How do I become a super type A tidy person

[Flopsy145]

I actually get quite stressed at mess and clutter, but I find myself having to clean or tidy up constantly for my house to look decent. I have two young kids and think they have too many toys, so will tackle that. But I go to another mum friends house and it is spotless, same with my best friend who has a baby, and my step mum and dad have a show home level of cleanliness at all times.
I feel like to achieve that in my house I would have to be constantly cleaning non stop. My house isn't that bad, but there's always stuff everywhere. I'll always "put the kitchen to bed" at night, hoover every day more or less, mop once a week or so, wash load every day (HATE putting clothes away so granted I do sometimes let that build up). But I hoovered Friday morning, out all day yesterday, and I can see crumbs and crap on the floor already.
How do these people do it 😂

Have less stuff is the only answer for me. Ruthlessly declutter then everything you're left with has a proper place.

If things are put away and surfaces are reasonably clear then cleaning is much, much easier. It is easy to wipe down sides that are clear if you don't have to move or tidy things first.

Yes to less stuff. Robot hoovers are a godsend, I spend the time I would have spent hoovering working on decluttering a small area of the house like tackling a couple of drawers.

I found Clutterbug on Youtube (she has a website as well) useful as she helps tailor organising solutions to how your brain naturally tends to do things.

Robot hoover. Mine only goes in the kitchen because there’s a step up to the next room. Kitchen is size of a postage stamp. I still couldn’t be without the robot hoover.

Also, don’t put stuff down, put it away. And “a place for everything and everything in its place”.

Easier the fewer kids you have tbf.

They spend more time on the last 10% than you do.

The only thing that has ever really worked for me is inviting people over more often. I have made my peace with not spending my life doing all the extras that being "visitor ready" more of the time would require.

Less stuff, and spending more time.
My SiL had a house that always looked perfect, she had 2 DC and a full-time job. She never sat down till bedtime. Even with guests present she would be tidying, washing up, moving cups etc. She was ( is) just a lot more active than me, and prioritised a clean and tidy house more. I prioritised lazing around reading novels on the sofa, cuddling DC in front of the TV and cooking from scratch.
Don't underestimate the amount of time and effort that goes into keeping a house with children in it clean and tidy.

Less stuff.
Everything you have having a home and putting stuff away rather than down.
Tidying and cleaning as you go as a habit.
Doing stuff like bins when you see them.
Training the family to do the same.
Big wicker hamper for toys.

I sort clean clothes on my bed into everyone's piles, mine go straight into the wardrobe as I go so I don't actually have a pile to put away like DH and the DC.
I don't clean everyday but I do keep everything tidy, stealing pockets of time. Eg. Empty dishwasher while kettle boiling, hang laundry on line while tea brewing, wipe down bathroom after a steamy "everything shower" whilst body lotion is soaking in etc.
I pick up stuff out of place as I'm leaving a room and put it away, sort of tidy as I go. This was a long time learned behaviour after being a natural messy person.
When surfaces and floor are clear, it feels neat and tidy. The kids have to collect their crap too and DH is quite tidy thankfully.

Thank you! We did have a robot hoover but it broke, but I've just added a new one to the Amazon basket 😂
I have been on a rampage this weekend, have generated 7 bin bags of junk to go either to tip or charity shop. And that's just from the living room 😱 Did a deep clean, windows etc. This weekend I've been on it about putting things away and not letting it pile up and that seems less like a big task to tackle. Just need to get into it being routine now!

Try the organised mum method. Works for lots of us.

Hi OP,

Here’s a few ideas:

• Ruthlessly declutter. Sounds like you’ve made a great start to this!
• Focus on decluttering/avoiding duplicates. How many farm themed books do we really need him? Mine have to finish every page of their colouring/sticker books before I’ll buy another.
• Clothing: 10 pairs of pants/socks max per child is plenty. I’ve found now mine wear school uniform they need waaaaay less clothes generally.
• Only have the current age/season of clothing.
• Only have 1 of each main toiletry on the go at once. 1 shampoo for each adult/kids, 1 bubble bath for adults/kids, etc.
• Check expiry dates of all medicines/food items and bin accordingly.
• Have a ‘1 in 1 out’ rule for everything. E.g. I replace our towels, I donate the previous set. New throws arrive, old ones go.
• Utilise any loft/shed space to help rotate toys/store overflow things/store seasonal things.
• Cleaning: write your own daily/weekly/monthly/seasonal essential task list so it is bespoke to your own home. Really consider how often things need doing. I have found that my hall/dining room are the biggest hotspots and really needs hoovering/sweeping daily, but actually I can get away with hoovering the other rooms weekly.
• Weekly clean for me is: dust and hoover all rooms, clean the bathroom/kitchen.
• I have a list of monthly tasks (e.g. clean inside of windows, clean small appliances, clean out the fridge thoroughly, hoover the blinds, clean all the electronics) which I pick one or two of per week in addition to my weekly clean,
• Annually I love to wash curtains/defrost the freezer/wash the walls, etc. I never do all these at the same time. Summer is logical for defrosting the freezer in the garden on a hot day. Spring is fab for washing curtains/walls. Winter I focus on removing any mould/raking the garden.

Once you get your systems established that work for you I PROMISE it all becomes much, much quicker and never gets out of hand. Good luck! 😊

I’m in my late sixties and it is a skill that has evaded me

Feels like some of us live with it and some don’t

My sister will hoover at 7am to get it out the way and I’m doom scrolling with piles of stuff around

Bedroom has always been a mess

So much ‘just in case’ stuff around

Is the hatred of putting clothes away mainly because the drawers and wardrobes are already full ? Empty them and get rid of your least favourite items . Put them in a bag and store them if it’s a scary thought and you’ll realise that once you have enough space for the stuff you actually wear and like ( the stuff in the washing piles not your stuff in the drawers / wardrobes) it’s actually lovely putting them away. Also take a photo of your room when it’s tidy and tone how you like it and resolve to keep that room like that photo as much as possible- it’s easier to see what’s out of place.

finally when looking for somewhere to put something ask yourself ‘where would I look for this if I needed it in a hurry ? Where would I go first ?’ That’s its home. Put it there.

Get rid of stuff you don’t use regularly- a tip trip is like a spa break for me 😂. Put stuff lying around away, every day- especially clothes. Wipe down wet surfaces, forces you to take stuff off them. Threaten/ cajole/ bribe every other resident into the same habit. Repeat daily until death.

Speak to the your Doctor, OP.
I take a low dose of ssri daily. I wouldn't be without it, before I discovered it my emotional regulation and organisational skills were poor, I cried easily too. I don't cry at all now, it helps me be practical.
I came off it, thinking it is a low dose, I'll be fine, I was back in the past, emotionally exhausted.
I wouldn't stop taking it again.

Thanks all I had forgotten that I even made this thread! I've actually become a lot better in this respect since posting, every night after dinner while I do kids bed and bath the robot hoover goes on and me and DH make sure kitchen is spotless before we go to do that, so when I come down in the evening it's clean. Every day every few weeks I focus on a new room, so this week I deep cleaned bathrooms which I do every week, and also decluttered bedroom so I now find that my bedroom only needs a regular hoover and quick tidy until next month when I might do a bit more of a declutter.
Still some days I am a bit lax but for the most part, loads better.
@lifeisgoodrightnow yes this is exactly it, tbh I don't think I have enough cupboard or drawer space so rotating seasonally has helped, as well as getting rid of what I don't wear. Also a very simple help has been buying a laundry basket, I was forever carrying heaps of clothes up and then putting it on the bed to sort out which inevitably didn't happen so would just get put on floor and then all messed up. Now it's in the basket if I don't do it that day it's still just in the basket tidily and not all over the floor.
@EmeraldShamrock000 thank you I'm glad that it's helping you but it's not something I would want for me, I barely medicate myself with paracetamol haha!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5398346-to-be-fascinated-by-tidy-people?page=28&reply=146775696
@Flopsy145 My apologies, I replied to the wrong thread, somehow, my post was meant for the thread above.

Yep, less stuff and put everything away. I don't allow things to be just left. One pair of shoes in use, all the rest put away. One coat hanging up. No shit dumped on the kitchen table. All washing put away as it lands on your bed. Etc etc etc! No exceptions.
I don't have little kids anymore but we had tidy up time before bathtime every night.