how much time do you clean, for a clean home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree with above PPs about not acting the maid for your grown children. Throw their shit in their room and close the door. Focus on the shared spaces.

Ok, that works for many. I totally understand closing the doors if you have unexpected visitors and you don't have the time & energy to clean. Or, if you think that these chores are the responsibility of your grown children and they should bear the consequence of not keeping a clean room.

However, there are a few things that I don't agree with this approach.
- Closing the doors do not teach them to start cleaning up by themselves. The family will let the mess pile on without putting the effort to clean. No one is saying that their children started to do daily clean up automagically when mom stopped cleaning for them.
- Keeping the doors locked up means that there is no sense of clean, airy, bright space near the bedrooms. No sunlight coming in. No clean floors. No neatness. Why would I subject myself or my family to this?
- Letting things pile up means that subsequent cleaning will become more difficult. The only way to get ahead is daily cleanup.

Trust me, I have taught my kids how to do these chores. So, they know the mechanics of it. They just don't want to do the daily grind of cleaning up as they go through their day. I hope that they will yearn for this when they live in their own space and when things start to get out of control if they don't clean. If they have been used to living in a clean environment in their childhood home , sooner or later, that is what they will want to replicate or atleast recognize the dysfunction for what it is.

Do your kids live in the basement? My kids have windows in their rooms. So they can see the $hit I've thrown in there.

No, not in the basement. 5 bedrooms are in the top floor and only 1 bedroom is in the basement. But the way our house is constructed, there is a lot of light that disperses from the double story foyer into all the rooms. It looks wonderful to have all the doors open, have the upper floor rooms filled with light! We have an East facing house. I usually pull down the blinds after mid-day to prevent the rooms from heating up too much. But the foyer light is enough to brighten up the rooms.

Anyways, it seems we all are talking about different standards of clean. Some of us want a fully clean house every day, and some are ok to do an average job for the week and they can live with that. So, hardly an apples to apples comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

Are you cooking spaghetti with sauce from a jar? Because our family of four fills two sinks in meal prep cooking and eating. And we try to reuse knives and cutting boards!

Laundry is fine except sorting 1000 kids socks.

You are doing it wrong then. Wash as you cook, then only takes about 2-5 min to wash all dishes for a family of four.

I think you are mistaken. Families eat very differently. We make and eat elaborate meals with multiple courses. That requires a lot of dishes and our dishwasher runs at least 2-3 times a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean my entire house, including dusting, wiping everything down, scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen, vacuuming, and mopping for 3 hours every day.

Same here. It takes me 2-3 hours to do daily cleaning and household chores - which includes dishes, laundry, straightening the house, making beds in 4 bedrooms, vacuum, watering plants. I also have a weekly cleaner. Add another 1-2 hours for food prep and cooking.

I think one reason is that I have a very cluttered home and we need to just get rid of things. Another reason is that my family does not do any chores. I failed in that. Now, I don't want to yell at them and basically create friction in the house because they are adults and will leave sooner or later.

The only smart thing I have done is not added pets in the mix.

You don’t have to make beds for your adult children. I can’t imagine how that would create friction. Close their door and you’ll never know. Enjoy an extra cup of coffee and a book.

I know. You are absolutely right. I can do that. And not making their beds won't cause friction but I want them to feel at ease when they come back to their room. I do have some reasons for why I do what I do.

I can close the door, not make the bed, not do the laundry, not fold and put away clothes in their dressers, not empty the waste paper basket, not pick up the snacking plates/cups/water bottles etc from their bedside tables etc. That is a real and valid choice. I can just not do it, because no one is holding a gun to my head.

But, I do all of this because of a number of reasons -

- My kids are hard working and responsible outside of the house. They have always done well in school, college, job etc. They are very social, financially responsible, frugal, exercise regularly, eat healthy food, have goals, make good choices, have friends who are good kids, are respectful, good and kind people. I feel when I take care of their day-to-day life - they come back home to a safe haven and they can reset. In a way, it is reward for them for being good people and I don't have to worry about other things for them.
- I feel that the world have enough stressors for their generation and being able to come home to peace and cleanliness is good for them. I really want this house and their rooms to be their comfort.
- All of us like to be in a clean environment and like to have impromptu get togethers. We host and cook a lot. I want my kids to be able to have friends over without worrying about the clutter. I try and have my home to be 'guest ready' at all times. We also cook a lot and so that also creates a lot of mess that needs to be cleaned out every day.
- I don't enforce the 'no eating anywhere but the kitchen' rule with them. They are usually snacking on healthy things like salads, nuts, yogurt, fruits, tea, water etc, and that is more important to me than the fact that they carry their dishes down.
- I like to have an open, clean house every day. It is welcoming for my family members but it requires me to put in the work every single day. If I stop doing it, the house will become a source of stress for every member of the family. And I know that cleaning will be the first thing that my family members will stop doing. Or even if they clean, they will do the bare minimum job. And I have seen that our mental health deteriorates when our house it not clean. We become irritable, can't find things, snap at each other, feel overwhelmed, can't concentrate, feel restless etc.

My kids do know how to do laundry, throw a party, cook, clean the house, make their beds, iron, fold clothes etc. They do all of that when they are away from our house. They have taught others how to do adulting, but they don't do it at parent's home. I have accepted that now.

That is the reason that I have hired a weekly cleaner. The weekly cleaner is not to help me, since I do my part every day. She is there to do the chores in lieu of my family members. Ah well!

Why are you valuing their labor over theirs? Also, they don’t like a clean house/environment because they’d make their bed before you got into their room. If not making the bed will be a source of stress for them, then they will learn to take 60 seconds from their day to accomplish this task.

I am gently pushing back because I really hope you consider the value of this labor and what you’re expecting in return? Are you minimizing yourself? Are your favors going to cripple your children later when it comes to their partners? I want your kids to value you for more than doing tasks for them that they could easily do for themselves. I also really find it a stretch to believe they’ve told their roommates how to adult. It just doesn’t add up.

I can't take you seriously. You seem like an extremely unhappy, mean and vicious person. I pity your family and your children. Anyways, you will get your comeuppance in this life only, before you die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean my entire house, including dusting, wiping everything down, scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen, vacuuming, and mopping for 3 hours every day.

Same here. It takes me 2-3 hours to do daily cleaning and household chores - which includes dishes, laundry, straightening the house, making beds in 4 bedrooms, vacuum, watering plants. I also have a weekly cleaner. Add another 1-2 hours for food prep and cooking.

I think one reason is that I have a very cluttered home and we need to just get rid of things. Another reason is that my family does not do any chores. I failed in that. Now, I don't want to yell at them and basically create friction in the house because they are adults and will leave sooner or later.

The only smart thing I have done is not added pets in the mix.

You don’t have to make beds for your adult children. I can’t imagine how that would create friction. Close their door and you’ll never know. Enjoy an extra cup of coffee and a book.

I know. You are absolutely right. I can do that. And not making their beds won't cause friction but I want them to feel at ease when they come back to their room. I do have some reasons for why I do what I do.

I can close the door, not make the bed, not do the laundry, not fold and put away clothes in their dressers, not empty the waste paper basket, not pick up the snacking plates/cups/water bottles etc from their bedside tables etc. That is a real and valid choice. I can just not do it, because no one is holding a gun to my head.

But, I do all of this because of a number of reasons -

- My kids are hard working and responsible outside of the house. They have always done well in school, college, job etc. They are very social, financially responsible, frugal, exercise regularly, eat healthy food, have goals, make good choices, have friends who are good kids, are respectful, good and kind people. I feel when I take care of their day-to-day life - they come back home to a safe haven and they can reset. In a way, it is reward for them for being good people and I don't have to worry about other things for them.
- I feel that the world have enough stressors for their generation and being able to come home to peace and cleanliness is good for them. I really want this house and their rooms to be their comfort.
- All of us like to be in a clean environment and like to have impromptu get togethers. We host and cook a lot. I want my kids to be able to have friends over without worrying about the clutter. I try and have my home to be 'guest ready' at all times. We also cook a lot and so that also creates a lot of mess that needs to be cleaned out every day.
- I don't enforce the 'no eating anywhere but the kitchen' rule with them. They are usually snacking on healthy things like salads, nuts, yogurt, fruits, tea, water etc, and that is more important to me than the fact that they carry their dishes down.
- I like to have an open, clean house every day. It is welcoming for my family members but it requires me to put in the work every single day. If I stop doing it, the house will become a source of stress for every member of the family. And I know that cleaning will be the first thing that my family members will stop doing. Or even if they clean, they will do the bare minimum job. And I have seen that our mental health deteriorates when our house it not clean. We become irritable, can't find things, snap at each other, feel overwhelmed, can't concentrate, feel restless etc.

My kids do know how to do laundry, throw a party, cook, clean the house, make their beds, iron, fold clothes etc. They do all of that when they are away from our house. They have taught others how to do adulting, but they don't do it at parent's home. I have accepted that now.

That is the reason that I have hired a weekly cleaner. The weekly cleaner is not to help me, since I do my part every day. She is there to do the chores in lieu of my family members. Ah well!

I think that is all a very elaborate rationalization. The bottom line is that YOU need all these things to be done for a sense of peace in the house; it's YOUR mental health that deteriorates which in turn impacts your family. If it really is a source of stress for others in your family, then they should be able to figure out how to make their own bed and clean their own room.

I understand, especially being a SAHM and feeling like I should everything because I'm home all day. But my kids need to learn how to clean and take care of things themselves for THEM. There's so much they don't realize you do. They take it all for granted because everything is always clean and in order but they don't think about how it actually gets that way. It's a disservice to kids for them to move out of the house without knowing how to mop the kitchen floor or that you need to clean the dishwasher filter once in a while. and how to do those things.

You are projecting your own shortcomings. . Your reality and your family is not my reality and my family. Your kids are not my kids. Your married life, your family, your finances, your culture - is not the same as mine. It does not matter if you are SAHM or WOHM - you are not me. So, please don't speak for me. Perhaps, try and speak only for your children and your family?

[Anonymous]

Woah. I thought this was going to be about cleaning hacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

I guess I need to be enlightened about the "obvious" reasons not to have a device that sterilizes dishes and uses a fraction of the water/ energy.

Because they don't really do as advertised? You bought the sales pitch.

Your handwashing isn't sterilizing $hit either. I don't need sterile dishes-this isn't a hospital.

Exactly, which is why a dishwasher is useless and for lazy people who want leaks and floods.

You can get leaks and floods from your kitchen sink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

Are you cooking spaghetti with sauce from a jar? Because our family of four fills two sinks in meal prep cooking and eating. And we try to reuse knives and cutting boards!

Laundry is fine except sorting 1000 kids socks.

You are doing it wrong then. Wash as you cook, then only takes about 2-5 min to wash all dishes for a family of four.

What kind of meals are you eating that 2-5 minutes of washing is all it takes to wash all dishes for a family of four? We don't subscribe to 1-pot meals.

We use all fresh ingredients to cook from scratch and we make several dishes every day for each meal. It does not take 2-5 minutes of washing for all dishes for 4 people. Just the prep of all veggies, meats, starches etc takes many bowls, cutting boards, gadgets etc.

If you want to eat healthy and nutritious meals, you need to put in the work for all the food prep and cooking. I spend a lot on all organic foods and a huge variety of ingredients. I want to make sure that I can get the full benefit of it all by careful prep and making food that is delicious. All of this requires effort and time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Depends on your bandwidth. Your standards of cleanliness, your standards of making meals, your standards of hospitality, your standards of what you want to do for your family - everything can be very different from the next person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean my entire house, including dusting, wiping everything down, scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen, vacuuming, and mopping for 3 hours every day.

Same here. It takes me 2-3 hours to do daily cleaning and household chores - which includes dishes, laundry, straightening the house, making beds in 4 bedrooms, vacuum, watering plants. I also have a weekly cleaner. Add another 1-2 hours for food prep and cooking.

I think one reason is that I have a very cluttered home and we need to just get rid of things. Another reason is that my family does not do any chores. I failed in that. Now, I don't want to yell at them and basically create friction in the house because they are adults and will leave sooner or later.

The only smart thing I have done is not added pets in the mix.

You don’t have to make beds for your adult children. I can’t imagine how that would create friction. Close their door and you’ll never know. Enjoy an extra cup of coffee and a book.

I know. You are absolutely right. I can do that. And not making their beds won't cause friction but I want them to feel at ease when they come back to their room. I do have some reasons for why I do what I do.

I can close the door, not make the bed, not do the laundry, not fold and put away clothes in their dressers, not empty the waste paper basket, not pick up the snacking plates/cups/water bottles etc from their bedside tables etc. That is a real and valid choice. I can just not do it, because no one is holding a gun to my head.

But, I do all of this because of a number of reasons -

- My kids are hard working and responsible outside of the house. They have always done well in school, college, job etc. They are very social, financially responsible, frugal, exercise regularly, eat healthy food, have goals, make good choices, have friends who are good kids, are respectful, good and kind people. I feel when I take care of their day-to-day life - they come back home to a safe haven and they can reset. In a way, it is reward for them for being good people and I don't have to worry about other things for them.
- I feel that the world have enough stressors for their generation and being able to come home to peace and cleanliness is good for them. I really want this house and their rooms to be their comfort.
- All of us like to be in a clean environment and like to have impromptu get togethers. We host and cook a lot. I want my kids to be able to have friends over without worrying about the clutter. I try and have my home to be 'guest ready' at all times. We also cook a lot and so that also creates a lot of mess that needs to be cleaned out every day.
- I don't enforce the 'no eating anywhere but the kitchen' rule with them. They are usually snacking on healthy things like salads, nuts, yogurt, fruits, tea, water etc, and that is more important to me than the fact that they carry their dishes down.
- I like to have an open, clean house every day. It is welcoming for my family members but it requires me to put in the work every single day. If I stop doing it, the house will become a source of stress for every member of the family. And I know that cleaning will be the first thing that my family members will stop doing. Or even if they clean, they will do the bare minimum job. And I have seen that our mental health deteriorates when our house it not clean. We become irritable, can't find things, snap at each other, feel overwhelmed, can't concentrate, feel restless etc.

My kids do know how to do laundry, throw a party, cook, clean the house, make their beds, iron, fold clothes etc. They do all of that when they are away from our house. They have taught others how to do adulting, but they don't do it at parent's home. I have accepted that now.

That is the reason that I have hired a weekly cleaner. The weekly cleaner is not to help me, since I do my part every day. She is there to do the chores in lieu of my family members. Ah well!

I think that is all a very elaborate rationalization. The bottom line is that YOU need all these things to be done for a sense of peace in the house; it's YOUR mental health that deteriorates which in turn impacts your family. If it really is a source of stress for others in your family, then they should be able to figure out how to make their own bed and clean their own room.

I understand, especially being a SAHM and feeling like I should everything because I'm home all day. But my kids need to learn how to clean and take care of things themselves for THEM. There's so much they don't realize you do. They take it all for granted because everything is always clean and in order but they don't think about how it actually gets that way. It's a disservice to kids for them to move out of the house without knowing how to mop the kitchen floor or that you need to clean the dishwasher filter once in a while. and how to do those things.

You are projecting your own shortcomings. . Your reality and your family is not my reality and my family. Your kids are not my kids. Your married life, your family, your finances, your culture - is not the same as mine. It does not matter if you are SAHM or WOHM - you are not me. So, please don't speak for me. Perhaps, try and speak only for your children and your family?

So why did you even bother to post and start this thread in the first place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

I guess I need to be enlightened about the "obvious" reasons not to have a device that sterilizes dishes and uses a fraction of the water/ energy.

Because they don't really do as advertised? You bought the sales pitch.

Both my parents were doctors in the 70s and 80s (and beyond, but that's when dishwashers got popular.) They noticed a marked decrease in the amount of communicable illness in families when said families installed a dishwasher. Where before everyone would get the same bug, especially GI ones, dishwashers helped reduce the spread within the household.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to love the "big clean" that happened a few times a year, where I'd dismantle the fridge, wash windows inside and out, vacuum deep inside the air vents, etc. I don't love that any more. So now I do those things more often, in smaller doses.

For example: clean your fridge every week. Yes, every week. Before you go to the grocery store, toss anything that's no longer edible, wipe any spills and crumbs, maybe unload and pull out one drawer or shelf each time for a soapy wash. Then when you get home from the store, there's plenty of space and you're not cramming good food on top of bad. (Looking at you, mom.) It used to take me an hour to clean the fridge. Now I budget the time as part of the grocery chore; it takes 10 minutes a week to just never let it get dirty.

Do one vent every time you have the vacuum out. Do one drawer or closet shelf whenever you have a little extra time after folding laundry and putting it away. Cleaning up a finished vase of flowers? Dust/ polish that table/ shelf while you're picking up dropped petals.

Ok, windows don't lend themselves to the incremental model, because they involve dragging a ladder in and taking down curtains. Once you've done that, you might as well do the whole job and wash the curtains too.

I like your approach; but why do you need to take the curtains down to wash the windows?

Because I have double-hung windows that tilt inward for cleaning. And I have really nice curtains and don't want to snag them or get cleaning product on them. I'm sure there are other arrangements that don't require taking the curtains down! I should look into that for the next house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

I guess I need to be enlightened about the "obvious" reasons not to have a device that sterilizes dishes and uses a fraction of the water/ energy.

Because they don't really do as advertised? You bought the sales pitch.

Your handwashing isn't sterilizing $hit either. I don't need sterile dishes-this isn't a hospital.

Exactly, which is why a dishwasher is useless and for lazy people who want leaks and floods.

You can get leaks and floods from your kitchen sink.

And your toilet. Probably ought to get rid of that, too. Obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

Are you cooking spaghetti with sauce from a jar? Because our family of four fills two sinks in meal prep cooking and eating. And we try to reuse knives and cutting boards!

Laundry is fine except sorting 1000 kids socks.

You are doing it wrong then. Wash as you cook, then only takes about 2-5 min to wash all dishes for a family of four.

What kind of meals are you eating that 2-5 minutes of washing is all it takes to wash all dishes for a family of four? We don't subscribe to 1-pot meals.

We use all fresh ingredients to cook from scratch and we make several dishes every day for each meal. It does not take 2-5 minutes of washing for all dishes for 4 people. Just the prep of all veggies, meats, starches etc takes many bowls, cutting boards, gadgets etc.

If you want to eat healthy and nutritious meals, you need to put in the work for all the food prep and cooking. I spend a lot on all organic foods and a huge variety of ingredients. I want to make sure that I can get the full benefit of it all by careful prep and making food that is delicious. All of this requires effort and time.

I am not on the side of the "you're doing it wrong" person, because that's rude. But there is another way. I cook elaborately as well, and I clean as I go. Toasting some spices on low for full flavor release? That's one minute I can use to wash the cutting board and knife I used for the fresh herbs. Caramelizing onions? Time to load some spoons and bowls into the dishwasher. Searing mushrooms? Takes forever! I can wash the whole food processor in that time, pausing between parts to toss the shooms.

By the time I'm done cooking 3-4 dishes, I have the prep tools mostly dealt with. That just leaves plates, cutlery, and glasses after the meal, and that's where the dishwasher really shines. (When it's just family, I plate in the kitchen and skip the serving dishes. Those mostly come out for company.)

My boyfriend is a wonderful cook, but he learned late in life. And he only recently got comfortable enough to wash while he cooked, rather than using that time to refer to recipes, or standing and watching something he wasn't confident about. While there's nothing wrong with it in the grand scheme of things, it is quite nice to sit down without the specter of a destroyed kitchen lurking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cleaning// How many minutes or hours per day would let you keep steady state, a mostly clean house?

For me, if I do 15 minutes on dishes every single day, 30 minutes on folding laundry every other day, then I keep the house functional.

What I’m terrible at is staying on top of the house. I’m like 2-4 hours if I feel like it’s getting crazy. And then ignore it otherwise. I want to figure out a steady state… so it isn’t nothing..nothing..nothing..ALL DAY.. nothing.

Dishes are super quick and easy, but I avoid dishwashers like the plague. Wouldn't have one for many obvious reasons. 1-2 min per person max to handwash, dry and put away.

Laundry is super fast and easy these days since don't have to hand wash anymore or even go to a laundry mat. Folding and occasional ironing is the hard part now. Figure 20 min per load total time.

Vacuuming/sweeping is tedious and takes about 20-30 min a couple times a week.

Dusting is very time consuming and takes about 2 hours per month.

Something like the above. I clearly and less diligent about dusting as I spend about one hour once a month or so.

Weekly clean with daily upkeep for kitchen and bathrooms.

Mopping of all floors every two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Probably 10-15 minutes after each meal to get the kitchen clean, and another 10-15 minutes after each wake window to tidy up baby stuff, wipe surfaces, water plants. Another 15 minutes to do the daily load or two of laundry. Our cleaner spends 2 hours once a week to deep clean everything else. So... maybe an hour and a half daily, excluding the cleaners?