I almost can't bear the state of my house.

[doggiesayswoof]

We have let it get into a real mess and it's steadily getting worse - we seem to be busy all the time (v unusual for me to be on MN because I always seem to be busy) yet we're not getting anywhere

DD and DS share a room which is a tip - toys get pushed to the sides every night hence nothing can be found

Bathroom and kitchen are dirty and cluttered - feels like they need scrubbed floor to ceiling day and we don't have time

Lounge is a tip - clothes drying, piles of unopened post

Our house is very small and we don't have room for decent storage

I vacuumed downstairs this morning and it already looks like it's not been done in a fortnight.

I hate this - I feel tense and stressed all the time and have spent ages with DH thinking about how to plan housework etc but it's the execution that lets us down

DH is SAHP and he is struggling (kids are small) - I cannot condemn him because I know I would be no better

I work FT and am permanently tired, come home every night to mess and laundry and DH really is trying

Have tried flylady and failed. Can't afford a cleaner.

Any hope?

I have faced this for several years now & never thought I'd ever be able to get on top of the house. We decided to sell it recently & I have spent just under 2 weeks boxing & clearing. Was incredibly hard work on top of normal life, but I can assure you that it was worth it. The house feels wonderful & I now realise how much stress it was putting me under.

Just do it - I probably would have hated somebody saying this to me beforehand, but take it from me - you will definitely appreciate the results.

Buzz has gone!!

My bag contains: for charity shop - 2 hanging shelf things for a wardrobe, travel Guess Who, children's camera, children's pac-a-mac, Lego telescope, ball x2.

for the bin - Buzz

I also have a small metal bucket not sure whether to put in charity shop or recycling.......

I might even go and do another bag to make up for being rubbish yesterday.

Also, I find it so much easier to get rid of ds' stuff than my own .

Yay for everyone

Having lunch at work thinking wistfully about all my clutter waiting for me.

I asked DH to declutter his own clothes today - should only take him 5 mins because he doesn't have many but there are a few things he never wears so need to go.

We shall see if he manages it.

Then I will do my 20 items tonight!

Also, you could get some A4 sheets of paper, title them "Things to Do" and then have a separate sheet for each room. I find it very satisfying putting a line through the jobs that I've managed to get through.

I work ft and have 2 DCs, DS is 12 (and a muck hound) and DD is 2 and gets lots of toys out during the day.

When I get home (and if my mum has been with DD all day), DS's job is to tidy all the toys away. It only takes 5 minutes and DD can help him and we put on Bedtime Hour to entertain them while they get on with it.

DD likes to get involved with the cleaning too. I just hand her a wet wipe or 2 and let her get on with wiping whatever she wants to wipe (unfortunately, it's usually the walls, but she's sometimes wiped the kitchen floor for me)....

I do the food shopping first thing on a Saturday morning. I also do the housework on a Saturday morning, same order, every week. I have a quick scout round and tidy bits and bobs last thing before going to bed every night as well, as it makes me feel better to come down to a fairly tidy house....

Also, post-it notes on your kitchen cabinets are a help too...

woof and others. btw woof is a babyish word for fart trump in our house.

I managed 3 bags to the refugee centre yesterday, rather than two. That was about the only think I achieved as dd2 vomited on oour return. However I felt much better having passed the stuff on.

Kitchen floor tomorrow. Bathroom floor gleaming. Laundry up to date (apart from one wwhite wash tomorrow)

Keep going mr woof and woof and the others.

Well done onepiece! I love my bathroom when the floor has just been washed but within 24hrs it looks like it hasn't seen clean water for a month. Also, as soon as I get to the bottom of the washing pile it's half filled again. I hope dd2 is feeling ok.

dd2 is feeling great. dd1 and I are a bit at getting into the car atm. I have tried my best to clean it but it's a very hard job.

Anyway, off to hang the laundry out, kitchen floor and then...get the dinner in the hot pot. (feeling in control today )

Well madwoman how did your kitchen clearing go??

Onepiece at woof = fart

IME professional valet is a must after vomit happens in car. I would never normally waste my money on it but it's well spent to get the smell out.

I didn't post last night but I did fill two bags

DH found 2 shirts and a jumper he hates - for charity shop, and 2 ancient pairs of trousers both with broken zips ("repaired" with paper clips ) - for the bin.

Also in clothes bag - 2 of my work suits which are too baggy on me because I bought them for going back to work after mat leave and was still losing baby weight. (I kept them thinking they would be useful when I inevitably got fat again but that's not a positive message to send yourself is it?)

I also turned a couple of old v bobbly tops into dusters - does that count as decluttering?

Then I carried on with toiletries and make-up and got a big bag of stuff I never use and most of which is probably quite rancid.

More tonight...

you ladies really are a marvellous inspiration!

went to put a small bag of rubbish in the bin this lunchtime, noted a huge space and bin gets its fortnightly collection tomorrow. One hour later = no more space in the wheely bin but LOTS more space on our bedroom shelves. And two more charity shop bags. Yayyyyyy. All I need now is someone to come along and put one of those charity shop bags through the door so I don't have to carry it all with ds2 in the sling.

I too have been having a fairly productive day! I've filled a bag for charity shop with about 5 pairs of shoes in - some to be sold and some to be re-cycled. Also in bag: sunglasses, tigger tin purse..........ermmm.....can't remember any if the other things but will have to hide the bag from ds so he doesn't go rumaging! Now all I need is my Knight in shining car to take me and my bags to the charity shop!!!

Woof - well done! Turning jumpers into dusters surely counts - reduce, re-use, recycle!!

Nellyup - good idea to fill up wheely bin - mine is hardly ever full up on bin day and I share mine with my next door neighbour and also have once a fortnight collection - I'll try and rememebr to fill it up next weekend before it gets emptied again......or is it this weekend.....I can never remember!!

I'm going to go and do the bathroom now because I've just ordered a new unit to go in there so would like it as clutter-free as possible before it arrives.

you lot are totally brilliant!

sorry i missed yesterday - it's a national holiday here (except, apparently , for dh ) so we didn't back fro m the remembrance day service until after lunch, and then he went back to work whilst i made i start on the kitchen...

so, without a shadow of a doubt, i can say that i have the most decluttered kitchen on this thread. tomorrow it will be even more decluttered lol, once they rip the cupboards out and put the cooker outside

but i do need a lie down. i feel like i went three rounds with mike tyson rather than emptied cupboards... i might not manage any more today - i have to reorganise the dining room (sounds v posh - it's actually one end of the living room lol) so that it can be a kitchen/ diner... i have a two ring table top burner to cook with for two weeks. eek!

(oh, and i did do an extra bit of decluttering of ice lollies, whilst emptying the freezer...) unfortunately no time for liquid refreshment, but i think i deserve that tonight!!!

utilising wheely bin space is fab , and recycling clothes for dusters is brill too - i never quite seem to get tham past the 'oh, it's a bit scruffy now, i won't wear it' to 'it's totally past it, get RID of it!'. dusters is a very eco way to go !

right, how can i plug a microwave, a kettle, a toaster, and a two ring burner into a single extension lead... and will it blow up my house? (i feel like a student...)

well done everyone, though - you are all giving me loads of ideas as to what can be targeted next!

Well done all especially woof with those work suits that are too large.

I am tending to agree with whoever said the car may need a valet. It is quite whiffy in there. I could cope with it, but I have to transport clients sometimes so would feel a bit and it's a bit nippy if one leaves the windows down in November. (plus we are having torrential rain)

This thread has inspired me! Just dared to have a good look through my wardrobe (which isn't just packed with clothes I don't wear, has all sorts of other 'stuff' shoved in) and I've got 2 bags for the charity shop and 1 bag for the fabric recycling bin. So much more to do, but it's a start!

I have so many clothes that don't fit me at the moment, some have never been worn or only worn a few times. I put on about 1.5 stone a couple of years ago - one day I'll get rid of it. Do you think I should hold on to these clothes or just get rid of anything that doesn't fit?

It's amazing how many clothes I have and how many I actually wear at the moment!!!

Well done tessieb.

Be ruthless with the clothes that don't fit. Anything you aren't sure about, or stuff that will date, or no longer fits in with your lifestyle, then recycle/charity shop it.

If you must keep any of it, make sure it is stuff you really love. Don't keep it all, definitely not.

so, who wants to hear my saga? yesterday they spent hours crashing and banging around in my kitchen, then disappeared, and dh rang me to tell me that they aren't doing the kitchen after all, because the new stuff they ordered is for a different floor plan completely. they then came back and replumbed in the sink/ gas cooker etc, put my fridge back...

so now, i have to put everything back in the (old) cupboards.

i suppose it means it will be tidy but wtf?

fab wardrobe declutter, tessie! another target for my list!

Madwoman, how annoying about your kitchen. At least it's clutter free so will be much easier to empty when you actually do get the new kitchen fitted. I had a new kitchen this summer and found an incredible amount of useless rubbish I'd been storing in the back of cupboards for years. So I have a lovely clutter free kitchen now!

However, I still have a box of stuff from the old kitchen that I haven't decided what to do with yet. As I've not even looked at it for about 4 months I suppose it really ought to go....

I've only made a small difference to my wardrobe so far. Onepiece, I know I shouldn't have clothes in there that don't fit, but I really do keep meaning to lose the extra weight so I can wear them again! Apart from clothes, my wardrobe is full of other things, like files and paperwork, plus a variety of junk. Think I need to have a major declutter, then look at extra storage.

I'm really glad I've found this thread. I would love my house to be completely organised and clutter free - one day! I keep having occassional bursts of sorting out but never get finished, then 'stuff' always seems to creep back in.

How is everyone else getting on?

Slow day for me today - been working. I've just finished and ds has a friend to play so will crack on with bag-filling later when friend gone home and ds in bed.

Madwoman - what a pita. Had they started ripping out cupboards or just disconnected appliances? Good excuse to look at exactly what you have in there I suppose. My friend and I went through my kitchen a few weeks ago and it looked amazing but it's gradually slipping back to how it was.

Tessie - I'm glad I found this thread too, it helps so much when there's someone else to help motivate you!!!

A friend of mine once gave me a really helpful tip to stop you buying stuff, and a really helpful tip to start you getting rid of clothes.

The tip is the basically the same thing. Look at the thing you're buying, and imagine it on the white elephant stall at the village fete / at a car boot sale, etc. Do you still want it? Quite a lot of the time you realise you don't.

Then look at your clothes, and imagine them in a charity shop. Would you buy them? Would anybody buy them? You should, in my friend's view, aim to get them to the charity shop while someone would still buy them. If you wouldn't buy them in a charity shop, cut them up into dusters immediately.

It really does work.

Madwoman that's really annoying re kitchen. Must have been a real "heart sinks, jaw drops, face falls" moment. Still, your time clearing the stuff out was well spent.

Grendelsmum good tips, I can imagine they would work.

Had a bad couple of days in the house here, not really achieved anything.

DH is out so I should be having a relaxed evening on my own (and I never get enough time on my own!) but instead I have a bed covered in piles of clothes (dirty, clean, in between, and not quite made it to the charity shop yet)

There's washing to be hung up downstairs

DCs' dinner dishes not washed yet

Etc etc etc...

But we had friends round today and did some frenzied cleaning this morning, so the living room and bathroom are pretty good and beds got changed.

I have a v busy couple of days coming up (job interview on Monday) so I will try and get back on the horse after all that...

They're good tips, Grendelsmum, will try them out with the 'stuff' I'm still hoarding in my wardrobe!

Doggiesaywoof - good luck with the job interview. It's really hard to have a good sort out and get rid of clutter when all the day to day jobs get in the way, isn't it? Keep going.

I keep trying to do a bit at a time. I sorted through a drawer in the spare room yesterday and most of it was rubbish. Loads of paper, old pieces of toys etc. There was very little I needed/wanted to keep.

I'm doing a NCT sale soon, so am getting excited about getting rid of outgrown toys and clothes. Also going to sell the travel system that has been stuck in the garage for years! This week I'm going to start collecting things for that and labelling them. Really looking forward to all the extra space I'll get!

oh, i'm liking the white elephant/ charity shop tip

i've just about got over the kitchen... doggie, you're right, i did briefly go through everything you said (with the addition of a short burst of tears lol) but more at the thought of all the energy expended and planning, rather than not getting the darn kitchen!

i used to love nct sales - definitely a fantastic opportunity to get rid of stuff once all of your small people are done with it.

not doing much in the way of declutter this weekend - except for trying to get the kitchen back to 'normal' lol. they had actually taken out the cooker and unplumbed the sink, and taken some of the cupboards/ counters off. it's all back and ok, except i now have two leaks in two different cupboards from the down pipe under the sink, so have less storage space than before until it's fixed... gah.

i'm hoping the gas was put back on a bit more professionally lol...

anyway, onwards and upwards - hope you all had a godd weekend - it's still forst thig sunday here, so i'm only half way through . yesterday i spent all day running a bake sale for the kids hockey team, which meant i also had to repair all the frenzied baking clutter from the kitchen . at least i had a kitchen, though, eh?

good luck tomorrow doggie! what's the job? is it one you reaaalllly want, or just an 'i could do that'?

Woof - good luck with the interview!!

Madwoman - hope they're coming soon to fix the leaks. I didn't use the cupboard under my sink for nearly 2 years incase it leaked also because there were always spiders in it when I opened the door. My friend told me not to be so silly and to start using it and now I have a bit more space to fill with my junk candlemaking kit!

Tessieb - I've never been to an NCT sale - I hope you get rid of lots of things! I sold a double buggy a couple of weeks ago, gave a single buggy away and am in the process of selling another large double buggy that were all kept in my lounge. I love the one that's about to go but am also very excited about not tripping over it when I come down the stairs in the morning!!!

My Mum and step dad, kindly, took my charity shop stuff away today and will drop it off at their local shop sometime. There was a laundry basket full of things and a couple of carrier bags and a holdall so I'm feeling happy that it's all out of the house. I'm going to have a quick bag-filling 5 minutes before I go to bed.

I know it's hard for your DH with an active and demanding DS. I had 3 preschoolers once myself, (oldest was 3 before second came along) have 5 DCs total now. But:

He needs to be up and showered and shaved and dressed before you leave for work. Maybe you could supervise DS while DH gets this little bit of time to himself to attend to his needs during the day. Otherwise he'll feel his life is not his own. I know I used to. If it means everyone getting up a bit earlier then do it.

He needs to walk the dog some other time, perhaps when he's already cleared breakfast away and washed up, maybe taken out the bin and a few more little things. He will feel more on top of things if he manages to get a bit done before he goes out with the dog. I suggest filling the sink with hot water and wash up liquid and letting everything soak until lunch things are added, then washing everything together.

DH needs time off just for himself every week. So do you. Does he have any friends or interests?

You need to plan some kind of get together with friends at your house as a motivation to do a clean sweep.

Cordon off an area with safety gates for DS to play in safely while DH tidies. Keep crayons out of his reach, ditto anything else he can wreck a room with. Is he too old for a playpen of some sort? I'm thinking of an old fashioned pen set on the floor, if you could get one.

Get a tumble dryer and don't do any more faffing around with clothes drying everywhere, or ironing. Fold things crisply when they come out of the dryer. Laundry can then be done in the evening when DCs are in bed. Put a hamper in every bedroom. DCs should not have more than a week's worth of clothes. Buy only white socks in big packs and avoid wasting time matching colours, losing mates.

Open the post every day, standing beside the bin. Dump what's not relevant right away. Put the rest in a file.

Do the bathroom every day with a quick wipe of surfaces using window cleaner and paper towels. You or DH could get this done at bathtime. Kitchen can be sorted daily too using same.

Get some storage from Ikea. Shelves, cupboards and hooks are great. Plastic bins are fine for toys. Get rid of things the DCs don't use any more. Get a special box for DD's precious things so she won't be anxious about stuff that she loves being thrown out.

Just had a 'fun' afternoon in the garage making a start on sorting things out for the NCT sale. It's amazing the things that accumulate over time! I've got so many bags of things, some I'd forgotten about. Will be great to have some extra space as struggling to get in the garage at the moment!

Usually my ds finds it really difficult to get rid of things. He's amazed me as he has agreed to get rid of some pre-school toys which have been stored away for a while. Think it's the fact I told him he could have some of the money from the sale for himself. (Well, actually all we make will be spent on him too but I'll decide how - thinking of a new desk as he loves drawing and making things!)

Madwoman, I love NCT sales too though haven't done one for a couple of years, hence the build up of 'stuff'! Hope you've managed to get your kitchen sorted. Bet you're really fed-up about that!

Mogs - bet you feel great now all the charity stuff has gone. It feels great to have the extra space. In the past I've sorted things out and never got round to taking them to the charity shops!!!

Doggiesaywoof - how did the interview go? Hope it's good news.

Happy decluttering everyone!

I'm feeling productive today! I posted 5 items that sold on ebay over the weekend - one of which was a booster seat so took up a bit of space (especially as I have been hoarding the original box aswell for 6 years ). I have also listed 16 items on ebay so hopefully they'll be gone next week.

I had a good dig around in one of my big cupboards on Saturday and have cleared enough space to fit ds' unused wardrobe in there so he will have a bit more space in his room and I will have a better way to store stuff. I think I shall name it my ebay cupboard!!

Tessieb - well done your ds with helping to get rid of some of his things. I tried telling my ds he could buy something with our ebay proceeds but even that wasn't incentive enough.

I'm off to list some more bits on ebay then going to fill a bag before I go and tidy the kitchen.............