Ok. Here comes some bachelor humility... What can I do to just keep my house more neat? Any ideas?

Question

I'm a bachelor and I work long hours in my office. I am NEVER home, but when I walk through the door, I am just embarassed at how non-tidy it is. I absolutely HATE straightening up the place, but it's just not me to have things this disorganized. I'll devote a day to it and it'll look great, but then it'll be maybe 2 weeks before I spend more than an hour of non-sleeping time there and it just turns out messy again. and piles up. I know this sounds scrubby, but I'm really asking for suggestions. Are there ANY tips that you can offer that will just help me stay on top of this with so little time to do it? A little bit at a time? Housekeeper (would prefer not to.) Girls, how do you always seem to find time to clean. Being a bachelor, I guess I don't have any particular motivation to please myself by keeping it clean, much less a family. Friends/girls are never over, either. Embarrassedly asking for help....

PS. I love you girls! Thanks for offering some advice instead of "straighten up, slob!" People that know me know that I'm not a slob in the slightest, but I'm loving the support without the judgements!

Answer 1

1) Get rid of all clutter - stuff that you haven't touched, used, read, etc. w/in the last 6-12 months or stuff you don't like but keep anyway.

examples: old magazines w/ articles you think you'll need later, decorative items that don't do much for your place but you don't know what else to do with them, books, extra/reserve items - like an extra lamp, extra cups

You can - recycle things, donate things, give things away or sell things. Be ready to throw things away if necessary.

If you don't have a place or can't create a place to store something - it has to go.

For every new thing that comes in, one has to go out. So if you buy a new sweater - get rid of some old piece of clothing.

2) Simplify the furniture layout & keep all flat surfaces clear so you can quickly dust w/ a cloth or a Swiffer & run the vacuum cleaner over heavily travelled paths.

3) Keep stuff in bathroom to a minimum - i.e. get rid of extra toiletries - &/or store stuff in drawers & cabinets. That way you can quickly wipe down everything.

As for the shower - spray it at least once a week w/ something like Scrubbing Bubbles & rinse it off. Get a hand held shower on a hose to make the job easier.

4) Consider finding a house keeper who will come in every 1-3 months so you have an ongoing deadline for keeping your place clutter-free.

5) Keep all cleaning supplies easily accessible & minimal.

This means your bathroom cleaning supplies should be in the cabinet under the sink. i.e. 1-2 sponges, disposable disinfecting wipes or 1 multi-purpose disinfecting cleanser w/ paper towels, 1 toilet bowl cleaner w/ brush & 1 cleaner for shower.

For the kitchen: a supply of sponges (one side should be rough for scrubbing); all purpose cleaning spray like 409, dish detergent, detergent for dish washer if you have one, some Ajax or Soft Scrub, some floor cleaner (Pine Sol, etc.)

Keep all laundry items in a bag - detergent w/ color safe bleach; spot treatment, laundry softener.

6) Have a hamper where you'll use it. For speed cleaning, use a laundry basket & toss all items in it. Give yourself until the following Sunday to put those items away or throw them out.

7) Schedule at least 1-2 hours on a designated day every week for cleaning. Keep tabs (gold star on the calendar) - and reward yourself for each successful month.

BTW, I know it's not easy. I am prone to leaving stuff out, hoarding stuff, & letting various papers gather all over the place. Every so often I purge things & start all over.

Answer 2

I love a man with a clean (or clean-ish) house! If only my bf were a little better at it....

Anyway, what works for me is everything must have a place. Get containers, label them, and put items in them. I have one container that is just weird old electronic bits. One for all my socks, one for medicine, and so on.

Make everything that is out of place gets put in the right container the first time. It drives me crazy to find something in the wrong place. Things should only have to be touched one time when cleaning. Pick it up, put it away the first time.

If you're feeling lazy, a housekeeper costs about $10 an hour, and I live in California.

Answer 3

If you take it out, put it back.
If you dirty it, wash it.
ETC.

Each day spend 15 minutes decluttering. Never bring anything into your home unless you get rid of something to make room for the new thing.

If you keep up with it, it won't get so bad.

Always go through the house right before bed and pick up anything that's lying around. You'll thank yourself in the morning, and when you get home from work.

Get up 15 minutes earlier so you can straighten the bathroom before you get dressed.

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Answer 4

Kitchen. Buy paper and plastic. Eat out or get food from the deli already prepared. This way you can just toss the containers in the trash. For laundry. Drop off at the dry cleaners once a week. For mail. Look through it and toss the junk mail daily. Keep your bills in one place so you can deal with them as they come. Do a good cleaning once a week and you should be good to go.

Answer 5

I don't understand your concern for the bachelors in India. Having a bachelor for a tenant is a nuisance in India. He is irresponsible, cannot keep the house and surroundings tidy and in most cases there are complaints from the neighbours about their behavior. And some of them are the fly by night type. They vanish without paying the accumulated rent. We have our reasons, and we don't like an non Indian to interfere in our affairs. You may call it a joke, but it failed to amuse us.

Answer 6

If you get something out, take care of it when done. If you open food packages, throw them away when empty. If there is still food in the packages, then put it in the cupboard, or where ever it belongs. buy paper plates and plastic ware so after your done with a meal, you could just throw them in the trash. Give your pots and pans a "power rinse" after use. Set aside one day to sweep/ mom/ vacuum floors.

Answer 7

Clean as you go.

Instead of piling up dishes, wash them after you use them.

Instead of throwing clothes in floor, put them in the washer or hamper and when it gets full wash them.

Make your bed when you wake up.

Answer 8

Learn to pick up after yourself.

Answer 9

hire a maid. lol