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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Ok, those of you whose homes are pretty much always tidy, how do you do it ??

64 replies

nutcracker · 28/12/2006 14:46

Mine should be spotless, I don't work, we have more than enough room and yet it looks like a tip again.

I have started making myself fill at least 2 black bags with stuff to put out or give away each week, but it still doesn't look right.

I tidy it and it looks great but then half hour later there are bits and bobs everywhere.

Right now on the living room floor there is....xmas cards that have fell down, about 3 lots of instructions for things, several bits of toys, pj's and a poster of ds's, a plate, a pencil case and ds's bike.

I am not a naturally tidy person but it is starting to pee me off now.

I

OP posts:
SherlockLGJ · 28/12/2006 15:54

I hate the fact that I can tidy and then I sit down and can see several thing poking out from under the sofa and apparently no one put them there and they don't belong to anyone.

In that case, no one will mind if it goes in the wheelie bin, will they ???

EniDeepMidwinter · 28/12/2006 15:54

I have a box for those things!

it gets cleared out periodically

Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 15:57

Oh i am always filling bags for the chairty shops, and get quite excited when we get a charity bag through the door.

The girls at the mo aren't too bad, they generally only have stuff that they are using at the mo, but Ds's room is looking a little overloaded. Need to ebay some of it and give away the rest.

My room is the worst as it is my room/designated junk room.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 15:58

Thats what I need, a box for bits that gets sorted every now and again. At the mo the bits go on the shelf or little table and get knocked off and back onto the floor.

OP posts:
EniDeepMidwinter · 28/12/2006 15:59

I have one in the kitchen and one in the sitting room

EniDeepMidwinter · 28/12/2006 15:59

the girls get really excited when I tip them out to sort htem

Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 16:02

Might venture out to the shops tommorow, will have a look for some then.

OP posts:
Wintersun · 28/12/2006 16:03

I used to be really messy too but I started using flylady.
I don't use it anymore but I took her basic routine of doing certain things in the mornings and evenings, and having a specific day for doing jobs such as cleaning fridge, cleaning glass and mirrors etc and my life was transformed. Seriously!
Its just a change of habit and routine.

I always have a blitz after lunch too just in case someone pops in.

moljam · 28/12/2006 16:12

my house is tip,i tidied one bedroom top to bottom lastnight,3 bags of rubbish,2 bags for charity.the rest of house is a tip,even front room that was only recarpeted and decorated last week!oh and i totally did bathroom lastnight!oh maybe im not that bad,i just hate doing it!
i tried the box thing,a big box full of junk has been sat on kitchen floor for 2 weeks and its onlt 1 rooms worth!

Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 16:14

I do need a routine, I tend to just have a blitz and then do nothing again for a few days.

I need a new file thingy for all my paperwork, must look for one of those tommorow.

OP posts:
BaileysMilkshake · 28/12/2006 16:17

Must admit I love throwing stuff out. E-bay is a real bonus esp as I have got loads fo ppink clothes to sell now having just had a boy. Will start that on Friday as it's 10p listing day

LoveMyGirls · 28/12/2006 16:22

i've spent some of today cleaning too, and actually in between being with the kids and mn-ing and chatting i have done quite a bit.

i def agree with the little hoover, never leaving a room empty handed, having a place for everything, plenty of storage - but not jsut shoved it has to have some kind of order for eg we have an 8 draw sideboard there are draws for different things

1 for dps computer crap
2 videos/ dvds
3 bits n bobs
4 dps training stuff
5 bills and letters
6 childminding paperwork
7 baby changing stuff
8 kids dvds

even kids toys are in some kind of order we just have too much of it but they play with all of it.......

i dont mind mess its clutter and dirt i cant stand!!

LoveMyGirls · 28/12/2006 16:25

when my paperwork draw is full i go through it and throw out anything i wont file - old envelopes, leaflets etc then i sort out the important stuff then the draw is half empty and i fill it again it keeps on like that til i have to file it all away usually every 6 mths i spend a few hrs filing it away.

mellowma · 28/12/2006 16:26

Message withdrawn

mellowma · 28/12/2006 16:28

Message withdrawn

Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 16:28

Yep I never have certain things to do on certain days, I should really shouldn't I.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 17:35

Oh god it now looks worse.

Decided to start moving the furniture around and now i have no where for a huge unit to go LOL.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 17:40

Hmmm only place for it is where I am currently sitting, on the computer . I can't put the computer anywhere else, well not if I want to use it anyway

OP posts:
ludaloo · 28/12/2006 17:43

Have you had a look on the FLY thread? There are some tips on there......

LoveMyGirls · 28/12/2006 18:20

thats good though right? ok so you have to put it back where it was but at least you must have cleared the floor in order to move the stuff round right?

Original poster
nutcracker · 28/12/2006 18:24

LOL erm nope, I moved around the stuff (well kicked it out the way).

Xmas tree is in my way now too lol.

OP posts:
LoveMyGirls · 28/12/2006 18:27

oh i see........

do you need some help? obviously i cant physically come round but i can talk you through it, you know when it gets so bad you don't know where to start?

fussymummy · 28/12/2006 18:30

If i sat and listed everything out of place, i'd be sat here typing all night!!!

I have 3 kids, who have big enough rooms for all their toys.

I have cleared the living room 3 times today and i'm fed up with it.

I've just started clearing the dining room, as no one was in it, and suddenly, as if by magic, all 3 kids appear!!!

Everything that i'd swept up, is now back all over the floor!!!

It's just crazy, going round in circles all the time.

Does anyone have a cage big enough to fit 3 kids in????

Just so i can see what my house looks like tidy!!!

WideWebWitch · 28/12/2006 18:33

I don't always have a tidy house but it's not too bad most of the time because:

papers, bills, bank statements, all that stuff I try to open and either deal with, bin or file. I didn't used to do this and built up a MASSIVE pile of unopened post which took a whole day to deal with. So I've learned my lesson on that one

toys live in their rooms mostly and get taken there by the cleaner 3 times a week

I tidy the kitchen quite a bit, as does cleaner. I have got quite good at chucking magazines and papers as they've been read, I used to hoard these and had hundreds lying around

Everything does live somewhere.

But we massively de cluttered when we moved here in April so genuinely don't have loads of crap lying around, it wasn't always the case, last house was VERY cluttered.

Looking around me all I can see ont he floor in our front room is

2 cushions
a book, which will go on the blanket box later
a pen which will go in a drawer
a whoopee cushion which will go upstairs

and that's it.

DizzyBinterWonderland · 28/12/2006 18:38

my house is always always tidy. dd is only 7 months so i know things will probably get messier as she gets older.

my thing is just to make sure everything has a home. so as soon as something comes into the house ie. new toys/ baby things/ new kitchen appliance/ etc whatever, it has to be given a home, even if that means something else has to go. this is essential in our house because downstairs is all open plan. i do have 3 big wanky baskets in the dining room area for dd's toys.

also i do not hoard a thing. if i don't use it i don't keep it. we get charity bags at least once a fortnight and ours almost always go out full. i am ruthless. no nick nacks, trickets etc.

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