How often do you...?

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

Admit it, you are probably a bit behind on your cleaning. (Guilty - I totally need to vacuum.)

How often do you, or should you, wash your bedsheets? Or, how often do you do your laundry? Clean the bathroom? Vacuum?

Comment below on how often you do your cleaning chores and share your favorite cleaning tips/products! (Pictures welcomed!)

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Featured Answer

nasmijati

12 years ago

Many people like to use the FlyLady.net site as a template for keeping their houses tidy.

Re: how often to wash bedsheets. This depends on whether pets sleep in the bed with you, whether you bathe before going to bed or in the morning, and for women of a certain age - hot flashes and night sweats.

Re: vacuuming. This is somewhat dependent on the environment. In very dry, dusty regions, vacuuming is often done daily. A Roomba vacuum is very helpful. The necessity for vacuuming also depends on the number of pets and the number of people living in the house. A carpet cleaning professional told me that a carpet should be vacuumed one time a day for every person living in the house. So, a family of four would need to vacuum the entire house four times a day!! (One Roomba per person, perhaps??)

Re: laundry. To conquer "Mount Washmore," some people do one load of laundry each day. This is helpful if one has sports or dance practice more than once a week - those clothes get washed the same evening they were worn. Then they are always clean for the next practice/lesson. Mother Theresa was once asked how many outfits a person should have. She replied, "Three. One for wearing, one for washing, and one for drying." Something to think about.

Re: cleaning products. Fancy products are not necessarily the best. One can get a lot of cleaning done with white vinegar, borax, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide (one can buy hydrogen peroxide in different strengths - check online).
Also look for non-chlorine laundry products - sodium percarbonate works in warm AND hot water (ex: Shout Oxy Power by SC Johnson). For an ultraconcentrated kind, use Oxy-Boost (Natural Choices). If you have skin sensitivities, look for White Wave (Morganics).
I am enjoying using biokleen BAC-OUT Bathroom Cleaner. I am hoping I am not being "greenwashed" by choosing it.

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Comments (37)

charleee
12 years ago
Vacuum - 3 times/week, dust everyday, bathrooms once/week. Best glass cleaner EVER - Sprayway, you can find it just about everywhere. Probably laundry is an average of 4 loads/week because it's just the two of us. Floors are what drive me crazy! I have to wash my floors a minimum of twice/week or I cannot rest! I'm so weird.

What is the best cleaner for a stainless steel sink? Besides Barkeepers Friend which I don't find to be all that great. It's the best I've tried so far but I still don't think it's that great.
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kathy
12 years ago
cleaning - dusting and vacuuming - when company comes. Laundry when first person runs out of clothes!

Ok seriously - I'm not that bad. I can't stand clutter, so things are generally picked up and tidy, but the cleaning probably averages every 2 weeks. I've just had company for 2 and a half weeks - but several different sets of people - so sheets and towels were washed, bathrooms cleaned and vacuuming/dusting done with each 'shift change'. This week - prepare supper and wash dishes and THAT WILL BE IT.
sunnyone99
12 years ago
Best cleanser for a stainless steel sink: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! Does a nice job on the strainers, too.
charleee
12 years ago
Thank you sunnyone!
Sigrid
12 years ago
I do a load of laundry most days. I don't have a dryer and can hang one to two loads at a time. I use NeoPersil Sensitive. Any Europeans want to recommend other laundry detergents? I'd like to hear it.
giolitti199
12 years ago
Ciao Sigrid, Some Italians swear by sapone di Marsiglia, the vegetable oil laundry soap, made without Sodium Tallowate. Grate three or four spoonfuls and put them in the detergent container of the washer. I also add some bicarbonate of soda.
Nellie
12 years ago
Actually, I must admit I am a bit anal about my home. Routine cleaning is done on a regular bases by using the swifter (wet or dry) for the floor and dusting, my kitchen counters are wiped down every night and since my laundry is in the basement I use the mess bags in my bathrooms to collect laundry then (since we are three stories high)....drag it to the stairs to the family room in the basement and THROW them down only to dray them further to the laundry room for sorting. Bathrooms are thoroughly cleaned every week (and I have three) by using wipes, prepared toilet cleaners, etc....!!!!!!! My closet is beyond what most people would consider normal as it is by color, object and usage. I know....I appear totally consumed but I am not. Once I started to follow these routines it became second nature and very easy. OH HOW MY MOTHER WOULD BE PROUD OF ME!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN when company or a party is due I go beyond the use of easy tools and - admitting this could get me committed - tooth brushes, Q-tips and the "on the knees method" of cleaning floors. Yes, my house is always straightened out but despite this it is lived in and family or company are well aware they can relax and enjoy. YEAH...once they leave I fold all the throws and put the pillows back and run the dish washer. I have my strong willed mother to thank for this. BUT I WILL NOT IRON SHIRTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ljfq
12 years ago
When helping me select new carpet, the salesman said, "Suppose things got terribly hectic and you couldn't vacuum for five or six days.." I burst out laughing.
Nellie
12 years ago
I think I can go you one better, my carpets contain three shades of beige to disguise the presence of the lack of recent vacuuming!!! This brought peace to my sole and my cleaning anxieties calmed!!!!!!!!!
Maria Smith
12 years ago
Bed linens are every two weeks. I like to mix and match sheets/coverlets/shams in different combinations depending on the season. Doing this makes the room feel new and different, which is the reward for doing the chore. I do a deep clean (baseboards, cupboard insides, pantry re-org) quarterly, this too allows me to switch things up for the change of season, making the spaces feel fresh and new.
B Mac Construction
12 years ago
when I first got married I was a horrible house cleaner. Just dishes when there weren't any clean ones left to use and laundry after it became a 4 foot pile. Along the way and 4 kids later I've just developed habits that have stuck. I can even keep up housework with a full time job. Everyday I keep things picked up (backpacks, shoes, misc.). I always tell my kids (because they constantly need trained) that " everything has a place and in it's place everything shall be". They just groan and do as little as possible ;) I cook dinner, and do dishes, making sure counters and appliances are wiped down and floor swept everyday. then someone vacuums during the week a time or two. weekends are bathrooms, bedding, dusting, windows and laundry which just takes a couple hours. Everyone is responsible for their own room ( I just shut the door most of the time). My husband takes care of the "outside" on "most" weekends. (baseboards, cupboards, inside and under fridge and stove get cleaned every once in a while. I've learned to let things go as I get older. The house should not be more important than your family. My grama says "it'll be there tomorrow".
jboncaro
12 years ago
My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be comfortable. There are so many things to do, places to see, and people to love. Life is too short to spend it cleaning.
gypsyrose17
12 years ago
When I was small my dad sawed a hole in the bathroom linen cabinet floor so my mom could just toss the laundry down...it ended up right in front of the washer in the basement. Us kids loved to jump down it when there was a good pile of clothes on the floor down there.
Hunee05
12 years ago
I try to do laundry one a week or at least every two weeks. I have hardwood floors so no vacuum. Just damp mop every three days. Other than that I pretty much keep the house picked up, because I work at home.
A Alldaughter
12 years ago
I mostly use vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide for my household. As to my cleaning routine: I put things away as soon as I'm done with them, thus no need for deliberate 'picking up';personal laundry and the bathroom is done once a week, bedding and towels every two weeks; sweeping happens once or twice a week, and I give everything a deep-clean every two to three months. Dusting is my hated chore, and it happens when I can't stand the finger marks left in it--so, every two to three weeks. I'm reliably informed that I'm ridiculously organized and tidy, but then it's just my boyfriend, myself, and my fur-baby.
soozmacrae
12 years ago
I am the only woman in a house of men and boys. My husband and three grown up sons. Also, two huge german shepherds which cast hair continuously! Therefore, I have to hoover every day sometimes twice. The bathroom is cleaned thoroughly every morning and quickly throughout the day esp at weekends. Beds are changed once weekly and the washing machine is on every day sometimes twice. What a life, you might say, but, in the summer Im found sitting in the garden enjoying the fact that I don't have to go to work and in the winter Im cozy by the fire.
Nicholaix Nukemall
12 years ago
I live with 4 men, 1 supposed adult, a teenager and 2 toddlers. I have it down to a manageable routine but I definitely dont sweat the small stuff.

Vacuuming is done daily to corral crushed goldfish, paper chip debris and sawdust. Dusting? Whats dusting?! I mostly run around with cleaning wipes room by room and spot clean.

Laundry is done daily by necessity with at least 2 loads a day on the weekend.

Bathroom is spot cleaned before before I go to bed(really its a lost cause!)

Beds are changed at least once a week completely with fitted sheets changed out as needed with 2 toddlers.

For cleaning products I mostly use vinegar, baking soda, lemons and salt. I have become addicted to those throw away cleaning wipes and am messing around with a way to make something simpler and more green.

Twice a year I do a huge clean of everything. I also purge the house of outgrown clothes toys and anything that hasn't been used in the last year. It makes picking up a lot easier not having to navigate around junk we dont use as well as relatively less clutter.
debnbob
12 years ago
Due to the fact that we boated when our boys were small (and hubby always did this due to wave action) the rule for the boat and the house 'SIT TO PEE'. The boys had to clean bathrooms when they were older and really found how nice it was not to have the extra MESS to clean up. All 3 boys still SIT! The youngest still lives at home and is not pleased when he has friends over and I insist he cleans the bathroom. this has made for much quicker bathroom clean ups over the years. And removed the YUCK factor.
Maria Smith
12 years ago
dbnbob...worst part of bathrooms, especially after poker night, really don't get it. I keep Clorox wipes under every sink for quick clean up on the fly. Really makes the contour rug quite an enigma.
lilion
12 years ago
My house is a MESS. But I can honestly say it's more clutter than dirt. That's as good as it gets. I have to admit, I don't like it, but as I sit here looking at the pile of papers on the coffee table, I just don't know what to do with them!
lilion
12 years ago
My house is a MESS. But I can honestly say it's more clutter than dirt. That's as good as it gets. I have to admit, I don't like it, but as I sit here looking at the pile of papers on the coffee table, I just don't know what to do with them!
Diane Fairbanks
12 years ago
I live by myself now so I only do a heavy clean twice a week, comprising of changing, washing, and ironing bedsheets, washing towels, cleaning the kitchen counters and appliances, cleaning/sanitizing bathroom sinks/toilets/tub/shower, sweeping hard floors and then mopping, vacuuming carpet--a nice Berber--after dusting. I too do an enormous spring and fall clean, changing soft furnishings, pictures, knickknacks, lemon oiling every speck of unpainted wood furniture in my house, cleaning every vent, fan, and return air grill in the house. I have a full 3 page list of things to clean, from floor to ceiling, in EACH room, and get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when i can mark off each thing! Yeah, just a LITTLE anal/OCD! Like others here, I go through an inordinate amount of vinegar and baking soda, but they are cheap cleaners, to be sure. Like Nellie, I have found that getting into a regular routine of cleaning means that you do a few things daily to avoid having a huge cleaning job every 1-2 weeks.
beesknees2260
12 years ago
Try to keep up daily with some of the chores. Daily the dishes get washed and put away and trash is emptied. Beds do not get made everyday. Bedding definitely once a week or more. Blankets, pillows at least once a month they are washed. Everything at least once a week. There goes my day off! Keep cleaning supplies in each of the bathroom(s) along with a roll of paper towels. We have one master bath and two small bathrooms. Purchased a second vacuum to keep downstairs and that is a big time saver. Biggest time saver is to have duplicate cleaning supplies if you live in a two story home. Love all the comments. I am presently in the middle of the seasonal clothes closet cleaning!
A M
12 years ago
I stay at home with my two preschoolers and am a part time student. I have to clean daily. The dishwasher is run twice, floors are swept five times a day. I do a load or two of laundry each day. I dust every other week though it needs it weekly. I vac and mop weekly. Tubs, showers, and toilets are cleaned weekly too. About once a month I ditch all cleaning and go on a reorganizing hiatus because it is soothing to me. Luckily my husband takes care if the yard work, vehicles, and home improve not projects and graciously makes our family dinners each night. Otherwise I would drop dead of exhaustion.
gypsyrose17
12 years ago
I admire the discipline of many commenters and just wish to say those are my "intentions"...unfortunately there are times when I just have to chill and let things go a day or so. To keep up with the mass of paper, we bought a cross cut shredder and shred at least once a week...really feels good to see it go into the recyle bin and reclaim our space. I actually have a mail basket that gets weeded, bills paid go into a footstool cubby, when that gets full they are either shredded or removed into a file drawer in the office, when the file drawer gets tight I weed it out to only what I need to keep. Insurance policies, etc. go into the safe. Once a year I clean out the safe.
decomama1
12 years ago
My house is "neat" and mostly orgnaized and I like to keep my kitchen counters wiped throughout the day and the dishwasher runs 2-3 times a day (we have 6 littles)...we sweep after lunch everyday, we strive to be picking up as we go:) People always say my house is so "clean"...there is dust bunny's hiding and my cabinets need wiped down and of course always laundry to do but my houseu is usually ready for friends to stop over...we can do a quick pick up in about 30 minutes...if life is really busy...it may take a little longer. I like to have the bathrooms cleaned every few days..Swish and Swipe:) with clorox wipes...also like beds made everyday:)
armygirl1987
12 years ago
I wonder if the difference in cleaning has to do with status in life. Full time in home or out if home. Retired vs non retired.
thickskin
12 years ago
I do everything whenever I am in the mood. That includes cooking. I am a stickler for everything in its place, so the house always looks like I just cleaned.
Maria Smith
12 years ago
Frankly, entertaining is my key motivator for getting it all done, if I didn't entertain, I would let some stuff go.
midmodfan
12 years ago
We own just what we need and everything has its place. I get a lot of compliments on how tidy our house is, but we are only two plus a cat and an uncluttered home is half the battle.

Monday is laundry day, Friday is BIG cleaning day. Bedding every other week, windows every three months (a dreaded task because we have walls of glass). Everything else when necessary, i.e. when I spy crumbs or dust bunnies or when the cat used the litter box. My kitchen is always very clean, which is really essential to me.

I have one bucket for all cleaning supplies because I only use rather oldfashioned stuff like scouring powder, soft scrub and vinegar. I have to admit though that I drop almost everything when the weather is beautiful.
missym49
12 years ago
My biggest cleaning dilemma is the floor tile grout. It is light colored and even with a floor scrubber it never gets really clean. Is there any product or suggestions besides hands and knees and scrubbing that can clean the grout on a weekly basis ( which doesn't a always get done weekly basically for lack of time and energy needed).
Maria Smith
12 years ago
missym49-there is a commercial/industrial cleaning product that my house cleaners used, it worked great. I can't remember the brand or type of chemical it was, I no longer use them for other reasons. It was really good w/ hard water residue as well.
omagnes
12 years ago
I am retired and live in an appt. with my husband. Our children and fourteen grandchildren are always welcome. The bathroom with walk- shower gets cleaned everyday after the AM showers. The kitchen each evening after dinner. Before going to sleep, I will straighten the living room. Bed linens and bathroom towels washed each week. I have a cleaning woman come in each two weeks for heavy chores ( windows, parquets floors). If a house is clutter free, fresh flowers here and there it it welcomes unexpected company and a restful heaven for the two of us. I have loads of time for reading ( my passion) and volunteer-work. It is truly a luxury life compared to the years of working full time while raising four kids.
whirlwyn
12 years ago
Charlee look for liquid bar keeps friend.....less mess in rinsing. Also, all this fuss abt washing sneakers and sponges in the dish washer - Many of us have washing machines that do the same job better, even leather tennis shoes. None of these go in the dryer, just air dried. And the best "dish cloth" is the type like handi wipe brand, although there are others. Wash it at least weekly and lay flat to dry, (as well as your cloth pot holders that go in dryer). It scrubs, some times tears, sometimes wears out, but never mildews and it's an inexpensive pkg of 8-10. While I understand using majic eraser on painted walls and surfaces, for other uses it's just an expensive fine grain sponge.... Tried fancy bathroom paper hand towels due to being sink, that I'd seen at a friends home. Dry my hands, then wipe off the sink, too! Goodbye morning soap and toothpaste 20 seconds.....that's a quick job without chemicals.
charleee
12 years ago
wschumann, I do use barkeepers friend and it does work well, but if I don't dry the sink (pain!) it leaves a chalky film.
pdk920
11 years ago
I'm an old woman living by myself and one long-haired cat, so I do way less cleaning than I did for many years. I used to be a dynamo and could do the whole house and yard in one day a week, but now I can't get down on my arthritic knees or reach up high with my arthritic shoulders. It takes a week to do a day's work. But honestly it doesn't bother me much; my daughters come by every so often and give me a hand, bless 'em.

How often do you...?

Comments (37)

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