How do you keep on top of it all?

[confusedlots]

I'm completely drowning and seem completely unable to get on top of anything. I told myself that once I got the chaos of Christmas out of the way, that I'd have more time to get the house sorted and just get myself generally more organised, but it's the end of January and if anything, things have got worse!

House is an absolute mess. I try to tackle a room and despite spending a lot of time, you wouldn't have any idea I'd done anything at all. There is an actual mountain of clothes to be washed which I am working through, but then there is a mountain of clothes to be folded and put away.

By the time the kids are home from school then it's homework's, getting dinner ready and a club or activity on some nights. I literally feel like I don't stop, but have nothing at all to show for it.

I work part time, and keep thinking that I'll make progress on my days off, but I just can't get on top of anything. Help! How can other people keep on top of everything so much better than me?

Declutter. The less stuff the easier it is to clean/tidy.

Multi task

You need less stuff. When I worked part time, I spent my two days off cleaning and washing so that over the weekend, other than laundry, there wasn’t much to do. Unless you have very small children, it is perfectly doable but you need a good routine. I think you have to do things as they crop up; put away the load of washing straight out the dryer. I’m also never really sure what people mean by ‘sorting through rooms’? We genuinely don’t have enough stuff to sort through (except the children’s toys or clothes periodically)

Do things straight away. Stop waiting for your days off or after Christmas... shit needs doing daily!

Clothes away as soon as they're dry, why are you making a pile?

Wash on as soon as you have a full load, dotn wait until there's a mountain...

Get rid of stuff! If the house is a mess then it's because you don't have room for everything.

Tidy as you go along, make beds, wipe the sink, load the dishwasher as you go.

Generally it sounds like you leave a lot if stuff for 'Later'.

You're completely right, I need a massive declutter. I've already got quite a lot of stuff out of the house in January, but still a long way to go. I feel like I'd be an ideal candidate for that tv show Sort Your Life Out.

And I also need to try to do things as they crop up. I think I just feel so overwhelmed with it all that I don't know where to start and I then nothing gets done and the situation gets even worse.

Right, I'm off to fold and put away some laundry now!

I never do. I work PT and am a lone parent.
The house doesn't have much storage and we're quite active and outdoorsy. So many coats, types of gym and running kit and trainers. It's like living in a cupboard.

Lists really help! Make a list and tackle one thing at a time. Also rather than do one big clean/sort out. Do 10-15 mins here and there. Chuck out loads of stuff.. charity it! If you haven't used it in a while it can go!

Also no one really has all their ducks in a row so don't give yourself a hard time. Good luck!

If you can, read Marie Kondo - to help you re think your 'stuff' -DH and I would tidy up by moving things around a lot when we were younger (which was pointless)and there was too much stuff everywhere- after a lots of de cluttering it's easier. I used to follow the organised mum method to clean too, could be worth following to build a routine. Good luck op

Here, never!

I work full time and just cannot get on top of everything that needs doing between admin, general housework, laundry, etc etc. Christmas derailed any progress I made late last year and a non fault accident in October has generated endless paperwork/calls/vehicle hassle on top of it all.

If I don't spend weekends flat out trying to catch up, it all goes to shit. Dh and dd2 are both lazy as fuck and don't care, though dd does cook and dh does do some housework around shift work. I do care (and have lowered my standards for my own sanity so many times but still can't keep up). And I'm 51 which is NOT helping. And the house is too small and will never be finished.

I'm a lone parent and work full time. I have a routine that I stick to if at all possible.

Friday, 6pm, school/work shirts wash. Make supper. Hang up clean shirts and put second wash on. Relax.

Saturday, 7am, put kettle on, hang up next load of laundry and put next load on. Take coffee back to bed. Get up before ds is awake, clean bathroom,.hoover & tidy my room. Get on with my day. Evening: Hang up third load of laundry.

Sunday 7am, put kettle on, iron 10 work shirts. Take coffee back to bed. Get up at 8.30, hoover sitting room, hall, dining room, kitchen. General dusting, get on with my day. Evening, finish the ironing, hoover ds' room, change beds.

Monday & Tuesday evenings, wash bedding.

If we go away for the weekend, it's chaos. 😀

Agree with lists and not having stuff!

I'm on my own full time with 2 kids with a full time job.

First I'd just gut each room bit by bit - if you've not used in a while then charity shop / Vinted / bin and then Plan a room a night to clean eg. Monday bathrooms, Tuesday bedrooms etc.. so you are doing everything over the week but not all in one go.
Washing, wiping down and sweeping daily.

I find this really easy to manage around work and the kids and keeps my mental health well as I'm not overwhelmed as soon as I walk though the door after a busy day.

I think bits at a time, little and often is the way to go. You'll get there 😊

Personally I find 'making lists' just another way of procrastinating, same for watching people on YouTube...
I'm sure if you look at a room in your house you can see the problem areas? If you have too much stuff and a lot if it just needs getting rid off get a skip and fill it (take a days AL if you have to!).
Once the excess stuff is gone go around the house putting things away. Clean after. Job done.
Washing needs doing regularly, we do at least a load per day. Once it is done put it away, don't leave it to pile up into a mammoth task.
Basically once you do the hard work of getting on top of things you need to get into a routine that keeps it manageable, I know loads of people that do a massive, exhausting clean at the weekend and can't understand why the place is a tip by Tuesday! All of the people I know with clean and tidy homes do 30 mins - 1 hour per day every day.

What about writing a to do list and slowly work through it, then tick of things you have done on the list when completed then when you've done it you can see you've completed it even if you feel it don't look different as such. It's hard work juggling the kids, work and the house chores. Maybe if you could to ease the stress and if it's affordable get a cleaner in once a week and maybe once a week get someone in to do the washing etc?

I never feel fully on top of it.
Mine are teenagers so I expect them to help out a bit.

Main tips:
Put a wash load on every morning, hang up in lunch break (or after work if I'm in the office). I also try to put 'small' loads on in the evening (e.g. towels or gym stuff) as I can fit those on the airers with a full load too.

Do bits as you go - finish tea, put plates in dishwasher (or wash up). Old facecloths in bathroom to wipe over surfaces. Wipe kitchen down after loading dishwasher/washing up

Cut down on hoovering and dusting.

Empty all bins night before bin collection.

Get into a routine with all that and then just add in a little bit of time each week to clear one drawer or shelf or cupboard.

I don't even try. I prioritise, so work, paying mortgage and bills and everything else waits it's turn.
I keep downstairs tidy in case of visitors and upstairs has to wait.
If I'm asked out at the weekend and there is an event I go. I don't waste my weekends cleaning my house. I need to have fun too.

Writing a list and ticking it off is just another task to add the already unmanageable set of tasks 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

if you’re sorting through and having piles of stuff that can’t be put away easily then you’ve got far too much stuff.

Major ruthless declutter needed, everything needs a home so it’s easy to put things away.

The declutter might make you feel like 10 steps back before taking any steps forward but in the long run you’ll thank yourself.

I have two young children and our house is generally very tidy and mostly clean. Here is what works for us:

• good storage for coats and shoes in the hall. Once the coat and shoe racks are full I declutter them. Either donate the of coats and shoes or bring some back upstairs and hang in our wardrobes.
• The kids have a big toy box and a cupboard for toys. Once they are full I will declutter some toys so they all fit in the storage. If they don’t fit we don’t keep excess toys.
• i have a blue Ikea bag behind the couch. I throw stuff for the charity shop behind there all the time and take it to the charity shop once full.
• I keep on top of the washing. Do one wash a day and put away when it’s dry, don’t put it off.
• I try to get a second wear out of clothes before washing and same for the kids where possible.
• I don’t iron anything, takes too long. I’ll iron before wearing something if necessary.
• I regularly declutter ruthlessly. If I’m not using something off it goes to a new home

But @SquawkerTexasRanger when do you clean the bathroom? Deep clean the kitchen? It's all so fucking overwhelming, and I have a DH who pulls his weight and is proactive. I just absolutely hate the way that it all mounts up and needs doing again, and again, and again for all eternity....

Fuck sorry, I left out a very important detail, I also have a cleaner that comes once a week for three hours who does the deep cleaning of the bathroom, kitchen and floors. Would recommend if you can afford as it’s very hard to do all that with working and juggling caring for children etc

I don't have a to do list, I have a 'done' list. It makes me much more motivated to see how long I can make the list.

When I've done something - even just wiped down bathroom sink or put away the shopping, I write it on the 'done' list.
Some days I only have 1 thing on my list because, life.
other days there might be 15 things on there and I feel like I've got somewhere.

Don't attempt to tidy a whole room. Just do a corner, a shelf, a drawer etc.
It's an achievement to have a nice clean surface and it's motivating.

Yes, I have plans to get a cleaner! But no way I can do that until I've sorted out all the stuff around the house, most of which needs to go!

You can get help with that too! I’ve done cleaning in the past and offered help decluttering and even clearing out garages etc as an additional service. There are people who declutter and organise professionally but I assume that will cost more than I charged. Don’t feel ashamed to ask for help with the hard stuff if you can afford it, or get everyone involved and make a few days of it together as family or even supportive friends- its much easier with another set of hands to get started and cleaners have seen far worse.

The organised mum method works for me.

If you can maybe go through things like drawers, cupboards one at a time get a massive pile for dump and then another for charity. In my local area we have a few companies who don't charge the earth who takes the stuff to the dump which is easier for me as I'm a single mum to 4 kids and don't have the time to go myself. Least then your sorting and clearing it out at the same time and not keeping it around the house but as I said do it one thing at a time then you won't overwhelm yourself too.

Well needed comment 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻