My house is a wreck! Where do I start? Details please!?

Question

Before you say it: I know the first step is to get off the computer. Now after that. I know that it is hard to believe that a woman my age with 2 kids can't clean a house worth a _ _ _ _, but I have never been a great housekeeper. Which is strange, cause my mom and dad are both compulsive neat freaks. I will say, I was much better before I got married, when I lived on my own, but now I am horrible. I usually get overwhelmed and then don't want to do anything cause it is so bad. OK, it is not like my house has moldy food plates in the livingroom or cat poop on the floor, but the kitchen is a wreck, I have let the laundry pile up, and the living room looks like a train wreck. My husband is no help to me at all, so I have just given up trying to get help from him. I don't do much on the weekends, cause I usually have both kids and him around, but today I am off work and it is just me and my 2 1/2 daughter. Where do I start, please give me a list with details? Thank you!

Lindsey: I got, and I sent one back.

Answer 1

Hey! First you have to tell me if you got my email!

Okay seriously though. Before I had my son I never cleaned the house--it was a wreck. I've learned what works best for me. I am a list freak. I write a list for everything and anything! So here's an example of a list if I was in your situation.

I always get the hardest stuff out of the way and leave myself room for a breather.

1. Sort laundry into piles.
2 Put first load in.
3. Go through the whole house throwing trash away and picking up dishes. Don't worry about putting other objects away that don't belong in the rooms.
4. Unload the dishwasher (or figure sort out what's clean and dirty)
5. Rise dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher or do them by hand. (I always rinse them out in the sink with water filled up--just to conserve water)
6. Any pots and pans--clean them.
7. Put away/throw away any trash or food. (like bags of chips or unopened cans)
8. Wipe the counters down with a rag using soap and water.
9. Sweep the floor. (Don't mop it yet)
10. Throw out the trash.
Throw laundry in the dryer. Throw a new load in.

--BREAK--

Living Room
1. Sort thru everything. Make piles for which room each object goes into.
2. Put the piles of stuff where they belong.
--Okay now you are done with that room--for now.--
--Now go into each room individually and just sort like you did in the living room and putting the objects where they belong.
Fold clothes in the dryer. Throw laundry in the dryer. Throw a new load in. Bring the folded load to the rooms and put them away.

--BREAK--

Now it's time to do the gritty cleaning stuff.
1. Clean all surfaces.
2. Dust all surfaces.
3. I like to vacuum all the floors then mop or do any treatment.
4. So all the carpets are vacuumed. Now just mop the floors.

Continue with laundry.

And you'll be done!

Just take it one step at a time and one room at a time. Hope it helps.

Answer 2

Ok First: Don't panic. :)
Second: Realize that you are in the same boat with most women. The house is a bottomless pit of work. As soon as you think you see an end in sight, there is more to do or to do again. The dishes are never completed, the laundry continuously piles up and the floor is the closest garbage dump for your kids.
Here are some tricks that I have learned over time. It is still discouraging to be doing things over but, it's a start.
1. I deep clean one room a day. Trying to get the whole house clean every day is overwhelming. The rest of the house I just straighten up.
2. Buy the tubs that hold around 15 gallons (from WalMart or Target). They are great to put in the laundry room. One can hold darks and one whites. That way when it comes time to do laundry you don't have to think about sorting.
3. Buy the tubs for toys. I have several in the kids room. They know what tubs are for books, train tracks, etc.
4. Enlist your kids if they are old enough. My kids are only 4,6,7 and they all clean in this house.
5. ONLY CLEAN ONCE A DAY. (that was my husband's rule when I wouldn't stop cleaning all day). Cleaning once a day is very freeing.

Good luck.

Answer 3

I once spent 4 hours helping a single young mother clean her apartment...it was part of my job that I was asked to do since I was already babysitting the girls once a week.

I started by dumping all the clean clothes on the mothers bed (they were still in the laundry basket) and then we gathered up the dirty clothes that were strewn EVERYWHERE. While she got started on doing the laundry and putting the clean ones away, I started on the kitchen...dishes first, then the counters, wiped down the fridge and stove. Next I cleaned the bathroom. After that the mother and I went through the toys and game pieces that were all over the living room floor, couch and coffee table. We put the older kids' stuff in their room and the babies stuff in another place. Then I swept the kitchen, bathroom and living room and scrubbed (with a scrub brush because there was sticky stuff all over the floors). The mother continued cleaning in the bedrooms while I did this. After nearly 4 hours and several bags of garbage I wrote notes to the 2 older girls on how they can help Mom keep the place clean. I also made several suggestions for the mom on what worked for me. I left exhausted but pleased at how much better the place looked and how happy the mom was.

For your list:
Start the laundry
Do the dishes but leave them to drip dry
Put things away that are laying all over the place
Vaccuum the floors (even the ones without rugs) and use the brush to dust
Put laundry in dryer and start another load
Clean the bathroom(s)
Scrub the floors
Take a break while floors dry
Put away dry dishes (dry what is still wet)
Clean the counters, wipe down fridge and stove
Take clothes out of dryer, put other load in.
Fold clothes and put away
Look around and do whatever you forgot
Relax, pat yourself on the back and enjoy how nice everything is.

Answer 4

I would gather all the clothes close to the laundry room & sort everything out so you know what you have. Get a load started asap. Your daughter could even help & make a game of it. You should involve the kids if at all possible to get them into the habbit. Give your daughter a little cloth to "clean" w/ in every room, or give her the items to pitch if she can handle it. She generally wants to be just like mommy.

As soon as laundry started, take 1 room at a time. Start with the worst aream, those generally take the longest to handle-you will feel better when you see what a difference it makes. I run a maid service and the general worst areas of any home/apt are the kit & baths. Have a big trash bag & fill it as you go along. Dump the trash in the given room, sort out items into piles & start putting away, then dust-sweep/vac then mop that room. If you have an exhaust fan or windows that open in the baths, I would recommend pulling items from the tub/shower area and pre-treating w/ your cleaning products in toilet, tub/shower areas & sink. This will give it a chance to work while you are in other areas of the residence. Be sure to keep the door closed to keep kids & pets out since there are open chemicals available.

As you finish each room, you will feel good to see what you have accomplished. Then everyday, just take a couple minutes as you go through a room to get rid of something or put something away. I have 2 boys, man, pregnant w/ 3rd son & work 10-15hrs a day. You can definitely do it, trust yourself. If you are home alone, turn up the music (radio, ipod, mp3) whatever you got-you will want to move with the pace of the beat (especially if it's fast paced).
Good luck-you will get it done. Even if not today-give it 2 if needed if you feel overwhelmed.

Answer 5

Dont worry we all get in slumps after being pregnant and being tired for the first two years after having your baby. You are finally feeling like there is a light out of the tunnel. Your little girl is 2 1/2 and it is getting a little easier. It doesnt help the situation any when your husband isnt helping.

I dont know how old your other child is but I started making my daughter do chores at age 5. I started with her emptying the drier and putting the washing machine clothes into the dryer. I also had her put silverware a way at around age 5. Folding towels around 6.

My parents are neet freaks too. I am finally pretty clean and organized but no where near my Mom. She cleans behind the frigerator one a week and pulls out the stove. I know this helps your appliances last longer. But my philosophy is that if you cant see it than what's the problem.

To answer your question where to start.

Throw in a load of laundry.

Pick up everything off your floor in the living room and vacuum. Open blinds to let in a lot of light. Dust wood and TV. Clean any glass like pictures, vases, nicknacks, fireplace, Wash any tile or clean by the door way.

I suggest the living room first because it will make you feel the most accomplished and it is the room you enter first.

Then of course your kitchen should be next.

In between each room, switch the loads of laundry, fold and put away. The trick with that is to put it away. Dont let it sit out folded on piles. it will only frustrate you that you are not accomplishing much.

I have a secret to cleaning my house in a hury. I have boxes for miscellaneous. There is always that loose stuff laying all around that I dont know what to do with. Kids toys, hats, stuff animals, a single shoe, stuff like that. I throw it in a box and finish cleaning . That way it looks neat and that allows me to clean everything perfect. After everything is cleaned than the next day it is much easier to go through the boxes in a very clean house.

We have all been there. Your a working mom with 2 kids and a husband that doesnt pick up. No wonder your living room is a train wreck. I cleaned mine last night and my three year old has managed to destroy in within an hour.

Good Luck. God Bless.

Answer 6

Yep, get a coffee first! Put on some good music, turn the TV off, and just dive right in!

What I would do first is the thing that irritates me most. Most of the time, it is the dishes because they start to stink. What you can do is to throw a load of clothes in to wash while you do the dishes. Laundry is the best because you can do it at the same time as you do other things.

Since you are just doing a crash cleaning, I would suggest clearing away any and all clutter on the floor/surfaces. This is a quick way to make the house look much cleaner without too much work. Also, I would only do "communal" areas like the living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom. Put everyones belongings in their rooms, throw out any old newspapers (or recycle them), get rid of all of the junk mail. Fold any clothes that might be out and need to go into someone's room. Put the kid's toys either in a corner of the living room or into the child's room.

Once you have all of the surface area cleaned, you can start on the more subtle things. Vaccuum, clean the bathtub and toilet, sweep anywhere that needs it, organize papers, cabinets and drawers.

I find that the more I clean and the better the house looks, the more motivation I have to clean.

I would also let my husband know that he needs to help out with the cleaning and child care too. There is no reason, other than sheer laziness, that he cannot help with the housework.

Have your daughter help out with putting the toys away and putting things into other rooms. Kids her age love to help, especially when they are given praise for helping out.

Good luck to you. Have fun with it!

Answer 7

I would start with the laundry. Pick a room and sort the laundry on the floor or on the bed. Your daughter can actually help you with this one. My daughter (almost 9 months) helps me "fold" laundry (ok, so she eats it, but it keeps her occupied!). By starting with the laundry, you can throw a load in the washer and go do other things while it's there.

Then look at the room you use the most. For us, it's the living room. Go around the room (literally, start at one chair, and go around the room ending up at the same chair) and pick up what doesn't belong in the room. You could have a box or bag for each room (bedroom, bathroom, etc.) and put the things that go in those rooms into their bags. Eventually, you will get to the point where you'll be able to put those things into the rooms where they belong.

(Don't forget to shift the laundry and start a new load!)

Do a quick dusting, maybe vacuum. It's amazing how much difference a light cleaning and a quick declutter will make! Move on to your next most used room and do the same.

I've found that FlyLady helps bunches... though I don't subscribe to the e-mails anymore because there were way too many of them to keep up. You can read the messages on the site, though, and the site has tons of really good ideas for people like us! There are printable checklists and fun tips to get you through your cleaning/decluttering/finding your floor ;-)

The one thing that I've learned from the site is this... all I can do is all I can do. Anything that I can do to get the house in order, is more than I had done yesterday.

Once you get one space tidied to your liking, you may find in that space your motivation! It will spur you on to greater things!

The house that we live in was my husband's house for years before I met him. That means that his things are here, there and everywhere. I hesitate to get rid of anything of his, since, mostly, I don't know what goes and what needs to stay. I do what I feel that I can and I take pride in it. I think we get so caught up in how much chaos there is, that we don't see the bits of peace in between. I think that in order to get motivated, we need to see those little bits of peace!

I know it may seem like a lot (that is, if your house is anything like mine), but every little bit counts. Start with the little bits and you'll make your way to your goal.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I would sort the laundry first. you can go slower and still get something done. then put a load in. clean the next thing you feel like cleaning, not the thing you are dreading. start quickening your pace. then get to the kitchen, doing dishes, cleaning off the countertops and then clean the countertops themselves. clean the stove top. clean the sink. i dont know how large your kitchen is but about this time i switch the laundry over. clean the bathrooms, tub then toilet then sink. If you have a swiffer, you can run over the floors really quick, that thing is awesome for quick clean ups. and the mop ones are even better. you may have to switch the laundry over again. vacuum the living room and carpeted areas, but first pick up any kid stuff your kids have left around :) wouldnt want to vacuum that up. that is a start, and i can do my 2 bedroom apartment in about 3 hours with the routine i gave you when my 5 year old is around. i do this after i get off work on tuesdays when...hahaha...my husband ISNT around, because he likes to watch tv and go on the computer after he gets off work.

Answer 9

I agree with most that making lists is very helpful to prioritize what needs to be done. But, you do say to you get easily overwhelmed and then you just stop. Well, you may some clutter issues. I have them and they can take over a home very quickly. Try minimizing some rooms by boxing up old toys, clothes, etc. and donate them or put them away until you are ready to get rid of them. Then, begin your lists with the most used or favorite rooms and work your way to the least used rooms. As a priority, try to keep your kitchen clean, run the dishwasher daily, wipe down counters, etc! Remember, this is the gateway for most household pests!

Answer 10

Don't think you have to do it all in one day. Take baby steps. Pick out a clutter zone where your worst clutter occurs. (mine is the kitchen) spend 5 minutes a day decluttering and putting things away every day. You will be surprised how much this will do. Next....take a five minutes a day going through room to room and throwing things away. Now once you have mastered this...it is time to start self control. Set an alarm for 30 minutes to an hour every day and pick up your house every day. You will be amazed how much this will help! Next you have to clean too right? Not just pick up...so set aside a day every week to clean, dust, mop, etc. If you have pets and kids you might want to vacuum every day. Anyhow, you don't have to have a house that shines...but if you do just these few little things it will make a big difference. I gleamed alot of these ideas from a web site, www.flylady.net all though she is in my opinion very extreme you can learn some things from her. Don't think you have to follow every thing she says. Also do a load of laundry every day.

Answer 11

This looks like it could help though I haven't tried it yet - LOL. My house is a wreck, too and I just never know where to start (and once i do start i can't seem to finish. The house is clean but cluttered. When I try to throw something away I always think of a reason to keep it. I'm addicted to book that I never have time to read but can't be bothered get itat the libraryinstead of a bookstore. I also wait until the last possible minute to start cooking dinner. My husband help a lot but He's a bit fed up at the moment so he is slacking off, too (can't say i blame him).
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