My home is a mess

bearcub

Afternoon Messies.

Welcome sashanut and penguingirl. I look forward to hearing of your exploits in getting/keeping your homes de-messied and, to be totally realistic, when you don't.

HopefulMS, those ducklings are just lovely, and well done for sorting your OH's storage problems, possibly in his head, too.

Well done for yesterday's sorting, Emms. I had this horrible feeling that you may have gone missing in action. Despite all the stuff we got rid of when we moved here (DDs had moved from home some time before, so they took most of what they wanted), we still brought a fair amount of DD1's books, and toys that had belonged to one or the other. The books were stored in our loft, but were eventually sorted, and either taken to DD, or a charity shop. The toys are still in the loft, but are special - DD1's model stable and horses, and DD2's Sylvanian Families, both of which are probably worth a fair amount now. DD1 intends to sort out the stable stuff on every visit, but we always forget.

After my day of de-messying activity yesterday, finishing with moving the spare room curtains around to hide the faded edges, I've done one WM load today and hung it to dry. I must sort out another load, and put it in the WM, if only to make more room in the basket. My intention today is to clean some of the windows, particularly the big kitchen one, and de-clutter the window sill. OH has a dreadful habit of leaving various bits and piees on there, and it's bad enough with his fuschia cuttings. Trouble is, I have to climb up on the worktop to reach the left hand side. Ah, well.

Good news, though, is that OH noticed an advert in a local mag, that said the public can use the Harbour Office launderette. :j We don't have a tumbly drier nor the space, not that I'd have one anyway, so drying towels particularly is a major problem in the winter, and there isn't another launderette on this side of the island. The nearest is about 14 miles away, which makes for an expensive (money and time) drying session.

Fruball

Welcome to everyone who is new to the thread :hello:

I am mostly a lurker here but I do post from time to time.

I have set myself (and a hoarder friend) a challenge this year to declutter 3 things a day from our houses. That means binning, charity shopping, or giving away the 3 items. We can do more than 3, but 3 is the minimum.

Even if we only do 3 things per day, that is 1490 fewer things in our houses by this time next year!!! :j

Yesterday i decluttered from the kitchen:

* potato masher (I have two and I don't like or need that one - no idea why I have kept it for years!)

* garlic crusher - again, I have two and the other one is infinately superior!

* a broken mcd0nalds toy which the kids were reluctant to give up so I sneaked it into the bin

there was something else but I forgot what it was....


Any other messies up for this challenge?

hopefulmoneysaver94

Major Question!!

I went to my mum's last night to stay over (like every tuesday) and before i went, I changed the litter tray with a cheap litter (I only had enough money at the time for that litter) And I came in this morning to the most vile smell i've ever smelt in my life! So i changed the litter again (with the same cheap litter) and the smells not gone away! :mad:(My mum usually buys the cat litter to help me out, something about me being her baby child and will always need a helping hand, and it's always that really bloody expensive litter that cats who get incredibly spoilt use lol, But if it keeps the smell of Ammonia away i need to start saving!)
Any tips for the mean time, Whilst i wait till 5pm for mum to drop off litter?

P.s I even washed the hallway floor too, And disinfected it, but i think the over night stay the smell has tarnished the main room..Heaving violently

alec_eiffel

So is it just like a smell in the room or is it on the flooring?

Rabbit litter tray smell is just the worst thing in the land I use bicarb of soda to absorb any smells. I have a spray for fabric etc but sometimes put a saucer of it out if things are especially stinky. I put a layer of bicarb at the bottom of the tray under the litter too and that helps.

hopefulmoneysaver94

alec eiffel It's the smell of ammonia from the litter tray, thats come into the main room and wont go away, I've just looked on every bit of fabric to see if they've peed on it but i can't see anything, but i will try your suggestion, I've just put a pommegranit (Sp?) and cranberry candle on and it's slowly going

alec_eiffel

Adding a nice smell should help mask it for a while at least! I hate it when you're really aware of a smell like that, even when I know the smell has gone it's in my brain for ages that the smell is still there!

bearcub

HopefulMS, if it's ammonia that causing the pong, then you need to neutralise it with an acid. Lemon/orange juice will help, or citric acid (same thing, but stronger) if you have it.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hopeful, some smells linger in our sense worse than others. This may sound daft, but it`s as if once that particular smell has got up your nose you can still smell it even if others say they can`t. It seems to be worse if it`s a particular smell you hate. (Mine are bleach, cat pee & car body filler resin) Has anyone else noticed this? I`d definitely go with adding a Nice smell, if only to cleanse your own smell-memory!
Bearcub - I don`t want to even think about curtains and windows just yet! Good news that you can use the harbour office tumbly drier - is this just for the winter months?
Fruball, I definitely need to keep up with de-cluttering, but 3 things a day won`t touch the sides here! I know there are going to be some days when NOTHING gets done at home but the other days will have to balance things out.
FIRST, I have to carry on shredding and sorting the paper mountain. Trouble is, it`s all in little hillocks all over the house where daftie-me has put it away...
Since my last post I`ve done a load more, but the Tardis effect is dis-heartening.
A small pile, say 6 inches high, of mostly unopened A2 envelopes (I swear I never want to see another Talk-Talk logo!!) when opened/shredded becomes a carrier bag full. I`m half tempted to go for the e-mail bill options but then the problem is just transferred to e-mithers!!

I intend to try to deal with one `category` at a time, I`m going to plod on with the paper stuff, till I can actually see a difference, then Books, then another go at clothes again....I`m stopping now because I have been at it for ages.
Have a nice evening all.

Fruball

lol! 3 things won't touch the sides of my place or my friends either but the 3 things is mandatory EVERY single day without fail... I figure this will help us keep up momentum without being overwhelmed.

I find that once I get up to do my 3 things, I end up getting rid of more

My friend definately needs the softly softly approach so this is a great start for her

bearcub

Hi Emms, can you see me over the mountains of paper?

The only reason for moving these curtains, was that there are a lot of mould marks on the lining of one of them. DD2's bf commented on the condensation in the room (he being a builder), but condensation isn't the issue. It's because we've had so much rain in the last year, and we're on very heavy clay. The water pours down the steps in the garden, and settles on the patio (outside this room) until it very slowly seeps away. I've noticed today that the paint on the outside wall is starting to bubble, so it's going to need some very careful preparation before painting again.

As for the kitchen window, it's just filthy, but it's dark now, and I've still not cleaned it, so that's it for today.