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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

so those of you who are tidy...

20 replies

CheerfulYank · 08/09/2014 02:39

What's your secret??

I never really learned to be tidy. Yet I vastly prefer things that way.

It seems that I go through spurts where I clean loads, throw things away, etc, but the smallest thing will set it off and then it's a tip again.

I'm child minding three days a week now though so it's got to be tidy. The issue is, I have F-M off so I can just see it becoming a giant mess throughout the weekend and then I'm scrambling to tidy it on Monday.

I want things to be different. I want a house that I can confidently open the door to anytime, to anyone.

Help!

OP posts:

Elllimam · 08/09/2014 03:48

I am not naturally tidy at all but I am getting slightly better. I've found if I tidy one thing every time I go into a room it works really well, even just picking up something off the floor xx

HarlotOTara · 08/09/2014 05:41

I am tidy, always have been, I think it is because I always put things away and not let mess mount up. It is second nature to me as I can't stand mess around me, makes me twitchy. I may drive my family mad however

PumpkinBones · 08/09/2014 06:01

I live in a very small flat so a small amount of mess can seem a lot worse - I try and tidy as I go, spend 15 mins doing stuff when dc's in bed and spend a couple of hours a week doing extra jobs eg moving cooker to clean under, wash floors. Things have places to go so tidying quickly is easy. I get rid if clutter on a weekly basis. I wouldn't say it is immaculate but it is fine for people to come round unexpectedly!

Original poster

CheerfulYank · 08/09/2014 06:02

Thank you :)

I think we just all have to get better at putting things away!

We also live in a smallish house and it can look very messy with just a few things out.

OP posts:

AmethystMoon · 08/09/2014 06:15

Always and I mean without exception put things away when you've used them.
Make sure every single item you own has it's own home.
Lots of bins around the home.
Regular clear outs. Just wander about opening cupboards and drawers with a bin liner in one hand!
If you walk past something out of place, put it away.
Just because something should be upstairs and you are down stairs is not a reason not to put it away!

MangoBiscuit · 08/09/2014 06:37

I am not naturally tidy, but I'm getting there.

"Make sure every single item you own has it's own home." Yes, yes and yes! Although I found I was forever having to move things about to accomodate whichever group of stuff I currently had more of, be it clothes, shoes, sewing fabrics, saucepans, picnic blankets... whatever. The turning point was investing in some big storage for the utility room / conservatory, therefore creating some slack for everywhere else, and making sure that each group of things has a bit more room than it actually needs. That way, if I buy a new pan, I don't have to re-organise half the kitchen to be able to store it somewhere.

Also, closed storage makes a room feel bigger and tidier. We have bookcases with doors on the bottom half. Nice books, pretty boxes, and a couple of ornament things on the top half. Not so pretty books, board games, craft things etc hidden away underneath.

And finally, expedit / kallax and drona boxes for toy storage! Both DDs have units in there rooms. We can pull out a box to play with in whichever room, then fling everything back in and have it all tidied away in about 2 minutes flat.

We are now able to get the house tidied up much faster. As it's so much easier to do, I find that I actually kind of enjoy keeping it tidy, it's less of a chore.

KiaOraOAotearoa · 08/09/2014 06:45

Two things help:
Everything must have a place. So if there is no space for it to be put away, you're not buying it. The minute I buy something (ie a chopping board) I know exactly what it is replacing, so I get home and throw the old one straight away. I never keep anything because 'I might need it'. Also, rethink your storage.
Two: get everything ready the night before. As in: clean cups for the coffee in the morning. A load of washing in the machine ready to be turned on first thing whilst the kettle is boiling. Your clothes ready for when you come out of the shower. Your DC's uniforms all laid out. When you leave the house try and put everything away: dishes in the dishwasher/sink, clear the table, pull the duvets back on the beds, put the cereal boxes back in the cupboard etc.
it is not for everyone, but I like the fly lady. She helps create habits and breaks them down and it makes sense.

MrsBungle · 08/09/2014 06:50

I agree that everything must have a place.

I try to tidy as I go and I never ever sit down in the evening until the place is tidy. I don't go to bed leaving anything out either - it's always tidy when I get up in the morning. It's much easier and quicker to tidy and clean in small amounts, I find, than leave it to pile up. Better on my stress levels too!

Smilesandpiles · 08/09/2014 09:03

Just keeping on top of it helps no end.

Put things away when you've finished with them. Take things upstairs that need to be up there, every time you go up there. Leave them in the middle of the stairs to promt you.

Getting the kids to pull their weight has to be the key though. There's only so much you can do, so why try to do it all on your own when there other pairs of hands to help?

r2d2ismyidealman · 08/09/2014 09:14

Nothing belongs on the floor ever. It will stop you from hoovering. It means surfaces have to be clean for the odd temporary use for things you would have put in the floor!

fuzzpig · 08/09/2014 09:22

I have only just learnt after 27 years on this planet that yes, everything needs a place! Pretty much nothing except food/crockery/clothes has had a home since we moved here in 2008, we've just been shoving stuff in random places until nothing else fits...

Original poster

CheerfulYank · 08/09/2014 14:51

That is us Fuzzpig I have lots of nice baskets that I can shove things in to make it look tidy but it isn't really.

I have the Toothbrush Principle book, I really ought to apply it. All right, I've done the school run (am 6 hours behind you) and am gulping my morning coffee. I will begin relocating things to their home in a few minutes.

OP posts:

ComeHeather · 08/09/2014 14:57

For me, tidying up as you go, all the time, is the only way. I used to let it get terrible and then have a massive blitz but now I do it as I go along. It's a tricky habit to get into but it's great when you start doing it naturally. Then you can also clean as you go... fly lady is good I agree. I whizz round the bathroom everyday when I get up so I never actually have to 'clean the bathroom' as a big task. Same with laundry. All dirty stuff straight in machine then switched on when full. Then nothing builds up and gets overwhelming.

clearsommespace · 08/09/2014 17:44

I'm getting better at it. When I feel tempted to half put something away, eg taking it into the kitchen but leaving it on the surface rather than moving the step so I can return the item to its high cupboard, I force myself to put it away properly and count how many seconds it takes ( usually less than 30!)

holmessweetholmes · 08/09/2014 17:52

Same here. I love nothing better than being in an immaculately tidy house but I am not naturally tidy. I love looking at pictures of minimalist houses. On the rare occasions when I manage to get all parts of the house tidy at once, it stays that way for about 5 minutes.

I'd like to be able to claim that my house is untidy because I like a bit of clutter so that it looks lived- in. But that would be a downright lie . I think in my case it's just laziness and being easily distracted!

NoWayYesWay · 08/09/2014 17:59

Everything has to have a place.

Get rid of any clutter. Anything that you don't use has to go. If you haven't used something for over a year then why keep it?

Regular clear outs are a good suggestion.

However the most important thing for me is having a cleaner

NoWayYesWay · 08/09/2014 18:02

I don't agree that most people who are untidy are lazy, I think some people genuinely don't care. However, I think a lot of people do care and are just pretending not to care.

holmessweetholmes · 08/09/2014 19:56

I am having a declutter atm because I am about to move house. But as I am constantly mid-declutter atm, everywhere is even more untidy than usual!

I can't wait to get into my new (bigger) house and find a place for everything. I'm determined to start afresh and keep it tidier . Spending less time on MN would help...

shortaris1 · 10/09/2014 22:23

I would say I am a naturally tidy person. I take after my mum. Having said that my sister is messy and my brothers last place was a health hazard so not sure how that works.

Everything has a home and I do a big declutter maybe once a month. House paperwork has a box file and gets put in there and that too gets cleared out regularly.

I tidy as I go so it's never too bad and I generally do a decent clean on a Sunday night so it's nice to come home to on a Monday night.

In the interests of full disclosure I will say that I live alone though, which much make things much easier!

Tanacot · 12/09/2014 12:50

Get rid of all your excess stuff. Do it habitually like the bins. You don't need all that stuff. You won't miss it when it has gone.

Have a place for everything and have everything in its place.

Never leave a room empty handed.

Put like with like.

Make your bed.

That's it, really.

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