I'm going to properly deep clean my house, slowly.

[slightlysoreboobs]

My house isn't exactly a midden, but it's not good. The middles get cleaned a la flylady, but I have no real routines and you can tell! It's all just a bit grubby unless its dark and there are only lamps or candles to add a gentle glow and hide the mess and muck. I'm a single mum, three kids and I work so I give myself a bit of slack and try not to get too bothered by it as long as I keep the kitchen clean, food in the cupboards and we all have clean clothes. But I've been thinking about Christmas and how I'd love the house to be all cosy and lovely and with that in mind I'm going to do an epic declutter, clean everything and make it gorgeous. The caveat is that it will probably take till Christmas to do it all!

Today so far I have:

put the sofa covers in the wash
defrosted the freezer
done a food shop (not part of Operation Christmas but necessary!)

Once I've finished my cuppa, I'm going to pull out the sofas and clean under there (anyone else find that EVERYTHING ends up there?) and declutter a bookcase. Maybe if I have time I'll address the living room toy box too.

I thought I might focus on one room a week. Anyone care to join me?

[BabySocks]

Disappointingly I didn't have any paint so that'll have to wait... Next was the oven and is super shiny now, polished with baby oil

Also cleaned on top of the boiler and the cupboard it is in :) the thing that worries me is that I keep finding more and more hidden dirt.. When will it ever stop!

[slightlysoreboobs]

Loving your cleaning methods baby baby wipes are the best!

I've barely clung on the last few days - hideous period plus busy days at work and I'm just grateful I've managed to keep the kids clean dressed and fed. Hopefully I'll start to feel better tomorrow. Can hardly think past getting the dishes done so I don't know what deep cleaning I'll do, but you'll be the first to know when I decide.

for everyone

[BiddyPop]

Don't beat yourself up, any of you ladies, for not keeping going at full tilt.

The dirt takes years to build up so at least weeks if not months to get to everything.

And every single little "extra" job on top of the day to day cleaning is a step in the right direction.

We need to do it in baby steps.

And look at what you have already done regularly too, to remind yourself of the steps you are now building on, and how far down the path we've already come!

🎉🎉

[slightlysoreboobs]

Thanks biddy

I've actually got yet another bag for the charity shop - I just opened a cupboard and filled the bag!! I guess it's like a muscle isn't it? The more you declutter and clean, the stronger you get at it. Keeping on keeping on today.

[Molehillfromamountain]

I'm a little behind but can I join in! I'd love a tidier house for xmas...I have a toddler, 6 month old and a DH who works away a lot so I've let things slide.

Today I've done 2 bathrooms, the cloakroom, 2 halls, half the lounge and half the kitchen.
I'm good at decluttering but now have a new problem of what to do with it, eBay, car boot, charity, bin? What do you all do?

Now I'm procrastinating and looking up 'how to clean guides' instead of actually doing any more

[BabySocks]

Ooooo I love looking up how to clean guides, I think it is a great use of down time :) Sounds like a cracking start mole I eBay the very best 10 or so bits but try and take the rest to charity ASAP (or the bin...)

I have completely deep cleaned the fridge, put all the shelving through the dishwasher and fine the outside too... My magnets etc are now nearly organised and spark joy! I also opened and cleaned the never used kitchen side door which was revolting but is much better... Am going to shine it up tomorrow

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

Ah hello! I need to deep clean my living room as we are replacing all the furniture next weekend. I had a crack at the kitchen over the summer, but we still have a lot of clutter and it drives me bonkers.

I work up to 60 hours a week and my husband and kids want to hang on to every piece of junk they come across, so it's an uphill battle, but one I am desperate to keep fighting!

This week I am: pulling out all the old furniture and cleaning underneath and salvaging any bits of toys, cleaning skirting boards, and dusting all the shelves/pictures. Doesn't sound like a lot but I'll struggle to find 20 mins a day after work to do anything. At the weekend we are moving in new furniture and moving out old furniture, then de cluttering the toys before they go into the new storage units.

I'll keep reading what you're doing for ideas after this week is over.

[SoMuchToBits]

For cleaning behind radiators you need a flatmate. www.lakeland.co.uk/4700/Flatmate%E2%84%A2-Long-Flat-Duster
useful for cleaning under furniture on hard floors, where you can't get under it with a vacuum cleaner.

[slightlysoreboobs]

Sorry Ive been MIA! This week it's been windows. I'm still very busy with work and the kids have had lots going on too so I've just tried to do one window a day. I've got a special microfibre cloth that doesn't need any cleaner on it - wash with a wet cloth, polish with the microfibre one and it's done! The window cleaners came and did the outside (which is what prompted me to do inside) and it's all looking very shiny.

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

Well done soreboobs (are you breastfeeding perchance?!)

I did the entire living room in one day as I had no time in the week. It's glorious. Wiped walls, cleaned under all the furniture, cleaned skirting boards, then put in new storage for toys and it's all beautiful.

I'm going to watch a film with wine in my beautiful room now

[slightlysoreboobs]

Moo the wine and film sounds brilliant - 60 hour working weeks??! I'm amazed you had the energy to do anything let alone do a whole room. Bet it feels great now.

I've done a bit of half arsed dusting today, kids a bit too consuming to do anything more. My living room looks like toys r us has exploded in the middle of it... Tomorrow's another day eh?

[stillwantrachelshair]

I've been lurking on this & thinking of you each time I achieve something.
Thursday I managed to do the spare room; this weekend I have managed to do DD's room other than her built in wardrobes. They're not quite as grand as they sound as they're really a door over an alcove. The space is much bigger - and taller - than she needs so I have filled the top shelves with stuff which needs sorting. That can he half term's task.

[slightlysoreboobs]

stillwant it's brilliant that you've been inspired! I've managed to tackle the living room today and I'm having a think about better toy storage so the kids can put their own things away easily. Do any of you have genius storage solutions?!

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

Our new storage in the living room is now the Trofast system from IKEA and it's awesome, we went for a selection of shelves for books and different sized tubs, it's working perfectly so far.

I'm laminating labels for the front of each box now. I'm not sure if that's going too far!

[thegirlinthecar]

Hi everyone I'd like to join . I don't know how many of these threads I've joined just to forget about them . I'd love to have a lovely clean , decluttered house for Christmas. I shall use this thread as my inspiration .

[slightlysoreboobs]

Welcome girlinthecar do you have a plan or are you going freestyle (like me!)

Yesterday I put a new cupboard thing in the living room with the plan that the kids will put their toys away at the of the day. I'm ok with this being a slow development of a habit a la flylady she says sitting in the middle of another toy explosion

This morning I decluttered the hats scarves and gloves, in a sort of Kondo way. Gathered everything together. All the gloves with no pair have gone to recycling. Everything's been washed. The stuff that still fits/is liked/sparks joy is being kept (possibly in a nice basket in hallway....) and the unjoyful stuff is in the charity bag. I am gobsmacked with the amount of stuff in this house. I'm not new to the idea of decluttering but then I do something small like hats and scarves and the pile of stuff is huge.

I will not get overwhelmed.....

[thegirlinthecar]

I think clothes will be my first effort , I've so many that could go to charity. The basket in the hall is a good idea slightly . I'm pretty sure my hats and gloves are shoved in a wardrobe somewhere. I'll maybe try and sort some clothes out to go on ebay too

[girlwithamoonandstaronherhead]

I got a book on my kindle '30 days to a clean and organised home' which has been great. Includes a good daily routine and step by step deep cleaning.

[slightlysoreboobs]

30 days to a clean and organised home sounds brilliant, my problem is actually sticking to routines!!

[girlwithamoonandstaronherhead]

Yeah, I've had the same problem, but the daily routine in that is so quick and makes such a difference that I nearly always do it now. The other stuff, you can take a break for a few days and then go back and pick up where you left off. It's american so there is stuff like cleaning your ceiling fans, which I don't think many people have here, so on those days I just take a break!

[NoCapes]

I've kind of been doing this
Since the kids went back to school I have -
Cleaned the oven & hob
Cleaned the microwave
Cleaned the washing machine
Had the dishwasher fixed and cleaned it
Descaled the kettle
Pulled washing machine & dryer out and cleaned underneath them
Decluttered cup cupboard
Decluttered living room cupboard
Sorted out smallest 2 kids clothes and cashed them in
Sorted shoe cupboard
Decluttered draws in hall table
De-weeded the patio
Took 3 boxes of random stuff to the charity shop
Painted the playroom

Now we've had a new boiler fitted so I had to empty the utility room, I'm now slowly working my way through sorting everything before it goes back in
Sorted a big bag of stuff for the bin from it last night

I've done a lot of decluttering in the last year or so and I'm still constantly shocked by how much shit I own - I think it's breeding in my cupboards!

[slightlysoreboobs]

I have shit breeding cupboards too.....

[BabySocks]

I bought a bendable radiator brush from Amazon... It is truely horrifying!

[slightlysoreboobs]

Tell me more baby I love a bit of cathartic cleaning. I get happy seeing all the black muck in my dyson I am wierd

[slightlysoreboobs]

Any ideas for deep cleaning activities that can be performed from a sofa? Am trapped with a poorly child....