Shortcuts and compromises for keeping house during a busy season
October 26, 2016 6:25 AM Subscribe
I am a SAHM of three little kids. My husband has a big important exam next year and will be working/studying seven days a week for the next several months. Housekeeping duties will fall 95% on my shoulders. What are some shortcuts and compromises I can make to keep the house clean and keep myself sane?
I'm not starting at novice level here. I have been a full- or part-time SAHM for years, and my husband has been taking these (actuarial) exams for all of them. Assume that I already know that I need a routine, should clean the kitchen after dinner, do a load of laundry every day, etc.
What are some temporary things I can do to make it easier for myself? For instance: using paper plates on the weekends, using the dishwasher for pots and pans I would usually hand wash, and washing blankets less often.
What are the housekeeping compromises you make when you're the busiest?
*my husband is usually really great at taking equal responsibility for the house. he is not slacking right now, trust me.
I'm not starting at novice level here. I have been a full- or part-time SAHM for years, and my husband has been taking these (actuarial) exams for all of them. Assume that I already know that I need a routine, should clean the kitchen after dinner, do a load of laundry every day, etc.
What are some temporary things I can do to make it easier for myself? For instance: using paper plates on the weekends, using the dishwasher for pots and pans I would usually hand wash, and washing blankets less often.
What are the housekeeping compromises you make when you're the busiest?
*my husband is usually really great at taking equal responsibility for the house. he is not slacking right now, trust me.
Clorox bleach wipes under the sink in each bathroom. Wiping down sink/counters/etc takes 30 seconds and really freshens things up in between cleanings.
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:43 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:43 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Is there money in the budget to hire a housekeeper or cleaning service to come in every two/three weeks to do a deep-clean of bathrooms and kitchen?
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:44 AM on October 26, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:44 AM on October 26, 2016 [14 favorites]
Best answer: -Buy groceries online (through grocery stores' own systems, amazon fresh, instacart, freshdirect, whatever is available)
-Subscribe (on amazon or elsewhere) for regular deliveries of toiletries and other household consumables (pet stuff, for example, if applicable)...build in a cushion so you never worry about running out
-Re-evaluate whether you're laundering things on the right schedule (could you go longer without washing all the bedding or jeans, for instance?). Put multiple layers of fitted sheets on beds (and peel em off one by one) so you don't have to make up the beds very often.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:46 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
-Subscribe (on amazon or elsewhere) for regular deliveries of toiletries and other household consumables (pet stuff, for example, if applicable)...build in a cushion so you never worry about running out
-Re-evaluate whether you're laundering things on the right schedule (could you go longer without washing all the bedding or jeans, for instance?). Put multiple layers of fitted sheets on beds (and peel em off one by one) so you don't have to make up the beds very often.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:46 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, are you aware of subscription-based meal planning services (emeals is one, there are others) that can help automate and optimize cooking/meal planning? I've never used them but they get rave reviews on the green and elsewhere for convenience.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:48 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by R a c h e l at 6:48 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Getting the kids to help, even if it's just having them hang up coats and shoes or putting their toys away (or even having them entertain themselves for a bit), can be helpful.
Slow cooker liners, so clean-up takes about 5 minutes, and disposable foil pans for roasting or lasagna, etc. Use foil or parchment paper to line your cookie sheets so they're not needing to be washed every single time. Make use of ziploc bags for leftovers, marinades, and portioning out bulk items.
Definitely automate some of the grocery store experience, by using curbside pick-up, Subscribe & Save, etc.
I agree with keeping meals simple--one pot pastas, slow cooker stews, whatever can minimize clean-up and free up time to tackle other chores.
Get a big thing of alcohol wipes, and place them under every sink. Very easy to grab one to wipe down the counters, scrub the sinks, wipe down the toilets, etc.
Use a handheld vacuum, and Swiffers (the floor wipe and the dusters) to clean up spills and freshen up the floors between deep cleans. Dry microfiber cloths are great at dumping dust on the floor to be caught with the vacuum; and it's OK to focus on one room at a time, as you find time.
posted by PearlRose at 7:04 AM on October 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Slow cooker liners, so clean-up takes about 5 minutes, and disposable foil pans for roasting or lasagna, etc. Use foil or parchment paper to line your cookie sheets so they're not needing to be washed every single time. Make use of ziploc bags for leftovers, marinades, and portioning out bulk items.
Definitely automate some of the grocery store experience, by using curbside pick-up, Subscribe & Save, etc.
I agree with keeping meals simple--one pot pastas, slow cooker stews, whatever can minimize clean-up and free up time to tackle other chores.
Get a big thing of alcohol wipes, and place them under every sink. Very easy to grab one to wipe down the counters, scrub the sinks, wipe down the toilets, etc.
Use a handheld vacuum, and Swiffers (the floor wipe and the dusters) to clean up spills and freshen up the floors between deep cleans. Dry microfiber cloths are great at dumping dust on the floor to be caught with the vacuum; and it's OK to focus on one room at a time, as you find time.
posted by PearlRose at 7:04 AM on October 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Best answer: There's a reason meatloaf Monday and taco Tuesday exist. Don't make life more difficult by changing things each week. Stick to a routine that makes meal planning and grocery shopping easier. Also, as with anything, these problems get easier if you have some money to throw at them.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:05 AM on October 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 7:05 AM on October 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
Paper plates (and bowls and cups.) Big, huge time/energy saver.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:05 AM on October 26, 2016
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:05 AM on October 26, 2016
Put toy bins in *all* the areas where your kids play, and teach the kids to put the toys in the bin at "clean-up time." Doesn't need to be organized in any manner, just in the bin.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:06 AM on October 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:06 AM on October 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
To echo all of the people telling you to clean less frequently, here are some real examples from my life, as a "neat freak" who ranks 2/10 on the cleanliness scale:
- Bedding gets washed no more than 1x/month, frequently less often than that. Unless you can see a stain 24 hours later, it doesn't NEED to be washed. I've been doing this for over two decades, have sensitive eczema-prone skin, and no ill effects. Do wash pillowcases more often if you're prone to acne; they're easy to toss in with regular laundry.
- All dishes go immediately into the dishwasher (unless they absolutely have to be hand washed). This does require you to unload the dishwasher promptly after a cycle, but I promise you'll save tons of time from never having to empty the sink.
- If you have carpet, don't bother to vacuum except where you see visible dirt/crumbs (getting a hand vac can be super helpful for this). Or do it monthly with the bedding. Wood floors are a little less forgiving with dust, but you don't need to ever deep clean the floors, a quick Swiffer is fine. If you're not a shoes-off household and your kids are past the eating-off-the-floor stage, don't even worry about dust. (Conversely, if you do need to keep the floor reasonably clean, consider becoming a shoes-off household.)
- Let the bathtub and sink grime pile up for a few weeks. It's not unsanitary unless taken to an extreme because you are either not touching it anyway or it's being rinsed with hot water every time you use it. See if you can swing a monthly cleaner (mine is $100 for a 1BR in one of the most expensive COL areas in the country) who will magically make the grime disappear just as it's getting on your nerves. (In a household of 2, I have cleaners come every 4 weeks and I do no cleaning at all in between, but with kids you'll still have to do some cleanup.)
- In a similar vein, I think the toilets in my house growing up were cleaned about every 3 months, and they're doing just fine. Don't bother, just do a deep clean when the crisis is over.
- If you have guests over, tidy is more important/practical than squeaky clean.
posted by serelliya at 7:08 AM on October 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
- Bedding gets washed no more than 1x/month, frequently less often than that. Unless you can see a stain 24 hours later, it doesn't NEED to be washed. I've been doing this for over two decades, have sensitive eczema-prone skin, and no ill effects. Do wash pillowcases more often if you're prone to acne; they're easy to toss in with regular laundry.
- All dishes go immediately into the dishwasher (unless they absolutely have to be hand washed). This does require you to unload the dishwasher promptly after a cycle, but I promise you'll save tons of time from never having to empty the sink.
- If you have carpet, don't bother to vacuum except where you see visible dirt/crumbs (getting a hand vac can be super helpful for this). Or do it monthly with the bedding. Wood floors are a little less forgiving with dust, but you don't need to ever deep clean the floors, a quick Swiffer is fine. If you're not a shoes-off household and your kids are past the eating-off-the-floor stage, don't even worry about dust. (Conversely, if you do need to keep the floor reasonably clean, consider becoming a shoes-off household.)
- Let the bathtub and sink grime pile up for a few weeks. It's not unsanitary unless taken to an extreme because you are either not touching it anyway or it's being rinsed with hot water every time you use it. See if you can swing a monthly cleaner (mine is $100 for a 1BR in one of the most expensive COL areas in the country) who will magically make the grime disappear just as it's getting on your nerves. (In a household of 2, I have cleaners come every 4 weeks and I do no cleaning at all in between, but with kids you'll still have to do some cleanup.)
- In a similar vein, I think the toilets in my house growing up were cleaned about every 3 months, and they're doing just fine. Don't bother, just do a deep clean when the crisis is over.
- If you have guests over, tidy is more important/practical than squeaky clean.
posted by serelliya at 7:08 AM on October 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
If you have a deep freeze or can get one, make huge batches of soup, chili, lasagna, etc. and freeze them for easy meal nights when you're short on time.
posted by Candleman at 7:17 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Candleman at 7:17 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have 100% responsibility full time but I am terrible at it so I will let better qualified people help in strategies for you.
I'm here to pipe in about what I wish I had been much better at implementing; Get your kids to help. When I saw pictures of 4 and 5 year olds shucking oysters 12 hour days from 100 years ago, it didn't make me want to send my kids off for work. It didn't make me realize how really capable kids are if we let them be.
Kids that are 2 and 3 years old can get themselves dressed (I've seen a whole classroom full of them do it after swim class at the JCC). Kids 4 and 5 can clear a table and be in charge of putting all the laundry in the hamper and use the hand vac.
My (not-super-willing-to-help) 5 year old learned to do laundry, mop my kitchen floor, and make beds (even my king size).
While corners are going to be cut, this is the perfect time to settle for a bed like a 5 year old can make it, and a kitchen table wiped clean like a 3 year old can best wipe it.
A fun new chore board might help.
posted by ReluctantViking at 7:20 AM on October 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
I'm here to pipe in about what I wish I had been much better at implementing; Get your kids to help. When I saw pictures of 4 and 5 year olds shucking oysters 12 hour days from 100 years ago, it didn't make me want to send my kids off for work. It didn't make me realize how really capable kids are if we let them be.
Kids that are 2 and 3 years old can get themselves dressed (I've seen a whole classroom full of them do it after swim class at the JCC). Kids 4 and 5 can clear a table and be in charge of putting all the laundry in the hamper and use the hand vac.
My (not-super-willing-to-help) 5 year old learned to do laundry, mop my kitchen floor, and make beds (even my king size).
While corners are going to be cut, this is the perfect time to settle for a bed like a 5 year old can make it, and a kitchen table wiped clean like a 3 year old can best wipe it.
A fun new chore board might help.
posted by ReluctantViking at 7:20 AM on October 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
Don't think of it as keeping the whole house clean - that can be overwhelming. Instead, pick a room per day (or every other day) and make that your focus. That could be Sundays for the kitchen, Mondays for a bathroom, Tuesdays for vacuuming, etc.
And definitely enlist the kids if they're big enough. By age 5, we each had to make our beds and pick up our toys, and at 6 we started getting age-appropriate "helper" chores - unloading the silverware from the dishwasher, wiping the table after meals, etc.
posted by writermcwriterson at 7:35 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
And definitely enlist the kids if they're big enough. By age 5, we each had to make our beds and pick up our toys, and at 6 we started getting age-appropriate "helper" chores - unloading the silverware from the dishwasher, wiping the table after meals, etc.
posted by writermcwriterson at 7:35 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ugh, I mean It did make me realize how really capable kids are if we let them be.
posted by ReluctantViking at 7:55 AM on October 26, 2016
posted by ReluctantViking at 7:55 AM on October 26, 2016
Cheryl Mendelson of Home Comforts says that during crunch times, you should prioritize cleaning kitchens and bathrooms (for sanitary purposes), and your bedrooms (because you spend eight hours a day in there and need fresh air and a dust free environment). Do enough laundry to stay on top of things, and let your other rooms and "organizational tasks" be a lower priority.
Also let children help with neatening, putting away, and perhaps making beds as much as they are able, and of course simplify meal prep and grocery shopping as much as possible.
posted by Hypatia at 8:02 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also let children help with neatening, putting away, and perhaps making beds as much as they are able, and of course simplify meal prep and grocery shopping as much as possible.
posted by Hypatia at 8:02 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree with becoming a shoes-off household. We take our shoes off religiously when we come in the front door. Why track the outside all over the inside?
posted by bluebird at 8:03 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by bluebird at 8:03 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Have a discussion with your husband about what lowered expectations of cleanliness the both of you can deal with. Everyone's house is "dirty" in the sense that there is dirtiness everywhere but we all wouldn't ever get anything productive done or enjoy anything in life if we let that control us.
posted by mmascolino at 8:04 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 8:04 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Oh! Another good trick that I use. Pour some bleach (I eyeball about a cup) into your toilets, preferably last thing before you go to bed. In the morning, do a quick scrub around the bowl with a brush, and flush. Your toilet will be LOADS cleaner, good for a quick clean.
If you have a septic system, use baking soda instead of bleach.
posted by PearlRose at 8:22 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you have a septic system, use baking soda instead of bleach.
posted by PearlRose at 8:22 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Just an FYI for the grocery shopping - Walmart now does free grocery pickup. Order online (minimum $30), choose your 1 hour window to pick up (usually not available same day), then when picking up you just park in their designated spot and they bring the groceries out and load them in your car. It's super easy & convenient, and with Walmart's low prices and no service fee it really saves both time and money.
Signed,
Someone who won't step foot in a Walmart because it's crazy-making
posted by bologna on wry at 8:24 AM on October 26, 2016
Signed,
Someone who won't step foot in a Walmart because it's crazy-making
posted by bologna on wry at 8:24 AM on October 26, 2016
Best answer: Run the dishwasher every night even if it's not full, because starting the day with all the dishes clean and an empty dishwasher makes it all run more easily.
This depends on exactly how you and your partner relax and enjoy time together, but cooking together for the next couple days after the kids are in bed, potentially with a few glasses of wine, can be a way to reconnect with him while getting $#%^ done. Obviously this will vary depending on personalities.
Use Amazon Subscribe&Save for things you use up regularly so you're less likely to be caught short and need to make an emergency run to the store. For similar reasons, always keep shelf-stable ingredients on hand for a few easy meals.
Frozen vegetables are your friends.
If relevant, ignore yardwork entirely. It'll be there in the spring.
Depending on how gross your children are (mine were gross until age 8 or so, when they became slightly less gross) they can re-wear the same pajamas for several days.
posted by metasarah at 9:15 AM on October 26, 2016
This depends on exactly how you and your partner relax and enjoy time together, but cooking together for the next couple days after the kids are in bed, potentially with a few glasses of wine, can be a way to reconnect with him while getting $#%^ done. Obviously this will vary depending on personalities.
Use Amazon Subscribe&Save for things you use up regularly so you're less likely to be caught short and need to make an emergency run to the store. For similar reasons, always keep shelf-stable ingredients on hand for a few easy meals.
Frozen vegetables are your friends.
If relevant, ignore yardwork entirely. It'll be there in the spring.
Depending on how gross your children are (mine were gross until age 8 or so, when they became slightly less gross) they can re-wear the same pajamas for several days.
posted by metasarah at 9:15 AM on October 26, 2016
Instant Pot. I have advocated it here for a million reasons, but in your case: 1) you can cook at least two dinners or dinner + lunch in about an hour, even from frozen ingredients 2) only dirtying one easy-to-clean stainless steel liner 3) and can bulk-cook ingredients for quick-assembly of other meals, so you're not cooking from scratch every single night.
And yes, simplify the meals themselves - there's lots of blogs with great simple "one pot" pressure cooker meals, buy a microwave veg steamer, use frozen and canned supplies. Eat sandwiches for lunch. Hard-boiled eggs and yogurts and string cheese in the snack box. Use Amazon Fresh or your local grocery delivery, and Amazon for household supplies.
Your husband, who will have to periodically stop to use the bathroom and wash his hands, and presumably shower occasionally, should handle the bathroom cleaning. There is no individual bathroom-cleaning task that takes more than 90-120 seconds. He can also rotate laundry (for his health, he needs to be standing up and moving for 2-5 minutes every hour anyway - my own housekeeping quick-tasks have improved greatly since I got an Apple Watch that bitches at me to stand up 12 times a day), and at least bring plates/cups/trash to the kitchen for you to deal with.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:05 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
And yes, simplify the meals themselves - there's lots of blogs with great simple "one pot" pressure cooker meals, buy a microwave veg steamer, use frozen and canned supplies. Eat sandwiches for lunch. Hard-boiled eggs and yogurts and string cheese in the snack box. Use Amazon Fresh or your local grocery delivery, and Amazon for household supplies.
Your husband, who will have to periodically stop to use the bathroom and wash his hands, and presumably shower occasionally, should handle the bathroom cleaning. There is no individual bathroom-cleaning task that takes more than 90-120 seconds. He can also rotate laundry (for his health, he needs to be standing up and moving for 2-5 minutes every hour anyway - my own housekeeping quick-tasks have improved greatly since I got an Apple Watch that bitches at me to stand up 12 times a day), and at least bring plates/cups/trash to the kitchen for you to deal with.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:05 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
- If you can afford it, have a cleaning service come every other week or even just once a month to handle stuff like bathrooms, vacuuming, and other deep cleaning. Learn to live with those things getting a little messy in between. You can still spot clean if people are coming over or if things get gross.
- nth-ing getting kids to help. Get a magnetic chore board like this one and make it highly visible. That assumes kids are at least 4 or 5 years old I would say. You can also do allowances or other rewards.
- Talk to your husband about carving out some small domain of chores for himself despite the working and studying. It's not possible to just work and study with no breaks all day and stay productive. My wife cooks and I do dishes and kitchen cleanup after dinner every night no matter how busy I am with work. I crank up the stereo and knock it out, and it clears my head for whatever else I have to do. If you're doing all the chores he better not have time to go to the gym, play on the table, and do other optional stuff like that!
Best of luck to you both!
posted by freecellwizard at 11:38 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
- nth-ing getting kids to help. Get a magnetic chore board like this one and make it highly visible. That assumes kids are at least 4 or 5 years old I would say. You can also do allowances or other rewards.
- Talk to your husband about carving out some small domain of chores for himself despite the working and studying. It's not possible to just work and study with no breaks all day and stay productive. My wife cooks and I do dishes and kitchen cleanup after dinner every night no matter how busy I am with work. I crank up the stereo and knock it out, and it clears my head for whatever else I have to do. If you're doing all the chores he better not have time to go to the gym, play on the table, and do other optional stuff like that!
Best of luck to you both!
posted by freecellwizard at 11:38 AM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Someone recommended not vacuuming or cleaning sinks/tubs until they're really dirty, but for me it works better the other way around. A quick vacuum every night before bed and a quick scrub of sinks/tubs/toilets every night (or whenever, just at the same time every day) takes me a few minutes all in and means that those things are always clean. If I wait until the grime and dirt is visible the task takes me much longer and makes everything seem dirtier.
posted by Polychrome at 11:42 AM on October 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Polychrome at 11:42 AM on October 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
If you don't have one already and can afford it, get a Roomba or robotic sweeper. I have the Braava and it's one of my favorite possessions. I only manually sweep now every couple of months, because I run this every few days and the floors stay clean.
posted by redlines at 11:53 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by redlines at 11:53 AM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Little kids" + "SAHM for years" makes me think at least some of your kids are old enough to feed themselves, and thus feed any too little to feed, too. Do you have a Costco membership? I would buy loads of stuff that is easy for kids to grab and which requires no prep beyond a toaster oven or microwave (if that). If you are too tired to fix a meal, they know where the foods they can fix for themselves are (and I'd also load up on perhaps more sophisticated frozen stuff for you and your husband). If they are old enough they can also be tasked with making blah meals like simple pizzas and muffins made from simple mixes.
I am not a fan of those kinda wasteful disposable cleaning wipes but they certainly do simplify things for children, so, agreed, good thing to load up on. Task them with wiping stuff down (floors included -- I grew up in a mop-free household. Why would anybody need a mop? When you spill something, you clean it up!). You can get giant quantities of imitation Magic Erasers on eBay, dhgate, etc, for next to nothing; I'd get those for the kids too.
posted by kmennie at 11:56 AM on October 26, 2016
I am not a fan of those kinda wasteful disposable cleaning wipes but they certainly do simplify things for children, so, agreed, good thing to load up on. Task them with wiping stuff down (floors included -- I grew up in a mop-free household. Why would anybody need a mop? When you spill something, you clean it up!). You can get giant quantities of imitation Magic Erasers on eBay, dhgate, etc, for next to nothing; I'd get those for the kids too.
posted by kmennie at 11:56 AM on October 26, 2016
i keep these wet wipes for bathrooms right there in the bathroom next to the toilet seat and daily or every other day or so just wipe it all with those, even the floor. If you do it often this is sufficient. Only wathc out if you keep wet wipes for kids (or yourself) not to keep them in the same place.
I trained my son (now 8) to pee sitting down, and my husband does too. this really minimizes grime around the seat! if loads of little boys visit I spread paper towels on the floor around the toilet.
posted by 15L06 at 12:14 PM on October 26, 2016
I trained my son (now 8) to pee sitting down, and my husband does too. this really minimizes grime around the seat! if loads of little boys visit I spread paper towels on the floor around the toilet.
posted by 15L06 at 12:14 PM on October 26, 2016
If you have money to throw at it, there's nothing wrong with buying some extra towels, underwear, socks, whatever you run out of first, so that you don't have to do laundry so often.
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:21 PM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:21 PM on October 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I would have one laundry basket for each person's clean clothes, and just sort the clean laundry into them, without folding.
posted by xo at 6:18 PM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by xo at 6:18 PM on October 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Do you have a tile shower? Scrubbing Bubbles. Aka Kerr's favourite thing. Scrubbing Bubbles turns things that were hour-long affairs into "spray. set 5 minute timer. rinse. move bathmat/wipe things up. spray. set 5 minute timer. rinse."
Have a mental list of "things you will be okay with not completing". For me, when my fiance was very sick and I was doing 100% of everything, it was the shower (back before I found out about Scrubbing Bubbles).
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2016
Have a mental list of "things you will be okay with not completing". For me, when my fiance was very sick and I was doing 100% of everything, it was the shower (back before I found out about Scrubbing Bubbles).
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you so much!
The kids are 5, 3, and 1. You made me realize the 5 yo might be ready for tasks beyond picking up. Today he put away the kids' laundry as I folded and it was a huge help.
My husband is obviously not studying or working 24 hours a day, but his free time in the evenings goes toward parenting, not dishes. Seriously, he is more than willing to lower standards, this is my hang up. If anyone out there is on the actuarial career path though, get those damn exams done before you have kids!
I will mark as best all the most practical tips I'll definitely use but everyone was really helpful. Thank you!
posted by that's how you get ants at 8:11 AM on October 27, 2016
The kids are 5, 3, and 1. You made me realize the 5 yo might be ready for tasks beyond picking up. Today he put away the kids' laundry as I folded and it was a huge help.
My husband is obviously not studying or working 24 hours a day, but his free time in the evenings goes toward parenting, not dishes. Seriously, he is more than willing to lower standards, this is my hang up. If anyone out there is on the actuarial career path though, get those damn exams done before you have kids!
I will mark as best all the most practical tips I'll definitely use but everyone was really helpful. Thank you!
posted by that's how you get ants at 8:11 AM on October 27, 2016
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or generic versions that work equally well; i've heard you can them in bulk on Amazon) speeds up cleaning because no additional spray or cleaning solution is needed. It is FANTASTIC on soap scum in the bathtub/shower and is the only thing thing I use to clean the bathroom now (except the toilet; I do dump cleaner in there and use a toilet brush). I wish I had discovered the magic eraser years earlier.
posted by yawper at 9:27 AM on October 27, 2016
posted by yawper at 9:27 AM on October 27, 2016
From my own experience:
For tidying up, prioritize the areas which, when untidy, interfere with other household processes.
1. The kitchen - If there are no clean dishes, and no clean work surfaces, then preparing meals becomes more of a hassle. If the dishes in the dishwasher are clean, but I don't have time to unload the whole thing before I need a dish,I pull the dish I need out of the dishwasher instead of getting it from the cupboard.This saves a few seconds, and itmeans that by the time you do get to unloading the dishwasher, there'sless to do.
2. Landing Zone - (Particularly since ours does double duty as our dining room table).Again, when this area is cluttered, it's hard to find things in a hurry (or at all).
3. Anywhere dirty dishes accumulate - It takes five minutes to walk around our home and gather any random teacups, chips-bowls and so on that have taken up residence beside workstations and on random tables. When I find myself wondering what happened to our giant coffee mugs, it's time for a scavenger hunt.
For cleaning, prioritize jobs with the highest rate of return from a sanitary/happiness/livability standpoint. Here are ours.
1. Vacuuming and Swiffer Wet-Jetting (even if you don't have time for the whole house, hitting key areas does a lot to keep down dust. This goes triple if there's a litter box somewhere in yoru home).
2. Open a window or three! This is easy to forget, but it makes a big difference.
3. Take out the trash and recycling as soon as possible.
I don't have kids, but I do have a thought about how to get them involved, (I mean, I was a kid once. For quite a few years actually.) Would it help to get them involved if their tasks were presented to them not as "chores" but as responsibilities--things they're in charge of? Carrying trash out of the entryway is a chore. Making sure the entryway is clean and smells nice--so that the home feels welcoming and is a place you can be proud of--is a responsibility.
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 12:38 PM on October 27, 2016
For tidying up, prioritize the areas which, when untidy, interfere with other household processes.
1. The kitchen - If there are no clean dishes, and no clean work surfaces, then preparing meals becomes more of a hassle. If the dishes in the dishwasher are clean, but I don't have time to unload the whole thing before I need a dish,I pull the dish I need out of the dishwasher instead of getting it from the cupboard.This saves a few seconds, and itmeans that by the time you do get to unloading the dishwasher, there'sless to do.
2. Landing Zone - (Particularly since ours does double duty as our dining room table).Again, when this area is cluttered, it's hard to find things in a hurry (or at all).
3. Anywhere dirty dishes accumulate - It takes five minutes to walk around our home and gather any random teacups, chips-bowls and so on that have taken up residence beside workstations and on random tables. When I find myself wondering what happened to our giant coffee mugs, it's time for a scavenger hunt.
For cleaning, prioritize jobs with the highest rate of return from a sanitary/happiness/livability standpoint. Here are ours.
1. Vacuuming and Swiffer Wet-Jetting (even if you don't have time for the whole house, hitting key areas does a lot to keep down dust. This goes triple if there's a litter box somewhere in yoru home).
2. Open a window or three! This is easy to forget, but it makes a big difference.
3. Take out the trash and recycling as soon as possible.
I don't have kids, but I do have a thought about how to get them involved, (I mean, I was a kid once. For quite a few years actually.) Would it help to get them involved if their tasks were presented to them not as "chores" but as responsibilities--things they're in charge of? Carrying trash out of the entryway is a chore. Making sure the entryway is clean and smells nice--so that the home feels welcoming and is a place you can be proud of--is a responsibility.
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 12:38 PM on October 27, 2016
Something I thought of while I was doing laundry yesterday: my husband and I work from home quite a bit and we have "home uniforms" that a) are low-bulk in the washing machine b) will tolerate being reworn 2-3 days c) are fine being dumped in a drawer. We can do a week's worth of laundry, socks and underwear included, for both of us in one load. Going Out Clothes are worn for going out and hung back up immediately upon return. (Similarly, the two of us share the same two towels all week. I use washcloths for my face but I own 40 of them and they don't exactly take up much room in the washer.)
You can't do that so much for the kids, but at least for the two of you it reduces laundry requirements.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:21 PM on October 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
You can't do that so much for the kids, but at least for the two of you it reduces laundry requirements.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:21 PM on October 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
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There is nothing wrong with a salad with toppings for dinner. Or mac and cheese and a side dish of frozen peas. Fewer dishes, fewer pots and pans.
How old are the kids? Can they help at all?
posted by Ms Vegetable at 6:31 AM on October 26, 2016 [4 favorites]