Stay at home moms.... How many hours per week do you suppose you spend on house cleaning? And is it enough?

I spend about an hour on the house a day. I split everything up so that I dont have to do all the big stuff in one day. Like I have a day that I clean the bathroom and then a day for dusting and then one for cleaning the windows...that really helps me I think. I also have a daughter who is 3 that just loves to help. And I never let myself get behind when it comes to laundry. I do a load (at least one) everyday. I vacuum the main room everyday but the other rooms just every 2 or 3 days when they need it. We have a fairly small house but as long as I dont cut myself any slack I can manage to do it all in a short amount of time and spend the rest of the day running erronds and playing.

I go through phases where I decide that the house really needs to be clean, and between the things you've mentioned and all the errands I can fill up a whole day ... and the house looks pretty good.

Then I suddenly realize that the point of my being here was to be a stay-at-home-mom, not a housekeeper, and that all that cleaning is taking away from my kids! So I'll shift into a mode where I spend most of the day playing with my kids, with a couple hours of cleaning spread in 15-20 increments across the day, and an extra couple hours on weekends when my husband and I can switch off with the kids. That leaves the house looking ... not so great.

But when I'm being rational it's very clear to me that the second choice is the way to go. I have lots of great memories of playing with my kids. I don't think I'll have any lasting benefit whatsoever from cleaning the toilets a little more often.

I seriously spend about 50 hours a week on cleaning, while raising 3 kids. My advise would be to solicit help from your kids, even if they are small. I have my 2 year old put wash clothes in a pile, while I am folding laundry. The boys put their own clothes away. So while they are doing this I can clean other things while they are occupied and not making another mess! Clean the bathroom while the kids are in the tub, mop the floor when they go to bed, dust and vacuum while they are at school or napping. I clean from sun up until way after it is set. I don't think anyone feels like their house is "clean" enough. People always say how clean and organized my house is, but you know what I mean, it's never perfect!

I work a full time job, have two kids and a husband, three dogs and mow 3 acres of yard. My kids play softball and baseball and are in 4-H. I don't see how a stay at home mom can be that stressed. We live out of the dryer on most days. I can't fix supper sometimes we eat poptarts in the car on the way to practice. I clean on my days off on the weekends as much as I can.

I wouldn't worry too much about such a clean house and live life. Enjoy those kids now and have a clean house later.

CLEANING!!! HAHA! That is a job that takes 25 hours during the day, and we only have 24 hours. I sometimes just have to stop cleaning and play with my kids for a few hours because I know the house will continue to say dirty until I have no kids left (and that won't be for a long time because we still plan on having more children). But I know that my children wont be little forever so I cherish the time we spend together. Dishes can wait, but my daughters will only be little once. :)

We do two half hour intervals during the day, one right after breakfast, and one right after lunch. I have a different room each day of the week that I focus on.

If things get crazy again, then we'll spend half an hour before daddy gets home, cleaning up again. The kids do all help (and there's seven of them) and that helps a lot.

When we decided to homeschool, someone gave me some advice. We are home more, so the house is going to be more messed up. No biggie. Choose your battles, and mine are always going to be spending time with kids over housework. Dust won't kill us, and neither will a little mildew. ;-)

Per week? Probably about 30, not including errands or food shopping.

What exactly are you trying to catch up with? It's never going to get well and truly done!

Best bet is to have set routines that you do every day and then do a little bit extra every day. And when you're done, STOP! Your workday is over.

Have you ever heard of the FLYlady? Great inspiration there and the site is free: www.flylady.net.

I want that sign as well!! :)

I dont so much have an answer for you, I only clean up after her about 4 times a day. I know thats not the way, but I get exhausted, so I let small things build and do it all instead of small things quickly.

Sorry I am not much help. but as sad as it sounds I am glad there are others who feel like me.

Good Luck to you!

I do my work in the morning some days it's an all day affair, I never get a day off from doing laundry though. I could let things go but I don't like messes.

It took me awhile to realize that my house would never be perfect again, then I relaxed. I'm also a full time student, so I feel more justified about the laundry piling up.