Lazy slattern vs lovely new house

[WTF0ver]

Got the keys to our immaculate, pretty new home this weekend. I keep pinching myself that I have such a lovely house!

Only thing is I'm a slattern and internet addicted too. How do I go about keeping everything looking neat and tidy and not descending into a pit of anxiety surrounded by clutter and messy surfaces that constantly need a good scrubbing?!

Any tips gratefully received! Obviously we've just moved in and there's a lot of stuff needing put away but how do I keep on top of things and keep it looking good? Thanks

Storage is the solution to clutter and mess. My partner is a hoarder and book collector but I'm not. The key is to keep random items off work surfaces like desks and kitchen tables by having lots of shelving and cupboards and magazine racks. That makes wiping them down easy.

Everything that can hang on a wall does- vacuum cleaner, sweeping brush, mops, bike stuff, masks, cotton shopping bags etc. That clears floor space for cleaning the floor so it takes a fraction of the time as you don't have to move anything.

I also recommend looking at some YouTube videos on how to keep cables tidy. Since we both work at home we had this horrible nest of cables which I have tied up and tidied away and snuck under rugs. I attached a multi socket to the underside of my desk so only one cable is visible from floor to desk. There are other options though if you don't want to climb in and out to plug things in!

I keep extra kitchen chairs in the spare room and just bring them out when we have guests. Again, makes sweeping easier.

Takes me about twenty minutes to wipe down every major surface in kitchen, bathroom, living room and sweep and then mop the kitchen and toilet floors. I also have a huge collection of cloths for cleaning and just use yesterday's tea towel for the floor today. It makes it so easy.

Just lurking for the advice, we're going to move next year and I want to take the opportunity to live a neater life too.

Eufy robot vacuum - or even two if you can afford them.

You can Hoover your house twice a day with no effort.

And, you have to keep the floor clear to use them.

Keep floors and surfaces as clear as poss. Cleaning will always be a faff if you have to spend time moving things before you dust/hoover/mop.

Massive declutter and following TOMM, I'd advise against the fb page as it's all 'what hoover shall I get?' asked at least once a day and people panicking that because Gemma gets up at 5am to have a cup a tea, should they be getting up at 4am to clean so they can also have a cup of tea at 5am like Gemma!! So the fb page is just a huge distraction as you find yourself on it rather than just getting on with cleaning!

All the apps, organisers and methods in the world won't help unless you are disciplined enough to actually do the work, as I have learned eventually.

Work out a list of the minimum amount of household tasks you need to do, and how often you need to do each of them (daily, weekly, monthly etc). Then make a plan of when you're going to do what , and actually stick to it. That's it.

I use an app called LadyFly (loosely based on the Fly Lady method, but very customisable) and have put in all my whats and whens. You could just as easily use a notebook, but the app is satisfying to tick off, and you don't have to keep writing new lists!

@viques I am another who keeps scissors in multiple places. In fact, it's one of 2 things that I don't keep in a category all in one place. Pen are another item that need to be kept in multiple rooms as it makes a huge difference

I don't think I could afford one of those fancy robotic vacuum cleaners, my husband enjoys vacuuming anyway.

Yes I get easily distracted reading stuff online about cleaning and tidying up! Google home remedies for one thing and disappear down a rabbit hole for hours, nothing gets done. I'll check out the lady fly app, thanks!

Also - assign half the jobs to your DH!

It is constant but I try to have the least amount of stuff I can get away with. Too much stuff makes me anxious so I try and keep on decluttering as I go. I also clean and do laundry every day