What is wrong with me?? My house is so messy!

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Forum -> Household Management -> Cleaning & Laundry

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amother

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 11:20 am

I feel like I have no excuse but I just can’t keep up with things..,
No babies or toddlers (yes, a few school aged kids)
Not even working now!
But I have dishes in the sink from shabbos!
Laundry not washed
Laundry not folded
Bedrooms are a mess
Downstairs bathroom (used most often) really smells!
Why can’t I keep a clean home?
I love when it looks nice and clean but I just can’t do it!!

amother

Aqua

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 11:40 am

when my house is messy its because I (and the other capable people in my house) find other things to do rather than clean it up. Cleaning is a boring, not fun chore.

Do you have a housekeeping schedule?

amother

Beige

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 11:40 am

The trick is to create habits so that you clean up without thinking about it. Pick one chore, and commit to doing that every day for a month. To make it easier, pair it with something you always do.

Start with something easy - whenever I come into the house, I hang up my coat and put away anything that's out of place in the entranceway. Don't change anything else. After a month, move up to something harder, with a reward. As in, I always put away the toys and then I make myself a cup of tea.

Things you do automatically become habits, and then you'll do them regularly.

Of course, a real family home is never going to look like a museum. Nor should it.

Doublestroller

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 11:42 am

I feel when there’s so much to do l, I don’t know where to start..
start by doing one little baby step at a time. Focus only on bedrooms or bathroom and then you’ll have a drive to continue. Your kids should be involved and help too. Make a chart and give everyone a job. It makes a world of a difference.
I’m a mother of 6 children under the age of 11. A toddler that makes a huge mess.
Lots of hatzloche.

amother

Natural

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 12:01 pm

Aslobcomesclean blog really helped me.

ra_mom

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 12:05 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

We all end up in a slump sometimes!
When I have a ton to do and don't know where to start, throw a load into the machine now and then put on some music or a video near the sink and start washing dishes.
Pour some Mr. Clean into the toilet bowls until you get to wash them, at least something will smell fresh.
You'll be able to do it from there I am sure!

amother

Magenta

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 12:06 pm

Monday morning is always the hardest. You’re bit alone. Post shabbos mess plus laundry plus kids were all home Sunday . Have a cup of coffee , set a 15 min timer per room and see what you can accomplish .

mha3484

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 12:23 pm

A slob comes clean changed my life. I really really recommend it. I find for me I have to pick the things that irritate me the most and focus on those on a daily basis.

My list is 1) clean kitchen counters 2) dirty dishes and 3) dirty laundry laying around.

In regards to 1 and 2. I find it very hard to get my kids out the door if I cant find what I need in the kitchen either the dishes for breakfast or food items to make breakfast and lunch. I also want to come home and start on dinner not wash pots and pans. I solved this issue by meal prepping on sundays. I make 3 dinners and then clean my kitchen and it stays mostly clean until I cook for shabbos Thursday night. I also use a ton of paper goods and line baking pans with parchment paper for easier clean up.

In regards to 3). We have a laundry chute and I have taught all my kids to put their dirty clothes down each day. I do a pass through each room before bed time and check for clothes on the floor. In the winter I do most of the laundry motzei shabbos and then later on during the week a load or two. I love sitting and folding its the only chore you get to do sitting down lol. Sometimes I shmooze with DH, listen to a podast, watch a bon apetite cooking video. its my time to chill out.

The rest of the chores I either pay someone get the kids to do them or bribe myself.

avrahamama

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 12:57 pm

I like to have two laundry baskets in the kids room. One for dirty clothes and another for all the clean abandoned outfits and things pulled out of drawers that way things are at least not scattered in floors. Dishes get done to music or a video. And bathrooms get wiped down as soon as all my school age kids leave the house. Lots of little quick fixes until I'm able to tackle each area.

rainbow dash

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 1:40 pm

I love watching clean with me motivation videos on you tube. Also hoarders makes me fill like my house isnt that bad.

Good luck

zaq

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 2:23 pm

If Your school age kids don’t have chores? How about starting with washing dishes and putting away their own laundry? Then they can graduate to doing their own laundry. Washers and dryers aren’t hard to operate.

FranticFrummie

Mon, Nov 18 2019, 2:48 pm

You can pay your kids to do chores, or you can use that money for a cleaning lady. Even 2 hours of help a week can make a huge difference, and from there you can start creating system that will help.

Go to YouTube and watch "How Clean is Your House?" Watch the UK version, not the US version which is horrible. The original ones are the best, and quite funny. It's very enjoyable, inspirational, and will make you want to get up and do something.

I tend to watch one episode, get up and tackle a job, and then reward myself with another episode. Rinse, repeat. "Hoarders" is good for that, too.

Playing lots of upbeat music helps immensely, as it takes your mind off of mundane tasks while you're working.

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