Cleaning

[Heldi]

Love it or hate it,it's got to be done.  Or has it?

Who is the most fastidious cleaner/tidy upper? Who doesn't give a tinker's cuss? Who does the cleaning in your house? What is your top cleaning tip? (Get someone else to do it).

I definately do most of the cleaning in our house. If OH picks up the vacuum cleaner...it's only to move it out of the way.  I've tried leaving things to get really rough but the other grown up in the house doesn't seem to notice until I set about the task. He always says without fail and with perfect timing...I've got my hands wet by then or I'm almost finished..."I was going to do that but you beat me to it."  Arrrgh!! It's not a man versus women thing though is it? My dad was a very neat and tidy man. You'd be eating your tea and the plate would be whipped away to be washed before the last morsel reached your mouth.

I used to be quite obssessed with cleaning but after having two kids I've learned the hard way to turn a bit of a blind eye. I say a bit because 2 year olds are filthy aren't they. What is that gunk they put everywhere? I can't say I enjoy cleaning,I moan about it too much, but I enjoy the results and I like how things look afterwards. Never lasts for long though. I do like things in their right place,a hard thing to achieve when the kids are about. I suppose I've given in on that one.

I dislike cleaning the shower cubicle and pulling the hair (YUK) out of the plug hole. Toilets are just horrible and I've unfortunately got 3 of them. How my mum ever coped with four males in the house I'll never know. Sorry guys but you do don't you,I have tiles and I can see it. Usually after I've wandered in in bare feet....eeeeeewwww!!!!

My cat loves to be vacuumed which I think is rather neat but dog hates the vacuum with a passion.Both hate baths and the house gets wrecked when dog gets a shampoo.I use the sea now. Dog likes a clean floor versus muddy paws. An old dog trick,wonder if it is in a dogs genetic make up?  Muddy cat doesn't use floors...he uses windowsill,top of the tv,mantlepiece,back of the settee,jump to rug,short walk through a door and bingo he's at his biccies,which he generally spills then bats around the floor. His feet are clean by then aswell.  >:(  ::)

I've been trying to cut down on the amount of cleaning products I buy.  Thinking of the enviroment and such like. I still have bleach for the bogs.I just can't give it up. I use an anti bac spray in the kitchen and I use stardrops and have some white vinegar.

Moptastic mate.  :D

[Heldi]

[EmmaLou]

I'm quite lucky when it comes to cleaning - OH is quite happy to do his share without being asked! Although I'm pretty sure he has never cleaned the toilet (don't worry I do it!).

Sometimes his help can be a hindrance. I can't count the amount of times I have told him to put stain remover on my daughters clothes before putting them in the washing machine (she is 2 by the way) - he always forgets and I end up having to rewash them. Also his idea of tidying is just hiding things away - not necessarily in the correct place.

He also likes doing the cooking, so I don't have to slave over the stove every night. :)

In exchange I do all the diy round the house. He hasn't got a clue when it comes to fixing things or decorating. I don't mind as I quite enjoy doing all that stuff.

[Delilah]

my Oh has just finished putting second coat of emulison on our bedroom walls after work tonight and I can now hear the hoover......................................Oh Dear and here I am sat at the computer...........................am beginning to feel a little guilty now, best make him a cuppa ;)

[Heldi]

My OH claims he likes cooking but hardly ever does it. I shut the kitchen on a Friday. I reckon I've done it all week and it's my weekend too! Besides I hate my kitchen, I want a new one and he is in property maintenance. I reckon I should have a new one by now.  The hens at the lotty get anything at the drop of a cluck though! Mind you I clean them out.

I have given up doing my own diy because he looks at it with  too critical an eye.

I got him to do some ironing once. He did it so bad I've never bothered with asking him again. I do suspect he did that on purpose !

I've thought of a job he does...he does the cats litter...ever since I was pregnant and he has carried on. My hero...aaaw! ;D

[rosebud]

I have to say my husband is the tidy one in our home, very tidy minded.
He washes up EVERY night wipes the work tops down, and it diden`t  take me long to train him ;D ;D, no he is just very good always has been but even more so since i have been ill.  Bless his heart, my hero. :D :D.
Just thought i would add i do ,do somethings when i am allowed. ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I couldn't care less, you should se my study. Or perhaps you'd better not! Namissa makes a vast fuss about it, but does very little. Kumbi, the elder girl, does nothing either. Mina, the younger, is moderately fussy, and ends up doing more than she should.

[Svea]

heldi - there are a couple of things you can try.

when asking him to do something - 'could you please tidy these cltohes away' or 'please hoover' - you have got to give the men a time limit. because we girls think 'now' and them boys think 'in my own time'
so when i want something ;done, i ask OH 'can you please do this BEFORE dinner' or some such time, and i would say i have about a 75% success rate which is better than nought

you should make him clean the toilet for a week, every time he  (or the kids) does business 'outside' - then tell them to sit down when they go. drive a hard bargain. OH had been trained by his mum to sit and i am very glad for it!

as to the new kitchen - you can download the IKEA kitchen planner, for instance. lay it out as you like, start making order lists - and if he still doenst get the hint, just order the stuff and get it fitted. his pride will be well gutted!!!

[Heldi]

Rosebud your OH sounds like how my Dad was. As my Mum became more unwell he took over everything and did a really good job of running the household.

Around this pc is always total mess. Surprised I can still see the screen. Books, papers, magazines theres even bits of plumbing things. Looks like it's off a radiator. No dirty cups or anything like that, just mess.

Svea I am going to use your top tip and I can start straight away as OH came home early and is skiving today.  Actually he went out to work and has just arrived back. Hadn't got to work at all because he's been with the chickens lol!

[aquilegia]

Mr Aqui is the tidy one. I'm totally messy!

He hoovers the whole flat without fail every Sunday.
He does the washing up every evening (although he doesn't wipe off the cooker and surfaces, much to my annoyance!)
He cleans the toilet (I do the rest of the bathroom - I think that's fair!)

I do the laundry (I don't do ironing though - in fact I had to throw the iron away as it rusted)
I do the cooking during the week and we cook together at weekends.
I do most of the food shopping (I finish work before him, so it's easier for me)
I clean the work surfaces/cooker.

I think it's pretty evenly split.

I do hate housework and can't see the point in wiping a surface that already looks clean. But I like cleaning when it does need it - I put on some funky music and sing and dance along to it - makes it really fun! That's my top cleaning tip. Oh and use environmentally friendly products - they clean off virtually everything and don't give you that sick/headachey feeling that bleach does.

[Plocket]

Hummmmm! I think things are fairly evenly split here. OH hoovers and cleans the oven, and I do the rest, which I don't mind because I LOATHE hoovering. He does about 55% of our evening dinners, and I do all LPs meals.

I do general cleaning fairly regularly but fairly reluctantly, and then every now and again I go mad and have a serious spring clean - clearing out cupboards, the garage, under the stairs...... The family run for cover and hide their fave possessions because Charity Shops do very well out of us at when I get a spring cleaning mood on. In fact I've had one for the last week or so: lots done, two huge bags of stuff for charity, a box of stuff for our local auction house (try to make a bob or two!!!), the wheely bin is suffering but boy do I feel satisfied. It won't last though!!!!!

[bananagirl]

I get a perverse enjoyment out of scrubbing the bathroom, and the kitchen floor.  :o I live in a shared house, where everyone does their share (not) (everyone waits for everyone else, more like. So every once in a while I get a real mad on,  put Avril Lavigne on the stereo (she's my cleaning music), turn it up, and scrub till the place sparkles. Then yell at my mates when they walk on my nice clean floor  ;)

[aquilegia]

Plocket - you've just reminded me I love the big cleaning jobs, like cleaning out cupboards etc. We had great fun on New Year's Eve tidying up the room of chaos (ie - the spare room). But day-to-day cleaning is so boring!

[Plocket]

I love the big cleaning jobs, like cleaning out cupboards etc.

They are SOOOOOO satisfying aren't they? I attacked the playroom this morning, with LP's help. I can see where OH needs to hoover now!!!!! The garage is my next target, but that is REALLY REALLY scary - I've been putting that off for YEARS!

[Twinkle]

Unfortunately there are two very untidy buggars here!

Aggi & Kim would have a whole series if they came to our place lol ~ though I hasten to add we are more untidy than 'unclean' !!

I don't know why ..... we are both Virgo's and according to the heavens should be tidy - bordering on obsession.

The flat gets 'a good bottoming' only when my mother or Mr Twinks' Mother are due a visit!  tsk tsk ~ and yes it's me that does the major 'mopstastic' (lol Heldi !) duties .... if Mr Twink shovels shhhh outta the cat litter tray I'm told that that his cleaning duties for the week are over lol !

All these programs about de-cluttering and cleaning do my head right in !!  Who wants to live in a vacuum ?

.... but if anyone wants to volunteer   ???

H x

[Carol]

Well I have to do all the cleaning, washing, ironing, dishes, dusting, you  bludy name it.  As far as OH is concerned its a 'womans job'.  I have tried for years and years to get him to do things about the house and just cannot get him to do anything.  I keep getting toldf its been my own fault for spoiling him but then when we were married he worked shifts and then he worked away from home for weeks and then home for weeks so never got into a routine.  He does cook couple nights a week but leaves such a mess I sometimes think its not been worthwhile.  I even have to wash the floor cos of the mess thats left.  What does he do? you may well bludy ask, not a lot.  I did pursuade him to do the dishes last night cos I was called away to a meeting and he asked if I was going to thank him??  he nearly got a vase round his head.  Oh dear.  my blood is boiling, better calm down. 

[Yellow Petals]

I'm pretty darned useless at housework and I hate it to boot.  I loathe washing up and ironing.  My OH is fantastic, he just gets on with it and makes it all spic and span. 

I love to cook but I use every utensil/piece of crockery in the house - and still don't like to clear it up afterwards   :P

Men, aren't they wonderful?  ;D

[Heldi]

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back chaps but you see,OH picked up the iron on Friday night and ironed all of his own stuff... I passed out.  ;D

I've been cleaning pots this morning and later I will be cleaning green stuff off the decking. Don't know what to use though. Don't want to buy any nasty chemicals. I might just have to wait until someone gives me a top tip.  (Got out of that without hardly moving an inch).

[Mimi]

My OH doesn't do housework voluntarily but he can be pleaded with(nagged) to do it.  Then you have to make a big fuss.... who's a good boy?? thank you for doing it !!!! However and it is a big HOWEVER, he is totally brilliant at making things for us. One of his recent hobby is woodwork and it turns out that he is exceptionally good at it.  He works away, so can be home for long periods of time when he needs something to do. He has more or less done all he can in the garden for me ie built a pergola, arbour, bridge over the pond etc so now he has started in the house.  So no complaints at all really we just have very deffinate areas that we both do.  Mind you ...God help him if he ever gets interested in MY gardening.

[Hyacinth]

I think 'cleaning' should be put on the banned words list >:( (hey, Dan, howzabout it?) ;D ;D

Strange that I'll happily sweep the lawns, tho..

[flowerlady]

;D ;D ;D

There are SO many other things that I would Rather do!

OH does most - it's a question of self defence, allergy to house dust  ;D  Lucky me  ;)