House is a disaster - where do you start?

[~clover~]

I'll usually chuck in some washing, tackle at least half the washing up & clean the kitchen, sit on fb for half hour (where I'm at now, lol) then finish the washing up, clean floors (clothes & toys everywhere), vacuum, sweep, maybe hang washing out....or in the dryer depending on Jesse's mood, then back to fb & bb, lol.

[Visitor7]

Open the house up, get some fresh air in, put some candles on (if you like that). Make the bed, get the washing in the washing machine. Do one room at a time. Don't start on another room until that room is complete. Don't aim to get the whole house done in a day. Just do whatever you can. If you do room by room, you'll at least get a couple of rooms done.

[YoYo]

I'm with Jodi....one room at a time keeps me more sane! If I go all over the place, I just feel like I'm not getting anywhere.

Washing on first as it takes care of itself, Kitchen, lounge/dining, making beds, then when DS is napping his toys get put away, floor swept, then I sit down, BB & FB and eat lunch!

[Mildez]

Astrid I am like you. Do a little bit of alot but nothing complete. I always start with the washing machine also.
I do like the sound of doing one room at a time and to be honest I started this a few days ago. My normal routine is do abit of this then start something else so nothing every seems complete. Now of late my dining room I have spring cleaned completely (washed windows, skirting boards, walls completely sparkling clean) everyday or several times aday the kids trash it again but as underneath its clean all I need to do is pick up the toys, papers, quickly mop up some dirt from the shoes, pick up shoes etc. Now that underneath the room is so clean it only takes me 5mins if that (if I am not distracted) to have it completely tidy again.
Today I did the same to DD's bedroom. Its now sparkling. I know its only a matter of hours before she pulls clothes out, messes the bed etc but as its so clean it wont take much to make the bed again and tidy the things she messes up. So thats two rooms done (we have a big house)
Today I aim to do another room. The kitchen is gross (got flowers on the benches that need planting but its too hot) DH brief case and all these other things that dont have homes. Although the kitchen would be lovely to be clean as its such a high traffic area I find it impossible to clean it and keep it clean (its also old style so doesn't help and not very big) I am more concentrating on the living rooms and bedrooms and the kitchen will have to stay the way it is for now.
The office is a pigsty another high traffic area (3 computer hogs in this house) and no one sees it so it can stay that way for now.
Even with guests if you have one or two really tidy rooms you can shut the doors with any luck to bedrooms, laundry, office etc (if the kids remember to keep them shut) so you can sit in there with your guests. I find if you have a few clean rooms it looks better then having half clean rooms all over the house then a few clean and few messy (and with any luck you can close the doors so its not so noticeable) I am no housewife as I remind my husband but so far (in the week I have been doing it) I am finding it nice to have one tidy room. Now I just need to slowly work on a few more.

[Mildez]

aussienic I love washing too. If I am desperate I use the dryer but normally especially in this weather its out on the clothes line.
I hate getting the vacuume going. Its ok when I start but getting it up and running (its huge a dyson) is such a pain and then moving it to another room. I also hate mopping and ironing the very most which is why I only iron when I need to wear something.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Hehehe, I find I'm the opposite of Jodi and MM....

If I go from whole room to whole room, I am constantly going back and forwards to get what I need.....

For example, to start on my room..... go get sheets, change bed, go get spray and cloths and bicarb, clean bathroom and tiolet, go get vaccumn and do floor.
When I move on, I have to take the vacumn again, and go back and get the spray and cloths.. drives me batty, and it takes me twice as long as doing one whole task at a time!!

If I can do all my "spit and polish" all at once, I use it, put it away, all done. Going back to spray and wipe something after I've already had it out sends me a little bonkers, I think I be a little anal on the cleaning and may need help!!!

[No.5]

Know how you feel yesterday was a big clean day and today you couldn't even tell

I always throw laundry on and while thats going I start in the kitchen - a clean kitchen always makes me feel like the house is cleaner than is really is

[Astrid]

Sitting Astrid?? How can one sit in a disaster house??

I have some very good blinkers they are not as good as DH's though Plus I am a thinker, will tend to think a lot before I do, or just well think rather than doing.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Hhhmmm, everyone seems to do room at a time!!???

Maybe I am stranger than I thought!!!

Maybe I need to sit and think a minute like Astrid!!!

[Liviam]

Thanks for the thread Astrid. I'm sitting here surrounded by an absolute bombsite of a house and have absolutely no idea where to start it is THAT BAD!!! So instead of biting the bullet and doing something, anything, I'm sitting here browsing BB while the kids are napping, LOL!!!

Every single room is a complete mess. I even ran out of bibs for DS yesterday so he ended up wearing DD's. DH wasn't overly impressed.

So where do you start when your house is in such a mess??

[Mildez]

Oooohhh I like that bucket idea for each room Jackrose.

[HotI]

Yep, washing on (because that will take awhile and it washes itself).

Work on kitchen and lounge cos they are next to each other and the main two rooms visitors see. Things from other rooms in the kitchen or lounge just get piled in the appropriate room, and hopefully put away properly if we get up to that room.

Unfortunately, i like making piles of stuff and after awhile there are just piles everywhere.

[Liz]

I do a room at a time as well. And I leave the kitchen til last because if I do that... the house feels too tidy and I sit down and don't do any more! LOL. I know the kitchen will get done regardless tho... coz I'll do it before cooking in it if it comes to that. So I'm better off starting with the worst first... the bathroom! (which includes gathering up all the washing and putting on a load) I love a clean bathroom... so once I've done that I'm motivated to get the rest of the house done. I then start on our bedroom, the kids bedroom (I won't describe the state of our office.. let's just say it's the dumping ground which allows the rest of the house to be tidy LOL... and the door is always closed!!) then the loungeroom (which usually includes folding washing & putting it away). That's 1/2 the house done. Then it's the dining room/family room/kitchen left to do. I just pick one end and work my way to the other. Then I get the kitchen done. Then I do floors last.

[Jennifer13]

This is usually when DP is at work. It's impossible to clean up when he's at home. I get the washing machine going first too. Seems like it never stops.

Then I take out all the rubbish, including everything DP has left all over the kitchen and his newspapers. I tell DD to tidy her room and make her bed. I'll usually tell her I'll race her (I bet I can do my room faster than yours, have my shower and get dressed before you're finished, whatever). She's very good, especially in the morning when she's in a good mood. If there are toys all over the playroom, same thing. She's three, but everything is set up so it's easy for her to both get toys out and put them away. Plenty of boxes and buckets with 'types' of toys in them. (I carry out the "If I have to put them away they'll be going where you can't play with them for a few days. You played with them = you put them away.") I do one room at a time, but I get distracted putting things back where they go and tend to start in the room I'm in.

I put things off that don't need to be done immediately. If I have two loads of washing to go on the line, I don't bother bringing in the first until the second is dry later in the day. If there's stuff to be done outside, but it can wait for another couple of days, I leave it. No sense trying to do everything at once.

I reward myself for getting stuff done too. Cup of tea and a sit down with a book while DD has her nap is my treat.

Lastly, I really believe it's not the end of the world if the house stays messy for another day. If I really can't bear it, I take DD out to do something where I don't have to look at it. I'd rather play with her a bit than spend all day cleaning my house.

[ladybird11]

I get the washing on first too - more of a time saving thing though, I can keep cleaning while it runs.

Then I do a general 'pick up' around the house, toys away, dishes in the sink etc. Clearing the clutter so to speak.

I really like clean floors - they make me feel much cleaner lol, so I vacumn and mop.

Dusting next, then dishes.

By then the washing should have finished (I speed clean for exercise lol) and I hang that out too.

Then open up the windows and let some fresh air breeze through the house.

Then once a week I change the sheets on all the beds, if I'm slack one a fortnight.

DH does the bathrooms / toilets for us...he seems to enjoy it lol.

[Turkish Delight]

Sitting Astrid?? How can one sit in a disaster house??

we have a very large open space area, so i first do all the tidying in the family room - toys etc.., then tackle the kitchen. Then move on to the rooms, then bathrooms and toilets. All one room at a time. Open windows and doors and get the fresh air (if it ain't hot!)

Can i help???