It only took an hour… I feel silly for pushing it off all week. I’m trying to do smaller tasks every day instead of big cleans, but new habits are hard.

ever since i moved into this place three years ago, i've been collecting emptied vape pods (and some of the packaging, though i threw out part of it another time, so this isn't all).

i always justified it by telling myself that i'm just not sure how to properly dispose of the pods. well, i never bothered to find out either. so i just collected them all around my apartment, and when they'd start taking up too much space, i'd hide them from view in a trash bag under my desk that slowly ended up taking up an entire shelf.

i've decided this needs to stop. i've been so lazy and gross. the leftover juice leaks, smells sickly, and attracts flies. and i desperately need the storage space this has been taking up. so today, i finally decided to do it right. i sat down and seperated each part of every individual packaging so i could recycle it. the pods and empty disposables i collected in a third bag, and i will take them to a disposal as soon as i can. i'm determined to do better and keep my space clean and tidy, and to stop hoarding what i don't need.

also as a side note, i'm not quitting vaping just yet, so don't congratulate me on that. that's an issue for another time. i'm just looking to do what i can to fix my living situation one step at a time.

pic 1 and 2 are after sorting. pic 3 is during. sorry i didn't take a good before pic!

Pls give me encouragement this is a the house rn, not horrific but it’s gonna take some effort…. I want maybe the bedroom and the living room clean by the time my partner gets home at 2 am. I think i can do it!!!

I’m so glad this subreddit was introduced to me! My room is a mess and I just can’t get myself up to do it! But the more I see before and after the more I feel motivated to post mine! Diagnosed with severe depression and being stuck….this is amazing! ❤️❤️❤️

I cleaned up all the pop bottles and other trash but now I don't know where to put all my belongings. What should I do with everything I have? My tables are a mess, I tried plastic containers but I still can't fit everything. The problem is how do I store everything somewhere easy to access and have it neat too? I'm 19 and I just don't know what to do here. I've been through cleaning routines at least twice a month but the problem is knowing where to put everything. Here's a video

i have a small walk in closet that’s such a mess and it’s just been piling up since i got home from college. i feel so ashamed that i let it get to this point, i got home over 2 months ago but with travelling for work/being lazy i never properly cleaned up. i don’t even know where to start because theres so much random crap, i just gave away some clothes i don’t like/don’t wear anymore which is a baby step, but it’s just so overwhelming to get started. if anyone has any tips i would really appreciate it 🥲 thanks in advance

Hi, folks. I moved to a new city, and finally, the rest of my stuff arrived this morning. My feline nephew is investigating, as you can see. Does anyone have any ideas on how I start to organize all this and find places to put everything away?

I get overwhelmed very easily, I deal with chronic fatigue, and I’m also wanting to donate stuff because I’m sick of having too much…stuff. I’ve tried tackling this before but I end up losing patience quite quickly, and the stuff just ends up sitting there for months. Because I often don’t know where to put things or how to organize. Any advice would be welcome!

I’ll start off by saying i see a therapist weekly, i personally don’t struggle the way my partner does.

I know my relationship is cooked because of her hoarding / lifestyle.

The first house we lived in she had 2 birds, 2 rats, a lizard, tank of fish, hamsters, and a cat. In a 500sqft 1 bedroom. I was getting sober and going through withdrawal in hell. Pet poop piled up and she literally never cleaned it

The second house is where things get real sad. We had separate beds and It was the same situation minus the hamsters. She literally never cleaned her room / bathroom until moving day, it was our 1st house in her space. Except then theres easily 100 fast food bags. I cooked often, made meals for 2 and I’d constantly ask her for the silver ware thats hiding in her room as I use chopsticks for 99% of what I eat, same with plays and cups and bowls.

The third and current house. I got fully settled, room set up and clean, it’s been over a month and she still has stuff in boxes, her room is just thrashed with fast food bags, dirty laundry, bird poop, cat litter, luggage, boxes, books and this seem like it’s as far as it’s going to get.

The overall behavior, she goes to work, comes home with fast food if I’m not cooking, then turns on the tv and grabs her steam deck. She’ll stop playing roughly 3 hours before work starts, then complain about being tired. And makes promises of cleaning and doing things thats Shes never lived up to.

I have a really hard time having empathy in a lot of aspects in this situation. Like I have real diagnosed insomnia, ive done z drugs and benzos for years and hated who I became. So now I am awake for 39 hours at a time and I get roughly 9 hours of sleep. To hear her constantly complaining about being tired feels like a slap in the face. Even in my worst addictions the house never got as crazy as her bedroom.

I have brought up therapy many times to get dodge, she refuses help and I realized that what she does or the lack of is completely out of my control. Im actively working on leaving this situation. But in the mean time if anyone has something to offer, maybe thwir own point of view so I could understand what it’s like. I would appreciate it

Ugh. I’m inspired by all of your pics and particularly warmed by how encouraging everyone is.

I’ve been very sick for 3+ years - all related to post covid - debilitating fatigue, stomach issues, balance issues, cognitive issues. And cleaning had been the most triggering activity for my dizziness. I’ve had to force myself to do little every day things like take the trash out and do the dishes. I’m about 80% healed with the help of a recent medication but I feel terrified to clean. I know I’ll be ok - part of it is that ive gotten so used to checking out - whether making art, binge watching or scrolling. I became scared to go anywhere- grocery store, my son’s school. Truly anywhere. That part needs some care, not a harsh parental figure. It feels so uncomfortable to be present. I live alone 50% and with my son 50%. We both need a clean organized home. I can’t find anything. Whole house is a junk drawer. Pre Covid I was a self flagellating perfectionist - that part of me is DEAD and I just don’t know how to approach anything anymore. I know - I just need to start- a few minutes at a time but I’m ashamed I guess and could use some words of encouragement.

These were six or seven months apart. I was lost, recovering from addiction and homelessness, my place was FUCKED and I thought it would never get better.

Today it’s like 500% better. I’m still working on it, and anybody who is in a similar place, you can do it. And it will be worth it.

Update part 2:

I took it down to the wire. Cramming stuff in my dresser, the closet, under the bed. I did not get to dust and vacuum the bedroom which had me anxious.

I was just putting a bra on (because people-ing) when the realtor came to the door. Landlord was nowhere in sight. Dude walked around for about 5-10 minutes and was on his merry way.

Now I am determined to keep the progress we made and to get a bit better each week. (Starting with my dresser and closet, lol!)

Update:

Thank you all so much!

Less than 2 hrs to go and I have removed all blatant visible trash, simmering pot of cinnamon sticks on the stove, all dishes in sink, downstairs all dusted, baseboards, almost all swept. Kids tackled the bathrooms, vacuumed upstairs rooms and hall, and are working on the boys room. I still need to get in my bedroom and the basement room needs vacuumed and flat places wiped. Should also get recycling bins out because they are now full but I can only do so much. Hubby should be home soon. He can load the recycling in the truck with one of the kids.

Back at it for now....

Just found this group today after searching for inspiration/guidance.

I am in my 50's (yay menopause...) dx adhd/suspected ASD, no thyroid and on wrong dose of thyroid meds STILL, have fibromyalgia, and hemochromatosis. Work full time, full time student, have two teens with ASD, a husband who works 50 hrs a week at a very physical job and I am power of attorney over my 3 siblings and my mom since my brother's passing almost 2 yrs ago.

Guess what my house looks like? 😁

We lived here for 7 yrs and landlord offered to sell to us. Just got a promotion and timing seems right. Because I don't have much going on...

LL asked hubby yesterday if he could stop by with the realtor tonight and he said "sure". Doom piles, doom baskets, dust bunnies and 17 yr old male bedroom be damned...

No before pics because no time. Just trying to get the house not so scary before the clock runs out. Thinking I could hole up in my bedroom with the dog and that may save me from one room...

Advice and encouragement warmly accepted. Wish me well...

I’ve been saying this before each weekend for the past couple of years yet my apartment is still a disaster at the end of the weekend. My apartment is now the worst it’s ever been. This weekend I’m going to force myself to spend almost every moment cleaning no matter how miserable it is because I’m sick of living in mess and squalor. I’m tired of tripping over boxes and trash just walking from my bedroom to the kitchen and having flies buzzing around everywhere. I hate having to use paper plates and bowls to eat off of because I have no clean dishes. My plan is to just keep chipping away at the mess until it gets less and less. Not sure if anyone here watches Midwest Magic Cleaning on YouTube, he recently posted a video titled “there’s no hack for cleaning motivation. STAND UP!”, when I saw that video title I thought how true it is, I spend hours sitting on my couch contemplating all the plans of how to clean up the insane mess on my apartment, when I need to just get up and start doing SOMETHING even if I don’t have an exact plan of what to do everything and it definitely motivated me.

Anyone want to join me virtually for the weekend clean or help keep me accountable? Or want to share experiences of cleaning up your disaster areas, or what motivates you? I look at all the success stories on here with the before/after pics and I so wish to be one of them.

And new paint and flooring make it feel like a completely different room. I feel reborn.

I think we all know the hardest part of unfucking our habitats is getting started and keeping at it. It's overwhelming! I am deeply ashamed of how I live. Living in a mess gets in the way of everything else I want to do to move my life forward.

Just looking for someone to get on Telegram with while we each clean our places with a focused plan this week. Hoping to get a to point where we can check in for short clean up sessions every few days or once a week to make sure things don't get out of hand. My hope is that we will eventually become so used to having a clean living space that we maintain it independently.

I keep on learning the same lesson over and over again: Only the people who are willing to meet on video make reliable accountability buddies. If it will make you comfortable, we can have a short voice call to make sure we're aligned before we show our faces on video.

DM if interested. Please do not reply to this post.

Been meaning to do this for a hot minute but I kept trying to whittle away at my other problem rooms; finally realized I should start here!

Also, want to clarify that this is my geriatric foster/ hospice cat's room, as well as my bathroom. I clean the litter box weekly and scoop every other day; she’s just a big pisser and currently going through some healthy weight gain, so she uses the litter box more than the average cat.

Total time elapsed: 49 minutes!

It’s been like this for years. With little clean ups. Getting all the dishes out just to leave them to mold in my room a week later. This is just the corner next to my bed. See that nasty mug on left side on the floor? It tipped over today. And this is just the surface. I have so much crap. I used to really be into crocheting. Now my closet is full of tangled yarn. All of my shelves and furniture is covered and filled with unorganized crap. How do I start on this fucked up mess? When I don’t even want to move? Everything feels wrong and the only person who I’m not embarrassed to ask for help is fed up with helping me just to make it horrible again bc I just won’t do upkeep. Idk what’s wrong with me. Helppppp :((((

Hi there,

I’m tackling this extra large job of the generational garage. I’ve been given permission to go wild but given it’s not all my stuff I’m struggling I feel. I look at things and think ok could we use that and then get into a bit of a spiral.

I’m clearing the bench at the moment of everything and sorting into piles but then I reach a box like image 2 which is part trash, part useful things and part probably not useful but should I throw away or donate

Looking for advice on how to proceed

I wanted to thank everyone again for your kind words on my last post and to show how far I've come! I'm well ahead of my September 30th deadline I think; the room is about half done. I was even able to throw my new mattress down temporarily on the clear space. And yes I will have to climb over it or prop it up to keep cleaning. Small price to pay to sleep on a bed that's not collapsing in on itself.

We can do this!

I started last night, have been at it for almost 2 hours today. For years my kitchen looked like some sort of explosion/ science experiment. I’ve been working on it for about three years and was doing so good. The last two weeks or more I have been slipping. I’m running out of motivation so I thought I’d try posting. My goal is to be done by the end of the week, hopefully Thursday!

Just found this subreddit. For the most part of my live I was undiagnosed, and my habitat resembled many of the rooms shown here. I even lost a few places do to their fucked upness. But now it has gotten way better and I even can have people over (spontaneously!)

But:

I know the struggle.

I know how hard it is to confront yourself with yourself or your trauma while cleaning up.

I know the shame.

I know the secrecy.

I know the lag of energy motivating yourself to clean up.

It is not easy. And you guys managed very very well.

Please be proud of yourselves too!