Cleaning pole

KristenBtobe

I'm cleaning today. How often do you...Scrub the toilet?Clean the shower?Mop?Vacuum?Do you dust first, then vacuum, or the reverse?Wash your windows?Change the sheets on your  bed?Clean or self clean your oven?Wipe/dust your baseboards?And finally, has anyone ever had success washing a shower curtain liner?

FallinAgain

Yes, but only the industrial strength white curtains.

ChristinS

I clean every two weeks, but there are a few things on that list I don't do.  I don't wash the windows.  We tend to keep the curtains closed in the bedrooms, and I've never looked out our front room windows and thought they looked dirty so, yeah.  I don't do that.  I've also never cleaned an oven.  Is that really weird?  It is, isn't it?  And I generally don't think about my baseboards...but now I'm eyeing them, and I guess they could use a scrub.I dust first then vacuum.How are you wanting to wash the liner?  In the tub?  Washing machine?  I'd probably just get a new one.  For me, shower curtain liners are just something you replace every 6 months or so.

wingedbride

We have a cleaning woman. Well, we will hopefully as of today. We had one before we left for Europe, but we let her go. The previous one was 1x week but now we are getting the new one to come every other week since we are gone so much.I usually just replace the liners since they are so cheap.

KristenBtobe

I have that heavy clear plastic kind. I hate when they get the least bit cloudy, and they all say you can wash them, but I've never been successful. I need to buy stock in a shower curtain liner company.

tastyburger

oh and the one shower that is a bathtub style with curtain, I have a cheapie plastic inner with the nicer outer and I buy like 4 of the inners at a time and then just throw them away when they get funk.

FallinAgain

Oh, how I want a cleaning person. My H is cheap.

tastyburger

my H keeps telling me to hire one, but I have this weird thing--like, I'd want to be in the house when they were there and also I'd probably run around cleaning everything before they got there.  I vaccuum before the pizza guy shows up.  seriously.but I've thought about doing it and having them do the stuff I hate, like baseboards, bathrooms, windows, and the inside of my fridge.  I really just need a house-elf like Dobby.

KristenBtobe

I would love a cleaning person. But I'm cheap. :-) Hence not wanting to throw out a shower curtain liner. I guess it's just not how things were done in my house growing up. But my mom was an outstanding housekeeper, which is why I go into a cleaning frenzy when she comes over and never feel like it's good enough when it is clean. I really don't know how she did it.

tastyburger

Kristen, I'm the opposite--my mom is a HORRIBLE housekeeper.  but she's always worked full time, so I understand why she doesn't do it.  We had a cleaning lady for a while when I was in HS, but she doesn't anymore and the amount of hair/dust/smoke (smokes in the house even though my dad doesn't smoke), etc. makes me have breathing/allergy problems each and every time I go over there.it's really sad, but I'm not going to want my kids to go there.  at all.  she will straight up smoke in the kitchen or living room when we are all over for dinner and she is the ONLY smoker.  I realize it's her house, but it's just soooo gross.  plus the amount of dust and dander is out of control.my rebellion is making sure my house is clean.

wingedbride

Our cleaning woman before was super cheap. We actually paid her more than she asked for. Hopefully this one will be as well, but at least she is every other week so if it is more, then we can float the difference.It is the best money I spend. I cut out getting pedicures for this. Also, since we both quit smoking we feel like that extra money can go toward positive things to remind us why we quit smoking.We have a checklist room by room of everything we wanted done and spots to add additional items. We even translated it into Spanish since our last person did not read ENglish. We spent hours on it. Maybe if we spent as much time working on cleaning as we did the list, we wouldn't need one, but I feel happier.

wingedbride

My mom had a cleaning woman but ran a business. My MIL has not cleaned her house since she moved in. My H said we would not stay there again until it is clean, so we have decided to hire a cleaning woman for her for her CHristmas gift. SHe is in her 70s and it really is too much for her to keep up with.

KristenBtobe

Mike's aunt smokes in her home. It's so effing gross to look at the walls and see the stains.  I also attribute my mom's tidy home to not having a lot of knick knacks around. Less to dust or to collect dust. We try to keep a minimalist home too.

CaliopeSpidrman

For those of you with cleaning people, do you just give them a key to your house?  How does that work?  I would love to have a regular cleaning person, but I don't know if I could give free access to all my stuff to someone I didn't know.

wingedbride

For those of you with cleaning people, do you just give them a key to your house? How does that work? I would love to have a regular cleaning person, but I don't know if I could give free access to all my stuff to someone I didn't know.yes, we give her a key. Both the last one and this one were recommended to me by people that have used them in their homes for years and also have much nicer houses and things than me. So, I feel secure. Without a referral, I would feel weird.However, the first few times with the last one, my H did actually work from home just to ensure she was understanding what we wanted done. Also, we both would ocassionally pop in while she was there.

tastyburger

SB, "scrubbing" the toliet consists of using those disposable scrubbie things and wiping down with a clorox wipe, mopping the kitchen consists of a swiffer wet jet, dusting consists of either clorox wipes or a special electronics duster/cloth--it's all stuff that literally takes me two seconds and I use the easiest and quickest means available.  and, I do this stuff while I'm watching tv--I make myself get up during every commercial break and do something, and some of the dusting, etc., I do while watching.also, I will say this--just stay out of my closet.  LOL.  there are piles of folded laundry on the floor, piles of dirty laundry, misc. items that I haven't found a place for, etc., etc. 

FallinAgain

Clean or self clean your oven? wipe oven bottom & rack after usingWow. 

jbloom

Scrub the toilet?  every two weeksClean the shower? once a month (use the after shower spray)Mop?  every two weeksVacuum? whenever the cat hair starts to show, so fairly frequentlyDo you dust first, then vacuum, or the reverse?  dust first them vacuumWash your windows?  never, I rentChange the sheets on your bed?  twice a monthClean or self clean your oven? never have. eepWipe/dust your baseboards?  when I vacuumAnd finally, has anyone ever had success washing a shower curtain liner?  no.  

mrsbaecker101108

Scrub the toilet? Once a week, unless it needs it before then.Clean the shower? Once a week, though I do the shower spray stuff after I get out of the showerMop? hardwood so hardly ever, do a swifer wetjet when I think it needs it.Vacuum? once a week, unless it shedding season, then more often.Do you dust first, then vacuum, or the reverse? run the swiffer first, then vaccumWash your windows? once a month? maybe?Change the sheets on your bed? every other weekClean or self clean your oven? do what?Wipe/dust your baseboards? done while vacuming. they catch a lot of dog hair.And finally, has anyone ever had success washing a shower curtain liner? yes, but only if you catch it early when it isn't that bad.  After a certain point, just toss it and get a new one, they aren't that expensive.

jbloom

Kristen, I bet you could try a vinegar solution for that clear liner.

KristenBtobe

I should answer my own questions.Scrub the toilet? 1x a week, plus before company comes over. Clean the shower? Maybe 2x a month? I'm not so good at this. Mop? Kitchen, every 10 days or so. Bath, not nearly as often. Hardwoods...1x a month? I swiffer and use the canister vac a lot. Vacuum? Our basement is the only carpeted room of the house, that's where the dogs are. So at least 2x a week. And before company. Do you dust first, then vacuum, or the reverse? This is a debate in our house. Mike says vacuum first, I always dust first. Wash your windows? Storm doors, about 1x a week thanks to dogs and baby handprints. We have original windows with rope pulleys and storm windows that are a PITA to clean. I want to try that Windex wash kit thing for outdoor windows. Change the sheets on your bed? 1x a week. Clockwork. I love clean sheets. Clean or self clean your oven? Couple times a year. Always before thanksgiving when people will be peering in. Wipe/dust your baseboards? Maybe every 6 weeks or so when I vacuum, or when I notice they look bad.

tastyburger

am I the only one whose oven starts smoking and activates the fire alarm if they don't do that?  after a few times of setting of the fire alarm and having panic attacks*, it's just easier for me to run a sponge through there. now I'm starting to feel like a clean freak, but I'm really not.  these things literally take two seconds!(*panic attacks related to fire alarms due to a couple key past experiences, but my heart starts racing and I feel like I'm going to pass out when they go off)

KristenBtobe

That's why I'm cleaning the oven today, Tasty. We made baked sweet potatoes a while ago, they leaked and got burned stuff on the bottom of the oven. It stinks and makes the smoke detector go off (which is poorly positioned right over the oven).

FallinAgain

Our old apt. used to have the smoke detector just outside the kitchen.  No more.  That's a good idea only in a Sims house.

Cant_wait!

I used to wash my shower curtain liners. I'd toss it in with an old towel (like one I used to wash my car with) and some bleach. You can really only wash them once before they rip though. I'm cheap too

BobLoblaw

That's a good idea only in a Sims house.HA!Ditto Kristen on the sheets. Every Sunday, new sheets. Loooooove clean sheets.I will say the Swiffer Vac is amazing for hardwoods when you have a very sheddy doggy.

SarahBethBR

Scrub the toilet?  Every couple of weeks upstairs, weekly downstairsClean the shower?  every two weeksMop?  every two weeksVacuum?  weekly, roomba more oftenDo you dust first, then vacuum, or the reverse?  dust first, top to bottom.  We vacuum our ceiling fans very first, though.Wash your windows?  We haven't done this since the cleaning frenzy on move-in 4 months ago.  We have cleaned the outsides once since then, though, because we were already scrubbing the vinyl siding.Change the sheets on your bed?  weekly at least, sometimes more oftenClean or self clean your oven? my mom self cleaned ours for the first time last week, and i was amazed.  i don't clean the oven often but from now on i'll probably self clean oncea monthWipe/dust your baseboards?  noit often enough, probably monthly or less

BobLoblaw

I buy fabric liners from WalMart for $10. More expensive, sure, but I loathe that plastic-y smell so it's worth it to me.

SarahBethBR

Re: shower curtain liners.The old owners of our house just left their shower curtain and liner up in our bathroom.  Brett walked in and saw it and said, "Great, now we can just use theirs and put ours in the upstairs bathroom until we redecorate."LANIE.  FACE.

TSD

We have cleaning people, a husband & wfe we inherited with the house when we bought it. We got along really well with the people who sold us their house and they left us a list of who they used for everything- alarm, landscaping, cleaning, so we just used all their people. They have a key and we trust them totally. They also clean our store and I've referred them to at least three friends who also use them.

jbloom

I liked my swiffer vac at first but I think I need a new filter thingie.  It also doesn't last as long as I'd like.  Stupid cat hair.