Help me create household calm

[Asmallgiraffe]

morning mumsnetters.

I need some zen in my life. I’ve been very slowly decluttering my house of unnecessary items that mean the cupboards are full and unusable. (Think comedy sketch of opening cupboard and something falling out 😳) It will take me a good few months to complete this I’m sure!

If anyone has any tips/hacks/routines to have a show home worthy house - I’d love your input.

For us, I think there is a basic decluttering, a decent paint job and then an ongoing maintenance. Possibly some nice soft furnishings and paintings to bring it all together and make the house look fabulous.

That aside, I want it to be easy and enjoyable to maintain and this will make me enjoy our space a lot more.

AI came up with the following:

Task,Frequency
Unload dishwasher,Daily
Reload dishwasher (PM),Daily
Wipe kitchen counters,Daily
Wipe dining table & placemats,Daily
Set dining table with mats,Daily
Refill dog’s water & check food,Daily
Tidy kitchen area,Daily
Laundry – put on (if needed),Daily
Fold & put away clean laundry,Daily
Make beds,Daily
Tidy bedrooms,Daily
Run robot hoover (kitchen diner),Daily
Brush or hoover other floors,Daily
Spot mop tiled floors (if needed),Daily
Wipe bathroom sinks & taps,Daily
Check & empty bins,Daily
Tidy living room,Daily
Prep next day clothes/bags/lunches,Daily
Tidy pet area,Daily
Deep mop kitchen diner floor,Weekly
Clean microwave, toaster, kettle,Weekly
Clean one fridge shelf,Weekly
Scrub showers and bath,Weekly
Clean bathroom floors,Weekly
Wash bath mats & towels,Weekly
Wipe down doors & light switches,Weekly
Wipe skirting boards (1 room),Weekly
Change bedding (main bedroom),Weekly
Empty bins & clean kitchen bin,Weekly
Water plants (indoor/outdoor),Weekly
Vacuum all carpets,Weekly
Clean utility surfaces & floor,Weekly
Clean dog bed or blankets,Weekly
Change other bedding,Weekly
Meal plan & fridge tidy,Weekly
Check family calendar & prep week,Weekly
Clean washing machine drawer/filter,Monthly
Wash all windows inside,Monthly
Clean skirting boards throughout,Monthly
Clean behind large appliances,Monthly
Sort wardrobes/clothes by season,Monthly
Wash duvets & pillows,Monthly
Deep clean oven,Monthly
Clean under beds,Monthly

eek.

thanks all!

You should check out “The Organised Mum” on socials or Flylady. Both have systems they recommend to get to the place you want to be (I think).

I should also take this advice!

Good luck

I’d start with figuring out a good system for meals and laundry. For me these tend to be the overwhelming jobs. I suggest a 4 week meal plan that you rotate with a couple of emergency meals in the freezer at all times.

With cleaning, delegate. If you have DC they should have regular jobs. Then work out with your partner how you will divide the other jobs. Don’t underestimate the power of a 10 minute tidy. Set the alarm and everyone goes goes goes until it rings. It’s amazing how much you can get done.

Im not convinced on the AI list - do what works for you

Look at organised mum or sweepy apps.

I’ve been declutterring too - and have found Dana K White really helpful.. I have been trying to follow her principle of getting rid of stuff until it fits comfortably in the storage / shelf / cupboard that you have for it. I’ve found what has really helped with the calm / zen sort of feel is to try and reduce how much visual clutter there is, so I have got rid of a lot of ornaments and candles, put some favourite ones in an existing glass cabinet we have, but just generally reduced the amount of stuff we have out / on show / on surfaces. My most recent task was to sort and put away in a big drawer the massive basket of gaming stuff that used to live on the floor next to the tv.

For me, getting rid of all the ‘loose’ stuff from downstairs (haven’t done the upstairs yet) has meant that it is so so much easier to keep the rooms tidy (in the living room it now just involves straightening the cushions, folding the blanket back over the back of the chair, straightening the coffee tables and taking an empty bowl / packet out (that one of the kids has left there). This typically takes about a minute - rather than the previous 40minutes of tidying, putting away, repatriating things to other parts of the house that used to happen. Which means it is also much easier and quicker to clean. Focussing on a couple of rooms (the ones that you spend most time in, and the ones that you would entertain visitors in), means that you can make that mental shift to one that the main spaces are calm, and that you can cope with an ad hoc visitor!

I think the key to keeping your place tidy is to have sufficient good storage for everything, and to not keep or buy multiples, including clothes.