CHRISTMAS CLEANALONG

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Hi all. So for the first time ever I will be hosting Christmas Day dinner in my home.

And to that end, I've decided to give my house a massive clean, declutter & reorganisation (very badly needed!).

I've worked out there are 16 weekends to Christmas (well actually 17 but I want to use the last one for food prep) so I'm dividing my house into 16 sections & going to spend one day every weekend on a different section.

I'm starting this weekend. Would anyone like to join?

Well I came home yesterday totally energised so I now have the 2nd half of my room done & the sitting room done. Dd has done her room today so I've crossed off 3 items on the list today. Very satisfying I must say.

1 Kitchen part one ✅
2 Kitchen part two ✅
3 Sitting room ✅
4 Utility room part one
5 Utility room part two
6 Playroom
7 Downstairs loo ✅
8 Larder ✅
9 Hallway incl under stairs press
10 Stairs/landing incl hotpress
11. Bathroom
12. My room part one ✅
13. My room part two ✅
14. En suite ✅
15. Dd’s room ✅
16. Ds’s room ✅

My grand plans at the beginning of this thread have not really happened. DH insisted on ripping our bath out and replacing with just a shower and today we are getting the new flooring laid. These were not jobs I had on my list but it will be nice when it's finished. I have quite a few days of annual leave this month so I'm planning on blitzing the house. Today is kitchen day. The plan is to empty and clean all the cupboards, clean the oven and hood, deep clean the microwave and airfryer, clean the fridge and freezer and make a meal plan to use everything up. When DH gets home later I'll ask him to paint a random bit of wood under one of the top cupboards that has been bugging me for a while then see if he will help me pull out the fridge freezer and clean behind. I've lived with him for 6 years and it's not been done once!

Ah sure best laid plans & all that.
I just need to have a list or I won't do anything.
Yesterday I finished work unexpectedly early so got the first half of the utility room done which I'm delighted with cos it gets me ahead of myself a bit.
I think I'll need to call in professionals to deep clean my oven 😳

We keep adding more bloody jobs to this list! 😩 DD wants her room moving round, to give more floor space, so that's a job for this weekend.

I have just finished touching up the bedroom paint though, so that's a full job ticked off now!

a. Sort my drawers out and ditch old crappy socks / t-shirts etc to make space. ✔️
b. Tidy up the painting I've done, as some needs touching up. Hallway ✔️ Bedrooms - x3. ✔️
c. Sort the garage so we can actually get the car into it when it's really cold.
d. Hang pictures up. ✔️
e. Tidy, clean and sort DS' bedroom. ✔️
f. Sew damaged seam on sofa. ✔️
g. Sort, tidy and paint the kids' lounge. ✔️
h. Tidy and clear kitchen table. ✔️
i. Rearrange furniture in DD's room to give her more space.

Look at Wowcher and Groupon for deals! There is usually at least one.

I had a few days off this week and had big plans to tackle my to do list. Didn't get as much done as I hoped i would! Deep cleaned the bathroom and the master bedroom. Vacuum packed some of the bedding I want to keep but don't use often. Emptied the ottoman to use as storage for Christmas gifts. I have a pile of stuff that I put aside for a carboot which won't be happening now until next year so we will fb marketplace some and charity shop the rest so we don't have to store it until next spring! Also have a few things that need to go to the recycling centre. Getting there slowly. It's such a nice feeling to walk into a room /area that's been done and makes me want to keep it that way.

Thanks @NoWordForFluffy good idea.

@Neverendingdeclutter I know what you mean. I keep walking into rooms I've done when I need motivation 😂

Still chipping away at the kitchen, hopefully get it finished today. I'll need to do a dump run today to get rid of some of the things I'm throwing out. I really need to remember that not every single cupboard needs to be cramming with udeless things!

DD's room was done today. We ran out of time to take the old furniture to the tip (well, DH did, as the dog needed to be walked earlier due to the imminent fireworks). That will happen tomorrow!

a. Sort my drawers out and ditch old crappy socks / t-shirts etc to make space. ✔️
b. Tidy up the painting I've done, as some needs touching up. Hallway ✔️ Bedrooms - x3. ✔️
c. Sort the garage so we can actually get the car into it when it's really cold.
d. Hang pictures up. ✔️
e. Tidy, clean and sort DS' bedroom. ✔️
f. Sew damaged seam on sofa. ✔️
g. Sort, tidy and paint the kids' lounge. ✔️
h. Tidy and clear kitchen table. ✔️
i. Rearrange furniture in DD's room to give her more space. ✔️

Soooooo...only the garage to go then. That'll be fun. 😬 Do you know anyone who wants a cross trainer?! 🤔🤣

Apart from decluttering toys and books and getting them out of the house, I feel like I'm going round in circles.

Nothing is ever done in this place.

Sounds like you have a house like mine. It's never ending!
We only moved into this house a year ago and decluttered ruthlessly before we moved. A new house, no decorating needed and everything decluttered. A year later we have clutter and some areas need decorating already!
Today I'm just cleaning and tidying. No major decluttering. Hope everyone is having a successful weekend!

Yes totally like me. Sadly wish I had loved but been in this house for 10 years now 😩 I feel like I've done so well with clutter, I guess it's the mess of two children 6 and 4 years old.

Almost cried in my kitchen as just standing there like where do I begin.

I do have a cupboard with things I've bought for Christmas so I feel like I'm getting organised for Christmas with food and presents but can't control everything else that's happening 😩

I have a similar problem @NoWordForFluffy with a treadmill. I had great use of it when I was doing post-op exercise after a joint replacement but it has served its purpose and is now taking up needed room even though it folds up.

I checked FB marketplace and there are a few for sale so I don't know if I can be bothered going down that route but it's a good quality one in excellent condition so must be some use to someone? Suggestions welcome.

I went along the hall skirting boards and bannister with one of those eraser things ( that you use with water ) . I;m going to delegate the rest of the skirting boards to DS because I'm too ancient to bend

Mine was for post-op use as well, @IDareSay! It's a really nice one, but I imagine shifting it won't be easy.

Once we're in there sorting, I'll get photos of it and try my luck on Marketplace.

Sitting room as clean as I can get it; it's the last room that needs completely redecorating (apart from the hall, stairs, and larder) so even cleaned it doesn't look much different but it's done anyway.

Cordless Dyson has finally died so new cordless Shark just delivered this morning. It's charging up at the moment so I'll give it a test run tomorrow!

08/9 En suite ✅
15/9 Dressing room ✅
22/9 Master bedroom ✅
29/9 Kitchen part one ✅
13/10 Kitchen part two ✅
20/10 Utility room ✅
27/10 Sitting room ✅
03/11 Larder
10/11 Bathroom
17/11 Spare room
24/11 Hallway, stairs and landing, incl airing cupboard
01/12 Study
08/12 Any areas missed

I'm ahead of myself slightly with the weeks so I decided to tidy the garden today. It's not on my list cos it's a very small garden but I weeded extensively & gave it a good tidy & cut back.
That's all I've done this weekend (other than regular housework).
Had my nieces birthday yesterday so was out most of the day.

We created another job today: sorting through the bedding basket to ditch old bedding which we were hoarding for no good reason! We now don't need a second basket for the kids' bedding as it all fits into one!

a. Sort my drawers out and ditch old crappy socks / t-shirts etc to make space. ✔️
b. Tidy up the painting I've done, as some needs touching up. Hallway ✔️ Bedrooms - x3. ✔️
c. Sort the garage so we can actually get the car into it when it's really cold.
d. Hang pictures up. ✔️
e. Tidy, clean and sort DS' bedroom. ✔️
f. Sew damaged seam on sofa. ✔️
g. Sort, tidy and paint the kids' lounge. ✔️
h. Tidy and clear kitchen table. ✔️
i. Rearrange furniture in DD's room to give her more space. ✔️
j. Sorting bedding baskets and amalgamating. ✔️

For those of you wanting to get rid of large equipment, it depends on if you want payment for it, or if you would rather it was just gone.

To get rid easily, I can thoroughly recommend the Olio app. Free version is perfectly adequate, and let's you list things that someone else has to come and collect. I started using it in lockdown, when the charity shops were closed, and I needed to get rid of all sorts of things.

There is the option to list things for sale, however I've never used it, so don't know how easy to use/what the cost is.

Yep, I put things in our local barter/free stuff FB group, with no barter required.The other thing that works for me is offering to drop off - makes it a no-brainer for the recipient

Bathroom has been cleaned properly again.

DD's room has been tidied, as has DS's. They both need to be cleaned now.

Got the skirting boards in the front room and the dining room still to do, the mantlepiece in the dining room, the two lamps in the hallway, and the KITCHEN.

Can do this by December.!

New cordless Shark has been put to the test. Bit heavier than the Dyson but otherwise just as good. Can now do the whole house on one charge.

Larder clean and tidy but we will be pulling everything out in the new year to decorate and refit it so like the sitting room it doesn't actually look much better really. Still, at least I have an inventory of what's in there now so along with the freezer inventory I did that will make meal planning in the run up to Christmas easier.

08/9 En suite ✅
15/9 Dressing room ✅
22/9 Master bedroom ✅
29/9 Kitchen part one ✅
13/10 Kitchen part two ✅
20/10 Utility room ✅
27/10 Sitting room ✅
03/11 Larder ✅
10/11 Bathroom
17/11 Spare room
24/11 Hallway, stairs and landing, incl airing cupboard
01/12 Study
08/12 Any areas missed

Everyone seems full steam ahead!
I've had 2-3 weeks of freaking out over a health issue so have been almost paralysised about thinking ahead, but blood test results have calmed my mind somewhat.

I have been decluttering and have made some decisions about things that you hang on to just in case, which is a positive.

I have been concentrating on getting things to the charity shop which could be used as Christmas gifts and will probably try and finish that this weekend. If I can also add in

Top ensuite deep clean, order and fit new lino.
Hoover all stairs, halls, landings and skirting.
Some autumn garden clearance
And touch up paint jobs.

As a kick starter.

Today is a momentous day!

Today, I learned how to fold fitted sheets.

I've sorted the airing cupboard.

I feel so much better now 😂

I'm trailing behind everyone here as I just can't seem to get organised at all just now. I'm off work for a few days now and I going to tick so many things off the to do list....I hope!