A housekeeping thread for those with NO motivation....

[lovelycats]

Good morning all!

I would like to start a thread for the domestically challenged and those who lack motivation to do ANYTHING.

I have battled with mild to moderate depression, with a sprinkling of anxiety, for about 10 years. My mood is cyclical, and two or three times a year I sink. There is comfort in the regularity of these moods, because I know that it will end at some point. I know that for many people, this is not the case. I feel 100% better when my home is clean and tidy, but there are days that I could quite easily stay in bed and avoid looking at it.

This thread is not just for those with mental illness. Whatever is stopping you from having your home the way you want it is a welcome discussion here.

I would like to point out that I am not a mental health professional, nor am I a cleaner or organiser (dream job - just not organised enough though!). I like Flylady and have also recently found a useful resource for those with depression and anxiety, which is particularly useful for those who are struggling to get out of bed.

First day of tackling the mess

I decided last night that I would start today. I woke at 7am and debated not bothering (good start...). I spent an hour procrastinating and working up to having a shower and getting 'fixed up' as Fly lady would suggest. A shower is a great first step, I have to agree with most of the plans I've read that start with showering and getting dressed - you feel fresh and awake. I have compromised and showered, dressed and tied my wet hair up. Basically, I am at the stage that I would be happy answering the door!

My house is not going to be magically immaculate by the end of the day. This may take me weeks, but I'm going at my own pace. Every little task complete makes me feel more normal. I am focussing on getting all of the laundry up-to-date (this could take days); then some ruthless decluttering/binning; putting away and finding a home for things; finishing with a good clean/hoover.

So far:
-load of washing on
-dishwasher emptied and loaded
-plan some dinner tonight for DH and I, and defrost something. I always forget to take whatever I need out of the freezer. At about 4pm I usually realise this, swear a lot, then order a takeaway
-cup of tea!

Job I'm dreading the most today - the recycling needs to be sorted and put out. We have to separate our own recycling into 5 different types, 5 different boxes/bins for the bin men. I HATE doing this. DH does it regularly, but I'd like to do it today.

Would anyone like to join me?

Hi, can I join you all please?
I'm a sham with an active 13 month old that doesn't sleep in the day.
I also have 2 older children of 11 and 15. I tend not to do their rooms, their shit is up to them. They aren't too bad.
My mess Is in the dining area. Our table is usually covered in shite. The babies high chair is at the side and his trike on the opposite side so only one person can sit at the table at a time which is ridiculous.
I'm very proud to say that I scrubbed the kitchen floor yesterday, it hasn't been done for a while and the baby is all over it.
I might hoover when he goes to sleep in the next half hour.
I do the dishes as I go as I hate a load at once!
Sorry if that was long, I haven't spoken to another adult all day!

I'm a sahm not a sham....hmmmm

Puglife - can you try a back sling? My ds would only sleep in that or head out for a walk of your lo will sleep in the pram. I try and get out as much as poss even if just for a walk as you can't make a mess or be bothered by the mess of you srent there!

Puglife, I feel your pain with the little one not napping in the day. It's only been in the last few weeks my dd has gone down in her cot during the day. It has made a massive difference but I end up flaking out with a cuppa.

Cats you've done plenty today! One job at a time.

I've cleared the dinner things, tidied away day items (toys etc), I've popped a load of washing in ( I thought I'd done it all monday) emptied all the bins, put items away in the garage that have been piling up at the back door for weeks and I'm now sorting the bookcase which has become the dumping ground for crap as its out of the way of dd.

Tomorrow I would like to tackle the bathroom and put tonights washing away. Hopefully it will be dried by the morning.

Ok I'm reporting back. My daughter came home from her grandads and watched the baby while I cut all the hair out of the bottom of the hoover-barf!!
I then hoovered all of downstairs and the stairs.
I then decided to pull all the crap from under the table and got rid of it all. I've moved the trike into the shed so now 4 people can sit at the table yay!!
I've also polished in the living room and cleaned the kitchen table with zoflora. It smells so clean in every room.
I feel so happy and content right now! I know the table won't stay tidy but it's tidy right now and that's all that matters!
I'm bragging now but I've also just cut up a melon and got my food treats for later all ready. (I'm doing slimming world)
Off for a shower with a spring in my step.
We can do this ladies, one step at a time. Fist punches the air!

Can I join please? I suffer from depression and find getting the motivation to clean really hard. I could do with people to be accountable to, if I could just do one thing a day it would be a start! Hopefully writing it on here may force me to achieve something each day.

Loads of jobs being done on here, well done everyone. Considering getting off my comfy sofa and tackle the family room (toy dumping ground).

Ds is at nursery tomorrow so will have another blast. Now the clothes and washing are done I can do the stuff that is visible and will actually make the place look better.

I like the idea of a box for each room to Chuck stuff in that belongs elsewhere.

HalloweenS - I do most of my lists in coffee shops too. Sitting there, sipping a cappuccino I can forget the mess at home.
Determined to make a start tomorrow.

Crunched,every day I promise myself I will do something.its like I'm paralysed by the mess.i swear I thought your post was mine..

My new vacuum cleaner arrived today and oh my giddy aunt, it's bloody wonderful

Vacced the whole ground floor in 10 minutes and once I got started I kept going.. so I've:

Cleaned the downstairs bathroom top to bottom
Emptied all the inside bins
Hatched and executed a cunning plan to store the ironing board more neatly
Wiped down all the skirting in the kitchen and all the white goods (they were really gross)
Wiped down ground floor radiators with Zoflora
Washed bath mat, steam mop heads and cloths
Wiped down kitchen sides and sink
Vacced ground floor

You would not believe the amount of hair I got up off the living room rug. Vac was only running 5 minutes and the drum filled up!

Today is not going well!

Ďd had me up most of the night, then was up at 4am and refused 9am nap. Shes only just gone down and I'm betting shes awake in half an hour.
I should be at least sorting last night washing but I'm say drinking tea contemplating having a nap myself.

Bathroom will have to wait until dh wakes as he's been in the night shift ( any excuse)

I need to have a word with myself.

Small steps... took an, admittedly small, bag of clothes to 'Scope' charity shop.
Went through some pictures which were stored under the bath (!) that have never found a place to be in hung since we moved to this house 12 years ago. Have chucked 3 and put 1 ready to take to charity shop. Put the other 9 back under the bath .
Anyway hope everyone has achieved something, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Thanks for the thread Lovelycat.

Once the upstairs is sorted and bedrooms swapped I will get organised, just waiting for dh to finish decorating the small room for sale 2(10) then I can get on top of it

I have family visitors coming this week (it's my birthday on Sunday and I've been poorly so EVERYONE is insisting on a face to face visit), so I've got a rocket up my backside to get the house sorted before they come. Anyone got any ideas what should be the priority?

Just the post I need to add to my watch list! I have quite a big house and 3 kids who have too many toys and I need help! I'm so disorganised. I have had depression and anxiety for over a decade now.
I feel I can't keep on top of any of the chores which i feel bad about because I love how a nice tidy house makes me feel, if it's tidy I feel better but now I don't know where to start! Living room is the only decent room at the moment! Everywhere is cluttered with crap and I have at least 2 or 3 separate ironing piles!

Today I did another load of laundry, emptied dishwasher, 'swished and swiped' (TM flylady!) my downstairs bathroom, plus cleaned the skirting boards, "shone" my kitchen sink (it's that shit plastic so it wasn't so much shining as getting rid of the crud) and washed up the washing up tray that gets horribly grimy...
Repaired my DH's pj bottoms, some more admin work, plus went out this afternoon and when I got home I mopped the utility room floor with zoflora!
This is my first usage of zoflora but I've seen it all over MN so got some the other day. It smells lush.
I love the idea of wiping down radiators, great idea.
Any other top zoflora tips?

Well done to everyone getting little bits done. It's the small amounts that build up isn't it.

I only started using zoflora last week but now I have it diluted in a spray bottle and use it like febreeze, I spray it everywhere, I have another fragrance in another bottle I use for doing the dusting and cleaning my sofas, I put some in the washing machine to make my cushions smell nice too! I do the floors with it and clean the bathroom with it! I love it

Buggeroff
I'd make sure the toilets are clean, and depending how bad your place is, make sure there's room from everyone to sit down! Spare beds made? Piles of crap hidden until you remember them have time to deal with them.
Kitchen tidy as people tend to migrate to the kitchen don't they after you've spent bloody ages doing the living room instead.
Happy birthday and hope you feel better soon.

Can I join? DS1 is 19 months and I have DN 15 months full time. It's so hard to get stuff done when I can't leave the room without lugging two toddlers around. They nap at different time too. Downstairs is okay but upstairs is a total state. It's mostly clutter but I don't drive so getting anything to the tip/charity shop is near on impossible.

Ooh, great thread. I'm currently on maternity leave so at home with a newborn and a 3 year old. Finding it impossible to do anything as got no childcare for the toddler and the baby doesn't want to be put down. Today she napped in her moses basket for 15 mins but I used the time to eat dinner instead. Today I have put a load of washing in then in the tumble drier, walked the dog and had a quick sweep of the living room and kitchen floors. I was meant to clean the downstairs toilet but it just didn't happen. This afternoon the toddler had an introduction to nursery session and I forgot to put make up on so looked a complete state. Clothes washing is about the only thing I'm good at keeping on top of.

Hi all! Love to join you all here. I'm a SAHM currently to a 16 month old and puppy had to leave my graduate job due to bad bout of depression. I have anxiety disorder too.
Living in a half finished house which myself & OH bought last year so storage is a real issue. Started Kondoing & it's going well but slowly. Getting 2 more rooms done before xmas so hopefully be able to get mind in better state then!

Morning folks!

After a 12.5 hr shift yesterday I did NOTHING when I came home except go to bed! Woke up at 3.30am feeling anxious (for absolutely no logical reason obviously...)

buggeroff Take a few minutes to have a look at Unf*ck your Habitat's Emergency Cleaning plan I have used this many times before! When I visit friends and their houses are less than perfect I don't really care. Most people really don't expect others' homes to be immaculate, but we get it into our heads that they do and then panic completely!

There are a lot of young children in this thread and it must be so difficult to organise your day when you have no idea when you'll get a minute to yourself. Does anyone have any useful ideas on how to get children to help? As I mentioned, I don't have children yet, so have only myself to blame for my current messy predicament!

Halloween I have also given up on FlyLady several times, and I start with the best intentions. The last good plan I used, I made my own. I took advice from FlyLady and tailored it to what I needed. I still don't really understand her insistence on putting shoes on before you start

puglife You are bragging, but it's great! I love that feeling, like a domestic goddess once you've finished. Wonder when I'll feel like that next....

youcandoit What would you like to tackle first? Write a list, share it, and start small

sugarandspice What is ir-on-ing...ironing? What is that? I don't do that DH does it as and when he needs a shirt. I think if I had to start ironing everything I would end up committing some sort of crime, JUST to get out of actually doing the ironing. My full respect to you for doing it!

fish88 I think finding time to eat is more important than housework! I think you are all doing a great job with your little ones around. I am due to have a small one of my own, and I'm scared....

TheFlounder I may be wrong.....but I think the BHF will collect bags of charity shop stuff from your house? I have also used their collection service for items of furniture and electrics. Once your items are sold they will also send you a nice letter telling you how much you've raised for them

MiniEggs We will need proof of your puppy, in the form of pictures!

DontBuy I used to use Zoflora, in fact my mum did, but I had no idea it was cool again! DH has a morning off, so I've sent him out for some bleach as I've run out, and some zoflora!

crunched You have made me think about getting cupboard doors put on the side of my bath. It's a wasted space!

Today I will be making a start on my weekend cleaning and will make a meal plan for the next 7 days. I love being organised, but often I get to dinner time and have no clue what to make and nothing defrosted. I will be avoiding the supermarket this week and using up what I have. If I could give any advice about being an organised cook, it would be to keep a good 'stock cupboard'. If you have the basics like herbs, spices, garlic puree and stock cubes, you really can make a dinner out of very little.

I'm starting the tidying in the dining room, with two large washing baskets. One for things that need to go upstairs and one for things that belong in the lounge. Our office is next to the dining room, so I can also move post and paperwork through onto 'the filing pile' as I go. I am NOT going to panic at the size of my filing pile! It will get done.

The laundry is still going, and I have a huge load of dried washing to put away....hate hate hate

P.S I REALLY hope I haven't missed anyone. I cannot believe how many of you can empathise, it's lovely.

lovely re kids helping, I have a nearly 2yo who does like to help, but not for long.
At meal times I wipe her down and then the table, so if I give her a wipe she'll wipe the table. The other day I left a duster next to the TV stand and she was dusting that which was funny. And actually more than I had done for a long time.
Also I have a little toy cleaning kit (bucket, mop, spray bottle, brush, old duster etc) so she often plays with that while I'm trying to get on with something.

This morning I swiped and swished and that's about it so far. Wiped the kitchen counters.

I spent a good half hour cleaning my dyson this morning. The dirt in it was horrendous. I was co
Planning about it not sucking so googled cleaning it and I'm very pleased with the results. It's drying so won't be able to use it for 48 hours.
I've also zoflora'd the skirting boards in the hall, banister and front door windows.
I've stripped the kids beds too and about to put washing on the line (it's very sunny here today).
Having a sit down as feel I deserve it!
Well done to everyone else who has got a little bit done today.

*complaining not co planning stupid phone!