help me sort my life out!

[strawberryangel]

Right, I need help.

My house is always a mess. I've tried decluttering but there is still too much stuff everywhere. We are a family of 5 in a tiny terraced house. Moving is not an option, so we just need to 'fit'.

I'd like to get a cleaner, and will have the funds to do so in the next couple of months, but to be honest it's more untidy than dirty, and I know a cleaner won't help with that!

I go to friends' houses and they look so lovely- even caught unawares they're tidy-ish. My house looks absolutely disgraceful most of the time, despite a tidy up most days.

DH and I both work full time, and we have 3 children aged 4-9. We split household tasks equally, but never seem to get it 'done'. I feel like we're constantly drowning in stuff and struggling to stay on top of cleaning, tidying and washing.

Can anyone give me any advice for keeping on top of it all?

I feel your pain! Know exactly what you mean. Got few ideas that might help, saw them all on cleaning programmes:

1-Every night, before you go to bed, spend 10 mins clearing as much clutter as you can. If you and your hubbie are both around in evening, do it together. Set alarm-work for 10 mins. Will really help you keep on top of things/ stop mess getting on top of you.

2, Prioritise kitchen, bathroom and lounge (room you would take guests into). That way if anyone visits most of what they see will be fine and place will be hygienic.

1. Try having a simple job list...we do one job each Monday-Thurs then hardly any jobs at weekend (apart from washing and dishes).

Our jobs include: hoovering all floors/ cleaning bathroom, cleaning out fridge plus emptying bins. No job takes more than 30 mins.

1. Could you give kids very small jobs to? Do you have big toy box downstairs-maybe could get kids to throw everything in box at end of day?

Hope these are some help-ignore if not. It's an endless battle with us keeping on top of it all.

The key really is de cluttering, sorry! The less stuff you have the easier tidying/cleaning is. I am an extreme case, if it's not nailed down it's got rid of, perhaps you don't need to be that strict but less stuff always helps. Also when you notice something needs doing, do it, if not you will forget/put off etc, 10 minutes on a quick maintenance job now is much easier than hours fixing something that has been allowed to get in a bad state. I also tidy up all the time (it feels like) but this soon becomes the norm and you don't notice it, little things like rescaling the kettle while you are cooking dinner or tidying up bathroom cupboard while DC's are playing in the bath all help!

There is only one way forward and that is to lower your standards! Be proud that you have happy kids and both work, don't try to excuse the state of the house to friends, rather put on the non-descaled kettle, find a mug (no doubt still left in the sitting room) and make them a nice cup of tea while you have a good chat surrounded by your clutter.