Need help with cleaning and decluttering...

[withaspongeandarustyspanner]

DH is unhappy in our relationship and wants to leaveand has cited my housekeeping/lack of ability to get rid of stuff as a factor. I'm overwhelmed. Don't know where to start.

Any tips?

The friend is a good option. They make you throw things you can convince yourself to hold onto. I thoroughly recommend it!

Hi Sponge, sounds like your friend has had a very positive effect on you, hope everything is ok?
Is your friend coming back on Friday and do you need to get more bin bags? Keep going, the breakthrough will come soon

I think the increase in dosage of my meds may have helped too!

Ha, glad they are helping!

paperwork - done
sitoff hope you get yours done, I now have 3 files, a. tax/work b. current bills (council tax/water/credit cards) c. house papers/cars/birth certs/medical stuff

So much better.

Thank you both - I have made a start with old payslips and it was ok! Utility bills were ok last week - so next it will be house papers. I am sure I do not need details of all the correspondence for purchases and sales of houses I no longer own but they are surprisingly difficult to get rid of in a way the houses were not. Might still call on a friend like you suggest to give me that final shove.

Glad the meds have helped - well done for keeping going.

I had all that old house correspondence sitoff I had a good read through them before discarding. I figured, I won't forget those houses, I loved them, but I didn't really get any pleasure from holding on to old solicitors letters, could you scan them if you would like to look at them in the future?

sponge is your friend coming over again? I hope your new meds continue to help you.

I need a brief tidy round, a little laundry, a bit of shopping then work.
Hope you have a productive day, weather is a bit gloomy here, hope it picks up for the bank holiday weekend.

Not today as it is good Friday. But maybe another week. I've also had DH's step mum offer to come and help me spring clean. I said yes - just trying to find a date

My kids are SO messy.

I've made an executive decision: I'm paying a team of cleaners to come in to do a deep clean. Aiming to get it done in the school holidays.

Fantastic decision!
I have been trying to do a deep spring clean, but I am in a lot of pain right now and can barely walk.
I look forward to hearing about the results of the cleaning team, hope you are OK?

I'm OK. We've had two lovely days as a family, and after the kids have gone to bed, some affection and a little intimacy (sorry for TMI) not initiated by me. I know not to get my hopes up, but little by little, perhaps..?

Sounds promising. Is he in board with the cleaning team?
Still in pain so can't get too much done, plus I am very tired as the storm kept me awake most of the night, we had wheelie bins flying up and down the road.
I figure while the children are off not much will get done anyway.

Grumpy sorry you are still in pain. The storm was dreadful here too - woke me which is really unusual. Sponge I am glad that you had good times with the family. Progress stalled here for the weekend but free day tomorrow to restart - I have been trying to concentrate on the clearing too and then hope the cleaning will be easier.

Not quite the start to the day I hoped for - a bird has flown in through the (closed!) window this morning. Apart from the glass not too much damage done but the bird was stunned - able to fly but with a head injury. We are useless with animals but found someone to help carefully gather it up and take it to see if they can nurse it. Glad I had decluttered that room which was one of the worst as I was happy for people to come in to help and the clear up much easier.

Nightmare sitoff how awful.
Everyone is ill here, work is being done on the house. It is cold , noisy and messy and I am thoroughly miserable today!
It's going to be a difficult few days, but worth it long term. House feels really germy, I want to slosh some bleach around but can't get anywhere to do that due to workmen, tools, and equipment.

I managed to clear the top of the bookcase that's "stuff waiting to be filed" so that looks loads better. Other than that I've come to a bit of a halt though. I need to get some pictures taken for ebaying things. Might try to do that tomorrow

A woman from the cleaning company is coming on Thursday to look at the house to give me an idea what she can do and find out what I need. Quite excited.

Grumpy hope you all start feeling better soon - not what you need with workmen in.

Yetanother that sounds like just the sort of job I never get round to - filing and ebaying. Well done - both jobs are well worth doing.

Sponge I feel excited for you - hope that the quote is not more expensive than you can manage. I am sure it would be a marvellous morale boost.

sponge you've been an inspiration to me and I'm going to start decluttering tomorrow. Quite like the sound of getting someone in to do a deep clean too. Keep going

Sponge if be interested to know how much they charge it's something I've thought of doing.

A deep, one off clean is £17 per hour with the company I'm using. I guess it just depends how long it takes...

You can pick your 'finish'. I'm going for full on 'show home'.

Just read the whole thread!
Op you're doing so well! I'd live fir someone to deep clean my house but I don't think i'm strong enough to let them!
"Show room finish" sounds brilliant!

Sorry, live = love.
Iphone!

Well, the woman from the company I'm using came round to find out what I wanted. She said the house isn't so bad - that she's seen much worse and all it needs is some sorting and organising. She's getting back to me with a price.

Also, I gave her a bin liner full of washing because that's a service they offer too. I didn't know you could pay people to do your washing! And to think, 4 years ago, when we started our extension, I was without a washing machine for 17 days with 4 children...

Every day's a school day!

I hope you're all well. The sun is out and we're going to have a family day in the garden. DH (still here) is going to mow and have a bonfire. We're even going to break out the barbecue, DD1 wants to do some gardening (sowing seeds and digging a mini veggie patch) so she and DH have gone to the garden centre.