Hacks for a cleanish/organised home?

[sugarloaf12]

I have a 4 year old and a 7 month baby, oh and a dog and my house is never tidy or clean. I’m due to return to work full time in September.

what are your tips/hacks for keeping things manageable (I don’t have aspirations of immaculate.) things like one load of washing a day etc.

my mum admits that she just had a messy house until we grew up and left, but it stresses me out and is hard to live in. I am not the tidiest and neither is my husband but we do both try. So give me all the tips you have please!

Less stuff - declutter 1 shelf / 1 drawer at a time
Plastic boxes for Too Big and Too Small clothes easily accessible in each DC room.
Laundry box / tub per person - take it off the line, fold and straight into the right box. Put away at bedtime
Ikea boxes / tubs for ‘types’ of toys eg kitchen / cars / babies

The organised mum method

i swear by baskets. Lovely big seagrass baskets. You can throw any amount of stuff in them and they still look good (as long as stuff isn't overflowing).

But really don't stress too much. Kids remember having a fun mum far more than they remember having a clean house.

2 fundamental things:

less stuff as above

Make sure your partner is doing their share. They may not do it like you would - doesn’t matter - let them get on with it. It’s easier to divide whole areas - so take rooms to clean each, you do laundry and putting away, they do shopping and packed lunches etc

also

Storage systems with no friction - no lids, not in a draw - you want it to be easy as possible to put things away

‘Don’t put it down put it away’ - if that’s not possible have a station eg put the thing at the bottom of the stairs - the next time you go up put it away

Anglo doorstep collections is a charity collection that picks things up from your doorstep - game changer when decluttering

I’m similar with a 2 year old, a newborn and 2 dogs. I’m trying to make getting my house in order this maternity leave a priority!

a tip from when I went back to work on my last mat leave is having a washing basket per person. I got some green ones from Ikea which were the perfect size and stackable - I couldn’t find anything similar elsewhere. Personally I don’t mind doing washing, or drying or folding but I HATE putting clothes away. Having the clothes sorted from drying into each person makes putting it away a doddle and has totally transformed how I do washing.

another tip I try and do but still getting used to it is having a basket at the top and bottom of stairs. So stuff to go either way just goes in and you take it upstairs when you go and put away every few days.

my goals for the next few months to help will be;
everything to have a place, and to do this I need to get rid of stuff. Means things can go away in their place more naturally out of habit.
Do the dishwasher during breakfast everyday.
somewhere for bags to go - and sort nursery bags the night before

I had 4 DKs,2 dogs,cats chicken, large garden. Worked mostly ft.. nights. small kids sat in high chair to eat, plastic mat underneath,hands/face wiped, before getting out.. toys in box and put away, everything left tidy when I went to work.washing machine on timer, came home from night shift,hung it out, fed animals, walked young did to school,back across fields, home,bed for a few hours. Now, retired, have looked after dgks throughout. Out the shower,tidy and clean bathroom, make bed. Sunday evening was my ironing evening. Put away not put down, I wish I could have afforded the money and space for a dishwasher then ..a place for everything, everything in its place. I never go to bed or go out leaving a mess. Open plan bungalow now,so no where to hide..

Decluttering
Storage boxes
A home for everything so make cupboard space available
Shoe racks
Coat hangers which clip onto each other so about five items can hang down from one hook
Resisting the urge to buy in multiples (which I can’t)
Empty-ish surfaces for a speedy wipe
A feather duster for ceilings, coving, light fittings and tops of cupboards
A dampened extending microfibre cloth (I know, I know) for skirting boards
A robotic mopping vacuum cleaner if possible
Being satisfied with a cursory clean which gives you time for R and R

Get a cleaner, you won’t regret it!

1 minute rule here. If it takes less than a minute I do it on the spot

As above. Declutter. Ruthlessly. It is far easier to dust and Hoover if you have a clear run at it.

Dishes done after dinner, without fail.

Stick vac. Run it over the lounge and entry before the school run or on the way in from the school run.
Bathroom cleaned/wiped while 4 yr old is in the bath.
Four year old should be packing all toys into a toy box before bed.

I have set storage spaces for:

Keys
Medication
Important paperwork
Letters, invites, notes.

Clean floors. Sweep the floors, makes a massive difference

Declutter constantly, I always have a bag ready for the charity stop. And buy less, and think carefully about what you buy other people to do them a favour too - do any of us really need another body set from Boots? (Can you tell I’m drowning in body lotion, quite literally)

Plastic labelled drawers for uniforms and sports kits. Kid opens drawer and gets dressed. No searching for outfits or a million questions.

Skylight helped us a lot too!

Thank you all, lots of good ideas I haven’t tried/thought of.

I’m definitely getting a cleaner when back in work!

Oooh, just got asked sarcastically what is the point of me and do I want a pat on the back! Put it away not down. Walked the dogs this morning,it's hot in the SE, got home,sat on the sofa took my socks and trainers off,did I leave them in the living room,hell, no,they went in the porch cupboard where they live. I had a friend with 7 children all boys, and her house was immaculate.

I do at least a load of washing a day to keep on top of it. Before bed I tidy up the kids toys and everything has a place - also put stuff back straight away after you use it. It’s a lot easier to keep a tidy house clean.

Tidy as you go. Always wipe kitchen surfaces. No coats, shoes or bags in hallway. Keep on top of the laundry. Take ironing to the dry cleaners. Life’s too short to set up an ironing board

Yes I agree- this!

Have non negotiable things you do every day without fail. Load of washing, make bed, 5 or 10 minute tidy in the evening after older child in bed etc, whatever makes makes you feel in control.

Also robot vacuum.

On seeing the title of your thread, my first thought was, "Don't have pets or children"! However, it would appear that- like me- you've already been there and done that. The next would be hard flooring, as they are easier to clean than carpets!

A robotic vacuum cleaner is brilliant if you set it to run every day. Just be warned that they do get clogged fairly easily if you have a dog that sheds a lot! (I have a collie with a thick coat). The mops might need changing frequently if you have floors that get dirty quickly (e.g. muddy paws), but you can leave them to do small areas overnight. It brightens my mood in the morning when I go downstairs and have a dry, clean hallway.

Have a laundry basket that is divided into 2-3 compartments. I just have dark/light compartments, but some have colours.

Put at least one load of laundry on every day. I usually put one in before I go to bed, then put that in the dryer/hang out before work, and put another load into the washing machine.

Favour buying clothes that don't require ironing, or invest in a cleaner who irons.

If you have space, have a dishwasher, and remember to empty it once the pots have drip-dried. Put it on as soon as it's filled.

If you have space, have kitchen bins that are divided into compartments for general rubbish and recycling. That way, you just throw it straight into the bin/box for tins or whatever.

Maximise storage, and keep clutter to a minimum. E.g. Unlike family members, I don't bother with lots of ornaments because they require extra dusting!

Get everyone to do their share of cleaning and tidying.

Get help in where you need it. I have someone who kindly cuts the grass for me, because cut grass is the worst thing for my hay-fever. I've had help for building projects, fencing, DIY, etc. I'd love to have a cleaner so that I didn't have to spend my weekends doing it! I also do my big food shops online and get it delivered quite soon after getting home from work, so that I can put it away and relax.

Just make everything as low-maintenance as possible, and find out what works for you. Good luck!

Get rid of clutter and book Anglo doorstep collection to take it away

Seersucker bedding - its cotton so much nicer than easy care but it doesnt need ironing.

Massive declutter, aim to have a place for everything.
Put a basket in every room and have a quick run round evrryday putting stuff away or into the basket if it doesn't belong in that room, then you can take a basket or tree wi around with you putting it away when you have time.

Robot hoover, Eufy are a decent economy brand.

Figure out when your down time is - is it all hectic from getting home til after kids bedtime - if so can you prep tomorrow's meal after bedtime to ease the load.

Get a laundry routine, one a day, all on one day, or a blitz when you've no clothes left. Whatever works for you.

Dont make your life harder trying to make it easier, I wi w people who become obsessed with trying to optimise their routine and just make it harder.

I'm foxed by all this talk of ironing? I bought an iron when I was 18 and moved out because I thought That Was What Grown Ups Did. Still in original box and used only (ironically) by DS for cadet uniform.

OK:

Like others have said: declutter. You don't need to organise your possessions, you need fewer of them. I'm pretty ruthless. Always have a charity bag so on the go.

Don't cook supper unless you are cooking 3-4 suppers. An extra freezer is money well spent.

Touch it once. Online parenting channels bleat about "paperstations". Nope. Post gets open at the door, envelopes/ junk straight into recycling, appointment letters go in diary and bills get paid and filed there and then.

Don't leave a room empty handed.

Up and down baskets definitely.

No carpets (appreciate may be unhelpful)

It's very easy to work yourself to the bone all day and then wonder what you actually achieved as you survey the chaos. If I have done one load of laundry, the boys have had a cooked meal eaten as a family and the kitchen is tidy as I go to bed, that's a good day.

If your DC are close ish in age, buy identical socks. In September I bought forty pairs and I think we are down to just over twenty now (don't ask because I don't know).

We have school boxes (canvas that fit under shoe bench). Any exercise books/ rulers/ football boots/schoolrelatedcrap gets thrown in here and emptied every end of term.

At the end of term school bags get emptied, washed, re-filled and school bus passes handed to me to keep safe.

I don't even attempt to hand down shoes anymore. I tried, I really did, but can confidently say that my sanity did not stretch to it.

Most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough: look after yourself. It's OK that the dining room didn't get swept off it meant that you could have a nap and had a good evening with your family as a result. Your family need you, not a show house.

I'd love to say decluttering but I never get around to it. My favourite tip is Flylady's 5-minute Room Rescue. Set a timer for 5 mins and tidy as much as you can - focusing on the really noticeable stuff. Hang up coats, jackets, bags that have been flung on chairs; toss out junk mail, newspapers, dying flowers. Tuck chairs back in around the table. Sweep up crumbs, plump up cushions rehang towels etc. Keep a basket for toys in each room where they are played with and chuck the toys back in it. Dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher. Dirty clothes into the laundry hamper. Maybe a small basket for each family member where you put their stuff left lying around, for them to deal with later.

It always amazes me how very much better a room looks after only 5 minutes of clearing up. It is very incentivising to keep at it and do another 5 mins in another room.

Another hack is: clean the bathroom while keeping an eye on DC in the bath. Polish taps and mirrors, clean loo and basin, sort laundry piles, change towels, chuck out empty bottles and ends of loo roll etc. Then when they get out of the bath, all you need to do is quickly rinse out the bath and the room is clean.

Keep the hallway and one room very neat and clean and reasonably toy-free. Then if you get unexpected visitors, you can invite them into that space. Could be around the kitchen table, or in the sitting room, if it isn't strewn with toys. It's also good to have that space for you and DH to relax in at the end of a long day.

I put anything that needs ironing to one side and then when I have 5-10 items I do them while watching TV in the evening. Means I never have that much to do in one go, plus I focus better on what I’m watching than if I’m sitting on the sofa simultaneously scrolling my phone!