Help get my house livable again

[ImASlatternGetMeOutOfHere]

After a long term illness I really need to sort out the shit hole that is my house. There are 5 of us living here me, DH and my 3 DC (8,5&3). Every surface is covered in clutter and crap and paper work. The floors are covered in toys and what ever has fallen there. I am drowning in washing, there are airers of drying clothes everywhere and piles of clothes to put away and don't talk to me about the pile of socks that needs sorting into pairs. The washing up is pileing up and there is not emough work top space anyway. You don't even want to know about my bathrooms and downstairs loo.

I will have about an hour a day to do something, sometimes longer and sometimes less.

Where do I start. Heeeeyaaaalp!!

Doesn't it, mollyroger? - I didn't know that.

Sorry fo not getting back to you quicker I have had loads of appointments today and I need to get on with doing homework with the kids now. But I have read all your lovely comments and ideas and am taking it all on board. Will sit and reply to you all tonight.

thereisalight - unfortunately, I know this as I live in an area deemed ''too affluent'' so Homestart has never been able to secure funding to run. I work in voluntary sector and it is very frustrating. Just 'cause people live in a traditionally ''wealthy'' area doesn't mean we are all poncing round Waitrose with tiaras And even if we were, doesn't mean people arent ever vulnerable. Cash is no barrier to mental illness, or domestic violence, for example....

It's a wonder we have Homestart here, then (though how long for under the new government) - we're in South Norfolk and it's fairly affluent, I would think (and we have a Waitrose...) - but I agree, even most 'affluent' areas have people who need a bit of help sometimes.

Not sure it's always economic either. We lived in a very mixed area of east London and there was no Homestart there because no one in the area wanted to volunteer!