Why do I do this every year? Housekeeping hell

[CheeryCat]

Why, every single year, do I attempt to combine Christmas with spring cleaning and clearing out of spare rooms ready for guests and addressing my laundry mountain and general clutter?

Why can’t I either (a) have better housekeeping standards all year round or (b) have a more ‘take us as you find us’ attitude?

I feel like my own worst enemy as Christmas always seems to merge Christmas into some major life laundry event.

Anyone else do this? I wonder what the answer is. I wish I could have the ‘just one day’ Christmas attitude. I’m making this harder than it needs to be, I suspect.

@EarringsandLipstick I don’t know how I missed your post! What a saga! I hope you have a restful Xmas in the end and a happy next chapter in life :)

Yes!!!! My DH and I are both your people. Last weekend we planned a massive house clean/tidy and made a list, together, of what jobs needed doing. And what did he do? Sort out his bedside cabinet and his desk. Were either of those jobs on the list??? I’ll let you guess….

I’m no better, I added “clean the kitchen windows” on my list (no one cares and if they did the lounge ones would be a much better priority) and my side of the bed is stacked full of crap I’ve sorted for charity/ to put in the loft and then not done.

We are at least well matched, I suppose… 🤣

Thank you @ThatshallotBaby 💐

I am ok about the heating now as really feel plumber doing his best for me. The weeks calling around endless plumbers as the weather got colder & heating worse, were more stressful.

At least I know it'll be sorted in Jan.

And after a week of zero heating, I have a little back again.

And got my chimmney swept today so I can have an open fire, and I'll buy a heater tomorrow for the coldest room.

I was feeling really dispirited as the house seemed to be falling apart again after some progress after the October declutter. But I know I faced up to lots of 'adult' jobs like calling tradespeople for long-standing problematic issues (I had a complete mental block about it!) and made progress so I'll be back at it over the Christmas break.

I think I have to put aside my Hallmark movie sentimental Christmas run-up that was realistically not going to happen & do my best.

(I'm not hosting anyone Christmas Day, just me & DC, some catch ups after that. So I don't have as much as a lot of you have to do)

Yessss!! Haven’t read all the comments but isn’t there a… ‘can’t you just keep on top of it? Just put away a wash as soon as it’s done.’ PISS OFF! I have 3 kids, & 15 people coming for Christmas Day. Tomorrow I have to do the Christmas food shop WHYYY followed by a full day of housework (& yes tackling that humongous washing pile.) Followed by loads of food prep Saturday. For one. Fucking. Day. Merry bloody Christmas.

I normally have a massive tidy up before my ds comes to stay for Christmas but unfortunately I have got the dreaded lurgy and I am not working at full speed. Most of the house is ok but I meant to clean the kitchen and utility room floors but have run out of energy.

I call my vehicle 'the mobile shed' its a very old VW that I've had for over two decades and very handy for hiding recycling and anything else! Come in very handy when selling properties for quick clear up before viewings😉

In my effort to tidy up I have shoved so much stuff under my bed that it is pretty much floating 2 feet off the floor.
No one will ever know!

That's so lovely.

I am due to get divorced in January after 9 years of hell from ex since we separated. I have stumbled along, working, raising DC, but essentially letting the bastard control is still (after a very abusive marriage). About 18 months ago something clicked & I have worked so hard to progress the divorce, make plans, face up to what has to be done.

Long journey still but a new life is in sight!

Thank you for this thread, it's enormously comforting reading of everyone else's panic & last-minute tidying. I opened it as j was looking across at my neighbour's gorgeously decorated houses & gardens - my Christmas tree is in the middle of the room post-plumbers!

😂😂😂

I totally get this thread. I feel an absolute compulsion to have some sort of picture perfect magazine style home for Christmas, with 3 small children, useless messy DH 🙄 work and endless shopping, wrapping, carol concerts, nursery parties etc etc. That's before we start on the food and visitors and everything else.

I'm fucking scunnered with the whole thing this year already. I know the children will have a great day and it is lovely but at this point I'd just like a long uninterrupted sleep and a DH who picks up his pants.

a DH who picks up his pants

That's brilliant. 'All I want for Christmas is ..' 😂

I have no guests coming over but I love the feeling of sitting down (eventually) with a glass of wine, knowing that the house is clean and the fridge is full.

House is currently rank with bathrooms at biohazard level. I have been ill all week but have felt a fraction better today, so am planning a full scale cleaning assault tomorrow.

It's like cramming before an exam or essay deadline. Or crash dieting for an event. Some people are motivated when there is a cut off deadline or a specific event. Hamza of Strictly come dancing said the slowest way is the fastest. A little bit everyday brings you closer to your goals than a sprint here and there followed by nothing.

I spend my life like this so i hear you. I have boxes, bags and all sorts of half tidied pikes. I am a messy netflix binge watcher. I do a mad cram of housework mini declutter into said piles every Sunday evening. I have prob spent the rest of Sundays watching youtube clean with me videos 😆😂🤣😅😉😁

Oh god the laundry mountain! 🙈

I recall as a child, my mum taking down the curtains on Christmas Eve and washing them because they had to be done before Christmas! MIL decided to paint the lounge on Christmas Eve and didn't stop until it was done!

I'm not quite that bad but I have spent all of today cleaning and tidying. It's nice to sit and relax knowing everything is done (for 3 and a half minutes).

I know, right?! I swear, DP spends most of December getting in a panic whenever I look too long at a wall/start looking through my paintbrushes.

I too have found my people. Only I've been.ill this week.too - along with one child and the house is proper biohazard level. I'm hoping between now and sunday I can shove enough stuff out of the way to fit the family in and clean the surfaces of lingering germs!

I too could have written this. I am having the family over so every room has been scrubbed and I mean scrubbed to within an inch of its life. Overnight packs have been prepared etc.

Decided yesterday was a good time to defrost my freezer, no idea why. Then today every blind in my house has been deep cleaned.

I know it’s ridiculous but I now have a wave of calm looking at the pristine house (which will no doubt be turned into chaos within a few short hours)

Just do enough to get through the next two weeks but have a plan for 2023. Do a deep clean after you've packed away the Christmas stuff.

Get the family involved in decluttering their own stuff. Start once a month just getting through paperwork, recycling & charity runs since you have a lot. Then aim to do the next big deep clean in March. It's easier to clean once you've done a declutter then do top ups every few months.

I've just decluttered a big box of paperwork for the recycling box while watching a film. Work it in to your daily routine so you declutter & clean as you go.

I do this even if we are not at home for Christmas. I also scrub on New Year's Day. I'm working tomorrow so that will be me scrubbing on Christmas Eve.

Too much mess makes me anxious and I've started packing to move so that's not great.

I spent ages descaling the fucking coffee machine / kettle / shower heads and deep cleaning the coffee grinder today.

WTF?!?!?!!

Yep. I've even painted a bedroom this week 😬

We have been decorating our bedroom. My husband said he would definitely finish it by the end of November and there was no way he would still be doing it in December. He's putting the carpet down tomorrow. And the walls have no wallpaper. And the wardrobes are in the spare room and on the landing.

Oh, love the van idea. I've definitely done the filling the car with clutter that I can't find anywhere else to hide. I'm currently in our sitting room surrounded by chaos (see username) but not feeling in the slightest bit keen to tidy up and clean. Therefore tomorrow evening is going to be very stressful. I had been pondering re-doing the gloss in the bathroom which is desperately in need of it, but realistically that's never going to happen before visitors arrive!