My house is a mess - please help/encourage

[Illbefinejustbloodyfine]

I'll preface this by saying I feel totally burnt out with life, single parent, work, animals, financial difficulty/long running divorce. My get up and go left a long time ago.

I used to do TOMM. And am trying to get back into it, but the house has too much stuff and is not tidy. I suppose this is the real issue. I can blitz the house and it look great, but I really really struggle to keep on top of it. Lots of things out of place. Clothes, shoes (so many shoes!) Toys, books, a bag comes into the house and just gets put down.

DC are older primary so at an age to chip in.

Today I am going to focus on my bedroom. It should be pretty easy, put all clothes and shoes away, sort out a little pile on the floor, give a good clean.

But any advice/tips etc on keeping on top of things daily?

get off mumsnet
put your phone in another room to the one you’re sorting
crack on

Less stuff! Get clearing. And then tidy stuff away as you go, sounds obvious but it makes a huge difference.

I definitely need less stuff. I do get stuff out of the house often took a MASSIVE storage bag of clothes a few days ago.

Crack on - well yes, that i definitely need to do!

Start by decluttering as much as you can, room by room. Less stuff to put away/keep on top of, easier to sort daily. Things that don’t get used often, can be put away , if you’re not ready to part with it yet.Invest in storage, most things should have a place . Routine. Multitask do something you enjoy , while doing a boring task , like folding laundry. Get the kids to pitch in , they put their own laundry away, they put their stuff away , again in the place for it. It’s a gargantuan task at first , but once it becomes habit , it’s a lot easier to keep on top of everything.

Off mumsnet for starters!!

You say you have too much stuff. It needs to go. You can’t clean mess and too much stuff means means.

Book a collection with these people and spend the next week filling as many bags as possible. One bag ain’t going to make a much of a dent.

https://anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk

Listen to a podcast/music and do as much as you can for 30 mins, have a 10 min break and start again.

Watch YouTube videos on decluttering and cleaning. Doing this always motivates me.

I’d be itching to help you if we were friends!

2 fun (imo!!!) tips from me

start with a rubbish bag and quickly bag up 21 things in each room to go in the bin (from a hair tie to an elephant)

I find doing one drawer/ one shelf a day (or week) is helpful. Empty, spray and wipe, put back what you need and bin any doubles, broken things, crap

every single thing you buy has an impact. Every single thing. Think about that for a minute. Stop buying shit you don’t need. Like really. I’m in someone else’s home at the moment and seeing first hand why this world is fucked. I’m actually in shock at the greed, the waste, the plastic, it’s kind of heartbreaking tbh. Food that’s not eaten, clothes not worn, doubles, triples of everything. Just gross

Just go through and make a pile of things you don't need

Be brutal with this and get rid of as much stuff as possible

Then physically get rid of it

With less stuff, tidying up and keeping it tidy becomes so much easier

Late primary age children should be well able to help. Also encourage them to think about consumption and waste. What animals do you have?

I like using a timer and music.
Twenty minutes of focused decluttering, cleaning or tidy. Ten minute break (timed) and then another twenty minutes on the clock and back to it. I find it helps me to break it down.

I’m about to start a power hour. Music on, do as much as I can in the hour.
First up, making the beds

I operate a 1 in 1 out policy. Eg if I buy a new cake tin an old one has to go. Only exceptions is if I genuinely don't have something I think I need and would use. Another tip is to never go upstairs empty handed. I look around before I go and see if any laundry or toiletries need taking up. Same coming down. I pick up empty toilet roll middle, any dirty laundry or any cup and bring down too. DH does a concentrated 15 minute blast first thing every morning and it is amazing what he gets done in 15 minutes. He empties dishwasher and puts away. Feeds cats and dogs. Makes me tea in bed and brings up. Folds up tumble drying from night before into piles and as DS comes down he sends him up to put his laundry away. Puts on a load of washing. Vaccumes sitting room and tidy away anything out of place before I get up and he sets off to walk his dogs.

I'm another who found huge inspiration from YouTube videos. I was watching one yesterday where she swears by decluttering and getting rid of 'stuff' before even starting to clean and tidy. When there isn't so much stuff, the place looks tidier immediately.

I have yet to put this into practice though.

Thank you all. I've made a start. Slightly scuppered as was expecting a child free day but that's gone pear shaped!

Animals. Ponies, sheep, chickens, cats, guinea pigs....a garden that always needs something doing.

Just had breakfast but before that I've done the TOMM daily tasks. Going to start on my bedroom now. Wish me luck!

Waving and sending solidarity over here ! I m going to declutter today as well

Here's what's worked for me:

• I keep a box/bag for life in the bedroom and anything which I am even slightly unsure about goes into it, then it goes to the charity shop every month. Started off trying to sell things but it took too long and my resolve would slip. They just need to go and go quickly!
• I don't let myself buy things if it's the first time I see them. I keep a list on my phone and if in say a week's time I still want it then I'll go back and get it.
• 1 in 1 out is another one. Before I buy something I consider what this will replace (unless I'm buying it specifically to replace something which has broken or whatever).

A big break through for me recently was actually realising I don't miss things once they're out of sight. So for example I have quite a few ornaments, they just sit on the shelves and always have done. Recently I was clearing the house for estate agent photos so I took down lots of nick nacks, photo frames, art work etc to make the place seem less cluttered, and I haven't put them back out. There are things I bought when I was a teenager which I've been carrying around for decades but actually it's not enhancing the place, it's just collecting dust. Was quite freeing to realise things can have spent their time with you and now it's time for them to move on. Bit Marie Kondo I guess

Found Sort Your Life out to be hugely inspiring. Everything needs a place, and having grab baskets in each room which you chuck clutter in and then just sort the basket. Has really made a difference! House doesn't feel like such a chore now, and if the kids can't find something it's usually in the basket. Saves them having to ask me, which means they feel more independent which they like.

Stop buying stuff.
Seriously. Getting rid of what you have is only half the equation, the other half is to stop "shopping" as a leisure activity.

I'm making good progress, need to stop for a bit as dc want to go out. I really do need to learn the art of keeping on top of it though. I've been here before, made a big effort to get it right, then just struggle to keep it up

I've had a really productive day and am pleased with the progress I've made . The house is generally a bit cleaner, a lot tidier. My bedroom is not finished, but it is much much improved.

Tomorrow I have a day off, and I plan to follow TOMM, and do more in my bedroom.

As I clear/clean each area or room, I really REALLY need to work at keeping it that way.

Well done OP.

I managed to sort my kitchen by multi tasking. While I was cooking tea I would go through the drawers and either chuck stuff in the bin or put it in a box for the charity shop. When the box was full I'd take it in. This took a long time but it felt productive and meant that I saved my long stretches of time for doing other rooms.

Well done op. I need to do this.. my dc are both hordes but I need them to start kettibg things go to. We have too much stuff.

Thank you! I'm really pleased. I have a small house with big rooms, it's very easy to just fill the "spare" space and not really notice.

I do find getting rid of stuff very difficult. Numerous reasons. I don't like "waste". I am financially struggling, so anything that cost me money, or would cost to replace, or could be sold....I hang on to. Also, I'm quite sentimental. It's a bad combination!

What is TOMM? I need to do the same and plan to start tomorrow

Another one who wants to know what TOMM is, please.