Clean and organised tips list....

jk0

*niptuckfan* wrote: »

I read this last week and have been doing ever since what a difference it makes! i live with OH and dog and step son part time so its not like i constantly picking up after kids but house is big just for the 2 of us and things have a tendency to sit about...going to re read and see if any other tips good for me or if i can add to this :j

I live alone. However, rather than constantly running up & down, I leave things to go up on the bottom step, & vice versa. Then whatever is there will get taken up at bedtime or tooth brushing time.

mumofthetwins

I always ensure the house is tidy before leaving for work and every night when I get in do a quick clean of kitchen doors worktop clear any surfaces, bathroom, dust, Hoover etc
I do kids school bags, school money, my work lunches and prep for dinner the next day before I go to bed.
I also have an expandable file in which I keep all paperwork I go through my mail and bin or file straight away.
I always leave a clean microfiber cloth in the bathroom to wipe down the chrome in the shower as this way it always looks clean and shiney with no horroble streaks ! I also use a squigey thing on the doors/glass of the shower and after showering/washing/brushing teeth the shampoo etc is put straight away in the drawer.
Clothes are put in to wash overnight and then straight on airer or line before leaving for work the next morning and put away when I get home.
The boys tidy every thing in their rooms before going to bed (if it's left on the floor it's in the bin !) And they do homework for an hour or so when they first get in from school then guitar practice before any games
I also have a dry wipe board in each boys room with lesson timetable on and tick boxes for each lesson for homework and due date ... From going into secondary school you need to be organised.
Another thing im not sure has been mentioned is I always label food going in the freezer with date frozen and what it is, I also label any thing in the fridge which has been opened and put in a tub for freshness with the date it was opened.
OMG I do sound a bit OCD but at least im an organised OCD in a tidy house

One thing I don't do is leave anything on any steps of the stairs ... Please don't do this. I used to until I stood on a stupid picture frame while coming down the stairs with one of my boys in my arms (he was 4 month old) I dropped him as I stumbled and he ended up with a broken leg and fractured skull in a cast from waist down ... Now I just take things straight upstairs or leave on the sideboard in the hallway.

My best tip though not really ideal is divorce .... After my divorce I found the house is always tidy as it's just me and the boys

MadelinesMum

mumofthetwins wrote: »

I always ensure the house is tidy before leaving for work and every night when I get in do a quick clean of kitchen doors worktop clear any surfaces, bathroom, dust, Hoover etc
I do kids school bags, school money, my work lunches and prep for dinner the next day before I go to bed.
I also have an expandable file in which I keep all paperwork I go through my mail and bin or file straight away.
I always leave a clean microfiber cloth in the bathroom to wipe down the chrome in the shower as this way it always looks clean and shiney with no horroble streaks ! I also use a squigey thing on the doors/glass of the shower and after showering/washing/brushing teeth the shampoo etc is put straight away in the drawer.
Clothes are put in to wash overnight and then straight on airer or line before leaving for work the next morning and put away when I get home.
The boys tidy every thing in their rooms before going to bed (if it's left on the floor it's in the bin !) And they do homework for an hour or so when they first get in from school then guitar practice before any games
I also have a dry wipe board in each boys room with lesson timetable on and tick boxes for each lesson for homework and due date ... From going into secondary school you need to be organised.
Another thing im not sure has been mentioned is I always label food going in the freezer with date frozen and what it is, I also label any thing in the fridge which has been opened and put in a tub for freshness with the date it was opened.
OMG I do sound a bit OCD but at least im an organised OCD in a tidy house

One thing I don't do is leave anything on any steps of the stairs ... Please don't do this. I used to until I stood on a stupid picture frame while coming down the stairs with one of my boys in my arms (he was 4 month old) I dropped him as I stumbled and he ended up with a broken leg and fractured skull in a cast from waist down ... Now I just take things straight upstairs or leave on the sideboard in the hallway.

My best tip though not really ideal is divorce .... After my divorce I found the house is always tidy as it's just me and the boys

I used to leave things to take upstairs on the stairs but stopped doing this when my father-in-law fell badly down his own stairs.

That week - with the stairs totally clear - 3 people fell down my stairs! I reckon it was because we relaxed more because we knew there was nothing to dodge on the stairs and weren't as observant than we were when we knew there was stuff on the stairs.

[Deleted User]

when we downsized from our oversized house in London to our tiny cottage in Kent my late OH said 'think caravan' whic was great advice as if any of you have ever had a caravan holiday you know that things MUST be put away fairly sharpish or you just can't move I have one room thats cluttered with odds and ends and its the study that I am in (for study read small back bedroom:)) I keep everything in there that I need or use on a regular basis.My computer ,craft stuff books (shelves are groaning )bills, receipts,letters and all my finacial and personal files etc.That leaves the rest of the house fairly clutter free.I have a stair-lift in my house so stuff to go upstairs goes on the seat for when I go up.Living alone I stack my washing up on the draining board and do it just before I go to bed as I'm on a water meter so like to keep the bills down with one bowl of water.I use the washing machine as and when its full.I have a very small bag hanging on the hook of the back of the door for rubbish as I found with recycling I have very little waste rubbish.My tall pop-up pedal bin I gave away as it never got used.My walk-in shower gets whizzed over with a microfibre cloth just before I get out so I get no streaks on the glass.My loo gets cleaned with a damp cloth daily and a squirt of vinegar and water then a dollop of bleach or cleaner ever couple of days.My house is quite small so it doesn't take long to keep clean I make my bed when I get up and fold my duvet into four and leave at the bottom of my bed so the bed can air all day,then remake it befoe bed.I try to keep things as minimal as possible and the house stays reasonably tidy as I am the only one in it as a rule :):) I hate mess and I suppose the only untidy bit at times is by my reclining chair I have a small table and on it I have paper,pen,knitting,book,two controllers for tv and tivo box and one controller for the remote fire(doesn't get used often and once the weather gets warmer it gets put away.I also have a small tray for holding my cup and saucer of tea(not keen on mugs)I too tend to look around as I'm going to see what can get put away during the day.I don't mind ironing,but hate for some reason putting the stuff away I have to do it in several trips on my stair lift.
JackieO xxx

*niptuckfan*

lots of great tips, tend to agree with Madelines mum re divorce lol

i do a lot of whats listed and will try to do more of your suggestions, only thing i can say that hasnt been mentioned is i am trying to be a tidier cook ...when i cook its normally a bomb site so i am now trying to tidy as i go, plus more batch cooking espeically on a monday night for the weeks lunches i find has kept my kitchen a lot cleaner

bargainbird

FAb suggestions - i will be remembering them when i get home.

I do tidy before work and mop the floors if needed.
I make PL the night before so they can be just grabbed.
I do pile carp on the stairs but after reading mumoftwins :eek: i will never do that again. I did have a basket at the bottom of the stairs for said carp but DD2 stole it :cool:.
Kids (13, 8 5 ) take care of their own rooms and must be tidy when they go to bed and leave for school who knows when the hoover will be used and if it on the floor it up the hoover, i've hooverewed more loombands than i care to mention.
Tea is prepped in the morning and chucked in SC or peeled, choppd etc.
Washing is my problem blink and i have a huge pile :eek:

Re: Divorce, i'm halfway there he wont move out but keeps his things in his room :T

Onwards and upwards we will conker the clutter

PenniesMake£s

Microfibre cloths are amazing :j

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I've posted before about this, but I once spent a summer in the US as a housekeeper in a busy motel next to one of the National Parks. Those American king sized beds take ages to make! We were taught to clean as effectively and efficiently as possible, as when the place was fully booked we had to get every room sparkling again by check-in time of 14.00. What surprised me most was how FEW cleaning products we used. One general cleaner and one glass cleaner (made with bulk-bought chemicals on site), towel rags and sheet rags. No kitchen roll, no expensive wipes, no air freshener, no branded special kitchen/bathroom/surface/anti-bac stuff. We left shower curtains drawn out along the rail so they dried each day; they will go mouldy quickly if they are damp and permanently scrunched up. We all developed a routine; I always did the bathroom first starting with the bath.That way you waste less time and are less likely to miss a bit. I have to say that the job left me with very high standards; I always check hotel rooms for dust and the way they hang their towels....

I personally can't bear manky fridges. If I'm doing a small load of washing up, I'll do a shelf or a salad box so it's less onerous than the whole big job at once.

Incidentally, the family rooms at the motel were the worst of all to clean. A particular highlight was finding a used nappy in amongst the bed linen.

good_advice

I thought this was a new thread!
Now I see it was started in the New Year.

We have now had our Spring declutter.
DD has done a car boot sale. Many things have gone to the recycle centre and some items tossed.

I am delighted the loft looks so organized. Suitcases, Christmas trash! things that will be minimised again in December.

Coats and hooks rehomed to under the stairs cupboard. Less on show ;0)

I have been making better use of plastic boxes. Grouping things together. Cleaning bottles, dog stuff and a few toys that grandparents need.
Invested in some plastic drawers for sewing stuff.

Even splashed out on a pair of water butts to organize the rain for plant watering this summer. We are now on a water meter.