Untidy house = major stress

katholicos

My advice would be to put things in to perspective. It doesn't matter what the interior of your friends homes look like. personally i always think there is something not quite right about a home with children in it and no mess anywhere. I used to have a friend who was paranoid about maintaining a spotless house, her kids were constantly shouted at and berated by her and they became really jumpy kids.

Do the essentials.

You need to cook, so you need to clean cooking and eating utensils: wash the dishes, dry them and put them away. It doesn;t matter if you leave the dishes in the sink till the evening, just do them once a day if you want and get them dried and put away ready for using another day.

You need clean clothes, clean towels and clean bedding: Sort the light coloured items from the darks and one day put a white/light wash on and dry it in the dryer or put it on the radiator or clothes airer and a day or two later do the same for the dark wash and dry it and put it away.

If you use a plate to eat off or a piece of kitchen roll for snacks then there really shouldn't be too much mess/dirt/crumbs on the floor so push a hoover around once a week and if you feel so inclined flick a damp cloth or duster around before you hoover.

Give yourself permission to not beat yourself up about the housework, my home looks lived in but it isn't dirty. Years ago i couldn't be seen without a duster in my hand (then i got divorced - hahaha!), now, i don't try to please anyone else, i just do the jobs that need to be done and just keep on top of things in a more relaxed and casual way.

I know a lot of people swear by flylady but i didn't like it. I'm much happier with the routine/non routine that i have of doing the necessary and chilling out about the uneccessary.

themull1

I would hate putting all my clothes away unironed, i have to iron at least every other day, i find that shirts/blouses iron much better when they come out slightly damp from the washing machine. I have an Oh and two kids that generate loads of washing!! I also spend my life putting things away/in the bin. I declutter regularly and give stuff to charity or sell on ebay, especially just before christmas to make way for the next lot of junk, i mean toys. My husband will help, but only if i ask him. I never have a day off though, i'm always doing something in the house, just to keep on top of it.

siamesecats

im guilty of this too but it seems to be laziness with me i find the trick to get my butt into gear is to stay of the interenet and no tv on in the day you would be surprised at what you can achieve without these distractions x

zippychick

Hi Miss Motivation

there are loads of threads which can help

Can you do OS and work full time too?

What's your daily routine ...

Housework routine

being organised

Organising Your Week - The Way Granny Used To Do It

keeping house like my mum

I'll merge this with the latest flylady thread later

thanks
Zip

Grandmasu

Hello, I do understand how you feel, I too have a very cluttered house, would like help but am too ashamed to let anyone see how neglectful I have been.

I do agree with those who say tackle it in small stages, during the adverts or one small corner at a time.

I note that you are an estate agent and as someone who works weekends and relief in the same job I realise the pressures you must be under in todays market to achieve targets. No-one who has never done the job will realise just how hard the job can be and the hours that you work, especially if it is for one of the corporates.

Be kind to yourself, pick out the tips that appeal most to you, and keep us posted. Lots of hugs ((()))

Fruball

I posted a similar post a while back and my house has sadly got worse and worse... Its disgusting now and I can hardly see where to start

Tomorrow when kids are at school (part time atm) I will get a rubbish bag and go thru the whole house just collecting rubbish (papers, broken toys, odd socks etc. Then I will do the kitchen.

Either after that, or Tues I will go and collect all the clothes from all over the house :eek: and get them washed and put away

Next will be unpacking from my holiday back in August... still got 2 cases full :eek:

If I manage all that this week I will be delighted.

I am so embarrassed by the state of my house that if someone knocks on my door, I look out of the window to see who it is before I answer. If it was someone who I couldn't bare to come in, I would put on my coat and pretend I was just on my way out

Good luck with getting your house sorted.

life_in_termoil

my house is a state and the reason is ive got no motivation so need a kick up the backside and I get distracted easily. Today I am going to make a start and im going to do it in 15 minute bursts. Ive found an online egg timer so will set this for 15 mins and not stop till the timer finishes.

Plan of action is :-
[STRIKE]load washing machine[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 mins lounge[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 mins kitchen[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min break[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 mins bathroom[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min bedroom[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min break[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]unload wm put another load in[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min lounge[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min kitchen[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min break[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min bathroom[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]15 min bedroom
[/STRIKE]
Lets see how I get on.... first of all im gonna finish my brew then get a wriggle on.

Fruball

Lovin the online egg timer! I found it and will use it this week too!!!

I ended up helping out in class this morning so only just got back and need to pop to shops for cleaning stuff so still haven't started yet... But I am finally in the mood for it so will def start this afternoon

life_in_termoil

Wooohoooo how great is this, only done 15 mins in each room but can really see the difference!!! Haha having a cuppa then its off to beat the clock again lol

imataloss

Frugalista wrote: »

This made me laugh - one day :rotfl:

I'd need a month, a couple of skips and Kim & Aggie locked in the house to get my place sorted :eek::eek::o:o:o:D

Just came across this and it really made me smile

Clutter is taking over my house and my life. Everytime I open my wardrobe door I think the contents are going to fall out.

Found 8 coats hanging in a cubby hole in the kitchen today which should have been in a wardrobe. :eek:
Have a bag of clothes in there given to me by my niece. They`re not suitable for anyone I know so will be going to CS or Clothing bin at supermarket.

Too scared to see what else is in there :eek:

Really must make some time to sort things out but life is too short to be constantly doing housework.