22 living on my own. How often should I do certain chores?

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Holy geez, you even do it the hard way!! !

I just use a squeegee. Quick, fast, no streaks ever, does a perfect job. Picked that one up when I was a cleaner.

Not that I wash the windows more than once every other year

Wow, clean freak!

Here is something more bare minimum:

Clean the bathroom when it starts smelling bad.
Vacuum and sweep floors when your feet start to get real dirty walking over it. You might be able to delay it another week by always wearing shoes.
Perhaps twice a year or so dust buildup on your furniture will be noticeable. This can be fixed by wiping your hand across it real quick and washing your hands.
If you come home one day and you smell something repulsive, then you might want to take out the garbage.
If you sheet look stained or greasy, then it is probably time to change them.
If you run out of clean clothes then it is probably time to wash them.
If you run out of dishes it might be time to wash them, but then if you live alone you can eat out of packages and you won't generate much dishes.
I have actually been bored enough that I have washed my windows a few times (in the 10 years I've lived here).

Sometimes the minimum doesn't do it for me and I'll feel sick with upper-respiratory problems, in which case I clean a little more. The stark contrast between going from very dirty to very clean makes cleaning rewarding.
In general though, I hate cleaning and preparing food so I do as little as possible. Since I live alone I have to do it sometime.
Anyway, the point of cleaning is to promote sanitation and avoid getting sick or having bugs etc. Most people overdo it.
I do the minimal amount of food preparation to survive. If I can't eat it out of box or heat it in the microwave, then forget it.

I wouldn't exactly say that taking out the garbage before it stinks makes me a clean freak. I'd rather avoid living in filth if I can. Also, there are six people, two dogs, a cat, a rabbit and a snake that live here, plus we have multiple visitors and the kids have people stay overnight quite frequently, so it takes a good bit of work to keep it livable. I've personally found that I feel much better when my house is clean.

If I were a clean feak I would mop all the floors every day, dust every day, wash the walls monthly, take the curtains down and wash and iron them weekly or monthly instead of four times a year when the seasons change. I would move furniture and sweep under it every day rather than once a month of so to get all the dog hair, etc.

The standards of cleanliness expected from someone in their 20's living alone is very different than the standards of cleanliness expected from a housewife in her late 40's also.

ok, calling you a clean freak was a little out-of-line.

There is a big difference when you have 6 people, dogs, cats, rabbits, and a snake compared with living alone.

Yes, and being a housewife to boot. So I cook as well and mend and bake from scratch and all that. So my idea of simple and easy housework is very different than a young single guys idea of simple and easy housework lol

I keep house like the mom, because I am. And a grandma to boot!

I must be a crazy clean freak then. except i do dishes once a week because i hate it so much. I have enough dishes to last that long. I just scrape and stack in the kitchen.

I have multi purpose disposable cleaning cloths that i do a wipe over of tables and bathroom and toilet after i use them. Then i vacuum once a day and spray glen20 (surface disinfectant). before i leave the house in the morning i put everything in the washing machine alternating bebtween including my sheets or the kids every second day. thrn when i get home i put the clothes in the clothes dryer. i dont have piles of crap everywhere and just try to put things away. An easy way is coffee table with draws ect so i can just sweep everything off into the draw and close. easy.

Speaking of baking from scratch ... an easy one when you're young if you get tired of all the processed food ... chicken and rice casserole with some grated cheese on top and bit of veggies and some canned mushroom soup to thicken it. It's a bit of work but not that bad, hard to mess up, and it'll feed one person for a few days if you make enough

evrn easier is mix some microwave rice, a tin of flavoured tuna and a tub of tabouli. super easy and tasty and healthy to boot

Yeah I sometimes do pasta (shells or rotini), mushroom soup, and tuna. Similar sort of idea.

I printed that post out and pinned it OliveOilMom. I get overwhelmed when I know there is so much that has to get done but this breaks it down into such little daily chunks.
I'm a college student now so I'm not suffering from an overabundance of space (less stuff to clean can make chores go way faster.) I have way less to do living on my own then when I was at home. It always surprises me a little bit when I'm talking to another student or someone and it comes out that they never learned how to clean or cook or bake. The longer it goes on I'm starting to think maybe my parents were the weird ones for teaching all that to their kids.

Oh, I boogered the directions for instant rice. Those proportions are for regular rice (cheaper, and better, but master the instant first because it's soooooo easy). Instant rice is equal parts water and rice. One cup water, one cup rice, makes something like two cups cooked.

Aside from moping, sweeping and doing laundry everyday, your list sounded pretty managable and practical to me, too. (It might make sense to do those things daily for a larger family, but I find that a single person like me with no kids or pets can get away with doing those things once a week).

Just listen to some good music while you clean, OP, and that'll make it feel less painful. And, bear in mind that if you keep after stuff on a regular basis, it actually saves time in the long run. It's when things build up that cleaning becomes overwhelming.

Plans first need items to make them effective.
I'd start with a basic supplies list (most of it dollarama/dollarstore purchases)
Proper tools are the key to succes:.

cleaning:
dishsoap
sponges (with rough backsides)
broom / dustpan
toilet brush
comet/old dutch/powdered cleaner
laundry soap

Hygene:
dental floss
toothpaste
toothbrush
comb
mirror
body soap
hand soap

eating:
pie/pizza plate (big round flat oven-safe metal plate)
cake/meatloaf pan
frying pan
soup pot
wooden spoon / spatula
a bowl, a spoon, a knife and a mug
a kettle

if you like that list, i can post exactly how to use each item

I like the idea of listening to music, I'm going to give that a try.

Last edited by DigitalDesperado on 18 May 2012, 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ohh, I'm a girl and I'm hardly neat.

I do the dishes when the sinks full or I run out of clean dishes.
I do the vacuuming when I notice too many specks of stuff on the floor.
I sweep the kitchen floor when I get stuff stuck to my feet (I hate getting stuff on my feet)
What's a duster?
I clean my toilet when it becomes shameful.
I do my laundry once a week.

I generally only give my house a good clean when there's somebody coming over.

@OliveOilMum - I think your schedule is awesome, especially if one can afford to do a little every day.

I personally think that routine is much easier and quicker than doing things "as needed". I usually make sure not to have anything left in the kitchen sink or on the stovetop before going to bed.

I also have a personal tip regarding cleaning: avoid accumulating dirt. It makes things even easier. I usually follow this policy, which might be rather strict but works:
- no walking with shoes around the house; take them out before entering, and leave them on a door rug or racket;
- if you travel often, wipe the wheels with disposable wipes once you get on the doorstep;
- walk around the house with dedicated socks, white and thick (= cheap, easy to know when to wash, and warm enough), to be changed and washed at high temperature once or twice a week; these cleany thingies, which I have no idea how to call in English, are an even better alternative, because they wipe the floor while you walk (awesome!) and you just need to clean them every few days (and wash them every couple of weeks); keep a stock of socks or a few pairs of slippers to give to friends when they visit you, and a few pairs of shoe covers to give to workers (electricians, plumbers, etc.) when they come to your house to make repairs, as they need to wear safety shoes;
- get rid of carpets (unless you have a very cold floor), keeping only a small one near your bed and the necessary ones in the bathroom; this way, it will be easier to mop the floor and dust won't pile up
- minimize the items that touch the floor, so you won't have to move stuff when you have to clean; try to fix computer cables either to the wall or your desk and don't let them lay on the floor;
- put small items (stationary, toys, toiletries, etc.) into boxes instead of lining them on bookshelves, so they are easier to move when you need to dust.

Hope this helps