Need Tips on How to Catch up with Housework & Decluttering

**Judi Dial** · 08-01-2011, 09:49 AM

I have a lot of stuff, my house looks like I"m a hoarder, although I'm not. However, somethings that work for me: trashcans near where you walk, not next to furniture. We have a small one in the upstairs hall and one next to the front door. Regularly, those are filled faster than the others in the offices, etc.

Make a regular routine of getting rid of stuff. We have a dump that opens W, Sa, Su and I try to take a load of "flings" as well as the garbage/recycles every time I go, and I try and go 2x a week.

IHTH!

Judi

**Lindsay E** · 08-16-2011, 11:39 PM

I just wanted to say thank you to the original poster for asking this and to all those that answered. I've been away for awhile but I came back to the boards to ask the very same thing! A lot of these tips should help me feel a little less overwhelmed by housework

**firefly615** · 08-17-2011, 02:05 PM

My goodness, I am exhausted just reading all these posts! Guess I had better get my "you know what" in gear! I hate the unending aspect of cleaning. Just when I finish, it's time to start over. I am still wishing for the house cleaning fairy to come!

**Vanilla** · 08-17-2011, 02:19 PM

Thank you all for the tips.

**cab54** · 08-28-2011, 11:09 AM

FLYlady--definitely.

FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home

**heartofmine** · 08-28-2011, 07:10 PM

I can give you my daily/weekly routine but I think first and foremost if you are overwhelmed with clutter you need to concentrate on it first and then you can develop a daily/weekly routine so it doesn't get that way again.

My suggestions....start in one room, in one area of the room and take 30 minutes/1 hour of non stop decluttering. The rule is to not just move it to another spot in the room or in your home but to take care of that right then. Have yourself 3 bags or 3 baskets. 1 for junk/trash to be tossed, 1 for donate, 1 for keep. Don't let the bags/baskets hang around. Trash to the curb and donate in your car to drop off the next day. Once that room is decluttered and cleaned move on to the next room.

For stacks of papers you need baskets clearly marked with those you need to keep. Have your shredder right there with you so you can shred as you go. Once you've got it all gone through and organized use the basket system to keep up as papers/mail come in. The minute mail comes into my house it gets put in my bill box or tossed into my bag to get rid of. I don't let it lay around. It takes just a few minutes to go through.

Once you've got the clutter taking care of then set up a daily routine/weekly routine and stick to it. It is easier to keep a routine going once all the clutter is gone. Its just not so overwhelming.

Daily chores are making beds (I do mine/dhs and my son and daughter do theirs), cooking, dishes, keeping the kitchen clean, wiped down and swept, quick bathroom wipe downs, clothes being picked up and sorted (I have 3 hampers next to my washer and everyone sorts their own clothing into them), picking up in each room and putting things back where they go, go through the mail the minute it comes in.

I do laundry 2X a week because that works best for me. I usually have 6/8 loads each time. Yep a lot of laundry. Usually it is done on Monday/Thursday but sometimes those days get changed because of illness/family stuff and if it does I do it another day. As long as it is done 2X a week is what matters.

I iron (and this is my least favorite chore on earth) once a week usually but sometimes twice if my son need something.

Other weekly chores...vacuum 1/2X a week as needed, dust 1X, mop the kitchen and give the bathrooms a deep clean, sweep the front porch, pick up the few things we might need inbetween grocery week.

Biweekly...windex all the pictures on the wall, clean any dustbunnies/spider webs around the house, shopvac dh's storage/workroom, pay bills, do my major grocery shopping and errands in town, wipe down the washing machine, dryer, and make sure the laundry room.

***just to add that if you have some organizational things set up it makes it easier. Like my 3 hampers where we sort as we go along, my boxes for mail, receipts we need to keep....as they say "a place for everything and everything in its place"...it works and keeps my life from being chaotic.

Also children need their chores too. Mine are grown now but have had chores since they were small. They have made their own beds since they were 4 years old. Didn't have to be perfect as long as it was done. I just kept the bedding simple for them. They played with their toys all day long but the clutter had to be kept to their rooms and at the end of the day it had to be picked up. Perfectly nope. They had a bookcase for books and a toy box for toys. As they got older they could do more chores. I did the majority myself but it was good for them to have some to teach them responsibility...and I'll brag and say I have 2 very responsible young adults. My son just finished his MBA and has a good job. My daughter is doing her student teaching and will graduate in Dec.

**bumplett** · 08-28-2011, 08:28 PM

I vote to buy a new house and start over.

**dinah** · 08-28-2011, 11:33 PM

there are 3 things i like to do:

1. interval cleaning. i set the timer for 7 minutes and clean. then i get a break for 5 minutes. repeat. this works best when i am feeling demotivated or lazy. i can always convince myself that i can clean for 7 minutes. it's only 7 minutes and then i get a break.

2. start with the cleanest room in the house. for us that is the upstairs bathroom (we don't use it much). then i move on to the next cleanest (which is my sons room usually) and then move to the next (our bedroom). etc... it sounds backwards, but for me it really works. i feel such satisfaction in being able to say that i cleaned 3 rooms today or 5 rooms today or whatever. if i start in the kitchen (always the messiest room for us) i never get out of it and then i don't feel motivated because i still haven't finished anything.

3. just move things to the next room (or area). if i dishes in the living room i don't go into the kitchen and rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. i just put them on the closest counter. i will deal with them when i get to the kitchen. if i find video games in the bedroom i just move them to the living room and will deal with them when i get to the living room. etc. i find if i deal with the objects as they come up i get sidetracked and lose my cleaning way.

edited to add: if i am feeling really really really lazy or unmotivated or tired or whatever if i put on an episode of hoarders i can guarantee that in 10 minutes i will be up loading the dishwasher or cleaning off the coffee table or chucking the junk mail. that show makes me want to declutter and clean!

**shoiji** · 08-29-2011, 10:46 AM

Try watching the tv shows such as clean house to help give you some organizing ideas. I break down the dusting and vacuuming to certain days of the week. Personally I can't stand cleaning. But living in a dirty house just makes me unrestful. So I try to do a little each day to help keep things under control.

**mommy4ever** · 08-29-2011, 01:29 PM

I took a course a couple years ago online. It saved me. I have done Flylady, but it didn't work for me.

The course addressed many underlying issues. It helped implement a system for your home, and it did some fun contests to get you motivated to get it done!

Now I have a system to works specifically to my home, including some yearly tasks. I know that the last 2 weeks of August, I'm picking apples and freezing them. I know that in October, I need to put on the calendar to put up Christmas lights before snowfall.

I know that I like to dust at least every 2 weeks and that every few days is ridiculous for me.

I need to wash floors lightly every week and a good scrub once a month.

The course was fabuloso. If anyone wants the info, pm me, I'd be happy to share.

**crafty73** · 08-30-2011, 07:39 PM

I don't have any 'set' routine. On a daily basis, we get the dishes done and put away (sometimes we let them drip dry and put them away in the morning if we're feeling lazy or really busy with things). Garbage is emptied either every day or every 2nd day. Floors are swept and mopped once a week or as needed, with reno's the sweeping is nearly daily

Floors are waxed either weekly or bi-weekly - but with reno's going on, we stopped waxing the floors for a bit. We also make our bed every day as it only takes two minutes to do anyway and really gives a bedroom a nice tidy atmosphere

Hmm, what else...countertops, table and fridge/stove are wiped down on a daily basis.

The microwave, water cooler and pantry (haven't installed the new cupboards yet lol) get cleaned on a wkly basis.

The bathroom - at least once a week, sometimes twice.
Livingroom - everything is tidied up b4 we go to bed. Serious dusting/vacuuming etc is done wkly.
Laundry - usually on the weekend or whenever i have time/as needed.
Clean stockpile area weekly.
Tidy up bedrooms weekly.
Tidy up basement monthly.

Kitty litter wkly/as needed.

Lawn: on going and never ending lol Grass cut once/twice a wk, watering grass once a week, weed/pick up any litter that may have been blown into your yard etc. Shovel walkways, driveways etc as needed.

We basically do what we can, when we can. My work schedule has changed with this new job and i work crazy hours. So i don't sweat it, like this morning b4 work, i threw in a load of laundry while getting ready. It was ready to be dried b4 i left...once i return (if dbf didn't do it already) after work, i'll fluff it up for few mins in the dryer to get rid of wrinkles and then put the clothes away. saves time and no stress

**Droppedonmyhead** · 04-01-2012, 12:10 PM

When I worked, I cleaned on Saturdays. But now it's just too much at one time, so I broke it down. I thoroughly clean the rooms on their designated days. Mondays: Kitchen. Tuesdays: Master bedroom and bathroom. Wednesdays: 2nd bedroom and bathroom. Thursdays: Dining and living room. Fridays: Touch-ups and odd & end jobs that need to be done. I take the weekends off and only do the daily necessities. I have found that this work schedule serves me very well and only takes about 1-2 hours a day. I really started enjoying housework when I switched to this schedule.

**LynnLC** · 04-01-2012, 12:22 PM

Watch an episode of Hoarders....magically motivates you. Lol.

**Droppedonmyhead** · 04-01-2012, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by LynnLC

Watch an episode of Hoarders....magically motivates you. Lol.

Ain't that the truth !!!!!!!

**Judi Dial** · 04-08-2012, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by mommy4ever

I took a course a couple years ago online. It saved me. I have done Flylady, but it didn't work for me.

The course addressed many underlying issues. It helped implement a system for your home, and it did some fun contests to get you motivated to get it done!

The course was fabuloso. If anyone wants the info, pm me, I'd be happy to share.

I'd like to know about the course. That sounds interesting!

Judi