Untidy house = major stress

moneysaving_convert

My hint: do your bedroom first - make it look nice and comfortable and try to keep on top of it then you have a room to run to when it all gets too much for you!

Look at all the posts on this forum - most people are in the same boat and we all have friends or relatives who have immaculate houses just to make us feel inadequate. We are the normal ones!!

I worked out that it was the ironing lurking around my house that got me down the most so I use an ironing service. It costs me about £18 a week for 5 people's ironing (including 16 shirts) and I think it is worth it for my sanity. Try and work out what bothers you the most and see if there is an answer to it.

cheeswright

hi, can i recommend a book ?
the messies guide by sandra felton

its not about how to do your housework - lets face it you know HOW to
its about why you dont

and what you could do to make housework easier to achieve - and thats really not about using different cleaners - soaps - better machines or even more time...

oh - and theres quite a good bit about getting to blame your mum too..
which is also VERY interesting as a parent -

worth a look - you may be able to get it from a library - although its quite old - and slightly americanized

I found it really useful - and have SLOWLY transformed my home from squalid and full of tat that I dont know I own and gets in my way to calm minimalism......

not all based on the advice give but it was a good kick in the pants and pointed out - like so many good friends wont - that I was being my own worst enemy

or i'll point it out to you if you like - save you a trip to the library
:rotfl:you are your own worst enemy:rotfl:

the key points that helped me are:
the less you own the easier it is to put away
start with you back to the front door and move slowly forward look at every item you own asking do i need it ie:
do i own more than one (chuck it)
am i keeping it just incase ?(chuck it)
am i hoping to give/ sell it to someone else ?(chuck it)
do i use it - a lot or could something smaller and simpler do this job and several others ? ( chuck it)
when I bought this house was it so i could live in the space or keep things like this in it ? (chuck it even if you only waver a bit)

expect this process to take 6 months :eek:
DONT start in the kitchen
and expect to make mistakes

i dont know if any advice is ever really useful but i wish you all the best with this

Fruball

I failed abysmally today After collecting the children at lunchtime and giving them lunch, I felt exhausted (S.A.D.) so I went and crawled into bed with the girls and they watched TV whilst I had a nap

Needless to say, nothing pro-active has been done. But the re-active stuff has been done, ie empty DW, put a load of washing on then into TD for quickness/ease, gorgeous dinner of lamb rack, mash, cabbage and gravy for me and DDs so I shouldn't beat myself up too much.

Maybe I will have more luck tomorrow

Got to sort out the kitchen... again... having cooked our delicious dinner.

Hope everyone else has had a better day than me!

lindseykim13

I seem to have spent the last 2 years trying to get the house sorted. The problem is once you've gone around it all you have to start back at the begining again!
I've got to tell myself now that as long as a few key areas are kept clean and tidy and we all have clothes and food etc i need to chill out a bit. Problem is i get the stressed out, crying thing probably once every 2mths or so as i feel nobody helps me around the house unless it involves a load of shouting and screeming at them all. I've got 3 kids and an OH who only does things on instruction and then he will take 5xlonger than anyone normal to do. We both work (me p/t) and homeschool so that takes priority. It is a never ending battle and then i'll go and start something stupid like decorating a room which i get half way through and regret starting

I also have a bad habbit of setting stupid goals like getting the house spotless for xmas so we can enjoy the time off. I then find i haven't managed to get it all done on time and i'm rushing around xmas eve mopping the floors etc

My advise would be if you use something put it away in the right place and eventually everything should get put away and also set you into a good habit. I'm trying it myself it's a shame nobody else in my house 'gets it'.