why cant I keep my house clean

amother

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 8:46 pm

I dont understand why I cant keep my house clean. its just me and my husnabd (no kids yrt) but I just cant keep it together!! we get a cleaning laday e/t is nice bot me and my husband say we are going to keep it that way but we never do! is their out there that knows how to keep a house clean that can give me some advise?

mummiedearest

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 8:56 pm

when your house is clean, what does it look like? are the bookshelves overstuffed, or neat?

I find it hard to keep the house clean when I don't have enough storage space. so get yourself some good bins/storage units for whatever needs a place. institute fifteen minutes a day in which you and dh clean up.

mimivan

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 9:04 pm

Do you mean clean or organized? These are two separate things. The cleaning lady can clean, but she can't organize for you, and a lot of what is perceived as dirt is really clutter. I like flylady.net for the anti-clutter strategies..(and I have gone "off the wagon" from this program and really feel the difference)

We have a similar problem in feeling the house is never clean, because we have an old apartment that is badly in need of renovation. I think there is a lot of old dirt lurking here and there, the kind that needs special materials to strip clean. I think I have to do this for my sanity, but it will take a lot of scrubbing. If your house is old and needs renovations, find small ways you can improve the space.

I don't have a cleaning lady, because IMHO a cleaning lady can only do so much, and she can't cure our two biggest problems 1) clutter and 2) the fact our place is run down...you need to see what is causing this perception that the place can't get clean...and decide what the source of the problem is and how best to deal with it.

amother

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 9:09 pm

I hear what u are saying its kind of both not clean and not or organized. like with dishes putting away laundry cleaning surfaces, putting away coats, shoes, throwing out papers? sweeping the floor...I see all this I know it needs to get done but I end up waiting until its a mess and just needs to get cleaned rather then clean a little every day or when things get messy

new-here

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 9:14 pm

I know exactly what you feel like - b/c I struggle with this all the time. I used to think its because I live in a small apartment the house is just messier, but lo and behold I moved, and nothing changed.
The best way to resolve your issue is to constantly clean after yourselves- every time you take something out you put it away, this way your house will always be spic and span. don't take out something else before putting away the thing before.
If that doesn't work for you, take 10 minutes each morning and evening to clean up. DON'T let things pile up because then you just have more work, and it is too major to tackle. do bits and pieces constantly through the day and you will see it will be much cleaner!

amother

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 9:22 pm

We just started a new system which helps a lot... I wash all the dishes at night - I don't go to sleep until they're done - and then DH puts them all away before he leaves the house in the morning. I usually get up after him and it's so nice to walk into a kitchen that doesn't have any dishes piled up in the sink - and even the dish racks are clear!!!

AlwaysGrateful

Tue, Nov 03 2009, 9:29 pm

Give yourself a small reward for your daily cleanup to make sure you'll stick to it. For example, before you're allowed to have your cup of coffee in the morning, you have to make sure that the dishrack is emptied. You emptied it? Good, go enjoy your coffee! Get yourself an enticing book from the library and allow yourself to read one chapter a night - but only after you wash those dishes! Start with one thing at a time, like these, and slowly build up. It really makes a difference! You just have to get into the habit, and bribing yourself can really work, if you're honest with yourself...

alpidarkomama

Thu, Nov 05 2009, 1:55 am

One of the best things you can do is to ruthlessly declutter everything (including clothes, dishes, etc.). Less stuff, less mess. After that, at least for us, the storage you already have should be plenty. Then every day, wipe your bathroom sink area and toilet (2 minutes), and make sure you go to bed with an empty kitchen sink. We also do 15-minute timed cleanups at the end of the day. We move FAST and put everything away. DH and I with the kids (ages 2-6) can pretty much clean up the whole downstairs this way, not counting the kitchen area. You can also do similar things at the same time, I.e. clean all the mirrors in the house at the same time, and go FAST. Keep separate sets of cleaning supplies in the bathrooms and kitchen. Swish out the shower/tub when you're in it. We just use vinegar/baking soda for all that stuff, so no yucky cleanser stuff gets on your feet. A scrub brush just hangs in the shower and tub. Hopefully this gave you an idea or two. Smile

And I HIGHLY second the recommendation for FlyLady. She'll get you going, and has a very methodical way of pointing you in the right direction towards a cleaner house.

queen

Thu, Nov 05 2009, 2:37 am

I don't have patience for flylady (ironically- her web site is SO cluttered and messy.... not designed well)
BUT I picked up the best system from her, that an amother posted on this site-

Have a routine in the morning, and don't go downstairs until all done.
My routine is:
Get all kids and myself dressed
make beds
clean bedroom of toys kids played with in morning

and only then go downstairs for breakfast.
Kids never eat breakfast in PJ's on school day.

also- I'm a major declutterer. I HATE clutter and constantly trying to get rid of it. (I still have tons more to declutter.... always something!)

Akeres Habayis

Thu, Nov 05 2009, 8:13 am

laziness?maybe since its just the two of u(b'sha tova).u can put things in their place when u finish.u said so yourself,that u just look at it until its abig mess.so im not sure what the question is?u keep a clean house by putting things away when u finish w/it.
sorry to be so blunt but I couldn't understand what answer u were looking for.

to mimivan,I think your place is quaint.sometimes a coat of paint does wonders and new light fixtures.when we lived in ramot(remember) I hated that place. I felt like I was entering a dungeon.well I saw what the new tenants did.paint and light fixtures!

amother

Thu, Nov 05 2009, 8:33 am

op here- thanx for all your replys...this is just what I needed a little motivation! yesterday when I came home I cleaned up and when my DH walked he was so happy to see the house clean...Akeres Habayis I guess it is a little laziness but I am trying to work on it...even went for an early morning walk before I went to school! Very Happy