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1. That's a good idea, I'll try that out!
2. I do do the crucial stuff the majority of the time, rarely there will be a few dishes in the sink that I'll get to the next day but for the most part I do do the crucial stuff as it needs to be done. I definitely wouldn't change the cat's stuff, we've gone away for two nights/one day before (left in the evening came back a day later in the morning) and the litter smell was already too much for me - I felt so bad for them. It really wasn't that bad, but still.
3. This is a good idea, although as someone else mentioned I'd probably clean before the came, lol. I don't like people being here when I'm not here, too many bad experiences with roommates and having things go "missing" and just sitting on the couch while they clean would be a bit awkward.
4. I may see if I can find a friend that will do it. I actually have a friend that runs a commercial cleaning business, she might be interested in doing it. She doesn't drive, but her husband does and I'm sure they could fit it into their schedule.
Thanks, it's really hard to explain to people. They usually say something like "oh well this day you only worked x hours and had half the day off" or "you had a day off yesterday, why didn't you do it then?". When you factor in that I still have to do grocery shopping, walk dogs, service the car, etc it really ads up to a lot of time. I'm really bad about changing bedding, I know I should do it more but I never think of it. It does get done about once every other week though.
I feel you on being so tired on your day off that you just want to lay on the couch and read, that's definitely how I get. Then I feel guilty after because I think, hey that was like 2 hours that I could have done some of the things that need to get done.
I have a hard time dealing with clutter and it's at the point right now that I'm starting to notice it and want to take care of it before it gets to the point where I don't know where to start. Unfortunately, most of the time trying to do one thing ends up turning into a huge project because I have to move all the stuff out of this place to put a few things in that place, etc. I got my schedule tonight for next week and it looks like with the holiday I actually have two days off! I'm going to tackle a lot of it on Sunday after work and then finish up on Monday (the holiday) hopefully.
That's my problem too. I like when it feels fully clean and I just can't seem to get that satisfaction with it right now which makes me not even want to bother. I know, horrible attitude.I used to set aside one day a week for cleaning. For some reason, I got away from that and now it seems I am doing a little bit of cleaning each day. Dusting one day, vacuuming another, bathrooms another, floors this dayI don't like that because then the house doesn't feel "fully" clean ever. I think I will get back to the "all in one day" cleaning. It does get screwed up though when other things come up and then that throws off your cleaning schedule. I also tell myself that it is like working out
Makes it a bit easier -getting cleaning and a workout all in one
I never wash my walls, lol. I had a scuff on one of the walls here in the living room and tried to wash it off, I ended up washing part of the paint off, lol. My scheduled is really varied as well, some weeks I'm 50+ hours, others I'm 40. This week, because of the holiday, I'm down to 36 and that's a short week for me, lol.I'm no good at cleaning. . .literally, I have no idea what to do. My mom grew up with a maid so she doesn't know how to clean and so she couldn't teach me. I read some Don Aslett books but it's like learning another language or something. I'm pretty good at scrubbing litterboxes, though.
I think I keep the house reasonably clean unless I'm working too much (I have a variable schedule so some weeks it's 50 hours and some weeks much less). But there are a lot of things that don't occur to me or I don't know how to do (reading Winchester's post. . .walls need washing? How do you wash a wall?). Meh, I get by, I guess. I won't win any Better Homes and Gardens awards. At least the house isn't cluttered because the cats would wreck anything I leave lying around.
I thought about hiring somebody but I'm not sure it's fair to subject them to the cats. And I wouldn't want anybody in my house when I'm not there and it's awkward having them clean when you are there.
I know what you mean about hiring someone and it being awkward, that's why I'm avoiding it, lol.
This is how I was when I was in college and wasn't working. It got really depressing. I think this is where Mike is right now too, I know how he feels but he needs to step up and help! He's here often enough, lol.
I know exactly what you mean, although I'm only 26. I feel like I'm beginning to burn out and I need to put a stop to that, whether it be hire someone to come in and help me do a big organize/clean or do it myself and then hire someone to come in and help keep it up... I'm not sure just yet.I should clarify that I do keep my kitchen clean.
Dusting and decluttering events are few and far between. But laundry, bathroom, cats' toilet area are done weekly and I can't stand dirty dishes in the sink or piled on the counter. I keep the counters washed several times a day and whenever I prepare food, mine or theirs. I use either the hot soapy water in the dish pan, or a spray down of Clorox Anywhere(tm).
My apartment is tiny though, and like someone else mentioned, there is no wall space, and living has kind of spilled out into the center of the apartment.
It takes me 5 or 10 minutes to pick up all the cat toys and scratchers, move the coffee table and tuck up the throws, before I can commence vacuuming. This is what I mean by clutter. Who has the energy to do that more than once a week?I don't. You know, I did when I was younger, but I am not a spry 40 year old any more. Vacuuming once a week is enough. I use the upright for the carpet and the hand held canister with hose to get the baseboards and edges, under the couch cushions, and stuff like that.
I do make a little effort to gather up the shreds of cardboard from scratching or chewing and brown paper bag shreds from playing and chewing, if not every day, every other day.
Every now and then I do manage to do things like clean out and reorganize the big closet but not very often. The cats LOVE Clean Out The Big Closet Day.
A maid may help a bit, but I would rather not spend that kind of money often. My income is pretty low when you factor in my rent, vet costs for 2 cats and 2 dogs, groceries, car payment, insurance, etc. I do have a bit left at the end of the month but I'm trying to get some savings again. I am going to look into having a professional organizer come in though and help, I think that would make a big difference and then I can tackle the cleaning aspects myself when everything has a place.
I think that's what I'd end up doing, lol.
Darn, I'm extra small to small. I think my mom is your size though and needs to do the same thing, I'll ask her when she gets home from vacation.Usually a large or extra large.
Dusting is something I don't even think about. My parents house is older and was always very dusty no matter how often you cleaned. They had their ducts professionally cleaned pretty often and it helped for a little while, but it was always dusty to an extent. I think this is why I don't notice it as much.I cleaned private houses professionally for years (on my own), and still do a little cleaning, but commercial, not residential. I do not have extra money to spend on a cleaning person, and even if I did, I am much too private to ever desire someone else to clean it.
It's the clutter that is the problem, not dirt, as I keep the basics clean. I would not want anyone else trying to arrange my clutter.
As for dusting..eh. I dust when someone comes over, which is once every three or four months at the most.
No one else lives with me, it's just me
Mike is here quite a bit, he stays over sometimes but I've also hired him as my dog walker because he's out of work right now and I needed someone to walk the dogs when I have long days. I'm going to get him to help out as much as he can, he won't be able to take donations anywhere (he doesn't drive) but he can take out trash and help me with some of the organization. Does anyone have any experience with a professional organizer?
