It happens without warning. One day you realize that your house has become a collage of papers, garbage and stuff, everywhere. You’re not alone. Today more than ever it seems that the flotsam and debris of life, like the waves of an ocean, continually pound on our doors, inundating our houses with all kinds of things until our houses are bulging at the seams. A typical home is now messy and dirty to the point of exhaustion: yours.
All this accumulation also makes going home, or being at home, fill us with a sense of dread because we are overwhelmed by the sheer number of things around us. Once islands in the stream, many homes are now just as messy, crowded, dirty, and chaotic as the public places we try to escape from. Cleaning and cleaning the house is not the most fun, but it is vital for our well-being.
Recently, a study by the UCLA Center for the Daily Living of Families found that families are overburdened, child-dominated, and messy. The study addressed something that has become a common problem in most homes today: too much stuff. And all of that makes us feel out of control.
Could your home be out of control?
If you have a perfectly tidy house or you just don’t care about the state of your surroundings, then having a house out of control is not a problem. But, if the thought of home raises your blood pressure to an unhealthy level or if spending time there makes you prefer to get your teeth drilled, then you’ve got a problem, and you may have a home that’s out of control. .
A home out of control is a source of frustration, shame, and tension. So where do you start if this describes your home? The first step in learning to deal with an out-of-control home is to recognize the signs. Only then will you be able to address the problem.
8 Signs You Have an Out of Control Home (OOCH)
1. It’s messy.
Anything that can be fixed in five minutes or less is not considered messy. A truly messy house has been hit by more than its fair share of bombs: toy bombs, clothing bombs, paper bombs (magazines, mail, and other piles of paper), dirt bombs (general dirt and debris), bombs from pets (hair, smell, food), collectible or hobby bombs, etc. And the disorder is everywhere: the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, the bedroom.
2. He is disorganized.
Nobody can find anything from car keys to last year’s tax returns. A disorganized house is one in which too much time is spent looking for things, and in which you have doubles or triples of everything because when you didn’t find what you were looking for, you went out and bought another one to replace the one you couldn’t find. do not find
3. It sucks.
The smell can come from training the puppy on the new carpet, the mildew smell from the leaky ceiling, the cat box that is never changed, or the trash that everyone forgets to take out.
4. It is dirty.
This is that run-of-the-mill filth that makes you hope no one ever comes to visit you. It’s the ring in the toilet, the Dallas-sized dust specks, and the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling that flutter gently in the breeze. Dirt is ubiquitous and it grinds.
5. It doesn’t work.
This is a house where the furniture is broken, the bed sags in the middle, things don’t work as they should, and the repairs that need to be done drag on for months or years. It’s not really functional and many things have “workarounds” like tongs to turn on the washing machine because the knob fell off.
6. It produces anxiety.
Does the thought of going home make you feel anxious? If you’re happier at work or in places other than home, it’s likely because your home is out of control. It makes you tense because it’s dirty, disorganized, or messy, or all three. And, when you’re there, you can’t relax and often find excuses to go somewhere else to relax, like the movies or driving through the countryside.
7. You avoid having visitors.
If you panic when the doorbell rings, then you are living in a house that is out of control. Guests should be welcome in the home, and you should feel safe enough to invite visitors inside.
8. It’s messy.
If every square inch of your house is covered with something, then you have too much stuff. There has to be some open space somewhere in your home because open space gives us “eye rest”. Look at interior design magazines and you’ll notice the houses that are shown in them because things aren’t everywhere to distract you.
Most houses have runaway areas
Of course, not all homes are out of control, but many homes suffer from one or more symptoms of out of control home (OOCH), or have an out of control area (OOCA). These are areas like the laundry room or garage that tend to get out of hand, and almost every home has one. But regardless of whether your home is truly OOCH or OOCA, it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can take steps to get your house back in order and under control.
The 8 steps to regain control of your home
1. Tidy up and straighten first.
Take a garbage bag with you to each room, throwing away everything that you no longer want or that does not work. Take another box with you from room to room for the items you wish to donate.
If you have paper bombs, clothing bombs, and toy bombs that have gone off in your house, keep them under control. Handle paper by throwing it away, recycling it, or filing it away. Pick up clothes and put them in the wash, fold them or hang them up. Next, round up the toys and throw away whatever is broken. And practice saying “When in doubt, throw it away.”
Next, don’t forget to contain yourself. It’s easy to work in the living room, pick out a toy for your child and walk around that room and then start working there. This is important: stay focused on the task and the room at hand or you won’t get anything done.
2. Clean second.
Now that the mess is cleared up and everything is cleaned up, it’s time to start cleaning up in earnest. Thoroughly clean each room, including the kitchen and laundry room, and don’t forget to sweep porches and outside hallways. Have the kids clean baseboards, window sills, and clean cobwebs from corners of ceilings. Go from one room to the next and don’t leave until each room is thoroughly cleaned.
Lastly, schedule hired help and steam clean your carpets and upholstery. Steam cleaning does not use soap, which can make carpets dirty faster and actually attract more dirt. This will also make your home smell better. Schedule this at least once a year. If your home still smells musty, air out or consider cleaning your heating and air conditioning vents.
3. Mend what is broken.
The house is neat, clean and now it needs to work. Fix broken glass panes, leaky faucets, or repaint water stains on the ceiling. Put her husband at work while she cleans or tidies up.
4. Edit your stuff.
Collections and trinkets everywhere is what is classified as clutter. Clutter is a problem because of the emotions associated with it. For example, many people feel guilty about getting rid of things because certain items were gifts or inherited.
But the first rule of thumb for getting rid of clutter is that you have to absolutely love something in order to keep it. If you just can’t part with something, then don’t. Put as many items as you can in a box and then put them away. Then, once you’ve got all those guilty feelings out of your mind, you can put the items up at a garage sale, donate them, or just throw them away.
In short, if your home is crammed with family photos on every inch of the wall, an explosion of sports memorabilia, or a collection of china pigs that won’t end, for example, pare them down and then find a central spot to display them. items instead of scattering them all over the house where they can make you feel overwhelmed.
5. Create a visual space.
Remove as many items as possible from the floor, from the tops of vanities, countertops, and nightstands to give your home plenty of free space. You know how a hotel room makes you immediately want to throw yourself in bed? That’s because it’s clean and clear. Cleaning up excess stuff will give your eyes, and your mind, a break.
6. Control pets.
If possible, assess your pet’s impact on your home. Do what you can to create a living situation where both you and your pets are happy, but not where one of you is at the expense of the other. Many houses are controlled by pets to the point that the wood is scratched, the house is damaged, all surfaces are covered in hair, and there is an unpleasant odor in the house.
7. Organize your home.
Create go-to and go areas where keys, backpacks, purses, wallets, mail and other necessary items can be placed. This area should have a trash can where you can sort the mail and a small hanging basket where bills that need immediate attention can be placed.
Then work on organizing bill pay, files, warranty booklets, and all the little clutter areas of your home like medicine cabinets, home offices, desk areas, pantries, laundry rooms, garages, spice cabinets, etc. etc .
8. Stay active and get involved all.
This is probably the most important step to have and keep a house under control. A house that is in control is not something that happens once and then it is gone, like taxes. Keeping your home in order is more like exercising or taking vitamins. You have to keep it. Keeping a home under control is a process, not an event. I have to tell myself all the time: don’t put it down, put it away.
It also requires commitment part of all. My pantry is an OOCA in my house mainly because a tidy pantry is important only to me. But, a family meeting was called for everyone to do their part in ordering the pantry. It will also keep us from having five boxes of raisin bran or three bags of marshmallows.
Putting your home in control is a wonderful way to bring a sense of accomplishment and order back into your life. It will also save you money because you won’t be buying multiple items because you can find what you are looking for. It will also help you create a home that is your refuge and where you enjoy spending your time. Lastly, you will be proud to live there and have guests. Now, get to work!
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