Can't afford a maid, but I have a roommate and although she is a bit on the messy side herself, if I let it slide long enough she'll do it. Bonus being I do the big training in the summer when my kid is gone to Kona and that eliminates a big part of the daily mess.

---

---------------------------------------
Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

Totally valid question, IMO. Last year when I was training for a half IM my husband took over many of the household duties. I was finiding it difficult to do more then the bare minimum to "get by". There were many "discussion" during my training (my husband is also OCD with cleanliness) about the sharing of the workload and how it wasn't even, especially since he was trying to train (for cycling events) as well and he ended up skippiing his training and to do the chores. We didn't consider getting a housekeeper, mostly because we have had a few bad experience with them. In the end I had to really "plan" my chores into my schedule so that I wouldn't neglect too much. I think my husband survived knowing that the end was in sight. After my half I really considered entering a full Irondistance (GF) but I decided not too because we had reached the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm not sure the extra stress it would have placed on our marriage was really worth the training.

I would if I could afford it. I do take all non-workout clothes (jeans, t-shirts, sheets, towels, etc.) to the wash and fold on the corner and let them do it. I don't have laundry in my place, so I have to cart the lyra stuff up to the corner laundrymat (wash only; take home and hang up to dry).

Cleaning gets put way down the list at my house.

clm

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

IM #1 - was in an apartment. Housework was a non-issue but laundry was a huge problem because there was 1 w/d for all three floors in the building. I ended up hanging a lot of clothes to dry because I didn't have time to wait for the dryer to finish. Work clothes got left at work and the local drycleaners made some good $ off me.

IM #2 - my own house. Took the spring off work to travel and train. Housesitter did the work. I did it in the summer but I was still off work.

IM #3 - my own house. Grass grew long and housework was an occasional vacuuming. A few plants died. The layer of dust was out of control. Everything cooking-related went in the dishwasher. At least the laundry always got done.

It's the cooking that kills me... during IM training I snacked a lot but rarely made a sit-down dinner. I focused on high nutrient content snacks and ate mini-meals per/post workout rather than a formal supper.

Yes I have a maid come once a week. I do the laundry and have recently taught my kids to do their laundry. I should have done that earlier. It takes a lot of stress off b/c I'm not cranky about getting it done. It is so worth it. I think it's even worth it if you are not training for IM.

I've had someone come in to clean my house every other week for the last couple of years and it's a godsend. If I didn't have this done, I think the only thing that would get cleaned is the bathroom and kitchen. It is really worth the money if you can afford it. Even if you just have someone come once a month, it will really ease the burden of keeping things clean.

I'm going to generalize now, but I really think this is something that guys have an easier time with than women. Many, many single guys will automatically get a cleaning lady, but women put it way down on their list. I had a hard time with it first (it just didn't seem "right"), but it has taken away so much stress it's amazing.

When I was training for IMF I bought a Roomba so I didn't have to vacuum all the dog hair all the time. It's not perfect, but it is good enough so you don't have to vacuum a lot. I think I was down to once every other week (and I had a maid that comes that often). I stopped folding laundry, just left it for the maid to fold when she came. I still did the laundry, and sorted it in laundry baskets so I could find what I needed. I have almost a 2 weeks supply of most things, just had to do two loads a week (one of training clothes and one of other stuff) of things I sorted. The rest she did, I just put it away the night after she cleaned. Now if I could just find some way to deal with the dishes. I'm training for IMAZ now, but not working nearly as much, so I haven't gotten the maid yet, but I might just because it's soooo nice to come home to a nice clean house with fresh sheets on the bed even every once in a while.

Because of our work schedules, my husband does most of the cooking, but I can share some of his quick-and-easy dinner ideas:

• Several companies make frozen "Crock Pot Dinners" that just require you to dump the contents in a crock pot in the morning. We add a bag of frozen veggies to the crock pot after adding the prepared meat/veggie/sauce, and that makes a nice sit-down dinner for three.
• 45 minutes before dinner: Put rice in rice cooker, go do something else. 10 minutes before dinner: put boneless, skinless chicken breast on the George Foreman grill. 7 minutes before dinner: put frozen veggies in microwave.
• Dump prepared salad in salad bowl. Add fake crab, cheese, and pre-chopped veggies from the store. Pour salad dressing on it. Serve with bread dipped in olive oil.

We put EVERYTHING through our dishwasher, so cleanup just involves rinsing the cooking implements and dishes and tossing them in the dishwasher. (OK, we just rinse the George Foreman grill really well and put it away.)

---

"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"

I was with ya until the "fake" crab. Bad girl. Dungeness or nothing baby.

---

---------------------------------------
Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

I cannot afford a cleaning person. When I was training a lot i put my rest day on Sunday. That was clean the house/do laundry/cook for a week day. Maybe my rest day wasn't very restful but it worked. Schedule looked like this most weeks.

• Sun-clean cook laundry
• Mon-swim AM run pm
• Tues-Swim AM, Ride PM
  
• Wed-Long run
• Thurs-Group ride pm
• Fri-Swim AM run PM
• Sat-Long Ride
  

---

Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*

I was going to ask this same question...but about yard work. I don't know how many times last summer I had to choose between the long run/ride and mowing. Since my kids JUST aren't old enough for major chores yet, this is a perpetual 'get up earlier' solution.

I'd love to be able to afford to pay the kid down the street, but like others have said, the maid/lawn boy thing is out of the price range at this time.

It is "nice" to see that so many struggle with the same issues.

Mark

---

http://www.team-karma.com

A maid is a lifesaver and in my opinion, a relationship saver. My girlfriend is SO much happier now that we bring in someone to vacuum/wash floors and what not. And that gives us more we time together. Don't feel guilty at all. Who the heck wants to waste their precious time in life doing crappy stuff like cleaning the toilet. No pun intended. ;) Same as the folks who spend HOURS in their cars every week. What a waste.
Seriously, don't feel bad/guilty. If I could afford it, I would have maids/chefs/gardeners/a whole team of people to do the crap I don't want to do. :) life is too short.
Mark

I have someone come every 2 weeks to clean and it's a lifesaver. I'm only training for a HIM, but it helps so much! Lately I've been putting a load of laundry in the wash when I wake up, and into the dryer before I leave for work. That way I've done a load of laundry when I get home, and it's only about putting it away. The big thing for me is cooking. I wish I could cook more, but by the time I get home from work and working out, all I want is PB and banana or a Boboli... luckily my BF is fiercely independent, so he's always off doing something on his own, and doesn't expect dinner to be on the table when I get home.

Can't wait to see what happens when I start IMAZ training....

---

Come crawling faster

Yep, a maid is REALLY nice. But, at $125 every other week... Well, my husband and I enjoyed it for several weeks, and then cut it out for budget reasons. I don't think we would have tried it except some neighbors of ours recommended someone. So we didn't feel like we had to go through a search process. It took me a little bit to not feel ridiculous for paying someone else to do something I was perfectly capable of doing. But the upside was more time with hubby, less time arguing over housework - the only thing we ever argue about - and freedom from guilt at coming home to a yucky house.

Now, we're back to spending a few hours every weekend to clean. I'm just glad we don't have kids to clean up after - we make more than enough mess as it is.

The only thing I don't put in a dishwasher is the cast iron wok, and Mister FLA Jill takes care of that when he's done using it.

Everything else is purchased with the idea that it's going into the dishwasher because life is too short to spend your time hand-washing.

You don't sound like June Cleaver to me. You sound more like a busy woman trying to juggle too many things. That said, we (hubby & I) have an incredible cleaning service. However, incredibleness is costly-$175 a visit, so we only have them in once a month for a super cleaning, then do the touch-up stuff ourselves in between (I have found that if I can hold off long enough, my husband will sweep the floors). Maybe you could try that schedule to keep the cost down.

I think you should. I know that feeling and think that is so true!

what's a little dirt? eh? I put the cleaning on my active rest day or easy day- I don't keep the place show place clean and am currently training the 3 boys in the house to put their things away-that's a biggy!

hey this is a real topic, seriously, i went through this training for IMWI last year and it caused a sore spot in my marriage!

my husband is really great, he picked up the pieces (literally and figuretively) for months without uttering one complaint. but one day i had been out for 8 hours on a bike ride (this was ride time, plus travel time to drive to the actual ride), came home exhausted and collapsed in a chair. it all came to a head right then and there and he just let it all out. whoops!

i don't know what to tell you but agree this is a real issue. if you could do it, hire it out if you feel that works for you. i wouldn't think twice about it, as doing so could take alot of pressure off of you.

but if you live with someone i think communicating about the situation and options is very important.

sounds like you're totally aware of what is happening. it's hard to do everything, something has to give (be it giving up the money to have someone do it for you, or settle for less cleanliness, or juggle time/plan to clean, or train less, etc).

hey and don't forget the endless cleaning of the relentless pug fur! God! that in and of itself is enough to warrant a full time housekeeper. (lol)

I hate cleaning. Hate it. In the past I've had a housekeeper come in 2x month, but it is very affordable where I live. I moved last summer and haven't looked into finding someone in my new town. I will be hiring out someone to mow this summer though.

What works for me is I'll set a timer for 45 minutes and go to town. It's amazing how much you can get done in that amount of time. I think I can clean my bathroom (it's small) in less than 10 minutes.

Like others have stated, you can also lower your standards ;-)

would it be really uncouth to admit that i save tons of time cleaning the crevasses of my Foreman Grill (think chicken breast cooked a thousand ways) by letting my two black labbies have at it after it's cooled? :)

Last time I trained for an IM, it was an issue. Both my husband and I are very busy (full-time jobs plus part-time jobs plus grad school) so either he did it, it didn't get done, or a few times, I would even take a half-day off work to catch up.
This time around, we got smarter - we've hired someone to come in once a month and do the floors, bathrooms, kitchen, appliances, etc. It is a stretch for us financially, even though she's reasonable, so we sat down and decided (before hiring her) that it was worth it to us, so we have forfeited Bday, anniversary, Christmas, etc. gifts to each other for 2008. After this year, we'll take another look at the finances and decide if we can afford it again for next year or not. (There will be no IM next year)

In between the monthly "deep cleaning," I try to get home once a week on my lunch break and can usually sweep up some dog hair, empty the dishwasher, fold towels and a few other things in the 40 minutes I have there.

If work is slow and I get a lunch break twice in the same week, I have a turbo-grocery shopping plan: Go straight to the store and shop as fast as possible. This is key: when bagging them, make sure freezer stuff is in same bag and fridge stuff is in one bag. The rest is in separate bags. Then I go home, throw the freezer bag in the freezer and the fridge bag and some milk in the fridge, grab a lean cuisine and head back to work where I eat at my desk. My husband is fine with having to unpack the groceries and put them away once they're in the house (it's the actual grocery store that he hates), so even if I can get the other bags out of the car and into the pantry on the floor, it's usually all taken care of by the time I get home.

For his part, he spends an hour or two straightening up and doing the rest of the laundry and linens on Saturday mornings while I do my long run. So I give up a few lunch hours, he gives up a few Saturday morning hours and we both give up some presents in exchange for someone else scrubbing our toilets and wiping the toothpaste off the mirror.
Like others, we have lowered our standards. Sometimes I look at all the random stuff that piles up (coats, mail, dishes, shoes in the doorway) and just realize that none of it is going anywhere for at least 48 hours, so I just pretend it's not there!
It's a good balance, but I don't think we could "maintain" as easily as we do if we didn't have a periodic cleaning lady.
It may not be worth it to you to give up your birthday presents, but try to look at your budget and see if there is something you would give up to come home once a month to a sparkling clean house and have no stress about it!

oh my that's funny but gross!

the foreman's are easier to clean when they're still hot.

I keep our home safe and sanitary, but not neat. Something had to give.

In some cases, I prioritize what room I want to not be a pigsty, for example I'll clean the living room and kitchen and paper piles, but leave the kids room and my room a mess, just shut the door, and go running.

I am working on my whole organizing strategy, but that's another story and you didn't ask.

Last thing, I do not indulge in having household help (personal reasons, personal choice..I respect all choices) , but I do indulge in pre washed, pre cut, pre everything fresh foods.

I have had a maid come every other week to clean even when I'm not IM training. I can't stand housework. I have enough trouble doing my laundry (well I wash it cause I need it, but it often sits in piles for a very long time befoe I put it away) and loading and unloading the dishwasher and keeping my kitchen counters clean. It is money very well spent in my mind

I'm not a great housekeeper...I just try to maintain as best as I can. But I can live with some dirt (not OCD for cleaning).

I will send out one of my favorite pre-IM tips:
If you can, go to Costco/Sam's/Walmart and do all your non-perishable shopping in bulk. Esp. the things that will force you into an annoying run to the store, like toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, dish soap, people soap, toothpaste, etc. You can just stock up on all those types of things and reduce the nuisance shopping.

"Have any of you hired a maid or cleaning service during IM training?"

Just get yourself a husband, or at least one named cerveloguy. Drove me nuts when my wife was training for the World's Long Course in Aussie. I had to do a lot of "womens" work while she trained. Thank God she's back to short course.

i have figured out ways to do it in the most time effective way possible since there are no cleaning ladies in college appartments. for the bathroom, i pour toilet bowl cleaner in before i shower, jump in the shower (usually after a workout) and clean that while i'm in it, then all i have left when i'm out of the shower is to scrub the toilet, and clean the sink. laundry usually takes an entire day, because it put it in/switch it/take it out, when i am going that way, so it fits in when i am coming and leaving for other things. I also enlist my boyfriend who also does tris and lives with me, to help me as well. he does a lot of the cooking/dishes.

---

"What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass for six hours a day. What are YOU on?" - Lance Armstrong

I mow my lawn after my long rides or run. I use it as a cool down activity and it seems to work for me. I can't do it before because its too early for the neighbors. I do one "cleaning" chore very early in the a.m. I put the laundry that needs to be folded on my bed - so it has to be folded before I can get in bed.

I hear ya.... I did not want to do anything but train/rest last go 'round. Going to try to use my Mom's trick this year: one room a day. Takes minimal effort and about 1/5th the time.

I would love to get one for the first week afterward my im event this year.

I'd like to have someone come 1x a month and do the really annoying stuff (outside windows, etc)......

ahh....to not have to clean! NICE!

---

Tiger for Life -- War Eagle!

Not last time.

Last year my hubby and I both trained for IM LOU. Not only did we not hire a maid, we also cleaned minimally at best, did laundry mostly when we needed training clothes and didn't touch the back lawn at all. I did keep the front lawn trimmed because of HOA laws.

We pulled the blinds and hermited -- and the only people we allowed in the house were also training and we didn't care what they thought! They, btw, had a maid.

After we finished IM, our neighbor called to congratulate us and then asked if this meant we'd mow our lawn when we got home.

This year we can afford a maid 2X a month and we're going to hire one. My hubby is annoyed by this, but I don't care. I think the service they provide is definitely worth the money.

We own a vacuum???

Serious - I'm in the same boat. Fortunately for me, my fiancee is the bomb. He does the laundry and cleans the whole house while I'm out on my long rides or runs. Then I come in like a whirlwind and filth the place up again :)

We're installing wood floors this weekend and plan on buying one of those roomba thingies to stay on top of the dog hair for us. Anyone have any experience with them?

I tried putting laundry on the bed once. Discovered that sleeping on the floor for a week isn't so bad!

Funny, I was just contemplating a Roomba tonight. It seems that the past feed back on ST has been good, although I don't know anyone personally that has one.

I be happy to hear feedback on them as well.

Thanks everyone for your input! I'm glad I'm not alone.

Great story, eisenhund...My fiance and I have taken to closing off the 2nd bathroom and guest room in the house for less areas to clean. This year we're both training for HIM's so household cleanliness is pretty good. 2009 is IMLP for both us--I'm saving my pennies now for maid!

We have a Roomba. I think my husband and I might be in the minority, but neither of us are thrilled with it and we have pretty much stopped using it. Our house has mostly laminate floors and we have two dogs, although only one dog at the time we were using it. It filled up with dog hair really quickly and generally had to be cleaned out every time we used it. With the time it took to clean it out, it seemed like we could have just run the damn vacuum through the house, or at least through the part of the house that showed ;-). Plus, it's pretty noisy and that noise can get a bit annoying given the amount of time it has to run to hit every area of the floor. I suppose it might work okay without dogs or with low shed/no shed dogs, but that German Shepherd of ours could fill that thing up in no time flat!!

Thanks for posting that. Since dog hair is the primary reason that I would get a Roomba, it sounds like I would be better off without it. (My two dogs produce an unbelievable amount of hair, even though labs are theoretically not heavy shedders... )

M

---

------------------------------------------------------------
The beatings will continue until morale improves

Hey Ladies,
I have just read this thread and would like to inform you that I own a domestic services business. I have been in the domestic industry for over 15 years and love what I do. Services range from housecleaning to personal assisting. If any of you are in the Long Beach/Seal Beach areas and in need of help while you train, contact me.
I am new to triathlons as I did my first today so soon I will be working my way up to competing in a HIM. It is something that I am looking forward to.
Good luck to you all.
info@DomesticExperience.com

---

_____________________________________
DISH is how we do it.

You really have to stop and ask if a silly ironman race is worth it.

I try and take time every night to do a little bit but generally, my house is such a mess I don't invite people over. Two dogs and 5 cats really do a number on the carpets. My husband is terrible about cleaning but he also doesn't care at all if the house is a mess. It bothers me but I have other priorities and won't drive myself nuts over it.

Because of the animals we can't have a house cleaner but I would do it in a heartbeat.

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce