My home is a mess

ceridwen

soupdragon10 wrote: »

I do agree about starting small. If I'd gone into a room with the thought that it must all be tidy at the end I'd not even start. Deciding on one drawer/shelf/cupboard to sort works so much better (for me at least) as I can congratulate myself on a job well done, and often find myself tidying something else without thinking.

Thats the method I'm experimenting with now. Someone else recommended to me (on another thread) that I just try and do a small amount at a time. So - I thought that if I just set myself 15 minute time slots to do some springcleaning/decluttering/paperwork that I will get through it all eventually. So - on top of the "standard" housework - I've been doing that for the last few days and found that often I will feel okay about just doing another 15 minutes worth and maybe even a 3rd 15 minutes worth on from that.

I figured out that if I were to do that every day for a year - then 15 minutes x 365 days = RATHER a lot of hours and therefore I would certainly have everything "up square" in just a couple of months or so.

It IS a question of finding the motivation to tackle a whole room for springcleaning at a time that I find a problem.

So far - I've completed the kitchen (apart from inside the cooker) and have done 3 of the shelves in the airing cupboard, 1 sitting room cupboard shelf, the 4 underbed drawers. I'm on a roll...

ceridwen

One tip for those - of more advanced years - ie old enough that we are aware of most of our life being behind us on the one hand, but not old enough to have all the time in the world (ie not yet retired) on the other hand =

I now take advantage of the declining number of years to come to work out how many of whatever-item-it-is I am likely to require per year x number of estimated years to think of and chuck out anything over and above that number.

So - my mother has had a habit in the past of buying towels to match her decor (frequently changed....) and new pillowcases to match every time she bought new sheets. From that - I have had an awful LOT of handtowels and pillowcases passed to me over the years.....

So I've timesied it out as to number of estimated years to go - and a goodly number of pillowcases are heading out the charity shops. I already passed on a load of handtowels a whiles back - but I've timesied that out too and I dont actually use handtowels in this house (ie no second bathroom or even secondary loo) - but I've allowed enough of them to take me from here on in for rest of life (as I'm still hoping to move to a bigger house one day....:cool: - and might need them then) and kept 12 and the rest will find good homes.

Can anyone tell me if the local animal charity shop would be likely to want towels for their animal refuge? I know someone told me before that they would like my old duvets that I had just replaced - so they were duly taken in and handed over for the dogs..

imataloss

Hello All - I`ve been MIA since Friday and just been trying to read through all the posts. Can`t believe how many people we have on here now - welcome all.
Have to go out to take DGS to nursery now and then come back and start work.
Will be back later to catch up.
Have a great day everyone.

snookey

Good morning all. Cerdiwen the animal shelters do ask for towels and Im sure that if in good condition the charity shops.

procrastinator

Good morning
Had to have a positive post today so I've just cleared the small corner onthe kitchen worktop, sprayed and swiped and resprayed a stubborn bit to be looked at this pm after work. Wiped the surrounding tiles and lower cupboard door (cant reach the higher one) and the small bit of wall tothe side. Was going to wash bfast things but son in shower and didn't want to scald him. Will do so if he gets a move on otherwise when i get home.
Thank you for all your lovely replies, I was on a real downer yesterday but today is another day.

Taliahmai

Morning guys n gals...well my darling son decided to get me up at 5.30am this morning! wouldnt mind if he was little but he is 8!! So i am now shattered before the day even starts and really dont want to do anything! Even tho i need to...i also have to brave asda when my daughter goes to school at dinner time....so i might just clear my fridge and leave it at that lol see how i feel later.

I also ache like a good un this morning, think i must of slept funny....the wd40 i could def do with lol. I sprayed some deep heat this morning and i think my aim was off, cause im burning in places i really shouldnt be burning haha

imataloss

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Why not make "soon", "today". Hark at me, giving advice :rotfl: I should listen to myself!

Sorry Jackie it`s still there.

imataloss

GreyQueen wrote: »

I have been postponing dealing with the files for years, BB, it's a universally hated chore because you need to keep an eye out for the important stuff among the rubbish. As to the kitchen drawers, have only 2, a regular one which I can get at and a stupid small one which is hard to gt a hold of. What worked for me was having the entire contents out on the table top and giving everything the 3rd degree before it went back in. F'instance, on closer examination, my collection of plastic cutlery saved from aeroplane trips years ago (:o) was cracking up. I also decided that if I only use a utensil once a year or so, I can improvise with something else or just forgo whatever it was that I was doing with the blessed thing.

Kitchens are dangerous places, BB, do be careful in there. Plastic containers are breeding in the wall cupboards and waiting to leap out and devour the unwary. Cutlery drawers are part of C-space and connected to the Primal Drawer, and can re-stock themselves from the Motherlode the moment your back is turned. One woman I know had such a trouble with her cutlery that she resorted to extreme measures and got rid of it all bar chopsticks and spoons.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I will never look at the cutlery drawer in the same way again!

imataloss

ceridwen wrote: »

One tip for those - of more advanced years - ie old enough that we are aware of most of our life being behind us on the one hand, but not old enough to have all the time in the world (ie not yet retired) on the other hand =

I now take advantage of the declining number of years to come to work out how many of whatever-item-it-is I am likely to require per year x number of estimated years to think of and chuck out anything over and above that number.

So - my mother has had a habit in the past of buying towels to match her decor (frequently changed....) and new pillowcases to match every time she bought new sheets. From that - I have had an awful LOT of handtowels and pillowcases passed to me over the years.....

So I've timesied it out as to number of estimated years to go - and a goodly number of pillowcases are heading out the charity shops. I already passed on a load of handtowels a whiles back - but I've timesied that out too and I dont actually use handtowels in this house (ie no second bathroom or even secondary loo) - but I've allowed enough of them to take me from here on in for rest of life (as I'm still hoping to move to a bigger house one day....:cool: - and might need them then) and kept 12 and the rest will find good homes.

Can anyone tell me if the local animal charity shop would be likely to want towels for their animal refuge? I know someone told me before that they would like my old duvets that I had just replaced - so they were duly taken in and handed over for the dogs..

Our local one likes towels and blankets. So it may be worth a try.

imataloss

After my mad vacuuming spree last week it`s been pretty quiet on the cleaning/tidying/decluttering front here.
Have spent lots of time out of the house over the weekend.
Kitchen worktops need sorting again, seem to have accumlated lots of clutter.
Also DS emptied the contents of his car and bought the majority of it into the house. He has move most of it but we still have a pair of shoes, pair of flip flops and a bag that need to find a new home.
Need to do some shredding of work papers today and clean the desktop again.
Went to the poundshop on Sunday and bought a book to add to my collection of books still to be read. This is sitting on top of my desk. Wonder how many books I have now?
Done no ironing for a few days - have been following the advice of shaking, folding, hanging things straight after drying. No one seems to have noticed either.
Good luck with your efforts everyone.