Home never feels clean

[Whattheheckhappenedthissummer]

Maybe it’s the type of house we live in; it’s a very old cottage and quite dark in places and dust gathers somehow but it never really feels clean.

I’ve attached a floor plan of downstairs from my shark robot. It’s mostly wooden floor downstairs but the office has a carpet (and is clock full of, well, shit!) and the kitchen and downstairs loo is tiled.

Upstairs are four bedrooms, a bathroom and an en suite. One bedroom is really small and the others are a good size.

It never feels clean somehow, even when just cleaned, it feels a bit tired and dusty and grubby. We have too much stuff for sure and things like shoes and bags are the bane of my existence.

I guess I’m wondering if anyone else has had this and can help. I want to feel like I’m in a properly clean house!

Sure some cleaners accept one off deep clean jobs, pay for it and try to keep on top of it

Can you get a welly boot rack to keep at the back door? Then divide into winter/summer shoes. Do a changeover and hang the non seasonal pairs in a plastic bag from hanger in the wardrobe (if indeed you think they will fit next season - otherwise off they go).

I associate clean with looking and smelling clean. I hate grot and bitty stuff - boiled eggs and toast are the worst culprits in the kitchen. I've been known to run the hoover hose over fridge and freezer seals and compartments, countertops etc. Usually when the bag is close to full and I then change it.

I use sprays that smell nice. They convince my reptilian brain it's clean. I use Purdy & Figg - despite the cost it really does do all surfaces.at 4-5 star level.

I clean dirty sinks - it's just a squirt of fairy and some elbow grease. That give me a good visual.

I stay on top of descaling the kettle.

Do you have a window cleaner?

I read a hint somewhere fairly recently which said that there is no point in decluttering by buying more storage boxes for the clutter to go into. You are then surrounded by the same clutter, just in a different container. I think they had a point!

Looking at that floorplan @Whattheheckhappenedthissummer, that's a substantial house and it's also old and nookie with beams and panels. You are also in the depths of full on childcare and kiddie clutter.

Ours is similar. 3500 square feet, two inglenooks, panelling, 42 fucking windows, etc. Without help, and I have six hours a week, it isn't physically possible to keep it looking pristine. It's like the forth bridge. There has to be a compromise.

I hear this but with young children (and even without!) you need some clutter. My work laptop; DHs work laptop and headphones and books and toys and games and shoes are all things I can’t really throw away!

I may show your post to DH.

@Boxiboxi21 please tell me this wonderful angel is based in the south east?

I feel the same about my house but it’s not to do with clutter. I don’t have any and, at the first hint of it, I have a good clear out. Love it. The thing is, it’s an old house. Built 1812 and listed. So, single glazed windows and floorboards. This means a lot of dust. I don’t clean obsessively as I am too lazy for that 😂 but once in a while we spring clean and in between we hoover and dust. Open fires and log burners create a lot of dust too. It’s just part of living in an old house or cottage as you describe. I’ve learnt to relax about it but it did drive me a bit insane at first!

I probably do need to relax about it. It’s just difficult as I want to feel like I’m in a clean home and I just … don’t. Part of me is wondering if I should just sod it and buy a new build!

@CluelessAboutBiology sadly not but I used an independent cleaner found on Facebook rather than using a company!

I saw a reel on Instagram the other day where a parent had screwed coat hooks really low down on the back of the childrens bedroom door, for them to pop shoes over. I thought it was a clever idea!

It sounds like you need a proper declutter and deep clean rather than just a regular weekly clean. In an older house, dust, dark corners and too much stuff can make it feel grubby very quickly. I’d tackle the shoes/bags and clutter first, then get a cleaner in for a one-off deep clean before switching to regular maintenance.

Do you put stuff away when finished with them? Eg, your work laptops when you’ve finished work. We both work from home and we always put them and other related stuff away because who wants to see work stuff when you’re trying to relax in the evening? Do your kids have tidy up time a couple times a day? Just helps to keep on top of things.

With shoes, can you get a basket (or more) to throw them in and put it by the door? Shoe rack? Teach the children to put their shoes away when they come in to the house so it becomes automatic. Short term pain for long term gain.

I guess what I’m saying is that along with the decluttering & the possible decorating & deep cleaning you need to have systems in place so it never feels out of control.

Try listening to A Slob Comes Clean podcast. She talks a lot of sense about the container concept, the size of the space dictates what you can keep in there. Every room, cupboard, drawer and shelf is the container and everything has to have a home.
Decluttering is the key to her method. There are also videos on YouTube