To wonder why other people's homes don't have huge washing piles?

[Fairynufff]

Do you remember the pictures in Ruplestiltskin of the rooms filled with straw? Well my house looks like that - but with washing instead of straw. I feel like it's a full time job just managing it, and I don't even iron!

No one else I know seems to have the same problem. They all have lives, spend time with their kids and have full time jobs? What do they do with it all? What secret to they know that I don't?

I do have one rug - in DD's room. But it was a cast off of my parents (from a house they lived in previously) and at least 20 years old before DD got near it, so she (and anyone else) can play on it to their heart's content.

Anna I thought exactly the same as Bronze
Your halo is shining beautifully now though

I don't know about my halo, but the floor is reflecting leaves on the trees!

What do you keep BonsoirAnna?
Dh has every p60 he's ever been given, we have receipts for almost everything just in case they break or get nicked and we have to claim on insurance, then we have a mountain of stuff to be shredded but no-one wants to shred it.

My carpet solution PrincessToadstool was to get one carpet in the sitting room, and become obsessive about keeping it clean. I hoover twice a day and even move the furniture slightly every couple of days so it doesn't get dents.

wash once a day, most days, no drier, clothes horse in spare room, put clothes away while ds is drinking his milk in cot.

Just me and ds so a doddle really.
I love washing.

Ironed for the first time in a year last week!
Won't be doing that again in a hurry!

bonsoir - why not mop instead of hands and knees?

This is my reasonably current filing - I have whole other filing systems for archives (and here in France you have to keep everything for ages) that I rarely, if ever, will need to consult again.

I have all the paperwork to do with appliances (manuals and guarantees) in box files at the top of my housemaid's cupboard as I tend to find I do need to access those quite regularly. And the box files I am sorting today are mostly about schools and health related things - ie current and ongoing.

Thankyou

Is a housemaids cupboard just a normal cupboard with cleaning stuff in?

My housemaid's cupboard is in what would have been the housemaid's work room in days gone by - it is very high and built-in and can take all the cleaning stuffs, the ironing board, the vacuum cleaner, the mops and brooms etc.

your housemaids cupboard sounds as big as my kitchen Anna .

Oh I have the utility room for that except I must be the housemaid because it was built for me.
I prefer Housemaids cupboard, it sounds grander than Util which is what we call it.

i had a client turn up to my house,luckily one i've known for a few years ,i'd got the time wrong and she was earlier than expected ,we rushed off into the room to do her nails,her very nice but very quiet friend followed her in the next slot after,this was her first visit finished her nails started to clear away all the equipment once they'd both gone,turned around and there hanging from the cupboard was one of those mini hangers for smalls,all my underwear and my husbands were hanging for all to see,some of the white but now grey ones just saved for periods were on there in full view

Don't be - my kitchen isn't very big, plus it has the back door in it (which uses up loads of space but only leads to the back stairs which we NEVER use) and a very silly thing called a garde-manger underneath the window (which is what French kitchens had in lieu of English larders for keeping food cool in the days before fridges)!

But I do have another room which is the laundry room these days which houses my fridge-freezer and housemaid's cupboard as well as the washer and drier. But it's all a bit complicated.

Admittedly, we do have lots of lovely built-in cupboards in this apartment - a huge walk-in wardrobe by the front door for all coats, boots, sports equipment, DP's cigars etc and a huge walk-in wardrobe near the bedrooms (though that needs sorting out urgently and is on my to-do list for this week as I can now barely move in there for black bin bags full of clothes for recycling).

I think you should find a new home for your DP's toolboxes, PrincessToadstool, and reclaim that cupboard under the stairs for your very own housemaid's cupboard. It can be quite fun therapeutic sorting it out and organising it [sad houseproud emoticon]

I want a garde manger as I don't have larder (off to google)

I shred paperwork and use it as chicken bedding. At least it means it gets done as they need changing constantly

The big stuff (sorting, organising, rearranging) takes ages! I think about it and plot and plan and then the actual execution takes forever! DP and I spent the whole weekend working on stuff we need to do together and I know that next weekend will be the same (that big walk-in wardrobe).

And there is still the cave (basement) to think about. Grrrrrr.

PrincessToadstool the coldness was a big reason for our carpet, it used to get quite drafty in the sitting room because of the cellar opening under the bay window. We had uber thick underlay and a lovely thick carpet, it's really cosy now and not too much to keep on top of cleaning wise.

Sadly DH is scared of fire so no go on the burning, I'm hoping that when we get the compost bin set up I can rip it up and shove it on there.
I also agree with BonsoirAnna on the ousting of the toolbox

ok people I need help

How do you fold fitted sheets? Mine alsways end up looking scrumpled at one point or another?

Agree about the toolbox, especially as you have a shed

Ok, you lot have made me feel guilty. I've just done the last load of washing and for a change, instead of folding it in a basket to deal with later, I've actually ironed it and put it away. I must admit, I feel very proud!

Just one question though, I spent bloody ages trying to iron our bedsheets and they're still as creased as my face. They were damp when I did it so what else can I do? If there is no easy solution I think I must go back to my old ways.

You fold fitted sheets by laying the sheet flat on the bed upside down with the seams of the fitted corners inside out. You make a rectangle with the sides folded over flat. Then you fold it up!