Help needed from Domestic Goddesses...(a bit long)

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I desperately need advice from folks who are really good at housekeeping - because I'm hopeless. Basically, despite considering myself fairly intelligent, I seem to be incapable of running a home. We have a large, old, Victorian vicarage (7 bedrooms, 18 rooms in total) that is FULL of clutter and extremely untidy. I just have no idea where to start. It's just ridiculous that I left home almost 30 years ago and I'm still so rubbish at housekeeping. I don't seem to have any routine, and although I DO quite a lot of cleaning up, etc nothing ever seems to look any tidier/better. Is there anyone out there that can maybe suggest a routine for me, or some tips for me so that I can manage to keep on top of things better? I'd be jolly grateful. I find myself getting depressed looking round the place because I honestly have no idea where to start. I would LOVE to live in somewhere that was tidy, organised and didn't seem to take my entire life keeping on top of without ever looking much better.

I agree, take an area at a time, don't look at the big picture it's scary!

Also agree with enlisting dcs. My 2 have a lot of stuff they have to do. And putting their own washing in the basket and once I've washed and dried it and folded, they have to sort it into their own drawers. They are also responsible for their own bedrooms.

Thankfully in my tiny house that only leaves me with my room the living room and the kitchen. Storage is the key, when stuff is put away it makes cleaning easier, quicker and it looks better.

Good luck!

I am the same with clutter - 3 people in my family died and left me a lot of furniture/china etc. My house doesn't really feel my own at times and I do the same; depressed staring at piles of perfectly good plates/trinkets/boxes and boxes of material... It's been 6 years here and a very slow process.

I have now decided to turn the old coal cellar into a big storage cupboard and am getting quotes for re-roofing my lean-to which currently leaks and has become a dumping ground, so that I can use the space for things I want to keep but not use regularly (like the fabric).

Have you 'tetrissed' your attic to make sure you have used all space? I find it easy to put things into boxes in each room (do a bit a week) and then stick it in the attic out of sight. I always forget what is up there, to be honest, so it can't be that important! Freecycle is always a good way to get rid of larger items you have no use for - old shelves/tables etc, as you people come and collect and are usually very grateful :)

Many thanks to all posters! I'm feeling much more positive today. I cleared out about 4 binliners of clothes in my room last night that (if I'm honest) I will not ever manage to diet myself back into. I put them straight in the car boot and they are going to the re-cycle centre in the morning.

Bumpstart - thank you so much for telling me about flylady. I have read it obsessively and something just clicked! I can do 15 minutes. I can do babysteps. I think this may have finally inspired me to start slow and steady and tackle this mess.

So, tonight I'm going to set my timer for an hour and tackle the piles of books in the study. I shall be ruthless (sob) and pack up to take to charity shops all those that I know I won't read again. And I shall then, hopefully, be able to wander round the house (we've got bookcases in every room practically - all of us read a lot) and shove the rest into shelves.

So grateful for all the advice - I'll keep you all posted on my changed life!

I am a reformed hoarder, still not minimlist but over time you find it easier. Don't be disappointed if you need to take break from it sometimes.

Look up fly lady this site changed my attitude to house work and routines - one of the tips for me that works is putting on a playlist say 3 songs and 'work' at that room for those 3 songs - not sure if that makes sense but have a look at the site

sowornout you would be very welcome to join us on here
where we (loosely) follow the Flylady system (we post the steps, missions, zones, routines etc each day but ignore the e-mails and barf-tastic language) and generally try and distract one another from the general hideousness of it all support one another along the way. Makes it all a lot less boring. We are all very wierd and obsessed with- microfibre cloths friendly btw

[Start of the month tomorrow so we will be doing step 1 again]

Can really identify with your situation btw - live in a mahoosive old house (26 rooms over 5 floors) which is also full of clutter (and holes in the walls and falling plaster) which doesn't have any proper storage (because it needs renovating and we can't afford it) So I am also trying to manage a sea of clutter (largely books, papers, clothes and sewing materials) which drifts from room to room and landing to landing without a home. I am also the only person in my household who will brave the endless staircases to put things away. So can definitely sympathise with your predicament. I must also be honest and say that I am lazy/very lacking in motivation when it comes to chores and will find absolutely anything else to do but cleaning/sorting if I possibly can. The thread is helping though!

Anyway, glad you are feeling more positive and wish you the very best with it whatever system you follow!

strictlycaballine Many thanks! I shall join you, indeed. Hopefully the encouragement will help keep me on the straight and narrow. Your house sounds very like mine. (Although even larger!). I feel cheerful now that I don't have 5 floors, so that's a good start!

Some great ideas here. I know I had been avoiding going through my clothes for a long time, so I arranged for a friend to come around at a certain time specifically to help me. It was brilliant, we were really focused and had the job done in half the time (and half the angst) than I thought it would take.

I too live in perpetual chaos but have found that motivation from this section has created the odd pockets of calm.

Slattern I love your user name! I have a utensils pot that reads My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance

Oh sowornout - can I have one too!

lol, isn't it perfect? (Although sadly pretty much sums up my idea of housework)

De-cluttering your home is the best way to make it easier on your self when it comes to keeping your house clean and tidy.

We have 5 children and 10 pets but I manage to keep on top of the house.

I got rid of anything and everything that no one used and got some good storage.We have a large bookcase that holds nearly 600 books in our front room and all the children have bookcases in they're bedrooms.

I'd de-clutter one room a day and make sure your militant about it.If it hasn't been used in the last 3 months is it really needed.

Once you've de-cluttered the house it would only take you a couple of hours each day to do all the house work and laundry.

I am madly de-cluttering soditall . I have now got nearly all books into bookcases (last lot left to do tomorrow). And house is actually (she says in amazement) looking better than it has done for goodness knows how long. It almost looks tidy.......well, small bits of it, anyway. Bedrooms are still untouched by human hand.

Well done sowornout it sounds like you've done brilliantly