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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

83 replies

Mahanii · 09/09/2022 19:56

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?!

OP posts:
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Original poster
Mahanii · 09/09/2022 21:25

I like your list @gymbummy that's the kind of list I can follow. I don't have a dishwasher or space to dry more than one load of washing at a time but will follow the rest tomorrow!

I do think part of my problem is not knowing where to start and feeling overwhelmed so I just ignore it. I'm also terrible at keeping any kind of system going. I might do something Monday and Tuesday but by Wednesday I'm bored and have moved on or forgotten! (Touch of adhd maybe!) Bullet pointed lists really help me as they break the tasks down.

OP posts:
gymbummy · 09/09/2022 21:31

I only realised when I saw your post that this is the list I have in my head. I find a lot of cleaning tips are very specific like cleaning the slats of your blinds. That's not helpful if you're stepping over two ton of Lego, a pair of dirty knickers and two old coffee mugs to get to the blinds and just want to not have to hide behind the sofa if someone knocks on the door in case they think you've got squatters

Original poster
Mahanii · 09/09/2022 21:32

Yes exactly!!

If anyone could make me a similar bullet pointed list for my bathroom that would be great.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mahanii · 09/09/2022 21:33

@whatamigoing2do thank you but I'm too embarrassed to post pics and they'd be quite outing!

OP posts:
SquirrelSoShiny · 09/09/2022 21:38

Marking place!

MrsGamgee · 09/09/2022 21:43

Mahanii · 09/09/2022 20:15

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!

It depends on the room, hallway takes 10 minutes, kitchen takes a little longer, living room really easy to clean. If I didn't do it the grime would build up and I'd hate having to spend a whole day of my weekend trying to do a deep clean.

unlikelyminimalist · 09/09/2022 21:50

i am a naturally messy disorganised person. I had such a messy house for such a long time! Now I have a manageable house most of the time.

With kindness and respect to all previous posters - the organised mum method and the fly lady method only work for people who are already relatively tidy in my opinion. In fact they can actually be shaming /cause issues if you read them and don’t relate. I find them overwhelming!

i strongly recommend in this order the following books/ YouTube/ tiktok

  1. KC DAVIS - how to keep house while drowning. This will change your thinking re housework!
  2. a slob comes clean - this will tell you how to how to keep on top of your house in a manageable way
  3. Cas - Clutterbug - organising
  4. the Minimal mom

op I really hope this helps. I have to tell you as well I also have adhd inattentive type and this also explains a lot of my previous struggles.

well done for reaching out for help on this - you sound like a great mum! Wishing you well

jewishmum · 09/09/2022 21:51

Make a habit of throwing away or donating 5 things every single day.

ColeensBoot · 09/09/2022 21:52

Unlikely - I totally agree. A slob comes clean is where I would start. Excellent podcasts. And book.

ColeensBoot · 09/09/2022 21:52

Slob lady has printable lists on her of website

Eyesopenwideawake · 09/09/2022 21:59
  1. Whenever you go to a room, take something with you that belongs there (clean washing to bedroom, dirty plates to kitchen, empty loo rolls to recycling bin)
  2. If you watch TV, have a sprint clean in the ad breaks. You can dust and vacuum a small room in the Tipping Point ads - I speak from experience!
  3. Clean your bathroom sink while brushing your teeth. Two minutes is a long time to be staring in the mirror.
  4. The filthiest hob can be clean in minutes by a trickle of Fairy and boiling water.
Original poster
Mahanii · 09/09/2022 22:00

Ok here is a small corner of my kitchen to give you an idea of the level I'm at. (And yes @unlikelyminimalist my kids and I almost certainly have ADHD inattentive type)

To ask for help with organising myself - calling all houseproud people
OP posts:
Myrighteyeball · 09/09/2022 22:03

gymbummy · 09/09/2022 21:19

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

This is great, especially the last point - so true! 😂

ColeensBoot · 09/09/2022 22:03

Well what you need to do? Is do the dishes. That's it.
And tomorrow do the dishes. Etc etc etc. It's catching! It's bizarre but it really is. Just try a whole week of DOING THE DISHES. See how you go.

DashboardConfessional · 09/09/2022 22:04

Put everything that goes in a thing, in the thing. Rubbish in bins, recycling outside in the wheelie bin, dry washing up in the drawers/cupboards, TV remote on the TV stand not the sofa, chairs pushed under the table, toys in big plastic boxes with lids.

ColeensBoot · 09/09/2022 22:04

Love the colour of your kitchen tiles!

Original poster
Mahanii · 09/09/2022 22:06

Haha thanks @ColeensBoot the compliment may inspire me to remove all the stuff in front of the nice tiles so I can actually see them

OP posts:
jewishmum · 09/09/2022 22:06

Mahanii · 09/09/2022 22:00

Ok here is a small corner of my kitchen to give you an idea of the level I'm at. (And yes @unlikelyminimalist my kids and I almost certainly have ADHD inattentive type)

The first thing that comes to mind is to get a letter holder for incoming/outgoing mail, that's where you put all your paperwork till you can file it away when you get the chance.

Mumspair1 · 09/09/2022 22:07

From that photo, get a draining rack. I really think it's looks untidy in general when dishes are drying all over the counter top. Rubbish immediately goes into the bin. Do you have a dishwasher? I have a rule about the kitchen. It is always cleaned before I go to bed. Always. Dishwasher is unpacked while my morning tea is soaking- and it's ready to collect the days dishes. Also - declutter, declutter, declutter.

OnTheBrinkOfChange · 09/09/2022 22:07

You could sort that out in less than five minutes! Go and do it now! Put any food in the fridge. Throw any rubbish in the bin. Put any jars and tins in the cupboards. Get a cloth and wipe down.

unlikelyminimalist · 09/09/2022 22:11

You know what that picture looks a little cluttered but not too bad :)

dana k white books will defs be able to help! Decluttering at the speed of light is good.

limitededitionbarbie · 09/09/2022 22:17

Pick a room a day and just get it done.

Get your tunes on and get it done. Make it fun for yourself

ImAvingOops · 09/09/2022 22:21

I'd deal with post the minute it arrives - pay the bill, file the paperwork in a filing cabinet, recycle the junk mail. This will stop it cluttering up the work tops.

Do the washing up as soon as it's there - takes moments and stops the house from looking dirty.

Bin everything that's junk/broken/you hate! Less junk = less clutter.

Everytome you leave a room take something which doesn't belong and put it away.

Do a load of laundry every day and hang it up to dry. Put the dry stuff from yesterday away.

Go through kids clothing and get rid of anything they've outgrown or don't wear - much easier to put away clothes in drawers which aren't overstuffed with things no one wears.

Peeeas · 09/09/2022 22:24

I look at a surface like that and categorise it in my mind, then just quickly work through them in turn:

  • rubbish / recycling in bin
  • food etc in cupboards
  • dishes in cupboard if clean or stacked to wash if not
  • anything else - find it a home!
  • wipe
Throughabushbackwards · 09/09/2022 22:24
  1. Get rid of all superfluous stuff and junk and store things properly
  1. If you really want this to happen: no matter how tired you are, don't go to bed until the house is tidy - not perfect, but tidy. Toys away, straighten sofa cushions, clean kitchen, dirty washing in baskets, etc. It is hard and boring but you WILL appreciate it when you wake up the next day and it will get easier and easier as the mess won't build up.