One book I read - it might have been the one suggested earlier, I can't remember - gave the suggestion to have a basket or box for things that don't belong in the area you're working in. That sounded like a very helpful idea to me. The idea was that you don't interrupt your decluttering in Area A to get up and take something to Area B, C, D, etc. or you'll get distracted there and never get back to A! You just put the out-of-place item in the basket and at the end of the cleaning session carry it around and put those items in the rooms in which they belong. Then when you deal with those rooms each in turn the items will get to where they need to be.

Yes. Thank you that helps a great deal! I have already been going around a few minutes everyday trying to remove stuff but it usually just ends up looking worse somehow and then the overwhelming depression of it all sets in again. I usually try to break the rooms into quadrants or sections and clean out one area of a room at a time...only to find the area that I cleaned out immediately re-cluttered by (mostly) husband and sometimes by kids. I just need to somehow re-train my brain into thinking that I am a neat freak instead of a pack rat. :) Anyway, it is an ongoing process and I am working on it. Thank you for all of the help!

Hi :)
Yes, we all make mistakes and regret that we can't go back and edit our posts here. :)

You can't do much to change your husbands behavior but you can change your own and that may make him change his ways.
You working to clear up the home and set up routines may cause him to see where he is contributing to the chaos.

Even small children can be taught a routine to put their toys in a box, clothes in a hamper and trash in the can.
As they get older they can learn to make their beds and tidy up their rooms.

Where to begin...
Here we begin by getting a trash bag and going around for 5, 10 or 15 minutes bagging up all and any trash we see.
Food wrappers, junk mail, broken things, litter, etc.
Then take the bag out to the trash can.
Congratulate yourself for a job well done. :D

Another timed round could be to gather up all dirty dishes and get them to the kitchen.
Then go again to gather up all dirty laundry and get that to the hamper.

Once the litter, dishes and laundry have been gathered up and out of the way it makes it easier to move around and see where the actual clutter is.

Often we say to start with the bathroom because it is usually a small room and can be completed in a shorter amount of time.
First, put all loose items in boxes or containers.
Clean the sink, tub, toilet and floor.
Then reevaluate the items when you put them back in the room.
Do they belong in the bathroom? Do we use/need this item or can I toss/donate it? Is it worn out/broken/all used up?

Try very hard not to shuffle items from room to room.
As you pick up items try right then to make the decision to keep/toss/donate it or does it belong in another location in the house.
After you have cleared and cleaned an area defend it daily by routinely tidying it up. This takes just a few minutes and helps to keep things from getting too overwhelming.

Other rooms are usually done area by area rather than emptying it out completely.

A good book to read is "Buried In Treasures".

Hope I have answered your question. :)

I made the original post and have found a couple of words not spelled correctly but I am unable to go back in and correct. So please forgive me. That is usually one of my own pet peeves! My keys have been sticking lately making typing more difficult and easier to misspell words. :/

I am a hoarder but looking to literally clean up my act...pun intended...lol.

Anyway, my husband is always complaining about the mess but refuses to help clean or pick-up and then continues to mess up himself only to blame it all on me and my hoarding. We have 3 small children that are getting to the age that they want friends over to visit too. We have clutter in every room of the house.

My question is where to begin in the cleaning process and does anyone have any helpful cleaning tips that are fast and effective. I do clean but get so frustrated cleaning the same things over and over only to turn around to find them cluttered up again by my husband and kids. It just gets so frustrating, depressing and I get so overwhelmed that I just quit trying all together and things then just get moved from one room to the next. I have a hard time letting things go.

I grew up in a hoarding home and atmosphere and would desperately like to overcome and change this situation around for my kids.

Any advice on where/how to start the cleaning out process? Which rooms first, etc? Do you clean some in all the rooms at the same time or do you completely empty out one room and move on to the next? One of our main issues is that things just get moved from one room to another.

Thank you in advance for all of your help and advice!