Help me sort out my house, please

[GhoulishGlendaFestersAgain]

My house is an absolute shit tip. Imagine you left 10 feral teenage boys to live unsupervised for several months. Er, teenage boys who knit and buy lots of magazines. ok it's nearly all my mess

Anyway, I have loads of piles of crap everywhere, needs a massive sort out. But I am the sort of person who does either - nothing, or starts by cleaning the kitchen cupboards even though the childrens floor is impossible to walk on.

So - first, some suggestions with what to do with some of this stuff.

Big box full of outgrown shoes - CBA to ebay and some are too worn to sell. Freecycle? Bin? Some sort of recycling?

Massive stack of recentish mags - womens glossies mainly - Red/Easy living etc. GP surgery? Recycling bin? Would anyone want them on freecycle?

Am planning to do the 15 minute chunks thing of flylady when I can get off mumsnet

OK. I have found £10 in change, my wedding certificate , got a bag of clothes for charity shop, a bag of clothes for recycling, 2 more bags of rubbish.

Am getting into it a bit now

Brew and fag time.

Remind me - I must stop buying stuff. In particular, I must not buy toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel as I have plenty for when the zombies come. Must buy only food.

No more wool FGS. I have 2 massive vacuum pack doodahs from JL under the bed.

Ah yes I have the toothbrush/shower gel/hand wash buying thing going on (and live a shit tip)

What about giving the nappies to a refuge or freecycling them?

MUST ONLY BUY FOOD (mantra for the week)

I am a sucker for the - it's on offer/cheap in Wilkos/special offers on cleaning products at Asda kind of things. So I have tons of Flash liquid, washing powder, shower gels, toilet rolls etc.

MUST BUY ONLY FOOD.

YY I figured refuge for the nappies after winter, as I am sure when they get lovely D and V I will be putting the little one back in nappies temporarily. I like to plan ahead for contagious illness!

I have filled a bag with rubbish, retrieved a charity shop bag which has been filled and emptied at least 3 times and is now by the door. Also have a recycling box half filled with paper.

It has barely made a dent in what needs to be done but it's a start!

Ghoulish - I need to stop buying food! The amount I throw out is really depressing. I kind of meal plan but always end up with things going off before it gets eaten. I also need to stop buying anything at all...ever! It is shocking the amount of stuff I have that remains untouched and stuffed into a cupboard. I can't resist a bargain but must train myself to keep away from sales.

OK, I have put all the laundry away (except for the load that is still drying.) I have also cleared the mountain of stuff from the kitchen table, washed up and thrown out some stuff.

Now I'm having a break and a late lunch. After lunch, I'm planning to tidy up the rest of the kitchen, wipe down the work surfaces and clean the hob.

I am cleaning the kitchen floor next

Vacuuming living room

and vac packing away the rest of the wool I have found hidden round the house

then I am packing up for the day

My trouble - I only do the things I like, bathroom always ok as I don't mind cleaning it and appreciate it being nice and clean. I like ironing so that gets done. Kitchen varies but often ok as I have to use it a lot. The bedrooms and living areas are terrible.

Good days work folks. May be back tomorrow as the DCs are at school/preschool tomorrow.

I just seem to be moving from room to room and not actually achieving much.

The space around my front door is jam-packed with stuff to go out to the bin/recycling box/car boot so I must have done something.

Right, I'm going to do another 30 minutes before getting ds fed and ready for bed.

Be ruthless if you have not used it for a while throw it, i decided to go throught the whole house about a year ago and i was ruthless , its so much easier to tidy up now, i even got rid of some ornaments vases etc so everything looks uncluttered . My sister has what she calls a dreaded black sack day and will not stop till the bag is full. keep up the good work ladies its all for your benefit as the less lying around the easier to tidy.

Good work ghoulish and am inspired but too fecking knackered from hosting 15 three year olds this afternoon, and think I'm in love with collision ! :o

Mutt - I have to move all the things from ds' room into mine and the non-room which joins the two by tomorrow. Unfortunately, not one room has enough space to even temporarily squeeze things into so I am having to try and do a bit in each just until the back bedroom has been re-carpeted then I will concentrate on a room at a time.

It's suffocating .

I'm glad to hear of success stories , though. It's very encouraging!

You don't sound smug, mutt! Doing one room at a time sounds very sensible - I often just move things from one room to another.

My chaos is also the result of years of build up, including 2 house moves. Every now and again i have to have a major tidy up but things just get hidden in cupboards so it's never been fixed properly.

Glenda it sounds like you did brilliantly yesterday. I managed to scrub my kitchen and do 3 hours of ironing. Didn't go upstairs at all yesterday so it's still a bit .

Are you going to do more today or have a day off?

I feel like you OP. I like the house to be clean and tidy, so it gets me down when it's not, but have ended up in a real mess due to several busy weekends, and decorating one room which means stuff from that room everywhere and not being bothered to tidy for a few weeks plus additional mess from decorating anyway. I aim to have a really good sort out, a room at a time as others have suggested, between now and Christmas. But just didn't know where to start today. I realised that if anyone came round, there would not be one single place I wouldn't be ashamed of . So, have started with the hall, so if anyone comes to the door, at least that looks OK. Then if I invited anyone in, where would I take them next - either kitchen or lounge. So have had a good go at the kitchen (surface clean/tidy only, cupboards will have to wait) and about to go tidy/dust/hoover the lounge & vac the stairs. Fortunately we have a downstairs toilet so I've cleaned that and upstairs will have wait. Dining room has become a dumping ground so that is the next to tackle. But have decided to give it a surface clean and then go back and do each room thoroughly (including cleaning cupboards/decluttering) in the New Year one at a time.

At the back of my Asda they have an Air Ambulance textiles bank, and British Heart Foundation bank asking for books and DVDs.

The magazines would be welcome at any health centre, if you can get them there! Otherwise recycle.

You made me Op, because my house is a shit tip and you made me feel that I am not alone.

I've just stumbled across this thread and it has made me smile. With three small children, one of whom is only a few months old, my house is often in an unspeakable state. A few years ago I was given the book "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson and it is the most comforting thing I've ever read. Basically a reference book on keeping house. When things get on top of me I sit down amongst the mess and flick through. I can smell the fresh linens, scrubbbed halls and tended rooms in an instant. It's also why I watch Downton Abbey. Sadly neither serves to spur me into action but rather into a starched dream world

Did next to nothing today My excuse is that DH was in bed til lunchtime so between school runs, shopping (only for food and christmas presents ) I didn't really get chance. We had a homecooked meal for tea then I just bathed DCs and done a bit of knitting oops.

Tomorrow - will do the 30 min thing again. Got a set of plates/bowls that have been in the hall for weeks so plan is to empty and wipe the plates cupboard/throw out the chipped stuff and put the new dishes in. And clean the bathroom.

July2031 I have that book too and I love it. It's in the attic at the moment though.

July2031 I've got that book too, and mine is in the attic too. I'll dig it out and have a read, although it's such a big book that if I start reading it my housework'll never get done. [hgrin]

July2031 I've got that book too, mine is in the attic too. I'll dig it out and have a read, although it's such a big book that if I start reading it my housework'll never get done. [hgrin]

How did that happen?

I might just take the risk and have a read. Any excuse. But I have cleaned properly around the sink and draining board already [hsmile]

Your local hospital's children's ward might take the nappies.

We live in a small flat and need to declutter so I feel your pain. I also spend too much time on MN.

< goes to shower and wash-up while baby naps. Honest >