My house is a big mess!

chrisinhouston · 01-26-2009, 03:08 PM

I really need to work on cleaning the house but instead I just wasted half an hour taking pictures of the big mess and resizing stuff for posting here and now I am wasting more time showing everyone out there what a big mess my house has become. The big problem is that it's hard to pick a spot to start when everything needs cleaning!

#1. Our bed, the wife left for another week in San Francisco and I told her not to worry I would work on getting the bedroom cleaned up. Since I plan to change the sheets before next Friday I will not bother making the bed.

#2 Dogs bed. Damn dog doesn't even make her bed, do you expect me to?

#3 Various suitcase from the last 3 trips I took since November.

#4 My side of the bathroom sink is on the right so clearly my wife should have to take care of her side first!

more pictures coming!

chrisinhouston · 01-26-2009, 03:13 PM

#5 Wine bottles I bought while out in Napa and there abouts. Think I'll just drink them before I get around to cataloging them in my computer program and putting them away.

#6 Kitchen table has my sister's computer and another one I found in the trash, hope I can find the parts to get her's running again.

#7 My wife's home office desk. I am forbidden to touch or throw anything away.

#8 Kitchen counter where I keep junk, I really need to sort through it though because I have misplaced some important junk there.

Clodfobble · 01-26-2009, 03:13 PM

Well since you clearly want some motivation to get cleaning, I will oblige you:

Looking at those pictures makes me physically cringe. I could not spend any length of time in that environment. I would seriously just walk through with a contractor's-grade garbage bag and start throwing stuff away indiscriminately, because that's the kind of person I am--I'd rather risk tossing something important than be suffocated by stuff like that.

glatt · 01-26-2009, 03:16 PM

Dude. That's a mess. Get to work. Start in the bathroom. It's small. Do it now.

chrisinhouston · 01-26-2009, 03:17 PM

#9 Kitchen sink. I need to empty the dishwasher and then put in the dirty dishes. I'll get right on that!

#10 The dining room has turned into a storage area right now.

#11 My tool bench out in the garage.

I'll repost when I get it cleaned up! Right now I have to get back to work.

LabRat · 01-26-2009, 03:29 PM

Those pictures make me freak out just a little.

I agree with Glatt, start in a small room/or small mess, then fan out from there. This is what works for me when my house gets out of control. I tend to start in the kitchen and work from one end of the house to the other, but I have a small house.

For you, the bathroom would likely be a good spot to start, because most of the stuff in there belongs there. The things that don't, just put those in their repective rooms then walk right back to the bathroom until it is completely cleaned/organized.

Then, move to the next least messy room. As you find stuff there that doesn't belong, put in the room it belongs unless it belongs in a room you have already organized, in which case put it where it belongs.

Eventually, you will get a completely organized house. It has taken me several years to perfect this, but it works for me when my house gets out of control...

GOOD LUCK!

Your house really doesn't look all that bad...I should have taken photos of my mom's house before she moved in with my brother. Oprah material I tell you. Picture a whole house like your garage there. Literally just paths, physically measurable amounts of dust in places, a thick coating of doghair on everything and in every corner. It was disgusting, foul, and broke my heart to see what she had let the house run down to after my dad died.

HungLikeJesus · 01-26-2009, 03:29 PM

Chris, thanks for posting these pictures. It makes me feel so much better about our house. I actually have a clear spot on my work bench.

Over the last couple of years we've taken car-loads of stuff to the Goodwill, which has made a big difference.

TheMercenary · 01-26-2009, 03:33 PM

Oh dude. No way my wife could put up with that. No way. I have one room in the house that is sort of like that but that is it. Wow.

chrisinhouston · 01-26-2009, 03:36 PM

We actually had it all really cleaned up in July when we had a wedding for my son in law at the house. No kidding, every room! But my wife and are hardly ever here and when we are we run in on Friday and out of town on Monday. I was only home about 30 days last year, but this year looks better.

Chocolatl · 01-26-2009, 03:44 PM

I use a system very much like what LabRat described for cleaning my apartment. The only thing in addition is that I have a PDF checklist made up of all the basic cleaning tasks -- scrub the sink, clean the mirrors, etc -- I need to do in each room. Before I start cleaning, I print up my list and stick it to the fridge. The first thing on the list is to "tidy," which just means to put stuff back where it belongs. Once I've done the tidying for the room, I go box by box on my checklist except for vaccuuming/mopping which happens all at the end. As I complete something, I check it off. When I start to get tired or it feels like I'm not making any progress, it feels really good to be able to look at my checklist and think "Yeah! I've done lots!"

Good luck, Chris!

monster · 01-26-2009, 06:27 PM

Chris, that's nothing. Srsly.

I can see huge expanses of floor there. Ours is a bit like that, but with no floor. Well except the little bit in the bedroom I found on Saturday while hunting for a missing library book.

HungLikeJesus · 01-26-2009, 06:32 PM

I don't think you can make that claim without photographic evidence.

monster · 01-26-2009, 06:38 PM

yah. I take pics sometimes semi-intending to post them, but beest erases them. Frankly, I'm, not really interested in the criticism, though. I think Chris' house shows he has a life. ...and a well-developed procrastination skill ...like me

TheMercenary · 01-26-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monster

Chris, that's nothing. Srsly.

I can see huge expanses of floor there. Ours is a bit like that, but with no floor. Well except the little bit in the bedroom I found on Saturday while hunting for a missing library book.

monster · 01-26-2009, 06:54 PM

yebbut, I spent the last half hour making the cover for the cellar calendar. Way more important than crappy tidying

01-26-2009, 06:32 PM	#12
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	I don't think you can make that claim without photographic evidence. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

01-26-2009, 06:38 PM	#13
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	yah. I take pics sometimes semi-intending to post them, but beest erases them. Frankly, I'm, not really interested in the criticism, though. I think Chris' house shows he has a life. ...and a well-developed procrastination skill ...like me __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

01-26-2009, 06:54 PM	#15
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	yebbut, I spent the last half hour making the cover for the cellar calendar. Way more important than crappy tidying __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

01-26-2009, 03:08 PM	#1
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	My house is a big mess! I really need to work on cleaning the house but instead I just wasted half an hour taking pictures of the big mess and resizing stuff for posting here and now I am wasting more time showing everyone out there what a big mess my house has become. The big problem is that it's hard to pick a spot to start when everything needs cleaning! #1. Our bed, the wife left for another week in San Francisco and I told her not to worry I would work on getting the bedroom cleaned up. Since I plan to change the sheets before next Friday I will not bother making the bed. #2 Dogs bed. Damn dog doesn't even make her bed, do you expect me to? #3 Various suitcase from the last 3 trips I took since November. #4 My side of the bathroom sink is on the right so clearly my wife should have to take care of her side first! more pictures coming! Attached Images

01-26-2009, 03:13 PM	#2
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	#5 Wine bottles I bought while out in Napa and there abouts. Think I'll just drink them before I get around to cataloging them in my computer program and putting them away. #6 Kitchen table has my sister's computer and another one I found in the trash, hope I can find the parts to get her's running again. #7 My wife's home office desk. I am forbidden to touch or throw anything away. #8 Kitchen counter where I keep junk, I really need to sort through it though because I have misplaced some important junk there. Attached Images

01-26-2009, 03:13 PM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Well since you clearly want some motivation to get cleaning, I will oblige you: Looking at those pictures makes me physically cringe. I could not spend any length of time in that environment. I would seriously just walk through with a contractor's-grade garbage bag and start throwing stuff away indiscriminately, because that's the kind of person I am--I'd rather risk tossing something important than be suffocated by stuff like that. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

01-26-2009, 03:16 PM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Dude. That's a mess. Get to work. Start in the bathroom. It's small. Do it now.

01-26-2009, 03:17 PM	#5
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	#9 Kitchen sink. I need to empty the dishwasher and then put in the dirty dishes. I'll get right on that! #10 The dining room has turned into a storage area right now. #11 My tool bench out in the garage. I'll repost when I get it cleaned up! Right now I have to get back to work. Attached Images

01-26-2009, 03:29 PM	#6
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	Those pictures make me freak out just a little. I agree with Glatt, start in a small room/or small mess, then fan out from there. This is what works for me when my house gets out of control. I tend to start in the kitchen and work from one end of the house to the other, but I have a small house. For you, the bathroom would likely be a good spot to start, because most of the stuff in there belongs there. The things that don't, just put those in their repective rooms then walk right back to the bathroom until it is completely cleaned/organized. Then, move to the next least messy room. As you find stuff there that doesn't belong, put in the room it belongs unless it belongs in a room you have already organized, in which case put it where it belongs. Eventually, you will get a completely organized house. It has taken me several years to perfect this, but it works for me when my house gets out of control... GOOD LUCK! Your house really doesn't look all that bad...I should have taken photos of my mom's house before she moved in with my brother. Oprah material I tell you. Picture a whole house like your garage there. Literally just paths, physically measurable amounts of dust in places, a thick coating of doghair on everything and in every corner. It was disgusting, foul, and broke my heart to see what she had let the house run down to after my dad died. __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within. Last edited by LabRat; 01-26-2009 at 03:39 PM.

01-26-2009, 03:33 PM	#8
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Oh dude. No way my wife could put up with that. No way. I have one room in the house that is sort of like that but that is it. Wow. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

01-26-2009, 03:36 PM	#9
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	We actually had it all really cleaned up in July when we had a wedding for my son in law at the house. No kidding, every room! But my wife and are hardly ever here and when we are we run in on Friday and out of town on Monday. I was only home about 30 days last year, but this year looks better.

01-26-2009, 03:44 PM	#10
Chocolatl Glutton for Gluttony Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,409	I use a system very much like what LabRat described for cleaning my apartment. The only thing in addition is that I have a PDF checklist made up of all the basic cleaning tasks -- scrub the sink, clean the mirrors, etc -- I need to do in each room. Before I start cleaning, I print up my list and stick it to the fridge. The first thing on the list is to "tidy," which just means to put stuff back where it belongs. Once I've done the tidying for the room, I go box by box on my checklist except for vaccuuming/mopping which happens all at the end. As I complete something, I check it off. When I start to get tired or it feels like I'm not making any progress, it feels really good to be able to look at my checklist and think "Yeah! I've done lots!" Good luck, Chris!

01-26-2009, 06:27 PM	#11
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Chris, that's nothing. Srsly. I can see huge expanses of floor there. Ours is a bit like that, but with no floor. Well except the little bit in the bedroom I found on Saturday while hunting for a missing library book. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

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