Do you ever feel like your house is fully clean and clutter free?

[polkadotdinosaur]

There’s always something to do! Even when I’m relaxing, I know in the back of my mind there is 3 loads of washing waiting, or the dishes, or the floor could do with a mop… every day!

Working FT. Mystified how anyone keeps an instagram perfect home within a busy life.

Since embracing minimalism our house is clutter free and a lot cleaner.

I don't mind the DC leaving toys out cos it takes less than 10 minutes to put everything away.

Clothes wash done every night, hung out in the morning, tidied away in the afternoon.

Dishes done as soon as meal is finished.

Easily have enough space for our clothes in wardobe/drawers so nothing left on the floor or a chair.

It feels fantastic.

Its not Instagram worthy - its full of personal photos and not particularly "pretty". But comfy, clutter free and clean.

Got a cleaner too. 🙈

Nope… it’s ‘good enough’, but I also like to have a life lol

Yes...but I'm 57 and my kids have left home....I also only work 3 days.....my house is always clean and tidy with everything in its place every evening.....I might have a small ironing pile or washing in a basket...but thats all in the utility room ...but even that is neat and tidy....my kitchen and toilets are always spotless before bed.....if my GDs are staying over then its more of an effort to stay tidy....but they aren't messy children

When the cleaner has been it looks presentable. Otherwise it’s a tip

Perhaps give up Instagram first then it won't seem so not perfect

I had a browse on Instagram once at the book inspiration pictures. Not one cracked spine between them. Quite a lot of tea cups and sprinkled lavender seeds on trays but no actual evidence of reading. Made no sense.

Clean, yes. Clutter free? I think with four kids this just isn’t possible. There always seems to be some toys out, or books, or schoolwork, or equipment from hobbies.

What helps with Instagram is thinking about angles. So go into a room, clean it, and move all the clutter into one corner. Then stand in front of the clutter and look out at the perfectly clean and clutter free room! And that’s what Instagram is. It’s presenting the space from one angle and not showing you all the mess/clutter. It isn’t real.

The trick is not to care (hard, I know)
My dh is a financial adviser and sees a lot of clients in their own homes. He says few homes are pristine - most are just homely and lived in. He could of course be saying this to make me feel better

I think a lot of the bookstagram/book tok pages are actually really good. Maybe you’ve just not seen the right ones for you. Rather than looking up ‘book inspiration’ I look up books I specifically like. Then I often see mini reviews (love hearing what others say about them), videos based on them, recommendations of ‘if you like this, you’ll love this.’ And when I did the 52 book challenge I followed it on social media, although I didn’t post. I enjoy them.

Spotless home here but NOT working as in maternity, only have one baby at the moment who is willing to nap for an hour or so a day and a husband who helps LOADS. If I was working full time that alone would mean it wouldn't be spotless

Nah. Does it matter?

Nope. Three teens and two cats. My neighbours house is immaculate but there’s two of them, they go away with work frequently and they have a cleaner for a full day a week.

Yes, but I don't have kids 🙈

Do you ever feel like your house is fully clean and clutter free

Frequently.
Adult DD has left home and it is just semi retired DH and me now. I work part time so I have time and the energy to keep on top of things.

Ours is a lived in home though, not an Instagram show house.

We just always make sure we put everything back where it goes straight away and that keeps the place always tidy and easier then to stay on top of cleaning

even my 2 year old hangs her nursery bag and coat up and puts her shoes away etc

little things that don’t take Much time help massively with this

Don't believe Instagram.

But, I do feel like that once a fortnight- no kids, no pets, am ruthless with decluttering / not buying stuff and once every two weeks we have a mad tidy up for our amazing cleaner (who does a far better job than I could ever do). I also work part time so I have the energy to keep on top of laundry, dishes etc.

So I think all the people on Instagram either have loads of spare time, loads of money, loads of help or - more likely - a combination of all three.

Goodness no! But I'm not losing any sleep over it, nor looking at everyone else on Instagram or Facebook.

I'd say for the insta-perfect homes, some combination of having a cleaner, redecorating and getting new furniture often, being naturally quite minimalist, not having any interesting hobbies (where are the books, boardgames, hiking boots etc.?), or having humongous storage cupboards or rwhole ooms that they don't show!?

If they have kids I feel sorry for them living in that environment, at its extremes, unless they have areas of the home that are much more child-friendly to live and play in.

Yes, it's spotless most of the time because I'm currently not working and a nesting mess. I do laundry daily and make sure it's dry and away immediately, I clear up constantly after my toddler and never leave a room unless spotless. Will it be like this in a few weeks... I think not 😂😂 (although it was always Instagram worthy pre-kids, I just stayed on top of everything and never left a job waiting. Post-kids it's been a bomb-site some days and a normal cluttered space others, totally clean here and there when lucky).

@kitcat15 my problem is not DC but DH. He's a hoarder and accumulator. Drives me mad! When is he going to leave home!