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Original poster

House getting me down

60 replies

alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:31

Bit embarrassed to post this as am having to admit to being a slovenly woman with very poor housekeeping skills.
my bedroom is an absolute disgrace and it has got to the point where it is so bad i don't know where to start with making it better. There is just stuff everywhere.i can never find anything, i practically have to jump from the door to get to bed,it's so horrible. I feel like i need kim and aggie to come and sort me out, but i would too ashamed for anyone to see it!
really depressed about it tonight- have just filled a binbag with old magazines, letters,etc and you wouldn't know i had removed anything.
any advice where do i go from here?

OP posts:
katymac · 28/01/2006 22:33

Alexsmum - Are there clothes lying about?

There always are in mine

I try and put the dirty stuff in the wash
Then put any clean stuff away
Then decided if anything can be hrown away

Don't do too much at once - maybe 10 or 15 mins 3 or 4 times a day - it's easier to dealwith that way

starlover · 28/01/2006 22:36

you need AT LEAST 2-3 hours. just go in with a roll of binbags and chuck everything that you don;t want/need.
do a bag for charity shop if you think you;ll get it there, if not just bin it.

it always looks worse before it looks better...
make a big pile on bed of ALL clothes.
between tidying the floor put loads in the washing machine to get it all clean.

sort out cupboards, wardrobes etc... get rid of everything you don't need so that you can put clean stuff away.

BE RUTHLESS!

JanH · 28/01/2006 22:38

Can you get yourself a whole day?

starlover · 28/01/2006 22:39

also can you get someone to have the kids? much easier when it's just you

katymac · 28/01/2006 22:40

My problem is that it's allways SO big a job I get frightened - then I say well what ever I do will make no differecne - so why should I bother?

Where as I know 15 mins will make no difference - but if I set it as a routine, I now I have to do it - whether it makes a difference or not.

colditz · 28/01/2006 22:41

Right then, you are just like me, the answer is to be very ruthless, and promise yourself to go to the tip tomorrow!

  1. Get lots of binbags upstairs
  2. Make your bed neatly
  3. Salvage anything off your floor that you want and put it on your bed.
  4. Put everything else in binbags, and leave the binbags in front of your front door.

Now, if you are like me, you have drawers full of old bills from 1997 in what should be your knicker drawer, and stuff like that, so...

  1. Get each drawer out seperately, sit on floor with binbag, and bin stuff you neither want, nor have needed for past 12 months.
  2. Condense stuff that you do decide to keep into one drawer. NOBODY should need more than one drawer full of old paperwork!
  3. Have another drawer for underwear.

Now you should have a bit more storage room, you can clear off the surfaces - wanted = a drawer, unwanted = a binbag. Polish these surfaces and hoover your now-clear floor, you will feel like you have achieved great things.

Binbags near door. As you leave house, take them with you, put in boot of car, and take straight to municipal tip/ paper recycling thing.

Hope this helps, I had to do this too.

starlover · 28/01/2006 22:41

katymac i feel like that... but usually once i am started i get quite int oit and can't stop til it's done!

expatinscotland · 28/01/2006 22:42

Alex
Start slowly or you'll get overwhelmed and give up. Start w/a bag a day. Set small goals, involving ONE room only and one target only - say, clothes, or papers. One bag to charity bin; the other for rubbish when you're doing clothes; one bag for filing and the other for the shredder/bin in the case of papers. NO 'just in case'! Trust that the universe will provide what you have need of should the need arrive.

Original poster
alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:42

getting a whole day sans kids very rare.
am going to do more tomorrow. clothes everywhere, not just mine but kids stuff too. keep finding , toys and kids books, videos...just all sorts.
i agree i have to be ruthless and i KNOW the key is keeping on top of it, i'm so crap at that, which is why it ends up like this.

OP posts:
colditz · 28/01/2006 22:43

And put a wash basket in your room, next to your bed!

starlover · 28/01/2006 22:45

ahhh colditz you and me are one of a kind i think! lol

now the next question... has anyone found a way of keeping on top of it instead of doing a MEGA clean up once every few months

colditz · 28/01/2006 22:45

Yes, i have dealt with all my old stuff like this since 1996, and have never ONCE run around the house shouting "OH no! Where is that store card statement from Ikea from 2.5 years ago! I need it! I wish I hadn't thrown it away!"

Never, so just sling them.

Original poster
alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:45

also totally agree about that feeling of 'where on earth do i start'? i was saying to dh, i just want to feel normal and i don't think its normal to be living like this.

OP posts:
mcmudda · 28/01/2006 22:46

Alexsmum - I'm so glad it's not just me. We sound v similar.

I have a washbasket in our bedroom but it's overflowing. Machine is on (full) 3 times a day - so I must just have too much crap.

I'll join you in a mass clear out and we can compare skip sizes

cathyspam · 28/01/2006 22:46

hi alexsmu - i have the very same problem as you and just dont know where to start - have a 1 yr old and a 2 yr old and no energy for tidying but it is getting me down too! I feel like i need a full day a week to catch up for a while then i might be able to keep on top of it. Maybe i can get dh to take them out on a sunday or something. Having a car boot stall tomorrow so hopefully will get rid of some of the crap!

Original poster
alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:46

we have a washing basket in the bedroom! you just can't see it for all the crap pile don top!!

OP posts:
elastamum · 28/01/2006 22:48

Dont dispair, just do a bin bag a day until it is gone. You will feel so much better. Im not very tidy and the kids are even worse. Unfortunately my DH hates mess so I make a point of attacking every room in the house every couple of months and chucking all the rubbish out. Then I tidy up a couple of times a week to try and keep it all under control. We usually have a big tidy before DH gets back as he is away a lot. I can easily fill a dustbin liner a week with all the newspapers, magazines etc that seem to breed under my side of the bed and on my desk

cathyspam · 28/01/2006 22:48

mcmudda - have same laundry problem - I prioritise it and then some stuff just never gets done!

starlover · 28/01/2006 22:48

definitely try and get dh/dp tp take the kids out... even if it's just for a morning or afternoon.
it's SO mcuh easier when it's just you to think about...

i still have bags of stuff waiting to go to charity shop or be sold.... it's not worth it... just bin it

colditz · 28/01/2006 22:48

Yes haaar! I bet you have loads of wash baskets don't you!???

Get rid of all but 2.

One for dirty clothes, one for clean clothes. As the dirty one fills up, you will have to wash clothes. As the clean clothes one fills up, you have to take it upstairs. Organise the clothes on your made bed, you will achieve 2 things - you will have to put them away before you can get into bed, and also you will have to make your bed every day.

elastamum · 28/01/2006 22:49

Gosh we are a messy lot! All too busy on Mumsnet to tidy up

Original poster
alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:50

the thing is for me, if i have a free day, the last hing i want to do is spend it doing the bedroom! it's a relief to hear it's not just me.
it pisses me off going in the drawer for a clean t-shirt and finding none there but heaps of dirty laundry on the floor.
i have the washer on all the time , making sure the kids have fresh clean stuff every day and dh has clean shirts for work. i can't see me ever catching up.

OP posts:
colditz · 28/01/2006 22:50

And never go on the stairs empty handed. Always be carrying clothes.

mcmudda · 28/01/2006 22:52

I've got napkins from Christmas 2004 sitting unwashed at the bottom of my basket cos there are too many other things that always need washed first.

The last time I saw our bedroom carpet was during the second viewing of our house before we even bought it. That room has never been clear let alone tidy.

Original poster
alexsmum · 28/01/2006 22:54

lol mcmudda!!! the last time my bedroom was as clean and tidy as i would like it to be, was just before i left for the hospital when in labour with ds2. we whizzed round tidying up any last bits, hoovered, opened windows et and set out crib. it looked beautiful- never looked like that since!

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