One shitty job a day - mission to get all the crappy tasks done this year

[Shittyyear2025]

I'm an eternal untidy person. I don't see my own clutter. I've tried HARD to find a routine that I can get engaged in, signed up for COUNTLESS get yourself organised apps.

I saw a video yesterday about getting one shitty job a day done. I think I can manage one shitty job a day. So far I cleaned the lounge carpet (over yesterday and today, bad back and heavy furniture) and I've painted a door that's been off it's hinges and propped up against my hall wall for maybe a year.

I reckon one shitty job a day (or for an hour towards it say, after work, longer crap jobs can be done at the weekend) I can do. I can finally finish decorating the kitchen. I can finally finish painting the landing/stairs/hall after the ceiling collapsed in Autumn 2024, I can sort out the front garden one job at a time (hell, I can even get rid of the ironing mountain and charity shop everything I no longer wear for an hour a day).

Anyone want to join me? Or any tips for starting AND STICKING WITH domestic routines?

I lurk on this thread as I love it. But wanted to add that we needed to clear our loft when we got a new roof a few years ago. It was hideous as the old roof was causing crumbling mortar to drop in to everything. It filled the front room. But it was very cathartic going through almost everything and throwing things away "just in case they could come in handy". All the crappy holdalls you've acquired over the years.

For each person, we have one plastic, with a lid, storage box and you can keep your stuff in there.

I definitely ran out of steam at the end and wanted the front room cleared but it feels better knowing it's not as bad as it was in there.

I'm definitely interested in solar panels though but I'm at an age (early 60s) where I genuinely wonder if they're cost effective 😀

@CherryRipe1

Heat Rejection & Window Insulation Film-HRF 40 Heat Rejection Window Film
WIDTH: 1.52m ,
LENGTH: 3m ,
TYPE: film
Bought from PURLFROST

This size cost me £116. As I mentioned, I covered the glass inside my porch, which got blisteringly hot, it's like opening the door into a furnace. My house is just shy of east facing so it bakes at the front then bakes at the back.
The film has definitely reduced that. I will be ordering pre cut pieces this time around to save time.
Come winter time when the warmer porch is a bonus, I don't mind the reduction in heat at all, it is still warmer than the outside as it is a well sealed porch. Hope this helps someone.x

They could get advice from the local Fire Brigade

They have had advice and been told it's a sensible move.

@CrucibleThank you so much! I'm glad it helped you cool the porch down.
Partner just got some boxes of old videos, books, busted suitcases and bric a brac out of the loft. Videos are going in the bin or down the tip, suitcases to the tip & the bric a brac & books to Anglo doorstep. Also got a box of old toys out. Need to go through those for dumping or donation. I'm knackered now and having a rest with a cuppa. It's very cathartic ridding the home of all the old tat.

I emptied the pantry completely washed the shelves and floor then replaced in a semblance of order threw some out of date random bags of crisps out . Found out where half my stock of Kwik Klips was hiding .

Cleaned the bathroom yesterday .

I am now inspired to sort through clothes .

I went through the spare room wardrobe and drawers today. Started with swimwear. Had some suits decades. All binned, old faded shorts. Went through winter hats and gloves. Some ds outgrew, some never worn, some lost their companion. Found two telescopic umbrellas. And weirdest of all an unopened packet of Terry nappies. Now rags in the garage.

I've been thinking about doing this all night and will crack on today.

We’ve been predicted an 8 year payback on our solar panels and battery, and so far we’re ahead of schedule…

It can get you down can't it! Small incremental gains gradually chips away at it and that gathers momentum. I found photographing and videoing it helped so I could see roughly what was what & where & then tackle some each day. It's quite emotional too because a lot of the stuff represents different eras of yours & your family's life but what's the point really of hanging on to it if you don't use it. Good luck with your clearance!

One thing I've found useful for adding some order was getting a label maker. Plus, they're fun to use. Everyone seemed to get a Dymo as a stocking filler in the 70s.

But we always buy spices in those plastic packages and either just had them lying around in the cupboard or decant them into an old mayonnaise jar. And now, finally, the lids are labelled. Small wins ☺️

Just got rid of a load of ancient IT stuff. All very dusty. Now to tackle the 40 and 50 year old clothes, kept for heaven only knows why. Just because something is silk doesn't make it wearable now. Just as well we don't have a loft.

Also to water the tree at the top of the street. Much more important.

Took an old duvet to the dump today. It had a few small tea stains on it which meant I couldn't give it away. Also dumped various electrical odds and sods.

Additionally set up my DVD player, and got it to work, which I'd already tried to do several times since moving to my new house. I'm so pleased with myself about this job - it has been lurking since forever and I came very close to chucking the telly out altogether last year.

Next shit job is tidy the garahge.

I've got some coats to go out , washed and dried them . If there's a kerbside collection they can go there . Couple of household items need to go to the Charity Shop.

DH is ploughing through decorating - in this heat . Bless Him.

Listed some stuff on eBay, Vinted, Vestaire and Etsy. Persuaded my other half to list some dvds and a vintage plate and he's chuffed he's made £38 from ',junk' he wanted to bin. He's got the eBay bug now and listed a couple more things now. Did another Anglo doorstep collection and put some bits out on the wall that were taken. Kettle died so that went out for electrical recycling, but we were hoarding a perfectly nice working kettle, better than the broken one so that's been reinstated. Did another trip to the dump with a load of tat from the dreaded loft. Spotted more crap that's earmarked for disposal & bits to list for sale. Sadly no takers for a very expensive futon base I put on Freecycle so probably going to dump it unless can donate on FB. Found legume/bean weevils in our stash of pulses etc so they've gone for extermination in the freezer then will be recycled in the food waste. Onwards and upwards!

@70isaLimitNotaTarget how's your clothes sorting going? Where did you start? Asking because iton my to do list...been on that list for years.

Slowly
I put the nice evening dresses in the attic last year when we came back from holidays , I need to get them back out for the next holiday . (Cruise , so they have Formal Nights so dress up )
All my winter clothes were put in the attic when we got rid of the cold weather .

The coats were on the rack in the hall so needed sorted out .
I've gone through loads and put in order (tops with sleeves , tops short sleeves , nice tops , dresses and trouseers )

Some of DDs and DSs clothes . DS is a proper little hoarder too .

I've just checked and my last post on here was 4th May, I thought it had been about a fortnight!

I see here ^ on 1st May I still hadn't got on with using the de-limescale product for the kettle which was still sat on the breakfast bar...well I still haven't got on with using the de-limescale product for the kettle and it is indeed still on the breakfast bar. Argh!

That nothwithstanding I've kept up with the home organisation - a load more stuff has gone on eBay and Vinted, I've completely cleared and sorted the shed, and - ta-dah - the treadmill is clear and the filing has gone in the filing cabinet! It's been too hot to use the treadmill and I've put on weight from all the Magnums but we'll skirt over that 😀

One thing I have done is put a reminder in my phone to do one small cleaning task/20 mins cleaning per day, and that seems to be working. This morning for instance I gave the breakfast bar a really good clean around the limescale product and also the tumble dryer which seems to get really dusty on the outside. One day this week I cleaned some lampshades. That sort of thing. The 'extra' tasks I rarely get on with but which niggle me constantly.

I've also taken to leaving my phone in a separate room. When I'm working everything comes through to my MacBook so I don't miss anything I need to see but when I'm trying to get stuff done in the house I'm purposefully putting it at a distance, otherwise I see something flash up - like a notification that an order has been shipped - so I look at it, and before I know it I've been mindlessly scrolling online for 15 mins. I've definitely got more done since I've been doing that - moving the laundry along in breaks for example - so by the time I've finished work I've already kept/caught up with what I'd often be doing in the early evening, which has afforded me more time to read (something else I was determined to do more of this year.)

Hope everyone else is till keeping on keeping on...I'll have a catch-up with the thread now

Tidied up the cupboard with the pyrex and lidded containers .
Threw out a dodgy lid that had no base .
Cannot find the lid for one of my Lock&Lock tubs . It;ll turn up I;m sure .

The reminder in my phone organiser to do one small task a day is still working well - inspired by this thread I cleaned the kidney cupboards today, all the out of date spices etc have been binned (not many of them thankfully) and the now clean mats are currently sat on the garden furniture drying in the sunshine!

Two items sold on eBay and one on Vinted, all parcelled up and shipped, several admin tasks (like booking the kids' sight tests) plus some filing done and dusted.

DH moved the TV so I nabbed the opportunity to vacuum and damp dust the floor behind it , the skirting boards and the shelves on the TV unit while he held it steady and lifted the million cables that are there .

Got some Charity Bag stuff to go out tomorrow

Made a very random dinner with things from the fridge/freezer that I defrosted and decided "we need to use these up"

Car MOT and RoadTax (Vehicle Excise Tax) sorted .

I need to sort out holiday clothes and get a couple of things but that can wait till next week .

Spent 3 hours clearing out our garage with my partner and have a car full of absolute old junk ready for the recycling centre tomorrow. I don't know why we were hoarding all this tat. Tidied up, boxed, bagged and labelled it and stashed things on shelving so can now see what's what instead of a heap that resembles the rubbish tip. Now have some empty crates to store the stuff we are keeping in. Took some bits home to sell. Need to arrange a commercial collection of hazardous waste ( car paints etc) from my partner's old business. Sold a couple of things on eBay so will drop them off at the post office on the way to the recycling centre. Absolutely knackered now! Well done everyone, keep it up!

Sorted wardrobe today so I can see what's there, rather than everything just being chucked on the shelf. DH has done the same. Hurrah for annual leave and time to do the annoying little jobs which make a big difference!

So far today I've replaced some buttons on a dress but that's about it.

I hate the generic buttons that most garments come with these days, I've got a great little haberdashers locally which stocks about 70 zillion types of buttons and I often pop in there to find something more original. A seamstress I am not but I made a decent enough job of it!

(NB I know that really doesn't qualify as a crap job, but it's one of those tasks I dislike and that I spend weeks thinking I must get on with, so by my own criteria it counts for this thread😀)