I hate clutter and I can’t stand mess. It comes, I think, from growing up in an untidy house. It wasn’t a tip, but nor was it neat. It used to drive me mad (a strange thing for a kid to get worked up about I know) and I was always vaguely embarrassed when friends came to play. My mum’s motto was “take us as you find us” which would have been fine if we were to be found in a pristine state, but we never were. Anyway, that was then…
Fast forward a quarter of a century and I’m now mistress of my own home (more or less) and I like it spick and span. Not very cool, but that’s how it is. Our house is pretty small, so keeping it tidy is a challenge as ‘stuff’ tends to build up very quickly. I try to train my daughters to clear up after themselves with varying degrees of success. M isn’t good at it. She hates tidying and has to be cajoled. I ask her if she’d like to live in a mess and she isn’t bothered, but I reckon that’s because she’s never had to. K, on the other hand, is pretty keen to put things away despite only being 18 months old. She must take after me.
I don’t really have a strategy as such. I like to tidy as I go (or as other people go). If it gets bad for whatever reason, I find it very therapeutic to have a good sort out. When my home is tidy, I’m a much happier person. Do I sound like a nutcase, by the way? A little tip which I learned from a Mumsnetter is ‘never leave a room empty handed’. So, if you’re en route from the living room to the kitchen, pick up that used coffee mug and stick it in the dishwasher. Not so easy to think of an example of what you might bring back from the kitchen, but you get the idea.
The key to it all is storage of course. Having a place for everything. We have a place for most things in our house and things which are homeless usually finish up in the bin before too long. I’m hardcore like that. On the storage front, I’m in a bit of a quandry at the moment as I’m searching for a shoe rack for our newly redecorated hall. The current one looks scruffy and gets in the way. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to keep shoes in the hall, instead we’d have a boot room where all footwear could be deposited. Until that day, I’ll continue my quest for a nice little cupboard.
Tell me I’m not the only one who likes it tidy. What’s your home like?
I completely hear you! I am also a neat freak which in a house with three under five is a challenge. I have a great show cupboard which fits perfectly in the cubby under my stairs.
That sounds great, but the cupboard under our stairs is already full! Is yours one of those ‘stepped’ type which slope?
Pingback: Dealing with clutter: decluttering, home organization, storage solutions and tips — Notes from Home
Hi, You are my inspiration! I used to keep my/our shoes (mainly trainers) in the porch on a shelf but when we had the house (and porch) painted I emptied it of everything, and now I like the empty,clear space. All of our shoes are instead stored in the bottom of our wardrobes. My ‘dress’ shoes are in clear plastic boxes at the top of the wardrobe. I find this organising lark quite a struggle.. but I’m getting there little by little … All the best, Kg.
Thanks – never been called an inspiration before! I think organising is an ongoing struggle definitely. I still haven’t found a suitable shoe cabinet, so we’re using our old one in a different place. Your clear boxes sound very swish. Thanks for reading!
Love it! I never leave a room empty-handed either. Sometimes I can be found carrying several items from room to room though and I completely lose track of what I was originally trying to do so I don’t think I’m doing it properly