Top Tips for a clean tidy home

Person_one

onlyroz wrote: »

Most single childless messy people I know are perfectly happy to live that way. My ex lived by choice in a slum - "stuff" was piled up on all surfaces. If you wanted to sit down then you'd have to shove aside a pile of magazines and partially opened mail. But such people have no excuses if they actually do want to live in a clean and tidy home.

Wow, don't really know what to say to that, is that possibly more about your ex than every other single childless person in existence?

There are lots of reasons why single childless/free people might not have a perfectly spotless clutter free home such as pets, childcare for other people's children, physical or mental health issues, working long hours or shifts to pay all the bills alone, living in a very small cramped space or having to share with housemates/lodgers.

onlyroz

Person_one wrote: »

Wow, don't really know what to say to that, is that possibly more about your ex than every other single childless person in existence?

There are lots of reasons why single childless/free people might not have a perfectly spotless clutter free home such as pets, childcare for other people's children, physical or mental health issues, working long hours or shifts to pay all the bills alone, living in a very small cramped space or having to share with housemates/lodgers.

Not quite what I meant . Physical and practical limitations aside, most single people who want to live in a tidy home manage to achieve this. As you said yourself, it's often just a matter of decluttering all the useless "stuff" we accumulate over the years.

I'd love to live in a tidy clutter free home, but I have two kids who seem to spend all their time moving their stuff downstairs as fast as I can move it back up again, and a husband who thinks the floor is the wardrobe and seems to be allergic to housework. Having three floors to lug the hoover up and down doesn't help either...

Person_one

onlyroz wrote: »

Not quite what I meant . Physical and practical limitations aside, most single people who want to live in a tidy home manage to achieve this. As you said yourself, it's often just a matter of decluttering all the useless "stuff" we accumulate over the years.

I'd love to live in a tidy clutter free home, but I have two kids who seem to spend all their time moving their stuff downstairs as fast as I can move it back up again, and a husband who thinks the floor is the wardrobe and seems to be allergic to housework. Having three floors to lug the hoover up and down doesn't help either...

I'm not sure what you did mean then, your response just seemed a touch...dismissive/brusque? Fact is, most people with children and partners manage to live in a tidy home too, if they want to (which it seems your husband doesn't). No reason to turn it into one of those 'hard working families' have it worst topics!

PasturesNew

onlyroz wrote: »

You want a clean tidy home? Then stay single and child free.

That doesn't really work. You tend to put things down where they're "handy" and stuff never moves ... nobody moves your stuff...so you end up sitting in a room surrounded by handy things.

Right now, within arm's reach I've got a cardigan, my bag, a back scratcher,a diary, two pencils, a pen, two coasters, a brush, the vacuum cleaner (permanently plugged in and sitting out), my shoes, 3 margarine tubs to go into the shed the next time I step out onto the patio and remember, a microfibre cloth for those little "quick touch up/rubs" of a random window or something ..... and yesterday's socks where I tossed them off my feet. Oh and my slippers.

I've also got a folder of paperwork - no point putting it upstairs/away in a filing cabinet as I'll want that when the next letter/bill comes through the door... and a folder of instruction manuals/guarantees etc, again no point putting it upstairs when things I might want to read a booklet about are downstairs .... and a cardboard insert for some nice blinds I bought in 2005 that I might like to buy again for this house, so it's propped up by the door so I don't forget to get round to thinking about blinds.

Then there's the tub of crafts stuff that I brought downstairs from upstairs, then thought "I need a table really .... and the other two boxes of stuff ...to sort it all out", so put it at the end of the sofa until I get a desire to sort it all out and move a table into this room.

Then there's the telly ... flat screen, I plugged it in, but couldn't get a picture, so I unplugged it and it's on the list of "must get round to having another go at that, I'm sure it works"... but I'm not overly bothered, so not got round to it. And a radio .... inherited. Useful if you listen to the radio, I never remember to get round to listening to it though.

BrokenBetty_2

You want a clean tidy home? Then stay single and child free.
Originally posted by onlyroz
”and pet free.

This would be my problem. No kids yet. I used to live on my own in a flat - no bother! I have married a man who, this morning, left last nights milk glass stuck to the bedside table, all yesterdays dirty clothes on the floor and over the wardrobe doors, an empty cigarette packet on the mantlepiece, and the hot tap running - was 2 hours before i realised there was no hot water! This usual.

We both work full time. I am off for a few weeks with stress (also diagnosed with anxiety and depression), so have the time so sort a few things out.

I'm certainly not perfect myself, but have given up a bit over the last couple of years. Its not the fault of the man who can't manage taps, bins, laundry baskets, but he is demotivating.

But here to get tips for me, can only change myself after all.

Slinky

Yesterday I just faced the fact my house is now beyond my will to clean it all myself and have booked a company to come in and blitz from top to bottom next week. Hopefully when they've done their thing I'll be able to keep on top of it a bit better. They're going to pull all the stuff out of the kitchen cupboards and clean them too........ can't wait.

engineer_amy

Have to agree with the "single and child/pet free" comments! I love coming home at the end of the day and knowing that my house will be exactly as I left it.


I tidy as I go, after I finished using something, it gets put away, dishes get done after meals, if something gets split or a mess made it gets wiped up straight away. This means that the place is kept tidy, and an hour or so on a Saturday/sunday can be spent with a general hoover, dust, bathroom clean, couple of loads of washing. I work full time and have just taken on some additional work in the evenings, so I don't want to clean during the week. But as long as I tidy as I go, it doesn't build up to unmanageable levels.


My wardrobes however are a different matter! I would need to take a few days off to sort them out.

Timpu

Regarding tidiness, I can't stand filing away paid bills etc. so used to pile it up and do it every few months which seemed to help. I now delegate to OH but sort through new stuff each week ready for him to sweep away when he wants. Otherwise it's tidy as I go and a session per week on dusting, hoovering etc. with a deep clean when I am in the mood. Wardrobes get sifted through about twice a year in our household.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Don't put it down, put it away. And when you put away the two things you were considering putting down, make a point of picking up two more things that you had left in the same place, thus always reducing the amount of stuff rather than maintaining the status quo or adding to it.

Works with shopping, ingredients, clothes (my biggest downfall) until I realised just how much time I spent rummaging through the same pile, opened post, etc.


My place was spotless other than the odd cat hair (yes, the Cat is Very Odd) until the OH moved in. I'm baffled as to how he fitted his entire life into one room in his old flat, as it's filled the loft, the spare room, an entire chest of drawers, half my wardrobe, under the bed and there's still the occasional overspill downstairs (which, when there's a good reason for it, I have absolutely no objection to, but is rather irritating when it's just clutter).


Or you look at these photos of my mother's house and consider that this will be your home in a few years if you don't nip it in the bud now.







These are photos after days of cleaning , by the way. There aren't any of upstairs because I couldn't physically get up there.

She started with a slightly cluttered place that needed a good clean. But that's what it escalated to.

pinkshoes

I love a clean and tidy home.

DH is good at tidying, but rubbish at cleaning. His parents have a large dog, and their huge house is cluttered and filthy. We went round the other day and I didn't even want to sit down as all the sofas were covered in dog hair, and the carpets are vile! Don't even get me started in their toilets...

The easiest way to tidy is teamwork - set a time where you are all going to help clean and tidy, then assign rooms and tasks.

I always clean when DH is around so he feels guilty and helps - we try to all pitch in for an hour at the weekend.