To ask for help with organising myself - calling all houseproud people

[Mahanii]

I need help with my shit tip house. I used to send photos of each room to my sister who would bullet point instructions for me and I'd follow them. It worked really well but I don't feel I can ask her any more as she's so busy.

I'm a single parent who works full time and I'm naturally very messy and disorganised. It takes all my energy to get my kids up and out every day, be on time to work, make dinner, take kids to after school activities and do bedtimes without losing my shit. I spend every other weekend doing nice things with my kids and the other weekends at my new-ish boyfriend's. I also have a couple of hobbies that I love. I'm not willing to give up any of that to make time to clean and tidy. So my house is a shit tip.

What I'm looking for is VERY QUICK AND EASY hacks! Let's say 5-10 min jobs that I can easily do a couple of each evening and a few slightly bigger ones for the weekends that I'm home. And I'm not talking dusting window sills and skirting boards - my standards are very low.

Anyone care to help?!

Big box. Chuck everything in it and hoover they carpet. Rooms look much cleaner with a clean carpet.

Dana K White 'A slob comes clean'

she has loads of you tube videos.

her mantra is progress & only progress (so you don't make the situation worse) so you can just do 5 mins/half hour. It doesn't have to be a Big Project.

I have helped a hoarder friend with this (I'm not saying you're a hoarder!! It's a system anyone can use!!).

watch her videos, you won't regret it!!

Get rid of most of your stuff!! Half joking, but cleaning is so much quicker if you don't have loads of stuff to move and tidy. Wiping a surface takes much longer if you have to take loads of stuff off it and then put it all back.
Do a specific room each day and stick to it. I follow the Organised Mum method and do a room each weekday so my weekends aren't taken up by housework. I do also try and clean properly so it doesn't get grubby, not just do a surface level tidy round.
My flat never looks immaculate at the same time but at least I know no room is ever dirty, even if it's not the tidiest.

Just looked at organised mum method - does that mean you are spending 45 mins a day cleaning? I'm not sure I'm even willing to do that much but I can try!
Will look up a slob comes clean.
Thank you!

I'm trying to look at each item and think "does this add value to my life?" . Not "might I need it some day?"
I think that makes it easier to throw out bits of tat.
Do a clear out. Random plastic bits from toys? Bin . Black tshirt of which I have 5 but this one has a hole? Bin. Book my mum got me but I actually don't like? Bin.

(Or charity shop or clothes bank) .

Also - robot vacuum cleaner to 1) hoover for you
2) force you to tidy the floor

Start off just picking things up, and putting them into the room that they ‘belong in’ first. Then clear floors and surfaces, after that you can clean.
Do you have kids you get to help you?

I do organised mum, but not all of it - like you I'm not particularly interested in cleaning skirting boards! But the idea of 15 mins every day to make beds, do the laundry, quick vac, helps enormously.

You need the Organised Mum Method. You don’t have to follow it religiously.

TOMM but with a robot hoover. Remember her method was designed to be the maximum time allowed to do each level/room because she had OCD.
Yy to getting rid of stuff.
Make sure the kids are pulling their weight.

www.theorganisedmum.blog/

The kids are young, they do a couple of jobs each but it's more to get them into good habits rather than actually being helpful.

I don't think I can afford a robot hoover but will def give organised mum a try. One of my kid's rooms is going to be a much bigger job though as he has taken after me and it is a total and utter mess.

Just follow the bullet points your sister have you previously?
Start with throwing out rubbish and unused, unwanted stuff. That will make cleaning so much easier.
Do a little each day, whether it be the hoovering, cleaning the bathrooms or general tidying. It doesn't need to be a big job everytime

Whatever you are using, don’t put it down when finished with it, put it away or in the sink/washing machine where it needs to be. Eg finished a mug of tea in the sitting room, then put it down in the kitchen sink, not on the floor, next to the sofa to get kicked over. (Looking at you Dh)

with the organised mum method she has a series of podcast like instructional recordings for cleaning on patreon but you can try some for free and they aren’t expensive anyway - called rock the housework? There are short ones and longer ones but basically she tells you what to do in each room and you follow along - it’s amazing! Think it’s the kind of thing you might like

I’m trying to stick to the theory of touching stuff in my house as little as possible, so everything is put in it’s place straightaway. Washing is folded and put away as soon as it’s dry, I don’t pile things on the stairs to be taken up later, I don’t leave piles of paperwork to sort later etc. It takes a while to get into the habit but it’s so worth it as it stops clutter accumulating.

Just following for tips (and to say you’re not alone!)x

Try building small things into your routine. I do a quick hoover round whilst kids have a drink before bed, I wipe surfaces down and clean the toilet each night whilst kids are brushing their teeth. Quick whip round the kitchen when they are In bed.

I write a list of draws / cupboards that get cluttered and when I have spare 10 mins I will go through and Chuck stuff so they don’t get over cluttered and it doesn’t become overwhelming.

mornings I make beds put a load of washing on straight away. Just little 5/10 min jobs like this keep things clean/tidy not immaculate but I wouldn’t worry about an unexpected guest!

little and often seems to work for me

Post the photos. I would help x

@Mahanii
I was a domestic goddess when I was younger, part slob now. I like the part-slob best. :-)
As others have said, try to keep it tidy, even if you don't clean much. Keep an aerosol of furniture polish by the front door so that you can squirt a bit & unexpected guests think you're hard at work.. ;-)

Yanbu to ask. Why is this in AIBU? Why not ask in Housekeeping?

www.rockthehousework.co.uk/search?q=Bedrooms

So, so worth the £3.60 per month.

Cleans go from 5 mins to 60 mins. Most at 15-30.

When my dc were little I had a few rules / routines that helped. Broken things go in the bin / recycling. We have a basket that we'd put things that don't fit in and once a month or so I would empty into a charity bag or pass on to friends - this stops the build up of all the clothes. Get some toy storage and include some boxes for all that plastic tat they won't part with. Be brutal with artwork, get a pin board, it can stay up for x weeks then recycle. Be brutal with mail, get a box file, when you open it it can either be shredded, put on the pin board if it needs action or go in the file if needs to be kept. Once a month go though the box file and file it properly. Get a decent cordless hoover, you can keep on top of the crumbs mess easily. Don't allow food in lounge /bedrooms etc. Clean the bathroom before your kids have their bath /shower in the evening. Bring a pile of folded washing up to out away when they are getting their pj's on. Have hallway storage for shoes, coats, bags. Make cleaning your fridge out part of your routine when putting the weekly shop away. If you are getting rid of it get it out the house, into a car boot so you can drop off at recycling skips /charity shops next time you park near them. Make cleaning up after dinner a family routine. Laundry basket in every bedroom so that each wash is only for one person, easier to deal with when putting away. Have a day when you do sheets / towels etc. Keep bathroom cleaning products in each bathroom if you have more than one.

Get rid of loads and loads of stuff. Go super minimal. The less stuff you have, the quicker it is to tidy it all up.

Following with interest as I could have written your post! I'm also naturally messy/disorganised although am really trying to be better. I looked at organised mum but found it a bit full on, I do like Dana K White though. I'm trying to just introduce small good habits eg making beds each morning, clearing dishes etc. Then tackling the bigger projects when I have time and energy (for instance had a week off at the end of summer hols so sorted DD's room out - which was a mammoth task!) Good luck and you're not alone x

You don't want house proud people, you want the natural slobs who have learned how to pretend not to be. Here is my list of how to blitz a shit tip .

1. Take everything out of kitchen sink and clean the sink. Hot soapy water.

1. Get a big basket and collect all washing up from everywhere. Stick it in dishwasher and wash up what won't fit.

1. Now collect all washing, towels, bedsheets everything not nailed down that's grotty. Pile it up and put a wash on. Stuff in loads and keep checking and putting the next lot on.

1. Basket again. Pick up all clean clothes and put on correct beds.

1. Now get all rubbish and recycling from the house and Chuck it.

1. Basket again. Pick up anything else that isn't where it should be and Chuck in a pile in the correct room.

1. Whizz round each room and put everything away. Throw it in any old how.

1. Get your rubber gloves on and clean the loo(s) and sinks and wipe down the kitchen

1. Bollocks to skirtings and dusting just get hoovered and mopped.

10. Have a glass of wine and then remember there's no sheets on any if the bastarding beds