Help me make a plan

[localbunny]

Hi all. Over the past few years I have been struggling to keep up with the house. Myself and DH have had a long, hard journey with infertility which has just resulted in another MC. To be honest, I think I've been a bit low. I've decided that - perhaps to feel a bit more in control - I want to really get back on top of things, and feel proud of my home again. It's by no means horrendous, but I've been keeping on top of the basics whilst the dust has crept in around the edges. So my question is, what's your daily/weekly/monthly routine or top tips for keeping your home sparkling.

I’m sorry to hear about your fertility journey, and your loss. Taking control sounds like a useful urge.

I’m not a great one for routine - I can’t make myself stick to one. But I do like the TOMM method, albeit I’m a bit more pick n mix about what gets done when (it’s very rarely on the days it’s supposed to every week). The ‘guided cleans’ she does are very motivating, and the non-negotiable level 1 daily tasks then 30 minutes in a different room works well.

Just googled TOMM and that actually looks great, I'm going to give it a go. Thanks for the suggestion!

I can relate. My DS2 was stillborn then DS1 was diagnosed with a serious condition requiring alot of management while I was pregnant with DS3, each pregnancy horrendous for sickness, working full time through all this... One day look around and realise there's not a bit of the house thats the right way up. It's stressful when your environment is chaotic, more so when there things outside your control layered on top.
I've found starting with small things that have the most immediate impact on me personally has been a good tactic for motivation.
For example, I sorted the shoe storage unit by the front door. Chucked some shoes out, cleared the top of general crap, wiped it all down, everything back on organised and a reed diffuser on top. Much better frame of mind when arriving home.
Fireplace is another crap gatherer and it's in your face when you sit down of an evening as it's the focus of the living room. So that's been cleared, cleaned, polished and a few items nicely displayed. Much better frame of mind when sitting down to relax.
I'm working my way round all the visual stuff and almost ready to start emptying actual cupboards to clean out and reclaim the space.
Once everything has a home, the general cleaning should be much easier to whizz round as we go instead of just moving stuff around and nothing ever seeming to get a proper clean.

I deep clean two rooms each week, and the remainder get a light clean. It spreads out the arduous tasks, and enables me to manage it all on a rota. I have a set day for cleaning, another for washing, and so on... It keeps it all manageable, and enables a routine.

I am a regular visitor to my local charity shop. Each day I pop two or three things in a bag and it soon fills. I have got rid of hundreds of items this way. I didn't realise how much unnecessary stuff I was holding on to.

This is my Cardinal Rule: The kitchen is completely clean, every single night before bed, no exceptions.

Waking up to a messy, grotty kitchen is an absolutely horrible way to start your day. I can't wrap my head around leaving dirty dishes and water in your sink all night. That's just disgusting.