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Snappy 
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Location: lower hutt
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 Topic: What’s your method?
Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:00pm |
Please share how you go about cleaning your home..Do you clean as you go, or do you do it all at once?
I prefer to wait until Jackson naps, then in the evenings while they are in bed I get onto the dishes and any washing that I didnt finish when Jackson was napping.
I dont believe in putting away toys 50 times a day, or following the kids around picking up after they drop everything. Nor do I like spending time doing those things while I am supposed to be entertaining the kids!
DH on the other hand prefers to clean as he goes, putting things away while the kids are still playing with them  He's been to a counsillor and shes told him this is the best way to be when you have kids, and I'm rather offended (Maybe Im just stubborn and use the kids as an exuse  )
But anyway, how do you do it? What works for you?
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FreeSpirit
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:16pm |
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I let the chaos take over in the lounge during the day, with toys everywhere. I clean the lounge once a day, after I've settled her into bed at night.
I do laundry lots - 1st load goes in the machine before breakfast, then I cook her breakfast and sit down to eat with her. Then during her bath I put the second load in the machine because I can see the bath through the laundry door. After bath is had and child is dressed, we have activity time - drawing pictures or sorting shapes sitting in the high chair with it jacked all the way up and turned to face out the window so she can see the washing line and I can see her while I hang it out.
Then we have games together.
Then while she has morning tea I tidy the kitchen - just rinse and stack and clean the bench.
This sort of method - me doing things while she is busy or asleep - goes on through out the day. Dishes are done after dinner at night by DP (I do everything else). I sort out the washing and pick up the toys and collect DP's clothing and DD's toys from around the house at night.
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MrsMojo
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Location: Wellington
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:18pm |
I do a bit of both. I usually put a load of dishes on after lunch while DH is still here but won't unpack or repack the washer until the kids are in bed. Washing that needs to go on the line can't wait and I'll move dishes to the kitchen as they're used but most tidying up/cleaning is done once the kids are in bed.
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Daizy
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:32pm |
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I guess I clean up as I go.
Most cleaning is done is the morning and the girls usually help with it. I do the washing then too and the girls play outside when I hang it out. The house is usually clean by 10 and then when Maddi has an afternoon sleep I take a break.
The rest of the afternoon I tend to go around and once the girls are finished with something in the lounge/dining room I tend to pick it up behind them. The bedroom tends to stay messy and just before bed we give it a quick tidy.
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Mama2two
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:34pm |
Good grief, if I followed Sam around tidying up after her I think I would go crazy!
We have the once a day tidy up of kid stuff just before bath time at night. Dishes get done after dinner, and all other things like vacuming etc get done in the morning while Sam is usually plonked in front of a DVD for 30 minutes 
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kebakat
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 4:21pm |
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I couldnt clean as I go, I'd be cleaning all day long. In reality the lounge gets cleaned every couple of days. I get annoyed doing the the lounge and the next day by 10am it looks like it did before I cleaned it so I just don't care at the moment lol.
DH doesn't get home til 6ish and we start bath time routine at 6:30 so i have to entertain daniel while DH eats dinner, theres no time then to clean up, and after hes in bed I just can't be bothered, I wanna chill lol.
Our house isnt dirty but toys are scattered about the lounge
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AandCsmum
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 4:27pm |
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I am very lucky my kids are both in bed early so I tend to pick up toys then so we have a child free evening. During the day I leave them out.
Usually vaccum in morning while we have morning sleeps going on.
I fit bits in when I feel like it really. Kitchen usually get cleaned in the morning nap as well.
Gone a bit pear shaped cause I'm out walking in the am now.
We usually do a huge clean on saturday but I try & get the washing done during the week unless it's raining.
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A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12
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kiwisj
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 5:33pm |
I like to put everything baby-related away once Callum is in bed for the night. Then DH and I can just enjoy hanging out like "adults" lol. But during the day I leave things out, unless it's something like the tub and water toys.
General housework, I just do it as I need to. Our kitchen is very separate from our living area so during the day I mostly just move dishes out there and then load up the dishwasher when C is napping. Washing gets done when he's napping too.
We're lucky enough to have a cleaner come in a couple of times a week so the big stuff is left to her 
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monikah
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 6:36pm |
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i clean as i go. i have work uni and a baby so if i leave it then it wouldnt get done. and i really like the fact that the baby goes to bed at 7pm and i have nothing child related to do. it is my time. its like being a normal childless adult again. i wuldnt replace that with anything. i hate feeling like i am just a mum. for 12 hours a day it is just me and DH like old times
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Bobbie
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 6:37pm |
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We tidy toys at the end of the day. I do washing while Rowan is awake and dishes get done when she goes to bed as does washing folding.
General housework gets done in the weekend when she has her nap and both DH and I are there to share the chores.
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my4beauties
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 6:48pm |
My cleaning varies, as to how tired I am. One day I might wake to a messy kitchen, so will tidy that while kids are having breakfast, then get kids dressed and then to school/kindy, do washing and tidy up. If any mess is created through the day, I don't tidy it, unless it's getting in my way (like if kids gets blankets out for tents etc). Dishes get taken from the lounge to the kitchen after use, but I don't often empty the dishwasher til there's enough dishes to go back into it.
I have a cleaner once a week too, so she does the big stuff.
If I'm having a good day, and the dishes are done after dinner, then the following day is much easier to deal with. If I know I have a big day the next day, I'll clean at night so less to do in the morning.
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My babies: R (9),G (7), J (5) 
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sadie
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 6:49pm |
Toys generally get tidied at the end of the day when DS is having his bath. DH does the bath and I will do a pick-up.
Everything else pretty much just gets done throughout the day. After breakfast I empty the dishwasher if it is clean and then restack and wipe the benches down. Often during the day I will do some cooking of sorts so like to start with a clean slate. Pots get washed up straight away, or at least properly rinsed out.
I do at least one load of laundry a day - the laundry room is right in the middle of the house so i just put it on in the morning and then hang it out (with DS's help) when it is done. We use racks so they just get put outside in the sun if there is any.
Vacuuming will either be done when DS is napping if I need to mop, or at the end of the day when he has had dinner.
Chemically chores such as cleaning the bathrooms are done when he is napping. Likewise anything bigger - yesterday I swept out my garage and scrubbed dog mud out of the boot of my car
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cuppatea
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 6:54pm |
I rarely pick the toys up, what's the point they only come out again  I push them out the way with the vacuum cos I vacuum everyday (we have a few pets and I don't like the hair on the floor) and pick them all up maybe once a week when I do a proper thorough clean of the lounge.
Washing I do constantly all day, tidy kitchen when I can, clean bathroom when they both have an afternoon nap and if I can be asked, certainly does not happen everyday.
Most mornings we are out and I always intend to clean in the afternoon but am normally so knackered from being out that it doesn't happen. Then I'm either chilling or studying in the evening so I rarely clean then either. So basically my house is a complete bombsite!
Oh I put the clothes away when the boys are up cos they like playing with them, Spencer buries Kyle in them and generally throws them about and I manage to at least put some of them away.
Are you sure his counsellor actually said that?
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lilfatty
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 7:02pm |
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I pick up toys at each nap time.
I do the kitchen as I go .. stack the disherwasher throughout the day and then put it on after dinner (its emptied in the morning while Isabelle has breakfast).
Laundry gets done throughout the day. I usually put a load on after Ive dressed both kids. I tend to do the laundry in sync with the three hourly feeding routine, so I remember to go and put the laundry in the dryer and put a new load on each time I change Elias's nappy.
Vacuuming I usually do while the kids play (but not daily)
But general housework gets done on a Sunday.
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Snappy
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 7:15pm |
Sounds like I am pretty normal 
I do clean as I go when it comes to washing, breakfast/lunch dishes and things. The beds are made by 8am and generally when I leave at 8.30am every morning everything is done but the washing.
I just refuse to clean away toys (Jackson brings his toys from his room into the lounge) while the kids are still awake.
Cuppatea - Yes that is what she said.
I thought perhaps I should be doing more but after reading through these posts I am no different to everyone else. Like you stacey, I would be constantly cleaning up toys and DH is quite happy to do that!
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Bombshell
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 7:23pm |
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cleaning - well that would be done when I have to...and I am not kidding! i dont have time to have a cleaning routine and thats for sure....
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emz
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 9:17pm |
I do the dishes in the morning after Ava goes down for a nap, and again after tea (hate having a bench full of dirty dishes and bottles).
Vacuuming is done every 2nd day usually, Jack helps with that so I do it whenever he decides it's cleaning time (he gets the feather duster out and starts dusting )
The big clean - full dusting, bathroom, mopping of floors and changing of sheets gets done on a Friday usually - same day I do my sister's housework so I'm motivated.
Washing is put on in the morning and just keeps going until it's done (which is usually 2-3 loads a day with Ava because she's so spilly).
Toys are put away every once in a while (if I get sick of tripping over them) - Jack does that himself. Then he and I have a big cleanup of all his toys, books and crumbs (yes I make him pick his crumbs up lol) at 6.30 before bed.
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Maya
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 9:36pm |
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I unload the dishwasher in the morning while the girls have breakfast and usually throw the washing on then (I have a 9kg machine so it's only 1load most days). Then I load the dishwasher as I go during the day.
As for toys etc. the girls and I tidy them all away at the end of each day before their bath, I agree there's not much point following them around all day trying to keep the place tidy.
Oh and I have a cleaner come once a week so she does the bathroom, microwave, mops the floors etc.
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yummymummy
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 10:02pm |
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During the week, I tidy up all toys in the morning before we leave for daycare and the girls are having b'fast. I tidy the table and we leave.
In the evening we tidy up after the girls are in bed and run the dishwasher. I do a load of washing on Wednesday and DH does the vacuming.
On weekends we tidy as we go to keep things OK but only really sort the mess when the girls are in bed. Cleaning day is Sunday when we do everything ie washing, vacuming, bathroom etc
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Troods
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Posted: 15 September 2009 at 11:10pm |
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I don't bother picking up toys during the day - it's a bombsite by the time DH gets home and he forgets that there is stuff on the floor and trips up on the odd toy LOL not watching where he's going.
Emily doesn't like the vaccuum cleaner very much, so I'll vaccum the bedroom end of the house while she's busy with the square babysitter in the lounger, then when she's having her nap I'll vaccum the lounge dining and kitchen. When that happens the toys just get moved out of the way rather than cleaned up hehe. I try to keep on top of the laundry and dishes - those are the only things I don't like to get behind in. I gave the bathroom/toilet a good clean and scrub today. But it took most of the morning to get it done by the time I had interruptions from a little person who wanted to "help", empty the bathroom cupboard, tell me the dvd was finished, wanted me to watch the dvd with her, tell me she was hungry and wanted bis (biscuits) etc etc
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What’s your method?
