Keeping house like my mum

FrankieM

My mum is super organised, tidy and clean. She always has been and she has managed to get/keep my Dad the same way.
I'm more naturally like that but my DH keeps everything and is so messy. He doesn't know how to tidy.
I was just thinking the other day that I really need to start spring cleaning/decluttering again and then finding proper storage solutions for things, but most of the things that need doing are my DH's and I don't feel that I can just throw his stuff out.
Perhaps I could box it up and put it in the loft??

But I do agree with the comment made that we prhave so much more stuff than previous generations. That in itself makes it harder to keep on top of things.

celyn90

OH's parents hoard terribly, they have walls made of boxes in their house and you have to edge down the corridors sideways in some places I hate it, it drives me mad. His dad brings in stuff from the communal recycling, newspapers, magazines all sorts of stuff. They have rooms they don't use that are full of junk.

My grandmother was the same, when my parents cleared out her house you couldn't actually get upstairs. She had boxes of newspapers that had formed solid blocks where they had been piled so high. It was grim. My father has inherited some of those traits and although my mum keeps him in check a bit, he keeps buying new sheds to store stuff in, so the top of my parents garden does look a little like a shanty town. *shudders* He's just discovered freecycle :eek: I am a neat freak because of this, although I still have a couple of random junk drawers at home, which I detest with a passion. My papers aren't organised, but they are all in the same box. OH files his neatly but would live in a tip if I didn't keep the place tidy.

My parents house is messy now, although it wasn't when we were kids - I guess because my mum works full time now whereas she didn't when we were younger.

JRRD

I need this thread to kick start me into sorting stuff out...... every year when we go away I think 'Oh God, please don't let me die or end up in hospital'
The thought of someone having to come into my house to find things doesn't bare thinking about.............. so I kid myslf I'll get it sorted but then I still end up going on holiday praying I make it back in one piece !!!!

Mad_as_a_Hatter

JRRD wrote: »

I need this thread to kick start me into sorting stuff out...... every year when we go away I think 'Oh God, please don't let me die or end up in hospital'
The thought of someone having to come into my house to find things doesn't bare thinking about.............. so I kid myslf I'll get it sorted but then I still end up going on holiday praying I make it back in one piece !!!!

Oh this made me chuckle........ I thought there was only me that thought like that. I've been reading loads of threads like this to try and get myself better organised this afternoon. I have already made a start so thanks to everyone for the tips and advice :j

meanmarie

My house is a mess....I was amazed that I could find my motor insurance certificate the other day....every so often I go through the paperwork and get rid of what we don't need but would hate to think of what would happen if I popped my clogs to-morrow!

Will start to declutter soon.....promise

Marie

Careful_with_that_Axe

Since moving to a larger house, I have sworn that I will get organised, but after 2 months, I still don't even have furniture in the right places! Maybe I'll get there eventually.

Mum used to proudly tell us that all her paperwork was together in a roll top desk for when anything happened to her. We looked when she died, and she was right, but it was distributed throughout and in amongst the 4 bin bags full of other miscellaneous paperwork we took out of the desk!

Cheapskate

So glad I'm not the only one who hates the mess they're in & is trying to change it! Been in our current house 13 years & you can't move in some rooms for all the cr*p in them! :eek: New baby due in 9 weeks & I WILL be a lot better by then, even if it kills me - as older relatives have dies, it's taken people in our family ages to go through their things & I do not intend to follow the same path. I'm going to get a skip at the end of the holidays & I bet that I can just about fill it, even without counting things that get freecycled! :rotfl:
Will keep watching this thread - hope we can keep each other enthused enough to finish our mammoth tasks! :rotfl:
Good luck, chaps!
A xo

lemonade_money

What an great thread, I have read everyone's responses with great interest.

This is something I've also been thinking about for two reasons - the first being that we are planning to move house in the very near future and I don't want to take the cr*p with us. And the second is that I have this thing that anyone who babysits (which is currently only family) will go through our personal finances!

My own mum's house is a tip, always has been and probably always will be. I hated living there, was a relief to move away from the rubbish. Both my parents are hoarders, my mum's the worst though.

milann

I was rushed in hospital a couple of years ago - where I stayed for over 6 weeks. When I came out I wasn't fit for much so sat days and days shredding old papers - again my fear had been of people going through MY things and silly secrets whilst I was in there. I was off work over a year - in a moment of madness we decided to have an extension to our dining room and kitchen done whilst I was off to be there for the builders. Sooo..... I sorted and threw skipfuls of carp from all over the house - that we had saved 'just in case' - funnily enough - we haven't missed any of it.

As kids have left home I have claimed dds old room for a craft room and dh claimed ds's old room for his hobby room. Again I've tipped, charity shop recycled and we have still managed to fill a room each with hobby stuff - it is more organised than ever before - but when kids were young and at home - we couldn't afford and had no time for hobbies. As past posters have said - WE OWN FAR MORE than ever before.

Funnily enough before I read this thread today - I blitzed my bathroom cupboards of old lotions and potions - 1994 cream from doc????????? - well past its sell by date lol !!!!!!!!! and put old ragged towels in dogs home box at supermarket.

I WILL KEEP ON TOP OF CLUTTER - BUT ITS AN ONGOING BATTLE - will re-sort my paper box this week - If only I could learn to file paperwork as I get them!!!!

Milann

SailorSam

I'm a terrible hoarder, i hate to throw anything away. I look at things and think, no it will come in handy, normally i'd only throw one carrier bag of rubbish away each week. But over the last few months i;ve started to clear things out, and it's so hard, it breaks my heart to get rid.
After my Mum died it was left to me to clear her things, she kept everything, Night after night i sat here so sad at seeing her past life, how poor she had been with receipts for lino; pots and pans; bedding and clothes all bought on HP. It made me feel worse that i'm sure i was an inconsiderate little !!!!!! growing up, while she was struggling.
When i go, i want the house to be clear.