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How long does it take to clean your house?

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KimberlyH

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Today my husband told me the only people he knows who clean as long and as thoroughly as me is Merry Maids (I think it was a compliment?!). So I''m curious, how big is your house and how long does it take to do a thorough cleaning? And while you''re at it, how often do you do a good scrub down of your home?
 

FrekeChild

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940 sq ft. 2 bedrooms one bath.

Too long.

Not often enough.

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DiamanteBlu

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Sigh . . . the work is never done . . .
 

KimberlyH

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Date: 4/11/2009 7:21:39 PM
Author: DiamanteBlu
Sigh . . . the work is never done . . .
I feel the same, I cleaned today, but I have a list of things in my head that I didn''t do that I should have (windows, (I did some of the inside, but none of the outside), washing the stove coverings, cleaning baseboards, etc.). But at a certain point I have to say enough is enough.
 

KimberlyH

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Date: 4/11/2009 7:15:30 PM
Author: FrekeChild
940 sq ft. 2 bedrooms one bath.

Too long.

Not often enough.

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Define too long.
 

Camille

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Days.......never done!
 

April20

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1600 sf, 3 bed, 2 bath.

It takes me about 2 hours. More if I start hitting baseboards, mouldings and really, really scrub the tile floors in the bathroom.

I need a housecleaner. I hate spending a Saturday afternoon cleaning and I love to open the door and magically smell lemon when they''ve been here.
 

April20

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Oh yeah- and that 2 hours does not include any window washing (what''s that??
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) or wiping down all the glass on the pictures in the house. It also does not include the stove top (DH does that on a regular basis after we cook).
 

bebe

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no way it can be done in 1 day. 5600 sq ft.
I don''t have a housekeeper, they freak out
and charge an obscene amt. I used to have
one to just clean the downstairs, 175.00
I have all wood (tile in baths) floors down, so that scares
''em - lots of vacuming and then mopping.
Now I do it - not so bad.
There are just 2 of us here now, so I can
somewhat keep it under control.
 

FrekeChild

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Date: 4/11/2009 7:31:52 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Date: 4/11/2009 7:15:30 PM
Author: FrekeChild
940 sq ft. 2 bedrooms one bath.

Too long.

Not often enough.

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Define too long.
Lets put it in other terms...
2 dogs, one that is super fluffy and ultra shed-tastic. The other is short haired and doesn''t shed that much.
2 hamsters in separate tanks.
2 turtles in a large tank that stinks.
1 very hairy male.
New Mexican dust.
Tile, wood and shag rugs.

Ugh...you''re making me cringe just thinking about it...
 

AmberGretchen

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My DH and I used to spend 4-5 hours cleaning our approx. 850 sq foot apartment. I''m like you Kim - super compulsive about getting everything very very clean, especially considering allergies + asthma + 3 cats
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Finally we decided that was ridiculous (plus I had a nasty fall while cleaning my shower - its lucky I didn''t break anything!) and so we hired cleaners. They come in every two weeks for a deep cleaning, takes 2-3 of them about 3 hours. If I could afford it, I''d have them every week.
 

Rhea

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Define scrub down.

Our house is two bedrooms, one and a half bathroom. We split the house hold chores and do it as needed so I can''t really say how long it takes. I''d guess about 2-3 hours if we set it and did the cleaning, but usually the dishes and laundry get added into the calculations (those are my chores) so it''s really hard to say.
 

mayachel

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Wait...I''m supposed to clean? No WONDER it gets so dusty...
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Too long! It feels like it is never done. Mostly the floors top to bottom get done each week. We have a row house-10 ftx30 ft, three floors, all hardwood. I sweep, swifter and wet swifter. Takes about two hours.

Laundry usually piles up and can take a day to get through.

I change the sheets and towels once a week--25min?

We have two very tiny bathrooms, they get cleaned weekly, and take no time at all. 10min each?

Dishes get done nightly...clutter....well, when we have company?
 

lulu

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One of the reasons I work is to allow me to have a weekly cleaning lady. That way I can spend all my time gardening.
 

KimberlyH

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Date: 4/11/2009 8:15:13 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
My DH and I used to spend 4-5 hours cleaning our approx. 850 sq foot apartment. I''m like you Kim - super compulsive about getting everything very very clean, especially considering allergies + asthma + 3 cats
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Finally we decided that was ridiculous (plus I had a nasty fall while cleaning my shower - its lucky I didn''t break anything!) and so we hired cleaners. They come in every two weeks for a deep cleaning, takes 2-3 of them about 3 hours. If I could afford it, I''d have them every week.
Amber, my husband thinks I''m a nut, and I do everything on double speed. I would love to hire a cleaner, but in this economy I just feel lucky to still own a house (okay, the bank owns the house and it''s worth a lot less now, but at least we can still pay our mortgage!).
 

vespergirl

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To do the full treatment, it''s about 5-6 hours - 4 bed 3.5 bath house. I used to have a housekeeper, but I gave her up last year & am trying to stay on top of it myself. I really hate doing it, so if I ever go back to work I will definitely get a housekeeper again.
 

fieryred33143

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Our condo is 900sqft, two bedrooms, one bath. It takes me a good 5 hours to go through everything. I do a complete scrubdown every Sunday. I could probably do it once or twice a month instead but I barely clean during the week so the cleaner I get it on Sunday, the longer it lasts during the week.
 

KimberlyH

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Freke, I didn''t mean to make you cringe! So sorry.

April, I''ve never had a housecleaner, it''s probably a good thing I don''t know how it feels to walk into that lemony scent. I actually enjoy cleaning, because I love the result, but there are other ways I''d like to spend Saturday. My husband typically does our housework as he works from home, but he and I have slightly different standards of clean, especially regarding the floors, so I go on a rampage every few weeks or so.

Bebe, there are just two of us too, which makes it easy. And we are pretty good about day-to-day clean up so that we don''t get buried.

Addy, day-to-day we pick up, wipe down countertops, etc. My husbad sorts recycling and does a thorough fridge cleaning once a week. So I guess I mean the top to bottom, counters, floors (vacuum and mop) sinks, toilets, etc.

Mayachel, you didn''t hear it from me. We have lots of tile flooring, it took me about an hour and a half to clean them all today (vacuum, mop). We''re both clutterbugs, in different ways, so we each have spaces that the other ignores. Those get done about once every week or two.

Lulu, how lovely!
 

packrat

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I work Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, so those days I do the rest of the dishes that mom didn''t do while she was here w/the kids. Thursday night I start laundry, and work on that thru the weekend a bit here and there. I try to vacuum, sweep and mop the main floor the 4 days a week I don''t work. Wipe down counters every day, coffee tables a couple times a week, and clean the bathroom twice a week. The basement has been sorely neglected for a loooong time, and become a catchall for junk..it will get cleaned up the next couple weeks b/c we''re tearing down a wall to make 1 big man room/play room. Several times a year I freak out on drawers and closets and cabinets and reorganize everything. I don''t dust nearly as often as I should. I''d like to have someone come clean our ductwork again b/c I had it done in 2005 and I swear there was not a speck of dust in this house for 3 months after.
 

Kaleigh

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We have help that comes every other week. I have a bad neck, otherwise I'd do it myself. They do a real scrub down each time they come. I had one person for almost 20 years. She was a doll, but wasn't the best cleaner. The ones I have now are serious, and get right down to business. Our house isn't that big, 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, livingroom, dining room, sunroom and family room. Kids aren't here, they are away at school, so it's just hubby and I. Hubby makes all the messes. After 23 years, he still hasn't learned to pick up after himself. And I refuse to. I just let it build up, then say, ummmm, you going to do something about this pile??
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I would never leave it for my cleaning ladies. I clean before they come, LOL~!!!!
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Dandi

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Our house has 4 bedrooms, 1 study, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas, kitchen and home theatre. Because it''s just the two of us I only really need to clean 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom and the kitchen and living areas, as the other rooms rarely get used and just need the odd vacuum and dust. I guess I''d spend 2-3 hours a week cleaning? Hard to know because I spread it out during the week and spot clean here and there. Saturday morning is usually cleaning the floors and anything else I haven''t had a chance to do during the week.

Sometimes I just get an urge to clean and do everything all at once, over aboout 3 hours. Doesn''t happen too often
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choro72

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I''ve known FI for more than three years, and as of now it is not yet clean, so that means it''s 3 years+ and counting.
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Rhea

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I would like to change my answer. I do most of the day to day chores (dishes, laundry, recycling, litter box) and DH does most of the scrub down chores. He does the vacuuming weekly (which takes a good hour or more) but everything else is done roughly fortnightly and takes him about two hours. We have a carpet washer which he likes to use about once every six-ish weeks and it takes him all day, no joke, to do that.
 

zoebartlett

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To clean our 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom 1000+ sq. ft. condo, it usually takes about 3 hours or so. That''s if I do a top to bottom, really thorough vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting, etc. of the whole place. It usually takes about 20 minutes or so to do the day to day straightening (living room) and cleaning (kitchen). This is a pet peeve, but our dishwasher (although standard size) seems small. We always have dishes to do, and we probably run the dishwasher twice in any given day (and there''s only two of us here).

My husband and I still argue over cleaning, and I don''t see it ending anytime soon. He does help out occasionally, but he''s never really given the house a thorough, deep cleaning. It bugs me, in part, because my dad is a total clean freak and I wish my husband was more like that.
 

Tuckins1

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My house is 1400 square feet... 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. To do a really thorough scrubbing, including dusting everything.... Probably the whole weekend. And that''s working on it for the whole day. I am a little bit neurotic though.
 

LaraOnline

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Date: 4/11/2009 8:15:13 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
My DH and I used to spend 4-5 hours cleaning our approx. 850 sq foot apartment. I''m like you Kim - super compulsive about getting everything very very clean, especially considering allergies + asthma + 3 cats
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Finally we decided that was ridiculous (plus I had a nasty fall while cleaning my shower - its lucky I didn''t break anything!) and so we hired cleaners. They come in every two weeks for a deep cleaning, takes 2-3 of them about 3 hours. If I could afford it, I''d have them every week.

We recently hired a cleaner, it has done absolute wonders for me. Apparently women with house cleaners are more ''loving''
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with their husbands, as the stress not only of cleaning, but of compiling the jobs list really gets you down.

I have two small children, and am not really a ''compulsive'' cleaner. Even with the extra help, I still have a lot of jobs to do every day.

When I first had kids, and the five-year census came around, I was embarrassed to put down the actual hours of house-wrok that I did each day... It hink most women dramatically underestimate the number of hours they do daily / weekly because the reality is just too depressing to fully contemplate.

15 hours a week is the standard apparently?!! There''s no way I would do as little as that!! Especially without a cleaner! I mean, even cooking dinner and cleaning up after is two hours a day alone!!!

That is why my theory is that women dramatically UNDER estimate the amount of time they spend on cleaning work, because they don''t want to sound dull or enslaved...
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Italiahaircolor

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We have two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and study...plus the other basics like a kitchen, sitting room, family room, ect...

We have help weekly (sometimes twice a week). She arrives around 8 in the morning and usually leaves around 2. We have a lot of solid surfaces...so that means a lot of dusting, plus we have 3 chihuahuas!
 

Elmorton

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Vacuum, mop, clean bathroom and kitchen, change all linens, and dust our entire house (a little over 1000 sqf), with both DH and I working at full-tilt - 1.5 hours. Most of our house is wood floor/tile which I think is actually a lot easier to clean since we have two cats who are currently shedding, but maybe that's also because I absolutely hate vacuuming and prefer anything to having to plug in the darned thing and deal with the noise.

For a real scrub down at a leisurely pace, and doing some work in the basement, carpet shampooing, throw in some laundry, etc, it's an afternoon (together). We keep everything pretty tidy in our house, so it's not really a monumental task (though I think it would feel like it if we worked alone).

Sometimes I wish we had a bigger house, but when we're done cleaning the one we have, I always feel like it's the perfect size.
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We do the whole house about every two weeks, though sometimes we've stretched it to a month by doing tasks here and there. There is a direct correlation to when we're having company, too, haha.
 

KimberlyH

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Okay, I feel a bit less wierd, perhaps he thinks I'm a nut because he cleans differently than I do. He'll do the floors, but he doesn't think they really matter because, as he told me yesterday, "You walk on them, you don't eat off of them, they don't need to be that clean!" as was mopping furiously. When I'm in the right mood I actually enjoy cleaning, I just don't like the nagging feeling of it needing to be done.
 

diamondringlover

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It takes to long...lol, I have about 1600 sf, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, I usually on get one level done at a time, if I was to clean everything (not including the hard stuff) it would probably take 3 or 4 hours, I work 4 ten hour days so not much gets done during the week, so Friday and Saturday are for cleaning and Sunday is for laundry, I swear I get so sick of cleaning and laundry and I would have a cleaning lady if I could afford one.
 
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