What’s your cadence for maintenance? Is there anything you think you should be doing more frequently? Is there anything you do extra proactively because you don’t like seeing it left undone?

I’m also curious about how much time you spend taking care of your home and how that balances with the rest of your personal life, and how you share the load with other people you live with.

  • @RBWells
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    3 months ago

    Dishwasher run every night

    Counters sort of wiped down every night

    Laundry as needed, sheets and towels once a week, kitchen towels whenever the basket gets full.

    Roomba runs at least once a day

    Biweekly cleaning lady we pay for to do the rest. Yell at kids to clear off surfaces so she can work, weekly, I asked for that so we do every Friday whether she is coming or not.

    This is the compromise because I am a good cook but not a good housekeeper, husband is sort of a clean freak but out of his depth with the kids and me.

    Yard, we have mowing and edging service, monthly cost. In summer once a week mowing (yes it grows that fast) in winter once a month is ok. I do the rest of the yard maintenance - pull weeds around the trees (yard is made of these weeds, whatever grows gets mowed), maintain food garden, mulch, flowers out front, that is daily at least some and about twice a year big overhaul with mulch, if there is heavy work I get help from all the kids.

    Re-caulk around sinks and tubs every 2 years.

    So: daily stuff is yard, dishes, counters, and floors.

    Declutter weekly (and weakly) mow yard (outsourced)

    Heavier cleaning is biweekly and outsourced.

    In general - if it was just me & the husband I think the workload would be pretty evenly distributed. I cook and try not to explode a big mess in the kitchen, and check on the garden. By cook I mean homemade, some homegrown, naturally fermented stuff, fancy-ass food not frozen pizza. Maybe 1.5 hours a day. He maintains the Roomba, feeds the animals, does more of the dog walking, takes out the garbage daily and cleans the kitchen nightly, also about 1.5 hours in all.

    The not daily stuff also pretty evenly distributed and when it’s not we ask each other for help and provide it so it does balance out.