Hi Nikki. Maybe this image can help you: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2xhl8q1pdigw4ww/clutter_image_rating.gif?dl=0
It's a gif image with different levels of clutter, from 1 to 9, and each includes a brief description.

Hi Tillie.
"It is easier to keep a house in good order if you develop a routine.
Daily, weekly and monthly tasks keep the home in order."

I agree with you, but it's a difficult thing for me. Many times I've tried to develop a routine of scheduled tasks, with limited success. In the long run, daily activities "eat me" and I give up. And then, start over.
How to achieve it?

Hi Nikki :)

Great that you can now devote time to deep cleaning!

First, it is so much easier to clean a house that does not have an overabundance of things in it.
So, as you clean have bags/boxes/bins ready to put items in that you see you do not need.

It is easier to keep a house in good order if you develop a routine.
Daily, weekly and monthly tasks keep the home in order.

You CAN do this! :D

Good luck & best wishes

My family says I am a hoarder or that I like to live in Squalor. I am a single mom and tend to be messy. I am self employed and from Oct-Dec have a very demanding schedule. In Dec, I often worked 16 hour days and had 2 days off. My house was trashed after Christmas. We live in a small 1 bed carriage house, we have no garage and no storage. We are in NorCal, where there is a ton of rain,so my front room is our garage, living room, my bedroom. We have 3 dogs 2 cats.
When I have time, I can clean my house and throw away stuff.
6 yrs ago I was very depressed and barely functioning. My house was like the worse kind of hoarder. I gave my daughter to her grandparents temporarily to seek help. I eventually got my life together, but now they are saying I am still having issues. I agree that I could not get a head of my chores. Now that it is my slow season, I am easily able to Spring Clean.