
we do things. This way, DH can't complain that he can't do anything because
he doesn't know what to do, which was a huge problem.

The only thing I do every day is clean up carefully after meals (we live in
a flat in a building that has mice, so not leaving crumbs around is vital
if we want them to continue to think other flats are more interesting than
ours!). My weekly lists are as follows:

Kitchen/scullery:
Basic floor wash (not nec moving furniture, worrying about corners, inside
cupboards etc.)
Clean worksurfaces
Clean hob
Clean sinks (inc draining board)
Basic dust/shelf wipe
Check inside microwave, clean if nec
Empty crumbs from grillpan, wash as nec
Empty crumbs from bread tray, wash as nec

Bathroom:
Clean bath
Clean basin
Clean toilet
Basic floor wash (not nec under bath, moving cabinet, etc.)
Dust radiator
Wipe top of floor standing cabinet

Sitting room:
Basic floor dust/wash (i.e. damp mop)
Basic dust
Straighten throw, plump cushions

Dining room:
Basic floor dust/wash (i.e. damp mop)
Basic dust
Thorough clean of dining table (inc the underside where DS sits!)
Thorough clean of DS's high chair

All other rooms:
Basic hoover
Basic dust

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

For me, the most important lesson is "if a job's worth doing, it's worth
doing badly". E.g. I used to not wash the floor because I didn't have time
or energy to do it properly, moving everything and cleaning underneath,
etc. Now that thorough clean is on the "less often" list, and what has to
be done every week is the version where you only move things you can knock
out of the way with the mop :-)

Second most important lesson: time yourself. If you don't like cleaning,
it's easy to end up with an exaggerated idea of how long it takes. I was
shocked to find that it actually takes me just 10 minutes to hoover three
rooms, and that includes getting the hoover out and putting it away. Little
excuse not to do it once a week, then!

Final comment: if people are in your home all the time, you might need to
do some things more often. The upside of both parents working full time and
DS being at nursery full time is that for a lot of the time there's noone
here generating dirt :-)

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
nk.net...
With a 5.5yo and a 1.5yo, I'm killing myself trying to keep up with the
mounds of laundry that accumulate and I'm wondering if I'm creating my own
circle of hell by using too many clothes over the course of the day/week.
So, a little poll on laundry and other housecleaning items...

I've a 5yo and a 2yo
How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

Well depends on whether they spill breakfast down them...
Usually once a week, but they wear pants and vest underneath. I'd wash 2x a
week in the summer, but they each have only one favourite sleepsuit for
winter :-)

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

I'm assuming you mean pants and vest? Daily, along with tights etc.

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

I'd like to say I send them to the cleaners... but actually I have a moan
every Sunday night while I do it.

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

About once a week.
(I've a funny story about this: When we were just married dh saw me getting
the towels to take down to the laundry. He says what are you doing, they
were washed last week. I say they need washing that often. He says, well his
mum only washed towels about 2x a year!!!
To put this in perspective he was from a family of 3 boys and they didn't
have their own towels, just 2 towels out and they'd pick which one they
wanted!! Yuck!
I think the confusion was that he hadn't seen his mum washing the towels and
she had several identical towels and he assumed she wasn't changing them)

How often do you change the bedsheets?

It's meant to be every 2 weeks. In summer it is. In winter when I have to
drape them round the house to dry them it gets closer to 4 weeks sometimes.
I refuse to iron sheets... (or tea towels or socks!)

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of laundry
baskets?

Yes in summer. In winter I tend to empty the airer just in time to put the
next lot back up.

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

About once a week,.

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

Ah this is dh's job. So officially I don't do it. However I would like to
state that the last time he actually did it was in November 2004 (he denies
this, but I wrote it on the calender) So in the last year I have done it
about 25-30 times (with lots of maintenance between moppings), my mum has
done it twice.
It's funny how dh's one cleaning job becomes mine isn't it.... he doesn't
actually realise how often I do it, and if I try leaving it it just doesn't
get done either... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.


For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how often
do you do dishes over the course of a day?

Once a day (until we got a dishwasher)

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

Hoovering. Cleaning toilets, Laundry. Cleaning the sinks. Wiping the kitchen
down. Cleaning the cooker.Making the bed!!

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

Oh, is dh meant to do some household responibilities? I must have missed
that on his contract.
Actually that is unfair, he does wash up if he hasn't cooked, and he usually
cooks at weekends. he just hasn't worked out that if he doesn't wipe up the
mess then it'll stay there...

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least day
and a half behind.
That's okay. I'm nearly 6 months behind now-and getting further ;-P
Debbie

In article et,
dkhedmo wrote:

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

Twice. Once around three or four in the afternoon, and then again after
dinner. For whatever reason my son leaves me alone while I'm doing
dishes, so it's a chance for me to listen to the radio in peace.
--
Sara
accompanied by TK, number two, due in April of 2006

dkhedmo wrote:

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

One to two.

If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

every day

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

None of my stuff needs ironing. If he needs his shirt ironed, he irons
it himself. I do most of my dry-cleaning at home using Dry-El.

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

Towels changed once a week for all members, whether they bathe daily or
less.

How often do you change the bedsheets?

I try for once a week, but the reality is maybe twice a month.

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

Always put away. We do only one load per day, so it's easy to complete
it start to finish, including putting it away.

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Swish & swipe toilets, mirror & sink daily; thoroughly clean once a
week (scrub shower, steam-mop the floor).

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

We run the Roomba in there a few times a week. Then steam mop once a
week, sometimes less - depends on how dirty it gets. With snow here, it
is definetly once a week because it gets dirty faster.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

N/A

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

Daily Morning routine:
- Swish & swipe the bath
- Empty dishwasher
- Throw in one load of laundry
- Run roomba in at least one room
- Empty trash

Daily Evening routine:
- Sort & discard junk mail
- Put laundry in dryer
- Make dinner/clean up dinner etc
- Fold & put away laundry
- Pick up stuff and put it back where it belongs (at end of day I do a
sweep through the whole house)
- Fluff sofa pillows and refold throw blankets

Weekly:
- Dust
- Steam mop kitchen & baths
- Scrub showers
- Polish kitchen counters & appliances


Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

Try www.flylady.net

P.s. We're a family of four but I should add my DD's are 11 and 13, not
little ones. It is harder with little ones.

jen

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 21:15:32 GMT, dkhedmo
wrote:

With a 5.5yo and a 1.5yo, I'm killing myself trying to keep up with the
mounds of laundry that accumulate and I'm wondering if I'm creating my
own circle of hell by using too many clothes over the course of the
day/week. So, a little poll on laundry and other housecleaning items...

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

The toddler gets a new pair of footie pajamas every 3rd day unless she
leaked out of her diaper sooner. The 5 yo wears only undies to bed
and I put on a clean nightshirt every 3rd day.

For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel?

2-3 x a week, depending on how well they dry between showers.

For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

No, they use mine.

How often do you change the bedsheets?

Maybe twice a month. More often if someone is sick.

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?

I don't use a dryer, but hang all my laundry indoors and out. So we
live off the clothes bar ;-)

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Once a week

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

Not very often, especially in winter. It gets dirty too quickly.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?

Once

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

I vacuum every few days, make sure the dishes are done, and at least
one load of laundry is done every few days.

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities?

Lower your standards.

Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

Yep, BTDT. I lowered my standards and decided I'd rather enjoy my
family than stress over housework.

Nan

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
nk.net...
With a 5.5yo and a 1.5yo, I'm killing myself trying to keep up with the
mounds of laundry that accumulate and I'm wondering if I'm creating my
own circle of hell by using too many clothes over the course of the
day/week. So, a little poll on laundry and other housecleaning items...

How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

I have one child.

1 or 2 sets a week


If you live in a cold climate and use undershirts, leggings under the
clothes, etc, how often do you put on a clean, fresh item?

Not sure what you mean. If they are not dirty, I may reuse them. If DD has a
bowel movement in the day, I won't reuse the leggings.


For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

DH sends his jackets to the dry cleaners a few times a year. We never iron
as we have clothes that are basically wrinkle-free, but since we work in our
own office, the dress code is fairly casual.


For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?


For myself, I use one towel a week and so does DD. It's how I was raised.
DH, otoh, changes his towel daily, unfortunately. No, we don't have weird
skin problems from not changing the towel daily. :-) As long as the towel is
thin and as soon as it's hung up correctly, it will dry quickly.

How often do you change the bedsheets?


Once a month

Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of
laundry baskets?


Mostly put away.

How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?


Every other week. In between, I use a clorox wipe to wipe the faucet, toilet
seat and handle.

How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?


Once a month. I wipe up spills in-between.

For those living in the stone age with NO AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, how
often do you do dishes over the course of a day?


Before the dishwasher, once a day in the evening. I would soak the crusty
dishes in the water during the day. We also rinse and reuse glasses so they
don't accumulate throughout the day.

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?


Put away the clutter, load the dishwasher, wipe down the kitchen counters. I
don't like clutter, and when it builds up a lot, it takes longer to clean.
Vacuum once a week. Dust the whole house a few times a year as I feel it's
the biggest time waster. Dust always comes back with a vengence, anyway.

Any particular comments from those without a partner, or an absentee
partner (away for work, school at night, etc) trying to handle the brunt
of the household responsiblilities.


Looking for a little perspective, becuase I perpetually feel at least
day and a half behind.

-Karen, mom to Henry 5.5 and William 1.5-

"dkhedmo" wrote in message
nk.net...
How many sets of clean, fresh pajamas do you use per week per child?

1

For those with partners working in a "professional" environment, are you
ironing dresshirts or blouses, or sending them to the cleaners?

Neither. We try to buy wrinkle-free fabrics and hang them as soon as they
are out of the dryer.


For the members of the household who shower/bathe every day or nearly
every day, how often does each person get a fresh towel? For those who
bathe only a few times a week, does that person get a clean towel every
time?

Once a week.


How often do you change the bedsheets?

This is awful, but when the kids wet the bed or when they look dirty. I'd
say about every other week or every third week for our bed and about once a
month for the kids.


Do you ever get all the laundry put away, or are you living out of laundry
baskets?

A little of both.


How often do you thoroughly clean the primary/only bathroom?

Every other week when the cleaning lady comes.


How often do you mop the kitchen floor? Do you do any floor maintenance
between moppings?

Every other week when the cleaning lady comes.

If you're not much of a housekeeper, or having a very busy day or week,
what are your "bare minimum" items that you do daily or weekly?

Put the dishes in the dishwasher. DH takes the trash out.