To ask for your top simple organisation tips that work

[caninecalamity]

If you're a naturally organised person or a procrastinating nightmare like me who has somehow managed to change, please help. I need you. I was also going to start a thread on cleaning tips that work after using a tip about cleaning my wood burner glass with ash that worked! I've had a tumultuous 2022 and facing change this year and Im looking to turn over a new leaf on my house and life. I think I might be another undiagnosed ADD person - I spent all 2022 chasing my tail, never knowing if it's PE day/ non uniform day etc and with a heap of laundry / overflowing junk drawers/ ad hoc meals and spending too much on top up shops etc.
i listened to a declutter podcast tonight felt for the first time that change might be possible with small steps. I managed to do my son's clothes without it feeling a bit effort which felt a big win. I just need to charity one bag and put others on Vinted. If anyone wants a mix of medium men's clothes look out on there soon! I've also done two bedroom tidies using the TOMM app. This might be enough for now tbh but was also thinking of ordering greeting cards for next 6 months - think I read that on here and seeing if I can find a meal planning app
Mental load is all on me - DH will offer to go to shop "if you make me a list" or run errands "if you tell me what needs doing" and I'm exhausted.

if it takes 2 minutes or less just do it immediately ( some say 5 minutes)
if it takes longer schedule it
so open mail immediately and either bin or put to deal with later I deal with emails twice a day and mail once ( because of business) twice a week would be plenty for most people
if you see a sock on stairs put it away, replace the overflowing binbag

I think clutterbug is good once you've decluttered, get it all down to a manageable level and then figure out how to store things.

For now just focus on getting g rid of stuff!

Marie Kondo. (book)

Life changer for me about 7 years ago.

Here is the very short version:

One room/space at a time.
Pick up each item.

Is it useful?
Does it bring you joy? (piss taken out of this a lot but it's important)

If neither of these things is a yes - bin it!

I read the book with a mind to slim down my clutter of clothes. Ended up doing her method over the whole house! And the shed! And taught DH and he did the garage. (skip)

I swear - the amount of bin bags i took to charity! I was on first name terms with them there by the end of a few weeks.

She deals with sentimental stuff. 'Diet into' clothes. Everything.

I've been through a house move since then. (so much easier since i only had 50% of the amount of stuff) And admit i fall back into bad habits sometimes - but the bones of what i learned from that book is still in there and occasionnally i'll have a damn good 'Kondo' in a room which is getting a bit cluttered. She tells you how to keep drawers neat ... sounds daft and obvious but it works.

It clears the mind.

Give DH one complete job eg all the laundry (including putting away) or all the meal planning / shopping a cooking or all the cleaning.

You will help in these tasks if you a) have the time and b) are told what to do

A Slob Comes Clean is the only approach that has worked for me! It's not perfect but is is hugely improved.

I am naturally disorganised and messy and a chronic procrastinator. I do actually have diagnosed ADHD (non hyperactive).

Marie Kondo good as well - I loved the theory - but in reality ASCC is much much more accessible to me.

I bought her book and I listen to her podcast, mostly going back to the beginning in order, but sometimes one of the new titles will catch my eye.

I don't think I can particularly share tips, because what has been helpful is hearing the same things over and over and over again - sometimes on the 7th/10th repeat I'll have a complete lightbulb moment about something she says.

But for example I like the way that she will explain her previous, faulty thought process about something - I laugh because it's exactly how I see it - and then she goes through why that is a faulty premise, and what she does instead and it makes so much more sense.

One example of that would be her rule to run the dishwasher/wash the dishes every night, whether they "need" doing or not. I used to always resist this, because I'd think oh no, I had better wait until the dishwasher is full to run it! That's very energy inefficient if I don't. If it was not full, it would not occur to me that there are dishes all over the house to collect. I would just think oh well, it isn't full yet. Then everything would build up and I'd get overwhelmed and eventually run it but there would be another half-load (or more) of dishes waiting to go in making the kitchen feel completely cluttered and messy all the time. I'd be overwhelmed and not want to empty it. Or cook. Or hand wash individual dishes. I wouldn't eat properly making my brain fog and motivation even worse. It would be a whole domino effect just because I had decided it was not eco-friendly to run the dishwasher half empty.

Instead, when I know it needs to be run every night, I go to turn it on and think oh might as well try to fill it up, since it's going on anyway. I look around the house and can always magically find stuff to fit into the space. So it never gets run half empty AND there aren't used plates, cups, cutlery all over the place. And because it's always run on time, I can put dirty things straight into it empty. This small thing that I considered inefficient made a huge difference because now the normal state of the kitchen is much less cluttered, with perhaps a few dishes waiting on top of the dishwasher at the most. Sometimes it gets run 3/4 full, and that probably is a bit inefficient, but everything functions so much better I actually consider it worth it.

And because I struggle with routines, it doesn't actually get turned on every night, but I have learned that it is not a disaster when that happens. It just means that I need to start there first to get caught up, rather than sit in the pile of my messy house feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start, and it's actually very easy to catch up and doesn't mean that I need to beat myself up massively and try to reinvent a whole new system that I don't ever fail at. I always fail at the system, but that doesn't mean it's a bad system. I've learned that a good system is one that I can get up and running again very quickly and easily when I inevitably drop it. This is probably the most lifechanging thing!

Some people will read the above about the dishwasher and be amazed that my thought process about not running the dishwasher yet because it was only half full ended there, and that I needed somebody to tell me to look for other things to put into it, because most people would see a half empty dishwasher and automatically look for other things to put in it. Or they would not leave things strewn randomly about the house in the first place, so everything would already be in the dishwasher.

But I did need somebody to tell me that. Nobody in real life ever did, probably because it is obvious to most people. But it was not obvious to me. And if you do as well, then maybe it is a helpful book/podcast for you.

Oh, also, I think, that this difference, this automatic finishing-of-thoughts is probably why most standard cleaning and organising tips/routines had never worked for me, because they assumed that process was present and automatic, and relied on it.

Haven’t RTFT so apologies if this has been covered but “only touch it once” works well for me. Find an invitation in your kid’s bag? Reply immediately and put it in your diary. Email from school requires a response? Do it the second you read it. Etc etc. It takes a bit of work to build the habit but once you’re into it it reduces the load by about half.

(It does slightly annoy my husband when I’m leaping up to scan passports or whatever in response to school emails- why not just do it when it’s convenient? But “only touch it once!” I trill back to him.)

I've done this too, £25 qualifies for free delivery.

Gorgeous cards which are made in the uk.

Sorry meant to say £25 will get you sufficient for a good chunk of if not the whole year.

I have a list of the cards I need and bulk buy early in New Years week after doing my new diary with a lovely new pen.

Stationery saddo here

Use a journal or a to-do list app, and for every single time there's a task you know that you need to do, either a) do it immediately, that very moment or b) put it immediately into your to-do list. Never ever just think 'Oh I'll do that later' or 'I'll add that to my to-do list later' and rely on yourself remembering to do it. Do it or add it that minute!

I used to use a Bullet Journal, which I absolutely loved, and which sorted my life out massively. For work-related reasons an all-purpose journal doesn't work for me now, so I use the Microsoft Office 'To Do' list. I always add the date by which I need to do the task, so that my to do list appears in order of urgency!

It's just me and two DC (I work FT and they're at school), and we have a small place, so we do have to be on top of things otherwise it looks bloody awful!

I have a family calendar, plus I enter stuff in to my iPhone calendar. I look at stuff as week ahead/month ahead and plan accordingly. This covers school term dates, school events, PE and swimming days etc.

For laundry: as soon as laundry bin is half full (or there's enough to put a load in!), I will do that. Stuff is dried and folded/hung as soon as it is dried.

Bedlinen: done weekly. I have a spare set for each bed. I draft DC in to help me do this (as it's one of my most hated jobs!!). Bed is stripped, clean set of bedding put on bed right away. Old bedding is laundered, then dried and put away. I fold a sheet and duvet cover together, then put these inside the matching pillow case. That means each bedding set is all together (therefore less faff).

Washing up: done after each meal. Either hand washed or put into dishwasher. Stuff dried and put away immediately.

Cooking: I menu plan where possible, and batch cook things once or twice a month. I use leftovers from suppers (assuming they don't contain nuts) for my work lunch or for the kids (they each have a food flask, so I heat up leftovers and pop in flask so they have a hot meal at school for their packed lunch). They have to rinse and wash their food flasks each evening, ready for next day.

Cats: automatic/self cleaning cat litter tray (emptied 1-2 times a week). Automatic feeder for their dry food. Cat fountain.

Cleaning: robot vac does ground floor every day. Stairs and 1st floor rooms vacuumed every day/every other day (I have four cats!). Floors are mopped last thing at night (they're all wooden floors or quarry tiles, so dirt really shows up). We use a squeegee to do tiles and mirrors after shower each day (the kids know they have to do this after they take showers too). Bath/shower is cleaned after each use (whoever takes a bath or shower has to clean it). Last thing at night, I give toilet and sink a quick clean. I use the Sweepy app, and Unfuck Your Habitat is also good.

General: I like to tidy as I go along, and any job that takes less than 5mins to do, I'll tend to get on and do immediately. Beds are made first thing. I tell the kids to do the same thing.

Food shop: I add things I need to a list as I go along. That may be on a supermarket app, but I'll then nip to a shop when I have the time and get only those things.

General admin: I check/read personal and work emails first thing and then again in the evening. I'll reply to them then and there. Bills are paid by DD or standing order. I have an alert on my phone to submit meter readings for gas and electric each month. If I need to respond to a letter, I'll write down (on the letter itself) the date I responded and by what method (phone/email/letter). Filing I do once a month (this should be weekly really!).

Kids: The kids know they have to help out around the house and pick up after themselves. They also know to do homework first, make sure their school bags are packed and uniforms hung out the night before, ready for next day. They have to clean/polish their shoes the night before too.

My place isn't like a show home by any stretch, but we muddle along nicely. The house is clean but needs a good declutter but that is an ongoing thing. I got rid of a load of stuff in Sept/Oct/Nov. I'll be doing another declutter of other things soon :D

every time you pick up something to put away or clear up, don’t just put away that one item, put away 5. I’m quite messy but got into the habit of doing this and it makes a small but noticeable difference.

See, there's your problem right at the end of your OP. Your DH doesn't take on his share. The only way to keep on top of all chores, if you both work full time is by splitting all chores equally.

DH does shopping, meal planning, cooking, tidying kitchen, kids clubs.

I tidy rest of house and do most cleaning, decluttering and kids school / health stuff.

We share taxi driving kids, hoovering, laundry.

We have 2 teens and full time jobs.

We work regular 9-5 hours, team work, keep on top of clutter which helps massively, we get the kids involved to help us out with chores.

I am in awe at single parents and what they have to do and always cross when I hear that men get away with not doing their bit!

Oops forgot the tip...sort a jobs rota for the family.

Have read the whole thread but laundry:

We have five big baskets on the shelf above the washing machine and dryer. Each basket has a name and clean lined and clothes get folded straight into the basket. Everyone takes their clean laundry basket to room and puts away everyone is in charge of their own towels and lines which goes in the base of their ottoman beds, so laundry always feels manageable.

Oh I nearly forgot!

I have a Kallax storage unit on upstair landing (it's a 4x3 with drawers). I've labelled the drawers. Categories are: batteries and appliance manuals; two drawers each for shoe storage; drawer of craft stuff/pens/generic birthday and Xmas cards; drawer of stuff for the cats (flea treatments, grooming stuff, meds, cleaning stuff); board games; etc

*linen

This resonates with me so much. I'm trying to get into emptying dishwasher before morning coffee while kettle boils then it can be filled all day but still the others put stuff on the side and not INSIDE ! I don't so much mind loading it though so will suck it up for now

Anything that comes into the house gets dealt with immediately.

@BertieBotts I love Dana on ASCC. Whole house is a tip and you can't even think where to start? Do your dishes!

I like the repetition too and her explanations of things she has tried. Avoiding a project mentality is vital for me to keep on top of things.

What I found worked for me when my four children were younger was a set of drawers each with six drawers in it. Label drawers Monday -Friday and sixth for shoes. Stick letters from school to the top. Each Sunday read the letters and see if anything different is needed. Put uniform in first, clean shirts and underwear in others. Pe and swimming gear in correct day. Money if needed. Shoes in bottom. Sort out your own clothes for the week, outfit, underwear on a hanger shoes under. It actually only takes a little time when you get into it but saves a lot of frustration.
When mine got older they still kept it up. They all stopped at some stage but they all do it again now even though they are teens and early twenties. They find that they are much more organised.

Children don't need a lot of clothes or toys, or daily extracurricular activities, but make sure they have a well stocked arts and crafts cupboard and a space where they can paint, sculpt, make collages, etc.

Clean laundry goes in separate baskets for each family member. It's up to them what they do with it.

A fortnightly meal plan and a preprinted shopping list with separate categories and in the order items are in the store.

A weekly housecleaning blitz where everyone does their share of the tasks. Monthly garden tidy ditto.

When I grow up...I wanna be just like @TicTac80 !!!!! Jesus Christ you have your shit together!!! I can only dream...