Time to ask for help...

[shirlthegirl43]

Oh dear - I'm a dull woman

You have no kids and you move a lot, you could never be described as dull my dear xx

[Munch]

I have no storage and my house is too small for all of us! It is quite literally a loosing battle

My kitchen table is never clear of 'stuff' nor is the top of the fridge and microwave! We have had to rent a garge in another road so that we can clear out our basement so we have more storage at home. We have a loft but whoever fitting the ceiling in our 200 year old mid terrace designed the loft hatch for ... well.... and kitten!

Every time I clean I turn round to a mess again! but apparently I just sit on my ass all day and have an easy life!

I take satifaction in the fact that it was tidy once!

[piskieinboots]

You have no kids and you move a lot,

good point - my sister often says it must great for de-cluttering
....and thank you

[Incy]

Shirl,
You've visited our mess. Yours is a show home next to ours.....

[Flummery]

I once tidied up.

Mr Flum thought all our stuff had been stolen!

(On the plus side, if anyone broke in they'd think the place had just been 'turned over' and beggar off empty handed. If I can't find things, I'm sure burglars can't!)

[piskieinboots]

I am in awe of you Flums - it must be so calm and lovely in your mind (hope that comes across how I mean it!) if I see mess on entering the (my) house my mind goes out of sorts and gets ever so slightly irritated.

This will make ya larf - possibly!

We have a row of coat hooks behind the front door, most normal people would hang coats on them - I can't do that cos they 'look messy'

Snowdrop is now very well trained, he would no more think of leaving shoes in the hall than he would of hanging his coat on the coat hooks. He also never, ever leaves the toilet without first closing the lid (properly, both bits) and closing the door behind him.

Send help

[shirlthegirl43]

Piskie, you and Madmax would get on great! he claims to be unable to relax unless the area surrounding him is tidy. I wouldn't mind that but he never puts his paperwork away - that is supposedly my job because I was an office worker

Can I send the kids to you for some basic training please?

[SueA]

Our house is cluttered & at times a bit grubby until I suddenly look at something & think, 'god that looks a mess' & blitz it. I use the washing machine about 4 times a week (there are only 2 of us!), hoover a couple of times a week downstairs & when I think 'ooh, the carpet looks a bit dusty/where is the carpet' upstairs, clean the bathroom at least twice a week, the kitchen once a week & still everywhere looks a mess so I think I'm fighting a losing battle. I put all the papers in a basket when they've been read for recycling, go through the cupboards/drawers/wardrobes every time one of those charity bags comes through the door, take other bags of books, clothes, shoes, electricals to our local animal sanctuary for their charity shop every couple of months & still don't have enough storage space.
I think the only answer Shirl is to move to a bigger house to fit all your stuff in & get a cleaner! I wish we could!

[piskieinboots]

Can I send the kids to you for some basic training please?

Snowdrop says don't be so cruel - hehehe

[janeyo]

Okay, I confess, I can't do tidy. I try but I am hopeless. I would love nothing better than for Madmax to come home on Thursday or Friday and to go 'WOW look at this place' because it is tidy rather than coz I made a nice meal

Can some of you who are good at household duties please help me with a few tips.

The boys do very little to assist and to be honest, by the time I have gone back 5 times to check they did something I might as well have done it myself.

I am sure madmax comes home and only sees YOU not a perfect house

[Marthaclematis]

May I suggest FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home Its an American site but that doesn't make much difference... lots of ideas and tips and motivation there. It helps me when it all gets too much. Though what I'd really like is to pay someone else to clean but dh won't have it at the moment.

Anyway, here's what I do when I just get to exasperation point....

Walk into the doorway of a room (any room if they're all untidy) and look to the right. What do you see? Does that item (of clothing, a toy, a magazine) belong there? No? Where does it belong? TAKE IT TO THE PLACE IT BELONGS. Then - go back to the spot and look at the next item, and so on, right around the room. One item at a time. Once the room is cleared. Hoover it. Dust it. Done. DO NOT put anything back into that room which doesn't belong there. FlyLady talks about 'hotspots' (the kitchen table is one in my house, and about keeping them clear.
One room at a time, on day at a time.

[janeyo]

pisk are we related? Your habits sound liek mine. I get told my house is like a show-home depsite havng toys about for the children.
I just can't bear clutter and mess.

I have lists, they help. And now a cleaner to help - it forces you to be much tidier. And so far I have resisted cleaning before she gets here so she doesn't think it's dirty PMSL (I was tempted but think OH would shoot me).

My parents house was always mad full of stuff everywhere, nothing had a place and always seemed dirty ( I am sure it wasn't), so I have prolly gone the other way...

[di]

Like most of you the clutter's my problem...if I could find everything it's own little home I'd probably put the 'ow Clean is your House' folks to shame...I actually really like cleaning.(just not tidying)

I discovered years ago that harsh cleaning products don't agree with me and on the rare occasion I think a bit of bleach down the loo or sink would be a good idea I'm then left with a fuzzy dull headache for the rest of the day...therefore getting not a lot else done.

My other problem is that my kiddies are the youngest in my family so my well meaning sisters are often offloading all their kids old stuff onto mine...there's only so many workbooks and puzzles a household needs...I'm just too weak to say no.

[janeyo]

May I suggest FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home Its an American site but that doesn't make much difference... lots of ideas and tips and motivation there. It helps me when it all gets too much. Though what I'd really like is to pay someone else to clean but dh won't have it at the moment.

Anyway, here's what I do when I just get to exasperation point....

Walk into the doorway of a room (any room if they're all untidy) and look to the right. What do you see? Does that item (of clothing, a toy, a magazine) belong there? No? Where does it belong? TAKE IT TO THE PLACE IT BELONGS. Then - go back to the spot and look at the next item, and so on, right around the room. One item at a time. Once the room is cleared. Hoover it. Dust it. Done. DO NOT put anything back into that room which doesn't belong there. FlyLady talks about 'hotspots' (the kitchen table is one in my house, and about keeping them clear.
One room at a time, on day at a time.

I like it

[shirlthegirl43]

Snowdrop says don't be so cruel - hehehe

AWWWW, tell Snowdrop he is a spoilsport!

I am sure madmax comes home and only sees YOU not a perfect house

LOL, I wish!!

Anyway, here's what I do when I just get to exasperation point....

Walk into the doorway of a room (any room if they're all untidy) and look to the right. What do you see? Does that item (of clothing, a toy, a magazine) belong there? No? Where does it belong? TAKE IT TO THE PLACE IT BELONGS. Then - go back to the spot and look at the next item, and so on, right around the room. One item at a time. Once the room is cleared. Hoover it. Dust it. Done. DO NOT put anything back into that room which doesn't belong there. FlyLady talks about 'hotspots' (the kitchen table is one in my house, and about keeping them clear.
One room at a time, on day at a time.

Gonna give that a try - it sounds manageable thanks.