I clean up in small batches, whenever I have time. So, for example, when I work from home, dishes will pile up from breakfast through the morning. I'll put my lunch in the toaster oven or microwave and then spend 5 minutes getting all of the dishes rinsed and in the dishwasher and wipe down the counter. To cook dinner, I usually start by cleaning up the kitchen so that i have clean work spaces and have places to put things as I cook. We have a policy that whichever one of us cooks dinner, the other cleans up, so the kitchen gets cleaned right after dinner.

I also do a pass at night after everyone else has gone to bed (I'm the night owl in our family) and make sure that things are cleaned and ready for them to come down and make their own breakfasts (since I also get up last).

Always clean up as I go and quarterly I purge and do a lot of organizing so that everything has a home and can easily be put away. I am really oriented this way as is my husband. I can’t deal with mess and clutter. I have three kids who are small and we are still very organized and our house is very clean. It’s all about the quarterly purging and organizing. Nothing is in the sink for more than 30 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:During the weekends when everyone is at home the gigantic messes drive me insane. I typically clean up as I go - wash dishes after each meal, tidy up before we go somewhere, etc.

However this means I am cleaning up all day long. Would it be more efficient to just do a gigantic swoop at night time? And yes I do make my kids help as well.

Always clean up as I go. I cannot abide seeing a dirty kitchen first thing in the morning as well as a kitchen on holidays where every pot/pan has been used. When my Thanksgiving, Christmas dinners are served my kitchen is picked up and dishwasher has been run and emptied and ready for table dishes.

On the bad days I set the timer on the microwave and everyone has to clean up for 30 minutes. I focus on the kitchen, they focus on putting everything else away.

On regular days, I do it at 9 when everyone goes to bed. I listen to a podcast and it takes about 30 minutes. I’m single before anyone asks why SO isn’t helping

During the weekends when everyone is at home the gigantic messes drive me insane. I typically clean up as I go - wash dishes after each meal, tidy up before we go somewhere, etc.

However this means I am cleaning up all day long. Would it be more efficient to just do a gigantic swoop at night time? And yes I do make my kids help as well.