I’m super organised and my house is always tidy.AMA

[Kitchenbattle]

Off the back of another thread I realised am ridiculously organised and my house is always tidy, always ready for visitors etc didn’t realise how tidy I was until I started commenting on and reading the other thread. So just a fun, or nosy AMA.
maybe there’s nothing to ask 🤣 thought it might be interesting though…

@LoafofSellotape I wash a lot of my clothes on cooler washes to protect them. The DCs stuff is higher and then bedding, underwear & towels are highest. I also do whites with whites as they don't stay as white imo.

I try to tidy as I go or at least do a bit of a binge tidy every now and then - but unfortunately DH is hard wired to make piles of things, different sets of papers, folders of stuff, meds etc, he fills every surface and then drops stuff on the floor. 45 years of this and counting. He has his good points though 😃

however, when I was going through a bit of a short term crisis a few years ago I found I absolutely could not put anything away, I'd make a cup of tea or some toast, look around the kitchen and there was stuff everywhere and I just couldn't physically or mentally deal with it. I remember looking at the mess and wondering where all that stuff had come from, and then walking away unable to even start to deal with it. Strange times ......

I'm still a bit like that when it comes to general decluttering .... I just don't know where to start with it all and would rather someone/anyone came in and cleared it all out without me seeing what was there.

That's 28 pairs of pants, 56 socks, at least half a dozen bottoms, a few bras, 20+ tops, 4+ bath towels, hand towels, tea towels, coats/hats etc, bedding, blankets/throws etc

But it's summer! No one has been wearing socks in my house for weeks.

I don't have weekly blankets or throws to wash.

Even in winter I don't wash my coat or hat weekly, I hardly ever need a hat & don't use my coat much as I drive to work.

I also don't need to wash everything to have it ready again for the next week. We all have more than 7 pairs of pants...

I never knew how bonkers people were when it comes to washing!

Re washing: dare I say it but I now spray down used clothes with fabric freshener spray such as the Astonish one at the end of the day so they can be worn the following day. After two or three days or until they get physically dirty they then go into the wash. It certainly cuts down on the constant washing load. Obviously underwear/socks etc get changed daily but I'm talking about shirts, trousers etc.

See I feel like I’m always cleaning and tidying as I go rather than having a set routine, but my house always seems untidy! I have a ten year old daughter who leaves everything at her backside, never tidies up after herself, leaves crumbs everywhere she eats and never wipes the sink after brushing her teeth. So that explains it! I’m working on it with her.
My OH seems convinced he’s tidier than me but yet when he’s away for work I find it much easier to keep on top of it! Go figure…

I’m organised too and I enjoy it. I couldn’t not do it all every day. Straight out of bed and first load of washing is on. Toilet cleaned and bleached every day. Kitchen kept clean and ordered. Rotation of wash, dry, air then put away clothes. I suppose I find it easy because I like doing it.

so you work full time and do all the household chores? What does husband and children do? Do they tidy as they go and clean down showers etc after each use or do you go in after them?

If they all are tidy - tell me the secret!

If you are just doing everything like a servant behind everyone is honestly think if this is how you want to spend your life!

This is really interesting op! I'm pretty tidy and organised too. I think the key is to tidy up as you go along. So "don't put it down. Put it away".

We have a dinky laundry basket for white laundry. Dark goes straight in theachine (not a laundry basket) and when it's full, I turn it on. So oy doesn't hang around.

We also have fairly little toy clutter and stuff leaves the house often.

This is a very gloaty thread.

OP, it seems like you have a pretty good thing going on: You have DH, two older kids, a big house with two spare bedrooms, you WFH.

In this situation, your house should be tidy! Not everyone is in the same boat, and it is difficult to keep on top of things when life circumstances are different...

e.g.
Single-parent
Three kids in a tiny house
Some with SEND
Elderly parents
etc, etc, etc

I'm glad you have a good life but you're house is tidy because of your fortunate circumstances.

And you are size 10 and think you're overweight???

@Daisydoesnt would you be comfortable sharing a pic of a small corner of your home? I’m interested as I am similar to you, very tidy, but certainly not minimalist! More cosy eclectic I guess! I’ve not met another person like me in that respect..

This is a very gloaty thread.

No it isn't

You'd go mad.

I've realised over the years that really untidy people can't cope with throwing things away. They would drive you to distraction, because you'd be trying to clear up and get things organised, and they'd be furious that you'd thrown away the old chipped mug that didn't match any of the others, or the weird collection of unmatching socks.

I'm very, very tidy myself and a hopelessly untidy friend once asked me to tidy up her house. I refused. She would have gone mad, and so would I, but for different reasons.
🤣

I’ve enjoyed reading your replies, OP. We couldn’t be more different 🤣 My house is really quite tidy but could always be doing with spelling being wiped or dusted. I work part time (3 days) but also do freelance work and am studying for a second undergrad whilst training for a marathon. Our bedding is changed weekly at least, and all three of my children (as well as my DH and I) do some kind of sport at least 4 days a week so I have a minimum of 20 sets of gym kits plus 4 lots of bedding and everyone’s towels to wash. Towels are shamelessly only washed once a week because we all shower daily plus after exercise and air the towels after each use.

I’m happy with my slightly dusty bedroom because I’m happy with the balance I’ve found (and it sounds like you are too), and I think thats all any of us could hope for!

Think all my questions have been answered, but thank you OP - love threads like this!

@Costcogroupie , however, when I was going through a bit of a short term crisis a few years ago I found I absolutely could not put anything away, I'd make a cup of tea or some toast, look around the kitchen and there was stuff everywhere and I just couldn't physically or mentally deal with it. I remember looking at the mess and wondering where all that stuff had come from, and then walking away unable to even start to deal with it. Strange times ......

I have that. I seem to wake up thinking about it, look at it, have anxiety about it, and it doesn't go away. I don't seem able to tackle it.
How did you get past that stage, please?

Trust me that's no guarantee.

My daughter is away at uni and I'm out at work minimum 8 - 5 Mon-Fri and sometimes a weekend shift and the place still ends up looking like a shit show.

For all the people telling the OP that the reason her house if so tidy is that she must be childless - I had four children and I worked, too.

My house was still very tidy and organised. I did two loads of washing a day.

Untidy people just make excuses IMO.

That is great. I guess the key is doing things as you go. I wish I could do it and save money on the cleaner

Really enjoying this thread and reading about the different routines we all have.

@Checkard , I'm particularly interested in the mention of quick dry towels, can you tell me what kind you use please? TIA

I know this is hard to believe, but maybe people have different priorities to you? Different people value different things, fancy that!

I’m a tidy person but I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than do what’s needed for my house to be sparkling clean at all times, because there no way I’m ditching the stuff I enjoy spend my time doing in favour of more cleaning. No excuses here - I just don’t want to 😁

Im very impressed by your work ethic.
I do feel like I'm the only person who ever puts things away.. and even then, we don't have enough storage or places to put them. The whole family has several different types of hobby equipment which clutter up the place. DH is a hoarder too bless him.

Just wondering, as I think it may help being more organised... Did you have to have work done on your house? Is it an old house that needs constant maintenance or is it a modern house (usually more efficient) and easy to clean.

Is all the work finished and all the paintwork etc done ?

Do you have plenty of Wardrobes, cupboards and storage space.

Sorry if I'm being stupid but I don't understand "Bedding gets changed once a week, but as I said in another post one bed each week on rotation."

Those sound like 2 contradictory things? If you're only doing 1 bed a week and you have at least 3 beds being used regularly how can everyones bed be changed every week?

I do find all the "how on earth are you not doing more laundry?" disbelief from people who then go on to say they do utterly ridiculous (and disgustingly unenvironmentally friendly) things like washing a towel after every use, wearing new pjs nightly and school uniform daily, showering multiple times a day everyday, etc.

Oh and my actual question - do you have a messy drawer/Cupboard/room?

Yes I love hearing what’s other do- some things I think yeah I will give that a try or if not just move on.

There is a definite idea that some people are more tidy than others. Not sure if it’s a personality thing. But one persons tidy is another persons mess.

I cannot walk past an open drawer and think to myself, I’ll close it later. Wouldn’t bother my sister in the slightest.

It does help to partner up or marry someone the same. Your children will then have a better chance of being the same.

There is nothing wrong with things that are less than perfect and this doesn’t mean unhygienic or hoarding etc… It’s just not for me.

I also slip up and things get ahead of me but honestly it makes me feel restless and agitated and when I stop to think about the reason I feel like that it’s often because I’m unhappy with my environment. A good clean and declutter and all is generally well again.

Sadly you will have a different personality to me, so I don't think I can ask you anything that will help my chronic messiness..