Does anyone fancy a spring cleaning thread?

[Quickchangeup]

Seeing as the sun is shining I decided to start my spring clean today! Aiming to do a deep clean of one room every couple of days to fit around work and family life. Anyone fancy joining me for encouragement and general chat about progress?!

[LondonCharlady]

I'm so late replying! I always buy cleaning products when they're on a promotion, then I stock up. I just genuinely didn't realise how much I had built up, then when I did realise, I decided I was not to buy another thing until all the excess had gone. Which it now has! Right now though, the place is an absolute tip, the laundry has piled up and I'm looking forward to the kids getting back to school! They're back on Tuesday, so one more day to go. Actually, one other thing I've emptied is the freezer, that was rammed with stuff that needing using up, and now it's empty. I've started buying food more frequently, in smaller amounts rather than stocking up, as I kept throwing out so much and I hate doing that. One day I will be a minimalist who never wastes food and has an immaculate house. I will, I will!

[Quickchangeup]

Hi London! Nice to see you on the thread, great to hear your progress! How funny that you had a hoard of cleaning products-were you just buying them out of habit?
We have been going through our garage, it's basically a dumping ground, there's even boxes still with stuff in from our last house move. Boxing stuff up for charity and binning/recycling everything else. Still more work to do but ran out of time today.
House remaining clear and tidy, am going to write a to do list for the week on Monday morning! Anyone else fancy compiling a list to motivate them?

[LondonCharlady]

How's everyone getting on? I've just returned from a long walk which I forced myself to go out and do. This week I've managed to throw out a few things which I didn't think I could, so it's getting ever clearer! Am pretty much back to normal health-wise, so cleaning morale is up again. I'm still on top of the laundry, must say I'm surprised I've managed to keep on top of it. I had to go up into the loft this week, and I spotted things which I really think I can get rid of. I'll get up there again when the kids are at school and go through it all. I think I've reached a stage where all that's left in the house is the stuff that's harder to discard, so I'm now seeking out areas where there's still stuff that's easy to throw. Which leaves only the loft! I realise I'm copping out somewhat, but I tell myself that as long as the clutter is going, it doesn't matter quite so much in what order I'm doing it, the main thing is it's getting done.

One other thing that's happened since I joined this thread, and which I've been meaning to mention but haven't yet, is that I had an absolute mountain of cleaning products in the house and had banned myself from buying any more until it was all used up. You wouldn't believe how many things have been used up and discarded since we all embarked on this Spring-cleaning mission! I had more than I even realised, all shoved under the kitchen sink or at the top of the bathroom cupboard. Loads of it was half-empty and forgotten about, but now it's pretty much all gone. Let me know how you're all getting on, I love to read what everyone else has been doing.

[FastWindow]

Hi london and quick I did a lot of putting away yesterday. Unfortunately, not a lot of culling, so the drawers are full to bursting. I think the house is suffering from hand-me-down syndrome... My sister keeps kindly giving me her three dcs old stuff, so i now have 0-6 in boys and 0-3 in girls. Ill open a shop.

Its work stress- basically im burnt out. Cant wrap my head around even opening a laptop. Horrible. Still, hopefully a good therapeutic declutter/clean will cheer me up.

[Quickchangeup]

london I'd love to inspire you but I don't seem to have done much since the kitchen blitz last week. Been busy, work, ill family again and the heat really took it out of me. This seems to have been the year of non stop viruses invading my house.
fastwindow Hello! I definitely find a good house blitz therapeutic! Sorry about your stress, getting control of the house has been a great catalyst for me feeling more in control of things.

[LondonCharlady]

Sorry to hear you've been under severe stress, that sounds awful. I think a good clean and clear-out will definitely be therapeutic!

[FastWindow]

You lovely ladies have inspired me to do a massive clothes and toys cull . Im off work with severe stress atm, so if i can get the house sorted, ill feel more in control. I hope!

No time like the present! Off i go!

[LondonCharlady]

Haven't quite managed all my aims as I've been stopped in my tracks by illness - sometimes I feel like I'm constantly catching bugs, it feels like that at the moment. Felt awful yesterday and this morning, but I think I'm on the mend now. Please tell me about your latest achievements, I want to be inspired!

[LondonCharlady]

Hello! You're so right about the weather, it's made me really lazy. I'm going to get back on track tomorrow, it's lovely to see how some of you have sorted the house out and are now progressing onto DIY and other things. I'm also looking to start some of that as well, get the jobs done that have been lurking at the back of my mind for ages. I'm also looking to start improving my fitness level, I get out of breath very quickly and I want to change that. Perhaps we could all report back regarding the cleaning plus anything else we're working on, it'll be nice to cheer each other on!

Tomorrow I'm going to do another complete clean upstairs, so pretty much everything I listed in my first progress update. I'll also get the school uniforms washed (we'll be using the Summer uniform tomorrow, so haven't washed the regular stuff yet), then probably salad for dinner so I won't have so much preparation or clearing up to do! What are everyone's aims for this week? Petal40, welcome to the thread!

[Candlefairy101]

Ladies this lovely sunshine has completely stopped my cleaning, I can't bring myself to go inside and sort because you never know when this weather will disappear again

[Quickchangeup]

Hi petal40 the thread is still going! It went a bit quiet but a few of us are still here!
My advice would be grab a roll of bin bags, pick a room and be ruthless! Decluttering makes keeping the house clean so much easier!

[Petal40]

I've 18 yrs of stuff and clutter...can't clean even if I wanted to,until l have declutterd..I just don't know where to start....

[Petal40]

Is this thread still going... Or all yr houses spotless and I've missed the boat?

[Quickchangeup]

Checking in today with a news that I finally got my kitchen sorted! Today I've wiped everything down, cleaned the cooker and washed the floors. Washed the window area and sill. Binned some junk. Very therapeutic and now it looks so fresh and bright! Only managed to do it as kids had school meal today so only wanted cold picnic food, meaning I had a free hour off of cooking to quickly whip around. Glad I did that rather than waste time on the Internet!!! Anyone else have anything to report?

[Quickchangeup]

Howdy london and candle!
I'm still here, got loads done recently but didn't update for fear I'd be speaking to myself! Main project was my DD room which has had everything sorted, stuff bagged for charity, hand me downs to pass on, a mound of soft toys discretely removed and bagged up in the loft! She now has a lovely walk in ish wardrobe/toy storage meaning that floor space has been freed up. Today I spent the morning going through all my clothes, bagged few bits for charity and swapped out winter stuff for summer stuff. I've been really ruthless with my clothes, getting rid of things that didn't fit right or I'd not worn in the past year. I now have a very small capsule wardrobe but I'm happy with that.
candle make sure you are getting enough rest, I know what you mean about stress of mess but you do have a young baby! Don't wear yourself out!

[Candlefairy101]

Yea I am sounds mad but I'm currently cleaning the playroom, I mean every inch while the kids are asleep, seems to be the only time I can get anything done, sometimes I have to way up sleep or stress of mess

[LondonCharlady]

Sorry I've not been here for ages, it's been a bit hectic round at mine lately but it's all calmed down now. Is anyone still around?

[Candlefairy101]

I know that's true, but tonight I keep thinking if I get it all done tonight at least I can think about leaving the house tomorrow, I hate leaving and coming home to mess!

I just polished the hall way and scrubbed the bathroom while husband here to have the youngest, it's so difficult trying to clean and my god it takes 2 hours just to get out the house!

[Candlefairy101]

I know that's true, but tonight I keep thinking if I get it all done tonight at least I can think about leaving the house tomorrow, I hate leaving and coming home to mess!

I just polished the hall way and scrubbed the bathroom while husband here to have the youngest, it's so difficult trying to clean and my god it takes 2 hours just to get out the house!

[Quickchangeup]

Some mornings I wake up raring to go, others I waste time on stupid stuff whilst thinking I should be doing ....
Sometimes I get a second wind after dinner and happily blitz something for an hour.
Today I'm so tired, I couldn't get to sleep last night. So I've been to work, loaded the dishwasher and got a couple of washes done but in all honesty I wish I could just crawl into my bed! Doesn't help that it's freezing! I'm sure with a teeny baby you are much better off going to bed of an evening than cleaning!

[Candlefairy101]

What time of day are you most productive? Sometimes I try and start the day as I mean to go on but sometimes I get at night when I'm supposed to settle down for bed I get an urge to buckle down and clean!

I end up ignoring nighttime cleaning because I know I have to sleep for the next day and then I wake in the morning and can't be bothered and kick myself for not doing it the night before!

[Candlefairy101]

What time of day are you most productive? Sometimes I try and start the day as I mean to go on but sometimes I get at night when I'm supposed to settle down for bed I get an urge to buckle down and clean!

I end up ignoring nighttime cleaning because I know I have to sleep for the next day and then I wake in the morning and can't be bothered and kick myself for not doing it the night before!

[Quickchangeup]

candle-did the rocket arrive last night?!
I'm going to get back on it this week. My kitchen needs a good go over. All beds were stripped and fresh linen on today. Currently tackling the bloody ironing pile yet again!

[Candlefairy101]

Ive lost my mojo today ladies... I'm still in my pj's!

Maybe tonight I'll get I'll get a rocket up my arse x

[Quickchangeup]

Wow candlefairy are you actually Wonder Woman?! You sound much like me in that you like things away and organised. I've got so much satisfaction from the cleaning and organising of the past few weeks! My next project is creating a sort of walk in wardrobe in my DDs room. She was a recessed area which has had a frame and doors fitted but insider just a shelf and a rail running the length. I'm removing this and fitting it out inside so that it will house all her clothes and shoes, as well as an area for toy storage. This will free up another recess space where drawers currently are and allow me to move her toys from the living areas up into her room.
grumpy we have exactly the same issue with washing in this house. It would appear I own a stealth wicker wash basket that only I can actually see and use!!!