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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Clean Christmas

11 replies

Sookeh · 16/12/2011 22:15

I'd love a clean sparkly house for Christmas and a clean slate to go into the New year with. I've struggled hideously with pnd this year and am so behind in everything.
Any tips and help to get me motivated would be much appreciated.

OP posts:
denergy · 16/12/2011 22:49

Put some music on and have a good sing along while you dance around doing the house work. Don't worry too much about everything being in the right place. Just make sure the Bathroom and WC are clean. and everything is clean, Mess is part of living a life, and believe me the washing up will be there when they bury you, return to the house and make a cuppa and food munch for everyone.. Who I might add will be singing your praise.
I have always made sure my cooker is clean, the worktops are cleaned and the fridge too.. Believe me when you stress too much about mess you and your children will never have a life. Singing gets the stress out..do not even think about how you may be sounding..try to scream in tune..even if others do not think it sounds good, sod others . It will make you feel so much better and it is good to involve the children in a sing and dance around the home..They need a good old vocal let up too.

oreocrumbs · 16/12/2011 23:21

I would save the 'big' clean untill the new year because I'm lazy after the tree/decs are down, presents unwrapped, food trampled into carpets consumed, it will need a good clean any way - and you won't be as upset when the aforementioned things happen than you would be if you worked yourself into a tizzy a week before christmas! Xmas Grin

lucytails · 17/12/2011 00:01

firstlty no one is going to expect your house to be spick and span 24/7 with children, especially over the holidays. i'd just make yourself a small list of things to do daily. Something like:

  • every evening clear the kitchen sink of dishes
  • clear the lounge of toys and stuff in the evening once kids are in bed
  • squirt of bleach or cleaner down the loo (the clean smell will also make it seem like you have actually scrubbed the whole bathroom)

for me if i know those rooms are all good then i'll be happy and comfortable for any guests. Things like hoovering i'll do weekly or something but i won't stress about it really.

Sookeh · 19/12/2011 10:17

It's just all such a mess Sad

I don't know what to do, it's beyond the point of being overwhelmed.

OP posts:
BlackCatinaSantaHat · 19/12/2011 10:54

I would try to start with one small area and see how you go. Then if you get that done move onto another small area.
If you think of having to do it "all in one go or it all has to be done" you wont get it done cause it will seem too much.

It is much better to do a little at a time! Xmas Smile

Grab a carrier bag or bin bag first and go around each room and bin any obvious rubbish. Then try to clear a corner. take things to the room they belong to (if they are in the wrong room.)

When you have done small area look at what you have done, it will make you feel better. Xmas Wink

HTH.

Emmac50 · 19/12/2011 10:58

Can you get your kids to choose what toys they can part with before they get new ones from father Christmas. I love having a massive clear out. Charity shops win too then. I spend a whole year collecting rubbish house becomes a nightmare and then to clear it all out is heaven x

ariane5 · 19/12/2011 11:05

I have a similar problem, with 3 dcs my house is always a mess. This is what i do when it all gets too much,I have got a few big laundry type baskets which i use and put the following things in each:
-dirty washing
-clean washing
-toys
-paperwork
-any other bits and bobs!

I then put all the baskets on my bed, hoover the house,clean the kitchen (by that i mean just do dishes and wipe down all surfaces ), give the bath a quick scrub, squirt a bit of loo cleaner in loo,chuck any rubbish in a bin bag then i put some hot water and lemon flash in the sink (smells nice and clean and makes me imagine the house is spotless!!).

Have a nice cup of tea and then put the dirty washing on, put the clean away and if i feel like it do the other baskets.if not i leave them as at least the mess is in a basket no longer all over my house and i do them another day (or leave them to get dusty on top of my wardrobe Blush)

Sorry you are having a hard time i know only too well from personal experience of depression that a messy house can make you feel low and seem like a task you just cant do and dont even know where to start Sad

hope things improve soon Smile

Sookeh · 19/12/2011 11:31

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I'm currently sat here sniffling pathetically with a bin bag in my hand.

I think I'll do the children's rooms first as I actually quite like making them lovely and tidy.

If I ever dig myself out of this mess I will never let it get this bad again.

OP posts:
Fuzzywuzzywozabear · 19/12/2011 12:44

Set your timer for 10 minutes work as fast as you can for that 10 minutes - you'll surprise yourself how much you can get done in that short space of time. Admire what you've done then set it for another 10 mins and get going again!

BlackCatinaSantaHat · 19/12/2011 12:48

You can do it, A little at a time! Xmas Smile

racingheart · 22/12/2011 23:57

I agree with Fuzzy. Setting a timer is the best way if you're in that pnd fog. (Been there.) Set it for just 5 minutes to get rid of the big ugly clutter - coats, muddy shoes, newspapers, overflowing bins etc. Then set it for another 5 mins to clear the main surface the eye rests on in a room - kitchen table, sofa, floor, whatever it is.

Spend just ten minutes in each room doing this. If you find you stood in a daze, you get jolted by the timer buzzing and you've only lost 5 mins, not half a day!

Don't tidy by sorting. They are two different jobs. So stack all the post neatly for now or put all the toys into a basket. then when you have time or motivation do a 5 minute sort of one thing only - post or dirty laundry.

For Christmas concentrate on making kitchen and living spaces really welcoming. Again, just 5 mins on plumping up cushions, sorting out lighting and decorations, getting rid of ugly broken stuff. Polish mirrors and taps in bathroom and make sure the loo is clean. In bedrooms make the beds and chuck dirty washing in the laundry. Leave it at that.

Have a break for at least 15 mins every hour, with a cup of tea, or playing with kids or doing the little flourishes you enjoy, like flowers, candles if they appeal to you. If they don't - another coffee.

The trick with Flylady stuff is that you do just one job and for a set time. So you set a timer for 10 mins then take your bin bag and empty every bin in the house into it. Tie up the bag when the timer goes and then stick it in the dustbin outside. She says ditch the guilt about recycling for now, just get rid.

Or do 10 mins hoovering the crumbiest bits of floor people can see. Or 10 mins running round the house getting the cobwebs off the ceilings. It's much easier when you have a single, short and easy job rather than trying to tackle the whole house. I used to hate house work and now I don't really think about it much.

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