Crisis point - turning the tide of house neglect - anyone welcome

[andsmile]

Hello returning to MN after a long break.

I've just finished my OU degree and need to get my house in order - its bad so very bad....broadly I need to:

Declutter
Laundry
Clean
Organise
Gardening
Garage
Cook proper meals again

[Onlytimewilltell]

Lol nannybeach
Hoover is a genericized trademark!! Therefore allowed.
It's 'Hover' used instead of 'hoover' that bugs me!

[nannybeach]

I write to do lists then forget to read them, hate it when people say they "hoover" when they dont have a "hoover", vacuum! Apologies if you do have a hoover!

[Afreshstartplease]

Welcome brie!

Fairly productive day

Painting is finished
3 wash loads done and 1 in now
Quick tidy of bathroom done
Toilet and sink cleaned
Pots kept on top of
Living room fairly tidy

[BrieAndChilli]

Please can I join the thread? Last week my house was so bad I would have pretended to be put rather than answer the door to someone and have them see inside!!!
It was a slow descent into chaos and disgrace due to lots of overtime recently, a scout camp which I was organising all the food for, etc etc

Anyway over the weekend I did the following - took me all weekend!!

Playroom was sorted (actually sorted in to separate boxes rather than everything shoved wherever it could)
Lounge was dusted, Windows cleaned, kids homework desk sorted, dining table cleared of the accumulated junk and random pieces of scribbled on paper, coffee table sorted and room hoovered.
Study was sorted - you couldn't see the floor due to bags of old toys (from previous sort out of playroom months ago!!) parcels of party stuff for DDa party in 2 weeks, bags of stuff to 'sort out later', piles of paperwork and opened post and kids drawings from school etc etc!!! You can now see the whole floor and, everything has been filed and tidied.
Kids were all made to tidy their rooms so we could Hoover the floors, their wardrobes were sorted
Bathroom was tidied (but still needs a clean, was given a deep clean a couple of weeks ago and loo etc done since)
A good start but I have washing everywhere as tumble dryer broken and lots of rain means a load of washing takes a couple of days to dry - meaning washing is pulling up!! Our bedroom needs sorting and cleaning! The kitchen needs a good sort out although is always cleaned up after meals etc
I feel like I made such a big effort I need some time 'off' to recover hit know if I do it will all pile up again and I will be in the same position!

It's easy to keep the cleaned rooms tidy (although have to pester the kids ALOT to put toys away when they have finished!!) but hate cleaning, lots of things I would rather be doing!!!

[Afreshstartplease]

See I wouldn't trust them in my house alone but also wouldn't want to be here while they clean up after me!

[Artandco]

Fair enough. A good cleaner though is amazing. Ours was recommended through a friend, has been here 8 years now, and also babysits some evenings for us so super handy. We are also usually out 8am-7pm so she has own key.

[Afreshstartplease]

I do do alot of the stuff you mention Art, e.g. older DC do own bedroom, washing, strip beds (3 year old helps tidy her toys away and will put dirty clothes for wash)
Having a cleaner is a no go for me. I just wouldn't be comfortable with it.
ATM I am working four days and dp working 6. I am out of the house on work days from 730-6pm and he works shifts. Three DC are 3 7 and 8, and I am almost 24 weeks pregnant. It's a busy house and I get tired. I also have spd. Due to different ages and genders of DC we do have a fair amount of toys. We have also started buying for baby, so there is a lot of stuff everywhere.
Ita just a work in progress ATM but it'll get there eventually

[Artandco]

Def a less is more works for not having so much to do in future

You mention 4/5 loads of laundry, that's basically all of our clothes we all own in whole house. Having less clothes means you can't keep piles dirty as nothing to wear and same with putting away. So less means washed more often, and put away as need to rewear.

Less toys is def key to not having to tidy to much. Too many is daunting for kids to tidy as hard to find space.

Our best investment by far is a cleaner. It sounds a luxury, but means Dh and I don't spend every evening cleaning or always moaning about it. We can actually work a extra few hours also in evening from home as free from chores which more than covers cleaning costs.
Even 2 hrs every 2 weeks would make a huge difference I think as cleaner could do the stuff like deep bathroom/ kitchen/ floor cleans, leaving you the day to day stuff

Also all adults in house need to help even if your the one home in day. If everyone tidies own crap away then it leaves you just actually cleaning. Get kids to tidy rooms 5 mins every day before bed, and strip own bedding off once a week. Can actually save you lots of time if stuff isn't built up

[Afreshstartplease]

How are you all getting on?

[Afreshstartplease]

Welcome cabin

I'm just back from school run

Refilled the sink, put on the dryer and wiped down two worktops and kitchen table

Barely scratches the surface of the mess

[cabininthewoods2016]

Hi

I will read full thread after school run but liking what I have seen so far.

So much to do here - moving house soon, major packing and house clean needed but want to get into routine for new house so it never gets in the state that this one has.

I'll be back

[Afreshstartplease]

Hmm I may give it a look , I just struggle to hold out hope on a book. I know I need to get rid of stuff I just struggle to do it, for physical reasons not emotional. E.g. I don't drive, can't afford a skip etc

I have been making conscious effort to use every charity clothing bag that comes through my door in the last month and I've shifted about 6 bags of clothes this way. When my bin has space on bin day I'm squashing bits of stuff in. A relative cleared my shed out a few weeks ago and took contents to the tip so now I'll refill that until they can do it again.

It's not helping that I'm constantly bringing new things in to the house as replacing furniture and expecting a baby! So it's like stuff in - stuff out at the min!

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

It's a really quick read and the essence of it is, once you do it properly you will never have to declutter again! Think of all the time you could save

[Afreshstartplease]

I've not got time for books! And reading would probably send me to sleep!

First three jobs of evening

Put wash on
Tidy living room
Put cushion cases back on

I'm off for next four days so hopefully have a good crack at the house

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

Hi all, I'm in the midst of a major declutter. Haven't seen it mentioned here yet, but Marie Kondo (Konmari) has totally changed my outlook on possessions.

Well worth reading her "Life Changing Magic of Tidying" to get you in the mindset to let things go and get organised. She's a little bit bonkers but in a good way!

[Afreshstartplease]

Evening all

Awful day here .

Knackered from work. Kids playing up. Unorganized and house a fucking tip

[Afreshstartplease]

How did you get on andsmile?

DC are all in bed here but I'm especially knackered tonight don't think I'll manage much at all

[andsmile]

Morning - never got back on lastnight as had a thing at school and then my internet kept dropping out. So I refer myself back to list from yesterday

Just do the dam bedroom women (we had to sleep downstairs last night!)

Sorting out clothes heaped on bed:
-hang as many clothes up as possible - across three rooms/wardrobes
-fold stuff for drawers
-fill charity bag
-put remaining winter stuff into pop-up storage thing.
-put (ie stuff) away linen/towels into cupboard
Dust bedroom
Hoover bedroom
Strip and make bed
Clean mirror (bedroom)
Clean windows (bedroom)

[Afreshstartplease]

Pick up toys in living room
Hoover living room
Fold dry washing

[Afreshstartplease]

Right

Kitchen bin empty and recycling taken out

Next

Pick up toys in living room
Hoover living room
Fold dry washing

[Afreshstartplease]

Evening andsmile! And welcome to purple.

Last night I managed to put away most of the clothes in my bedroom just not the stuff that needs hanging.

Kitchen I did bare minimum so it's still a tip, ditto bathroom

Tired
Yawn

[andsmile]

Hello purple and welcome to the slowest cleaning and tidying and organising thread ever!

Buying new cutlery seem such a nice task to have - you see my problem is Id make that last all day! Iron uniforms - oh my, I will be in the dizzy heights of domesticdom (well in my head world) if I ever get that done.

afresh how are you? did you get your kitchen sorted? I bet my bedroom matches yours for clothes heaps!

Right so far I have done:

fed children
*got the children to school on time and with everything they need inc 'extras'
tidied all the kitchen worktops
rinsed and then currently washing laundry (1)
packed away winter coats/shoes/boots
organised my shoes
hoovered the lounge
removed rubbish from bathroom
watched three episodes of 'Five'

On lunch break now, so remainder of day:

Sorting out clothes heaped on bed:
-hang as many clothes up as possible - across three rooms/wardrobes
-fold stuff for drawers
-fill charity bag
-put remaining winter stuff into pop-up storage thing.
-put (ie stuff) away linen/towels into cupboard
Dust bedroom
Hoover bedroom
Strip and make bed
Clean mirror (bedroom)
Clean windows (bedroom)

I am between roles as it were - its a bit rubbish I think. Well back to it.

[Purplerain067]

Can I join?

Today my plan consists of:

Wash up
Clean sides
De clutter kitchen
Buy some new cutlery
Sweep and mop kitchen
Laundry whites
Laundry boil towel wash
Iron uniform for rest of week

I think if I do a room at a time it won't be so stressful and I'll keep on top of it!

Good luck everyone, happy cleaning

[Afreshstartplease]

My living room needs a ten min tidy and then it's acceptable

Kitchen is a bomb

Bedroom covered in clothes

Bathroom needs a deep clean

[andsmile]

tomorrow will be my day yes it will.

looking for the small victories.