Paperwork and Laundry - bane of my life

[ireneadler101]

I am struggling to find a way to keep on top of our paperwork and laundry - it feels as though every room has a pile of each in it at the moment and it's driving me crazy. What does everyone else do to motivate themselves to put this stuff away?

Part of the problem that I have is that I try and keep on top of it (admittedly I'm not great), but my husband literally NEVER puts his stuff away - he leaves it lying all over the place and seems unbothered until it gets out of control or someone comes round (at which point he's mortified). I have tried asking him nicely, nagging etc to try and get him to keep on top of his mess, but it all falls on deaf ears and I am starting to accept that he is a messy person and there's nothing I can do. I have not, however, got to the point where I can accept that I just have to clean up after him for the rest of my life. We both work full time so I don't really feel that that is fair.

Has anyone found any ways to get around this? I'm thinking that I need to make it as easy as possible for both of us (moving laundry baskets, getting trays for paperwork etc). Any top tips/life hacks to make these things easier?

I used to struggle with paper but now so much is managed online that most of what comes through the door is recycled. We have folders in a drawer for important docs. If something has a date or account number on it, I take a photo and file it in dropbox. I download manuals when we buy something rather than keeping the paper ones - essentially, I manage paperwork by having so little of it.

Laundry - I only wash what's in the bathroom 'baskets'. Adult kids have bins in their rooms but they have to transfer it to get it washed. As soon as it's washed and dried, I fold, iron and put away. Kids' clothes get put in a big canvas bag that lives in one of their bedroom. They iron and put away when they get round to it. I got fed up with having baskets of their stuff lying around, waiting to be put away.

When working full time, I only do laundry at weekends. Midweek loads don't work for me. I need it to be ironed and away the same day or it just gets left and I end up with a mountain to sort.

My dh is like yours. I got a big tub and put all of his crap in it. He can do what he wants with it from there, file, bin, recycle but it’s his to sort rather than be left on the dining table or kitchen work top.
With laundry I realised that we had too many baskets. It was easy to let it build up.
I do one load a day. I don’t iron but it gets washed, dried and put away on the same day even if it means hanging it out before work at 6am and folding and putting away when I get in at 8pm. If it’s horrible out it goes in the dryer but one load a day is manageable.
Once a week I look through mine and dc paperwork and twice a week I wash bedding and bath mats as extra loads.

Paperwork I try and deal with as soon as possible. Bin the rubbish, note down any dates then bin it. We have a pin board for anything that needs keeping for a while. We have large ring binder folders for paperwork that needs keeping. Have a cull of this once or twice a year.

Laundry is my job, my husband has never put a wash on ever, but he works and I'm a sahm so I don't mind. It's never ending but doing at least one load a day keeps on top of it. I put it all away as soon as it's dried/ironed.

Thanks for your suggestions, I have bought some new paper bins, a shredder, and a tidy thing for my paperwork. Slightly better but still a long way to go! Laundry is still a work in progress...

Invite people round more often so he is mortified and does tidy up?
Ideally at short notice "darling, Jane from work is coming back with me so we can prep for a presentation, we should get home at , I'll pick up pizzas." And then you relax safe in the knowledge that he's dashing round finally picking his pants up off the floor...

Go through paper work and see what’s needed. Most bills and bank statements can be online only. Unsubscribe any mail you don’t need or use. Have a wallet each for paperwork only what’s needed is kept rest is shredded on opening.

Can you fit all your clothes in draws or wardrobe? Is the problem there is no where for them to go so end up clean piles then dirty piles?