Keeping your house tidy - how do you do it?

[PorridgeOatsSuck]

I have clutter. I am a maximalist. DH minimalist.
I always blame lack of storage (we do lack storage) but yesterday I realised it isn't just that.
I have life 'detritus' everywhere. For example, I order a phone screen protector. Two arrive in the post. Where do I store the one I don't use? In a drawer. I go to the drawer but it's overflowing with similar bricabrac. Pens, lipgloss, string (so much useful string), paperwork, receipts, scissors, sticky tape, random leads...I could go on. Yet my sister's house with significantly more people per square meter doesn't have any of this stuff. They have one drawer each. They have no detrius on surfaces nor overflowing cupboards and drawers.

How do people manage to have tidy houses? I suspect they throw away a significant amount before things get 'stored'. If I need a second screen protector, I'll order a new one not keep the one I have until I need it. I think that's what my sister thinks.

Is that right? Where am I going wrong? I'd love to rein in the mess!

Items go away in specific places, in your junk drawer example: pens and receipts are in the study, phone cover, batteries cables are in a "tech drawer" in the study, string would be in the garage.

We do have lots of storage in this house; boarded loft, garage, ottoman beds x3, cupboard and sideboard in the dining room, big kallax for shoes in the hall, drawers in the study, cupboards and ottoman sofa in the den.

I am a minimalist at heart and like clear surfaces but I have my DMs "we need to keep xx, just in case" mentality. So I have lots of stuff but stored away and organised in labelled boxes and bags.

Sign up for Amazon Prime. The knowledge that you can get virtually anything you need delivered the next day is a powerful protection against the 'but what if I need it some day?' mentality.

I hate big strappy things that hang around interminably with no discernable use 😳😂
You're a star for dumping the tech, I find that really hard
Currently I have a large kitchen storage unit with three nessy drawers. Importantly, the main area is full of food processor (keep), 2 large pizza ceramic plates (keep), about 6 vases of different sizes, multiple reusable drink containers, stashes of sandwich bags. 😕. I'm not sure what to do with it all

My place is always neat, tidy and clean. I can't bear clutter, it stresses me out so I'm neat and tidy = no stress. If it's tidy it's also easier to clean and cleaning doesn't become such a chore either.

If there's stuff everywhere, you have too much stuff.

Declutter ruthlessly and stop feeling guilty about throwing things away. If you're worried about landfill take it to your local tip which will sort items into 'electrical' 'furniture' and so on. But you have to have the will power to actually take it there.

Stop keeping spares. You need 1 phone and a cover for it. Not lots. Recycle or take them to a place which will recondition them and sell them on.

Only have things you need. Clothes especially, you do not need acres of stuff you never wear nor endless shoes that you only keep because they "haven't worn out yet".

As others have said, have a place for everything. A rack for shoes, coat peg for coats, a drawer for stationery, a tool box for tools (and put it away in a cupboard). The make sure everything ALWAYS goes back in its place. Use the screwdriver? Back in the toolbox, not left on a worksurface. Read a book? Back on the bookshelf, not left out by the side of the sofa. Ditto for magazines. Used kitchen equipment goes away once washed. When parcels are delivered, packaging all goes into the bin/recycling immediately, not left out on the side.

If you don't have much storage space, make more use of your walls. Put up shelves, display large plates you want to keep on the wall, have a wall mounted bookshelf unit. In the kitchen use wall mounted hanging space for awkward things like saucepans, knife racks, a large noticeboard so that calendars and random bits of paper you need to keep are all in one place.

You have to be determined you want to make a change but it can be done, and life becomes SO MUCH simpler when you do!

Yep, you need a good clear out/
Declutter.
People always comment on how tidy my home is but the truth is I live in quite a small flat and I just don't keep a lot of 'stuff' that I don't need.
Recycle/ sell on vinted/ give to charity/ bin what you don't need or can't sell!
Also have decent storage eg sideboards have storage inside, under the sink unit has drawers, shelf above the bathroom door for spare towels etc

Yes, giving stuff away tends to get rid of 90% of it really quickly.

A tip I found helpful when decluttering is to think if I didn't own it already would I buy it? If I wouldn't it can go unless it has huge sentiment attached.

The answer isn't storage. You will just fill it with more crap. Although storage in terms of boxes/jars/folders that you can label are useful.

Start getting rid. A drawer a day/week. Have a huge box for listing on Vinted, bin or donate that if it doesn't shift within a month. Not piles everywhere that you might list or donate one day.

Stop shopping.

I'm a minimalist, hate clutter and anything untidy.

If I haven't used something for 3 months, it's out the door.

Your cabinet:
6 cases - how often do you have fresh flower? Most cases 2 cases will always be enough, so maybe keep one larger and one small. Donate the other 4. If you suddenly have a million flowers, use a tall drinking glass for that one off occasion

millions drinking bottles. I assume you mean like water bottles? One each surely and that’s enough? So more than 4, donate. If you need a massive one for the very rare occasion you go to Glastonbury or similar keep in shed, not prime kitchen cupboard space

Vases not cases!^

When Marie Kondo first became a thing, I followed her method religiously.. I had two large ornaments that had sentimental value and I put them to one side to get rid of. Then I had a change of mind. I wrapped them in an old cloth ready to take down the garage for storage. On the way to the garage I tripped and smashed them both. I swear I heard Marie say “I told you so”.

Unless you need the money give everything to charity.

Last week we had the biggest throw out of clothes ever, since DH retired so loads of his work stuff went. Four bin liners of clothes to the charity shop and a couple that were too worn out to sell to the rag collection at the tip.

I thought about selling the couple of BNWT items I had but I do not need the money so someone will be delighted and love it or resell.

Plus just don’t buy stuff in the first place.

As a word of warning, MIL struggles with getting rid of stuff, her house is now overflowing. She is at a point it is truly overwhelming.

I must admit I rarely buy anything new (especially clothes) but I am partial to a second hand thing of beauty/utility. Hence the vases and random cookware. I am facing up to the fact I have a problem. My name is Porridge and I am a frugal hoarder 😊. I feel a bit emotional to be honest.

Today I sorted the kitchen unit. Found it surprisingly easy to junk half of what I found. What helps is the permission you have given me to just throw away. No-one wants my 2 year old Lockets I've stored in case I have a sore throat. Or half used toddler medicine for my teenagers. I don't need three packets of black icing 😊😊.

I'm thinking now about the pile of bed linen I've been stashing from my letting business. Each one has a small blemish which means they can't be used professionally but otherwise perfectly fine. I was going to rotate them into our own daily linen but I don't think I'll live enough lifetimes. They have to go don't they.

One of my people 😂😂. I have literally just turfed out sheets of half used floor protector pads!!! DH just reminded me about the number of staplers and packets of staples we have. The moment we need one however we can't for the life of us find any that match, cue buying more

Although I have a system of sorts for batteries (a tub on the coffee table with a battery tester) I was still finding them in drawers. The worst is when you know they are finished but can't quite make it to the recycle point and they roll around the place. Makes me want to pull my hair out 😭😭

Day 2. Two drawers

HRTFT but just empathy here. I can't (and I mean that literally, I have difficulty getting rid of rotting food) get rid of anything that "might" be useful. I still have a cupboard full of kids craft materials even though mine are students. I have however cracked my screen protector two days after getting a new phone so definitely keep that!

I live alone 🤣

If I haven't looked at / used / enjoyed something in 6 months it geta binned or donated.

Everything has its place.

Although I have a system of sorts for batteries (a tub on the coffee table with a battery tester) I was still finding them in drawers. The worst is when you know they are finished but can't quite make it to the recycle point and they roll around the place. Makes me want to pull my hair out 😭😭 ,

Sainsbury's and The Works have battery dumps.

We had a massive lifestyle change/ shift 18 months ago, I won't go into reasons but EVERYTHING changed, jobs, house, climate, lifestyle, but not country etc etc.

Lots of active and decided upon change, including clutter/ belongings overhaul. We're a family of 4, so things can overrun.

Some things that have helped:
TV cabinet with 6 shelves, 3 shelves each have a box with a lid, 1 for cables/ chargers, 1 light bulbs, 1 batteries. None of these things go anywhere else. Not DS rooms, not upstairs.

Hallway, 4 sets of hooks on wall, 1 set low enough for DD. Each person has their own set, max 2 coats and 2 outdoor pants each, 1 pair trainers, 1 pair snowboots. All out of season clothes, shoes or outdoor gear is washed and packed away, 1 box per person in the store cupboard upstairs, box is labelled.

All of clothes are seasonal, so shorts shirts etc are packed away until summer and same happens in winter.

We do lots of things like this, especially organising seasonally, so bikes, helmets outdoor furniture is cleaned and packed away before winter and winter gear, sledges, skis, ice skates, snowboards are all ready and available.

Anything too small, not used or unwanted is either sold on second hand site or donated.

But to be honest, the absolute biggest change to reduce "stuff" after the clear out, was to stop buying. Honestly, you don't need it. All 4 of us used to love going shopping, those pokemon cards or football cards have to go somewhere when you open them, that extra t-shirt or jumper, the new shoes or whatever. It all needs to take up space in your home.

We moved somewhere where there is no shopping unless you want a 3 hour each way journey. Once we stopped buying stuff, there was less stuff in the house.

It's saved us money and stress from having crap all over the place. But now when I do buy something, it's absolutely something I need and have space for.

My DH has OCD and we pay for a cleaner. I am a hoarder/lazy/maximalist naturally so it's not down to me!!

could you have a box in the loft or garage of your spare things? i try to have only what i need actually in the house part of the house which seems to work. i keep excess dry foods up there too and look there before i add, say, cereal to the shopping list.

i know this is an old thread but was wondering if you are still on step 1 or did you manage to wrangle the mess?

There’s two major things that keeps a house clean: not owning much stuff, and having a place for absolutely everything. I am still learning to have a cleaner and less chaotic home, but this has really helped narrow my focus and make it feel more achievable. You don’t need a lot of the stuff you have. I love pretty things too and so I’m focusing more on making aesthetically pleasing rooms with lots of art to keep me visually stimulated (but still easy to clean)