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Original poster

Every bloody year - Christmas tidying/declutter.

53 replies

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 09:52

I long to live in a clutter free house. Every year I get to December, contemplate putting the tree up and realise there is stuff everywhere.

Too much stuff.

I used to have a much much tidier clearer house, even when the dc were baby/toddler.

Despite being in almost constant declutter mode the place is still a tip.

The last few years I have been ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED not to have another year of it, yet here i am.

Any help/tips on keeping a clutter free house, other than rehoming the DC?

(Disclaimer, single parent, working, exhausted, few health conditions causing tiredness. )

OP posts:

cleverusernamehere · 02/12/2023 10:22

Have you read how to keep
House while drowning? It helps.
I feel you. One child was watching Harry Potter yday's and I realised our house is a bit like the weasleys. My teenage son is very judgemental prefers his mates house which is hinched to the max
I don't know what to do about it really.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 10:28

I haven't, I will though, anything to help. Yep, mine is weasley-esque too. It's old, with "features", and im poor so can get a newsofa/carpet which is needed. Ds2 has an absolutely loaded friend whose house is also hinched, white everywhere. 😳

OP posts:

AutumnBride · 02/12/2023 10:30

Last Christmas my house was on the market so had been decluttered, decorated etc. before Christmas it was lovely not having to do a pre Christmas clean, the year before I'd made a conscious effort to do a spring clean in October/November so minimal cleaning needed, again lovely.

It's maintaining it that's the challenge, so you never have to do a big clean again, haven't mastered that.

witmum · 02/12/2023 10:33

Follow Declutter Dollies on Instagram she will give you a kick up the arse 😂.

The declutter hub podcast and facebook group will give you motivation.

My favourite challenge is getting rid of the same amount of items as the date so on the 1st 1 big item, on the 2nd 2 items for a whole month.

Accept the money is spent and just get rid of it!

Sunshineandrainbow · 02/12/2023 10:34

I am here for tips too.
No small children but a 4 room house with no storage and too much stuff.
I am lazy and still in bed when I could be sorting but my feet are too cold to walk on the wooden floor.

seagull82 · 02/12/2023 10:37

I did the big Christmas clean yesterday and thought the same .. It's my husband, Ive come to the realisation that I'd have a hinch home if I got divorced but I love him so.. 😂

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 10:45

@AutumnBride that's exactly it! Maintaining. I suppose it means doing stuff daily.

Clutter breed clutter too and I think never having "finished" means it's easy for it to accumulate again.

I do struggle with the "just get rid" from a financial view. I'm skint. But its so time consuming and not very lucrative....

OP posts:

ChocolateCandle · 02/12/2023 10:49

Your house doesn't have to be "Hinched" to be decluttered. There's a middle ground - we'll, that's what I'm after. My house isn't that bad, but there are some spaces that need thinning out! At the moment I'm trying to leave each room better than when I entered it eg pick something up, clean a mark as soon as I see it. Small steps...

I'm going to put up my decorations over a few days/weeks so today I'll clear and clean the bay window where the tree goes and then put it up. Once I've done this I'll probably be motivated to get more done. It's important to be realistic and kind to yourself!

ChocolateCandle · 02/12/2023 10:51

By the way, I'd love a "Weasley-esque" house. Embrace it!

cleverusernamehere · 02/12/2023 10:52

From a financial point of view as well as tidy ness I also don't want any of the tut that will be coming in over Xmas either. 🙈
Trying to enjoy the small things now when dc are still small ish but hate the whole twitching of wanting them to have good things to open.
Am being quite curmudegeonly over it as I get older

LaurieStrode · 02/12/2023 10:53

How is all the stuff entering your house? Is it necessities like school-related stuff or random tat?

dressedforcomfort · 02/12/2023 10:55

Ha! I could have written this post today! I feel your pain, OP.

Am packing DS off swimming with his Dad this afternoon so I can clear the living room and get the space 'tree ready'.

AutumnBride · 02/12/2023 11:00

Is it FlyLady who says you can't organise clutter, whoever it was is right, I remember cleaning through my empty house when we moved in no time at all.

There's a woman on YouTube who talks sense, Dana K White, I watched one recently about layers of cleaning you might find helpful. Her container theory also.

Definitely, it's the fact that if you have clutter you can't just go into a room and clean, you have to tidy, recycle. make decisions, repatriate stuff etc. first, so it takes ages and it's almost impossible to get the whole house done at once.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 11:04

@ChocolateCandle ha yes, my dining room is the most weasley-esque I think, it's quite a quirky room abd I've embraced it. It's the least bad of the rooms because it looks like it supposed to be like that. My strategy is the sane as yours, going for the tree area of the front room just now.

Def not aiming for hinch!

OP posts:

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 11:06

@LaurieStrode lots of it is kids stuff, but also upstairs it's my clothes. Too many, don't fit, will never wear.

Dc1 wants to keep everything. I've also become indecisive (this is a result of my marriage, always second guessing to avoid a blow up). My TV broke, it has no picture. It's 15 yrs old. I was undecided about whether to take it to the tip ffs!

OP posts:

FrightenedPanda · 02/12/2023 11:10

My older sister has kept a clutter free house all her life. She is a great believer in little and often. I am a but like you and kept have not done stuff on a regular basis but I’m getting better at it. It is actually clothes I struggle with the most.

mommatoone · 02/12/2023 11:26

Same here OP. This has happened since i had dd. Im slowly trying to get rid of some of the shit, but its so easy to throw in the cupboard! Ive decided theres no way a single xmas decoration is going up until ive sorted it 🎄

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 11:41

@mommatoone I wouldn't have Dec's for years!

OP posts:

Blurrymornings · 02/12/2023 11:42

@cleverusernamehere Thanks for recommending ‘How to keep house whilst drowning.’ I read the sample chapter on Amazon and she’s already made me feel better! Downloaded it.

Nicole1111 · 02/12/2023 11:42

First step is to have a massive massive clear out. Tackle one thing at a time, one day at a time. For instance do your sock drawer on the first day, throw away any socks you never wear, any worn or holey socks etc. Be ruthless. Day 2 you can tackle all your skin care etc. Any product you’ve had knocking about for ages, stuff you don’t use etc. Create 3 piles - throw, keep, charity/sell. Throw things away instantly, organise the keep, list anything for selling immediately and put the charity stuff in your car if you have one with the intention of dropping it off the next time you leave the house.
Step 2 is to either deep clean your house or pay someone to come and do it. Mopping, cleaning skirting boards, windows etc. You want your house to be spotless so you can keep on top of it.
Step 3 is to keep on top of the housework. I use a rota to do this. Monday - living room and hallways. Tuesday - kitchen. Wednesday - bedrooms and changing sheets. Thursday - bathrooms. Friday - big hoover (I do little hoovers in between). Doing a good clean every day means a weekend of doing nothing other than a quick daily tidy putting things back where they belong or wiping down sides. I tend to stick a podcast on and clean for around 20/30 minutes.
Step 4 is to reduce what comes in to the house. Don’t buy anything unless you NEED it. Avoid buying anything on the spot because if you make the effort to go back and get it you know you must really need it.
Hope that helps 😊

SteveBuscemisRheumyEye · 02/12/2023 11:45

Oh my goodness - I've just sat down with a cuppa to come on MN as I'm too overwhelmed by the need to sort the house out before the bloody tree goes up! Glad it's not just me.

Rowgtfc72 · 02/12/2023 11:47

I'm decluttering the Christmas decs. We only use 2 thirds of the tree now its on a table out of the dogs way. The tree box is 25 years old and mostly tape. I need to bin the bit of tree and box and buy a tree bag. Also have a box of decorations I don't use and they go back in the roof every year. Cleaned the front room before putting tree up- stairs are now full of crap!

Namenamchange · 02/12/2023 11:50

You have to be ruthless… don’t over think and chuck it out.. I started off slowly, and then got fed up and then started just chucking it all. Anything that doesn’t work, missing pieces- etc bin.. the rest charity bins. You’ve feel so
much better.

try the Barta house on insta, and dollies de clutters

LoreleiG · 02/12/2023 11:50

Same here. I seem to always be decluttering and it all keeps coming. Meant to be putting the decs up tomorrow but it’s a tip again.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/12/2023 11:51

@Rowgtfc72 yep, front room looking better, rest of house worse.....

OP posts:

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