fifty shades of dust and clutter

We moved house last August into a bigger house than we had .reason being there wasn't a lot on the market but fell in love with the house. OMG so much more housework . However good sense has prevailed and a cleaner is on the horizon.

I just looked at the link for Marie Kondo on GN. It didn't impress me especially the bit about sorting photos. I am currently trying to sort our family collection I inherited from my mum. MK tells you to hold each photo and ask if it makes you happy. None of mine make me happy, some of them drive me mad, some make me sad because of mum,some just mistify me because I don't know who they are. Mum would never sort them and I think I know why!! It's impossible!

The link comes up if I look at this thread.
I haven't opened it yet.

Manana

I used to keep a clean, but slightly cluttered look when the kids were young. Then, after my first marriage broke down I had a clean but tidier home, I lived alone in a flat. I used to have my little ‘piles’ of stuff dotted about. But I knew where everything was and had so much storage it was brilliant. Then I met my second hubby who is so untidy it beggars belief. He just doesn’t see mess, it drives me mad. But I have learnt to relax a bit re having a tidy house, but if it gets too bad, then I flip. When my house gets too bad, then my mind gets full too, if that makes sense.

But, I can guarantee when my house looks like a tip, that’s when someone will turn up!

We are coming to the end of 32 years as Foster Carers, which means we have had little children in the house for 41 years.
The only time any of it looks pristine is when SWs are due to visit
My OH is also a hoarder so between children and him I have no chance
It is clean where it needs to be, but-the rest is as it is---I have better things to do than constantly clean.
However, we are beginning to declutter (when I say we I actually mean I) ready to move when the last little one leaves us.
I suspect I still won't get that pristine house, not while my OH is around, and the DGC visit

As a young mum, the house was hygienic but I used to tidy up the clutter any time we expected visitors. Then a relative pointed out a cobweb on a very high light shade despite making no comments on how nice the house looked otherwise. I gave up making a special effort for visitors then and only ever did it for us. Now the dust waits for the cleaner . lincolnimp how much nicer your house must look with all the children's things around. I'm sure you'll miss it.

I used to be really tidy until I met my other half - he can turn a room from tidy to tip in 10 minutes flat! Over the years I've learned to relax and care less about cleaning and tidiness - in other words our flat varies from somewhat clean and tidy to complete tip, depending if I can be arsed to do anything about it. Obviously kitchen and bathroom are kept reasonably clean but the living room looks - lived-in - and the bedroom is an absolute tip, junk piled everywhere

This thread is so reassuring. It's good to share.
Yes a tidy house means a tidy mind ( for some)
Decluttering is good.
A cleaner if you can afford it is great idea.
But...Most important..we are only here once. No point in a spotless room if you don't get to read that pile of books, paint that picture, or whatever else you would like to do.

well for a start , i would leave his things where he leaves them ,DONT tidy up after him. when he says wheres my whatever. tell him its where he left it and walk out of the room.or you could build a little summer house in the garden and either he or you can retire to it. ... i like a bit of clutter its makes the home a home. not a show room... but each to what they fancy.

When our DC were young our house was never tidy but I always had a cleaning frenzy before my MIL visited. My Mum could never understand how I could ignore the clutter or ironing that needed doing and sit and do finger painting or storytime with the children.

Now as I write this I can see dust on the sideboard, muddy paw marks on the doors & windows, dust bunnies around the edges of the wood floors and dog hair on the sofas. Am I bothered, not a bit. It will all be dealt with when I have nothing interesting to do. Our home is livably clean it's not a show home. I no longer try to impress visitors, they have to take us as we are.

I have realised that I just don't see clutter. Our dining room was rearranged to accommodate the Christmas Tree. A table that normally just has a lamp acquired a plant and some fancy glasses and a photo. I thought it looked really nice and arty. I remarked to DS and he immediately said what you mean cluttered ! No hope for me even though I would like to not have to rush around before visitors arrive .

I don’t tidy up for visitors I tidy up for me. I can’t stand mess. Unfortunate I am the only tidy one in my house and I have a dh and 3 adult children still here. I twitch when I go into dds room she’s so messy. But I close the door. It’s her room her domaine.

Strange how you can find something when there's clutter rather when you've tidied it all up.

EllanVannin I treat that as my reward for all my work. It's usually coins down the side of the sofa.

I once watched a proggrame called "Scrimpers" many, many years ago (when Channel 4 was getting established), all about recycling and making do - one woman NEVER threw anything in the bin and one upstairs room was almost impossible to access because it was chocful of 'usefull' bits and bobs.

It made me boggle but she did say one thing that really made sense:"A home should be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy in."

I find it depressing to live with clutter and it makes it too easy to lose things. Yes, a house should be a home but I don't like to live in complete chaos.

Just to add more levity to an already amusing thread...

This clip is aptly called "Company is Coming".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBwELzvnrQg

Well done lincolnimp that is some achievement, you have helped so many people over the years that is the real meaning of home.
Love your name, my two daughters live in Lincs so the imp is known to me.

It is said that housework never killed anyone, but I'm not taking any chances!!!!

I like a tidy house, but I am a realist. I raised 7 children and while my house wasn't a pig sty it wasn't a show place either. It was a home, lived in a comfy - 2 Yrs ago I only had 3 kids left at home, and one of them was away at university, then our married daughter, son in law and granddaughter asked to move in with us while son in law goes back to school for LPN, its been 2 yrs, and another 2 yrs to go!
It's been tough seeing the house a mess always - but I do get help from them cleaning up, and I appreciate it. She makes meals on my work day s also, but it does get to me sometimes, just can't wait until its just hubby and I with frequent visitors, lol

I cant see why people must clean clean. For example if you clean the kitchen one day its the same the next day so why clean. I just clean when something is dirty. I have a life and i go out to live it sod the house

As a c.b.a. person who lives alone with a hairy big dog and a horse I try to keep the mud ,hair and straw to a minimum but its a wet muddy winter and I'm fighting a losing battle. Thank goodness for cordless vacs and steam cleaners.
As for being tidy, I wish! Oh to be able to find stuff

What is a steam cleaner?
I heard this evening on the One Show that the increase in allergies is probably/possibly due to too much cleanliness sterile environment
I'm not taking any chances mabon1

Steam cleans floors and dries in minutes,having a long hall with black and white tiles it is essential.