[Lucyfur]

Erm...I'm a full time student and I have lots of wind down time.

I enjoy cleaning, I hate when the house is messy, it puts me in a bad mood

[Giselle]

Originally Posted by Lucyfur

I clean the kitchen every day and sanitise the counters several times a day. I HATE when the cupboards are untidy so they are cleaned/organised once a week. I clean the unit doors and kick boards once a week too.
Bathroom is done every second day. I clean down the shower every day after using it and I wipe around the sink every day too.
The rest of the house is hoovered and dusted 2-3 times a week. Tidying is done every day. I hate dirty dishes, so they're done immediately.
I hoover the skirting boards and corners of the walls every time I hoover the floors. I always mop after hoovering.
I've never washed the walls...only the bathroom walls as that's tiled.

I used to have a routine like that, but I had to let go a bit. I live alone so its a bit over the top for one person, a tidy one at that.

I find a messy or dirty place a bit depressing too.

Really glad you don't wash the walls.

[EGAR]

I lead a very very busy life and am not that house proud . In my very little spare time, I'd rather read a book with my 7yro etc. I do hoover and mop etc but I don't go OTT, I have no routine, I do it when it's needed. And no, I do not feel guilty, life is too short.

[mrsscott]

I like your style Egar. If only I could get rid of the guilt about not having everything spick and span all the time

[Lucyfur]

Cleaning NEVER interferes with family time. Cleaning is done in my time, when my son is happy doing something, or when he's out at one of his after school activities.

[dory]

I can't believe people wash walls! I clean once a week, and then clean kitchen as needs be. Maybe I need to look at my walls more....

[borderlinemeath]

I'd sooner repaint the walls than wash them Although I have a brilliant extendable handle cobweb remover that I use in the veluxes and corners so they don't look that bad.

I do certain things more often than others. Hoovering can be anything from once to 3 times a week depending on how bad it is (dog hair and fire ash/dust) but usually the floors get a quick sweep every day. Counter tops get a wipe over every day but a decent clean at least once a week. Saturday or Sunday morning is cleaning day for kitchen/living/bathroom and washing and ironing.

Fridge gets cleaned when it's needed. No set time period. Same with kitchen presses.

The oven. The bane of my life. I bloody hate when the grill pans get food stuck to them and somehow it always happens. I can't manage to cook a casserole or a shepherds pie or whatever without it bubbling over

[Giselle]

Originally Posted by borderlinemeath

The oven. The bane of my life. I bloody hate when the grill pans get food stuck to them and somehow it always happens. I can't manage to cook a casserole or a shepherds pie or whatever without it bubbling over

Line the floor of the oven and grill pan, and any baking trays you use with aluminum foil. Then if something boils over or spills on the floor of the oven you can just throw it away.

A great tip my granny gave me was to put an ovenproof bowl of boiling water in the oven just when you've finished using it and its still hot.

Leave it there for an hour and all the muck will just wipe off with kitchen towels after being steamed off by the water and the residual heat.

[Neyite]

Originally Posted by Giselle

A great tip my granny gave me was to put an ovenproof bowl of boiling water in the oven just when you've finished using it and its still hot.

Leave it there for an hour and all the muck will just wipe off with kitchen towels after being steamed off by the water and the residual heat.

Your granny is a genius!

I recently discovered Oven Pride. No fumes. You basically bung the oven shelves into a massive zip lock bag along with the solution, leave overnight and rinse. Does a far better job on the inside of the oven than Mr. Muscle which leaves you with a dirty oven and gasses you into the bargain.

Wash walls? Pffft!

[mrsscott]

Oh thank god! I'm not as lazy as I thought!

Now while we're on the subject of cleaning, my Hoover has gone bust so I need recommendations for a new one.

Looking for great suction, needs to pick up dog hair off carpets really well but I don't want to spend a fortune either. Hopefully less than €200

What can ye recommend?

[Neyite]

the sister swears by the Miele Cat and Dog hair one. She doesnt have pets but her husband reckons she sheds like one

Dunno how much though. I dont have carpet at all so a €40 Tesco one does the job for me.

[LisaLee]

The bathrooms are given a 'deep clean' once a week, then topped up during the week. Fridge is cleaned once a week for the shopping. Skirting boards, doors and smudges on walls and around light switches are cleaned if I notice they need doing really.

I've never cleaned a ceiling in my life, not sure how I'd go about it tbh. I think cleaning can be very therapeutic, whereas other times it can be a pain in the hole!

[borderlinemeath]

Originally Posted by Giselle

Line the floor of the oven and grill pan, and any baking trays you use with aluminum foil. Then if something boils over or spills on the floor of the oven you can just throw it away.

A great tip my granny gave me was to put an ovenproof bowl of boiling water in the oven just when you've finished using it and its still hot.

Leave it there for an hour and all the muck will just wipe off with kitchen towels after being steamed off by the water and the residual heat.

I do my best to use foil to line the trays but I manage to tear them when I'm checking on whatever is in the oven. As does my heavy handed OH.

Love the tip with the steam

[memind]

Originally Posted by mrsscott

This is just a general query for all you boardsies out there bout the major cleaning jobs in the house. Would appreciate responses from men and women.

How often do you do those major cleaning jobs in the house. Such as washing the walls ceilings and skirting boards (in all rooms). The kitchen presses, extractor fan etc?

Sometimes I feel like a lazy b***h cos these type of jobs never get done in the house.

In general I do a clean once a week. Like washing floors, hoovering, dusting. Then every day I'd give the kitchen a once over, oven, hob counters and table etc.

So what I'm wondering is is this too little?

I do feel very lazy at times for not doing more. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day-week to do everything.

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come 'round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not always kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.

[Giselle]

Originally Posted by Neyite

Your granny is a genius!

Its true!

Other tips of hers are to wipe neat washing up liquid on the bathroom mirror, buff off, and it doesn't steam up!

And dust your tv, laptop or anything electrical with a tumbledryer sheet, the antistatic aspect of it stops your appliance attracting dust.

Soda crystals - about 1kg for I euro - whack a scoop in on any really dirty or stained laundry wash and it'll come up new. I think its the main ingredient of all those proprietory stain removers.

Also flush a cupful of crystals down the kitchen sink with boiling water, and watch the water flow out faster than ever. 'Tis great stuff.