Tackle one room at a time.
be ruthless, if it doesn’t fit, is never used etc, bin or donate.
invest in lots and lots of storage solutions. I recommend IKEA.
get everyone to do their share, even a toddler can learn ‘tidy up time’ and put toys in a crate or wicker basket.
do at least one load of laundry every day.
if a job is less than 5 minutes, do it as soon as you see it.
commit to 30 minutes every evening or morning (or whenever fits your routine) of cleaning and tidying. It will make a huge difference.
learn to cheat, I know if my sitting room feels a mess, a buzz around with the vacuum makes it feel 100% better, where as the same amount of time dusting doesn’t make the room feel any better. Same with the kitchen, wipe the worktops sweep the floor and it immediately feels and looks better. A quick spray and wipe of the wash basin and loo can pass as daily cleaning.
can you afford an hour or two of a cleaner?
Put on your favourite music, there’s even uplifting ‘housework tunes’ on YouTube. Cleaning to your favourite music really doesn’t seem so bad once you hit your stride.
Marie Kondo really sums up decluttering….if it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it.
Dont live your life expecting your home to look like Mrs. Hinch or Stacey Solomons, real homes sometimes have mess.
when my girls were small and messy, my friend Toni and I used to do housework together. She’d spend an hour at mine doing menial tasks like folding laundry or wiping the counters whilst I was stripping my bed or scrubbing the shower, then I’d help her the next day doing similarly easy jobs at her home. Somehow doesn’t seem so bad when you’re doing it with someone else.
finally, YouTube has loads of great organisational/motivational cleaning type videos.
Don’t forget, declutter. Be ruthless. All the best of luck, you can do this.