My house is not company ready, and it bothers me. I'm just so freaking lazy, I can't get motivated to do what needs to be done. No money right now for a housekeeper, maybe in the future. So, how can I get motivated? Has anyone made themselves become neater?
I got rid of everything laying around that I didn't love or didn't use (sort of Konmari but without thanking my socks for their service) and really just forced myself to put things away after using them. After the baby goes to bed, I spend 20 minutes just picking things up and washing bottles, etc. My house is generally pretty tidy now, though there are still embarrassing clouds of cat hair everywhere at all times.
I've been making a concerted effort lately to be tidy. I don't always have time to clean, but I can at least put things away. That means no more leaving a bunch of glasses on the table, no more throwing my jacket on a chair downstairs when I come home. One of the biggest things is dealing with the mail as soon as I come inside. That shit piles up.
I tackle a little each night after work and I don't usually get home until 8pm. So while my dinner is heating up I will clean a bathroom, throw in a load of laundry, or clean out the fridge, etc. My parents bought me a Roomba for Christmas so that is very helpful, plus I have to keep things off the floor so it can have a clear path.
When I bring in the mail I have a one touch rule. Junk goes right in the recycle bin, bills and coupons into my purse. I don't let it pile up.
I am very lazy too and get sucked into the tv if I sit down. So I try not to sit until I am ready to eat dinner.
The main thing I'm working on is decluttering. Most of our messes are because we just plain have too much stuff.
I think this is a big part of it. My house is neat but we have moved a lot in the last 10 years. I get rid of things because I don't want to haul it. I'm actually in the process of selling DSs baby stuff. We don't have much other than what we use on a regular basis. When I put away groceries, I purge old stuff so the fridge stays clean. That kind of thing.
I clean a little each day so it stays clean. I have a Neato vacuum so I don't have to vacuum often, it does it for me then I take 10 minutes to mop the hard floor areas when it's done. That's like once a week. Laundry is Sundays, DH and I fold while we watch TV and it has to be put away immediately. Bathrooms are cleaned on non laundry or mop days. So really it's like 20 minutes a day. It stays nice and I don't have to waste time on weekends cleaning.
I got rid of everything laying around that I didn't love or didn't use (sort of Konmari but without thanking my socks for their service) and really just forced myself to put things away after using them. After the baby goes to bed, I spend 20 minutes just picking things up and washing bottles, etc. My house is generally pretty tidy now, though there are still embarrassing clouds of cat hair everywhere at all times.
I just finished this book.
I need to do the same and I get the idea, but I have things that have sentimental value or things that make me guilty. Like Grandma's bedspread that was given to me when she died 20 years ago and I've never used and will never use. Or the fundraiser T-shirt honoring family member killed.
I don't use them, but I feel guilt parting with them.
I don't think you have to get rid of stuff like that. Maybe get a pretty chest to put stuff like that in?
I'm talking about DHs old clothes that don't fit, or old video games no one has played. Those things get tossed.
I have always been a neat freak, but I'm also a saver which leads to (usually hidden) clutter.
My new school year resolution is to recycle school paperwork as soon as I note any important information, rather than stockpiling it in a basket. I am also forcing myself to be less sentimental when it comes to saving clothes and toys and kid artwork. It feels so good to purge and goes a long way to keeping the house tidy, if not always spotlessly clean.
As for cleaning, I work best with a weekly schedule. I spot clean and vacuum as needed, but I clean the kitchen on one day, bathrooms another; dark laundry one day, sheets another, etc. I still need to come up with a new plan for the new school year. Being away most of the summer messed up my old routine, and I feel like I'm just getting caught up now.
Another de-clutter person here. Also, we have one central location where we put stuff until it can be gone through and put away or tossed. Nothing gets set in our 'formal' living room. Our hearth room, where is our main TV watching spot, is where we have a table that stuff gets placed & that is gone through weekly. I used to be such a slob but having everything organized throughout the house really helps (a place for everything and everything in its place).
When we moved we totally de-cluttered. It was the best thing that I could have done. I couldn't believe the crap that we got rid of, and how easy it was to keep things clean once we did it! We started out with some donations to Goodwill or St Vinnie's, some garbage, but by the time moving day arrived we were just pitching everything we didn't need anymore. When we moved into our new house, I couldn't believe the relief that I felt, not having all of that shit just stuffed into closets and left laying on shelves. We've been there for about 10 months and I can slowly feel some clutter eeking back into our lives. This weekend I have devoted to going through closets and getting rid of things again. I can not allow it to get to the point it was at.
First off everything needs a place to go. If you don't have a place for everything you need to create one.
Spending as little as 15 min a day tidying/cleaning can make a big difference. I can vacuum our entire main floor in about 8 min (yes, I've timed it). Then I spend the remaining 7 min putting things in closets, drawers or wherever they belong. If you give yourself 25 or 30 min you can clean a lot more.
I unload the dishwasher every morning and run it every evening before bed.
I usually throw laundry in the washer before bed and set the delay function so that it starts and finishes just before I wake up. Then I toss it in the dryer when I wake up. I do small loads so it's manageable to put away after dinner each night.
Basically I clean and do something every single day. I used to be a messy person and I'd save it all up and spend hours on a weekend cleaning and organizing and I hated spending my days off that way which made me hate cleaning and organizing even more. Now by doing a little bit each day it doesn't feel so overwhelming or bad.
Post by lissaholly on Sept 18, 2015 9:47:54 GMT -5
I am a lazy slob at heart. I am now A SAHM though, so I don't feel like I can be. That said I really do most of my cleaning in the evening, aside from a catch up day.
It has helped me to have daily, weekly and monthly expectations. The kitchen must be cleaned and the family room declutetterd every night. Waking up to a dirty house makes me feel behind and makes me want to give up already. Waking up to a clean house is motivating.
Weekly,-the house must be vaccummed, bathrooms cleaned , hardwood floors cleaned and surfaces dusted.
Monthly I have a special chore. Baseboards, doors, walls spot cleaned, blinds cleaned, etc. I don't have a month for each chore- it's basically free will to notice the walls look dirty and then do it. I will also include changing out the kids wardrobes for the season or decorating for fall in with the monthly chore.
My house isn't the cleanest by any means, but I feel on top of things;)
I go through phases where I'm on top of shit and phases where I'm not. When I get back into it, it usually involves getting rid of stuff. Having more stuff than you have room to store is a guaranteed defeat. Then, find a place for what's left. We have an old house with not a ton of closet space, so I'm a big proponent of furniture that provides storage - my entryway table is a chest of drawers, our coffee table and tv stand each have drawers, etc. One wall of our den is lined with bookshelves, and I have storage boxes on a couple shelves to hold some small office and craft supplies.
The habit of putting everything away immediately is unfortunately one that still eludes me sometimes. When I'm in the mood to stay on top of things, it's a snap. Other times, I can't force myself to do it. I'm the same what with exercising, and I haven't figured out how to overcome it yet. If I could unlock the secret to staying motivated, I feel like my life could change in a lot of ways. Hmm. Maybe I need counseling. lol.
I got rid of everything laying around that I didn't love or didn't use (sort of Konmari but without thanking my socks for their service) and really just forced myself to put things away after using them. After the baby goes to bed, I spend 20 minutes just picking things up and washing bottles, etc. My house is generally pretty tidy now, though there are still embarrassing clouds of cat hair everywhere at all times.
I just finished this book.
I need to do the same and I get the idea, but I have things that have sentimental value or things that make me guilty. Like Grandma's bedspread that was given to me when she died 20 years ago and I've never used and will never use. Or the fundraiser T-shirt honoring family member killed.
I don't use them, but I feel guilt parting with them.
We have stuff like this too, even a quilt that we will never use. lol. The quilt is in our linen closet, and the other stuff is mostly smaller stuff, and is stored in a couple boxes on shelves in our basement. Before we had a basement, stuff like that went on the top shelf of closets, or in the back of closets. Copy paper boxes make good non-archival storage, but for things like paper and cloth, you might want to pick up a few archival storage boxes to protect them.
I found the Konmari book to be ...extreme (i.e. a little crazy), but it did motivate me to purge non-meaningful stuff like my sock drawer, kitchen supplies, etc. I wouldn't get rid of sentimental stuff just to tidy up a drawer, though. To me that's taking things too far.
I started by coming up with a strategy for my biggest annoyance first, which was the piles of mail. Every day we would come in and just set the stack of mail on either the dining room table or a table in our entryway, and it would just pile up until the end of the week or two weeks. And it's mostly junk mail! So now we have a system that we pick up the mail on our way in the door, identify any junk mail and drop it in the recycling bin on our way to the dining room. We have to walk by the recycling to get there, it takes no extra effort whatsoever, I have no idea why I didn't implement this sooner. Then we only have our real mail to deal with, which is now a tiny pile that I separate, send out, shred or then recycle, once a week.
I am embarrassed to admit how much clutter this has eliminated.
For me, it's kinda like a diet/healthy lifestyle. If I let myself go, I let myself GO. I have to make it a habit. I just make myself put things away immediately and go through mail immediately. If I don't, suddenly I have socks on the floor, cups on the coffee table, toasters on the counter tops, purses on the dining room table, etc.
I started by coming up with a strategy for my biggest annoyance first, which was the piles of mail. Every day we would come in and just set the stack of mail on either the dining room table or a table in our entryway, and it would just pile up until the end of the week or two weeks. And it's mostly junk mail! So now we have a system that we pick up the mail on our way in the door, identify any junk mail and drop it in the recycling bin on our way to the dining room. We have to walk by the recycling to get there, it takes no extra effort whatsoever, I have no idea why I didn't implement this sooner. Then we only have our real mail to deal with, which is now a tiny pile that I separate, send out, shred or then recycle, once a week.
I am embarrassed to admit how much clutter this has eliminated.
I haaaaaate mail. This is our biggest problem too.
Sorting the mail right away was HUGE for me. And setting up most of my bills/bank statements to be electronic delivery.
Now if I could just force myself to deal with my paper filing and declutter that I'd probably be laughing.
I also signed up for emails from this lady who focuses on decluttering and breaking down tasks into 15 minutes a day. At the rate I'm going it will take me 3 years to get her year done, but just getting the emails and following her on facebook has helped. And doing the 15 minutes before I sit down to relax. Today she happened to send this www.household-management-101.com/house-cleaning-schedule.html
If you like to schedule things, maybe set yourself a reminder to do one thing a day?
Post by ninjabridemom on Sept 18, 2015 10:08:33 GMT -5
Honestly, we have people over once a month for dinner and I purposefully try to schedule things in addition to that to help keep it clean.
It's my only motivation. I like hosting so it works out.
ETA also my version of "company ready" varies but generally I'm talking about justthisside of deep cleaned. Not perfect but other than our usual bookcase clutter and as long as the boys don't play it's pretty good.
I used to not care about housekeeping at all. I cleaned once or twice a year, and didn't really pick up around the house much, either. Then I became a housekeeper, just to make money until I got a "real" job after I dropped out of school. I was super-conscientious about that since it was my job. So I started cleaning my own house, too.
But I still don't really "care" all that much. It's more like I recognize that I have to be an adult, and I'm a SAHM so that's kind of part of the bargain. I made a schedule for myself because it's easier to just do it than to think about how messy the place is or how disorganized I am. Also, a schedule limits me to an hour a day of housework, and then I feel like I'm done and can relax.
Monday - pay bills, file or organize stuff Tuesday - planning, buying stuff needed Wednesday - clean kitchen Thursday - do laundry Friday - clean bathroom(s) Saturday - vacuum, dust
Getting a house cleaner forced us to have the house de cluttered once every 2 weeks so we didn't waste our money with her cleaning around things. Also, having a designated place for everything is vital.
Honestly, we have people over once a month for dinner and I purposefully try to schedule things in addition to that to help keep it clean.
It's my only motivation. I like hosting so it works out.
ETA also my version of "company ready" varies but generally I'm talking about justthisside of deep cleaned. Not perfect but other than our usual bookcase clutter and as long as the boys don't play it's pretty good.
Same here. Our house is generally fairly neat/tidy but we don't actually clean that often. Having people over is our main motivation for vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms beyond wiping down counters, etc.
Post by lust2hart on Sept 18, 2015 10:24:40 GMT -5
I think you need to have a good definition for you of what "company ready" means. My definition has really loosened over the past 5 or so years, because I've come to realize that I just don't care if my piano is dusty when someone comes over. I think about all the times I go over to someone else's house and they feel the need to apologize for "the mess," and I'm like, "What are you talking about???" And I think most people don't see or care if there are a couple of dust bunnies behind the bathroom door or there are some dirty dishes on the counter waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher.
I got crazy after I had DS. I was a mess before that. It is weird. My H is so annoyed by it.
This is me too. I used to live in a frat house. After I had G I just got weirdly obsessive about keeping things orderly.
When I was pregnant I purged one room a weekend. Took a few months but I got rid of all the stuff. From there, it was so much easier to keep on top of things. Now that I'm moving, I'm doing it all over. It feels good and it makes it easy to keep up with the cleaning when it is organized and clutter free.
I also purge all the time.
I am weird about my car as well now. I get it detailed every week and I have these organizers in the back. Take stuff in every night etc. I HATE getting into a dirty car.
I think you need to have a good definition for you of what "company ready" means. My definition has really loosened over the past 5 or so years, because I've come to realize that I just don't care if my piano is dusty when someone comes over. I think about all the times I go over to someone else's house and they feel the need to apologize for "the mess," and I'm like, "What are you talking about???" And I think most people don't see or care if there are a couple of dust bunnies behind the bathroom door or there are some dirty dishes on the counter waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher.
This is where I am. By myself or even with just one kid, I could keep the house fairly straight. With a new baby, it's just not happening. I'm lucky if Ethan's underwear isn't hanging from the couch. I consider us good if there is no visible clutter in the main living area.
This is me too. I used to live in a frat house. After I had G I just got weirdly obsessive about keeping things orderly.
When I was pregnant I purged one room a weekend. Took a few months but I got rid of all the stuff. From there, it was so much easier to keep on top of things. Now that I'm moving, I'm doing it all over. It feels good and it makes it easy to keep up with the cleaning when it is organized and clutter free.
I also purge all the time.
I am weird about my car as well now. I get it detailed every week and I have these organizers in the back. Take stuff in every night etc. I HATE getting into a dirty car.
I need pictures.
And probably have officially become old because I just got ridiculously excited at this idea.
I am weird about my car as well now. I get it detailed every week and I have these organizers in the back. Take stuff in every night etc. I HATE getting into a dirty car.
I need pictures.
And probably have officially become old because I just got ridiculously excited at this idea.
Both bought on amazon. I have two of the large mesh totes. One has boat stuff - life jackets, beach toys, towels, goggles and sunscreen.
The other is empty because I put groceries in it so they dont roll around. And I can unload in one big haul.
The smaller first one has random things. Books, kid toys and armor all wipes for my imbetween wipe downs. It also has an extra car charger and the copied of maintenance for the van.
WHY CAN'T I BE LIKE THIS WITH MY CLOSET? MY CLOSET LOOKS LIKE A 15 YEAR OLD BOY LIVES THERE.