Look, I get it. Housework is the worst. Who actually wakes up excited to scrub toilets or sort through that terrifying junk drawer? Not me. I’d rather do literally anything else – watch paint dry, count ceiling tiles, pretend I’m suddenly fascinated by that documentary about moths my partner keeps suggesting.
But here’s the thing nobody talks about. Sometimes what starts as “I’ll deal with that pile later” turns into something way bigger than we planned. I was chatting with the folks at Melbourne hoarder clean up company The Junkman recently, and they told me stories that would blow your mind. People who started with a messy spare room and ended up unable to use half their house.
It happens slowly. First its just newspapers you’re keeping for… reasons. Then its boxes from online shopping because hey, you might need to return something. Before you know it, you’re eating dinner on the couch because the dining table disappeared under stuff three years ago.
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The Sneaky Slide from Messy to Overwhelming
We all have that friend who’s house looks like a tornado hit it. Mine’s called Sarah. She used to joke about being allergic to cleaning. Funny thing was, she really did start getting sick all the time. Turns out when you dont clean for long enough, dust and mold become real problems. Who knew?
The worst part is how it creeps up on you. One day you’re just tired and skip vacuuming. Fair enough. Next week you’re tired again. Month later the vacuum’s buried under clothes and you couldn’t find it if you tried. Its like quicksand but with laundry and takeout containers.
Why Some Mess is Actually Good for You
Now before you think I’ve gone all clean-freak on you, let me be clear. A bit of mess is healthy. Seriously. Those people with spotless houses? They’re probably stressed out of their minds. Life happens in the mess. Kids make forts out of couch cushions. Dogs track mud through the kitchen. You spill coffee on important papers because mornings are hard.
Thats normal. Thats living.
But there’s a line somewhere between “lived-in” and “I haven’t seen my bedroom floor since 2019”. And that line? Its different for everyone.
When to Wave the White Flag
Sometimes you gotta know when you’re beat. Like when:
- You’re using the oven for storage because the cupboards are full
- Opening closets becomes an extreme sport
- You’ve got a path through rooms instead of actual floor space
- The spare room is just… gone. It exists but nobody goes in there
This isn’t failure. Its recognition. Some situations get away from us. Maybe you got sick, went through a rough patch, or just hate cleaning with the fire of a thousand suns.
The Mental Load Nobody Mentions
You know what’s exhausting? Looking at mess every single day and feeling guilty about it. That weight on your shoulders when you come home and see chaos. The embarrassment when someone wants to visit and you make excuses.
That stuff adds up. It sits in the back of your brain taking up space that could be used for literally anything else. Like remembering where you put your keys. Or what you went to the kitchen for. Or your cousin’s name at family gatherings.
Making Peace with Getting Help
Here’s what I learned from talking to professionals who do this stuff every day. Most people wait way too long to ask for help. They’re embarrassed or think they should handle it themselves or worry about being judged.
But these crews? They’ve seen everything. That closet full of empty amazon boxes? Amateur hour. The collection of newspapers from 1987? Tuesday for them. They show up, do the job, and don’t make you feel weird about it.
The Freedom on the Other Side
Imagine walking into your house and not immediately feeling stressed. Wild concept right? But people tell me that after a big cleanout, they feel like they can breathe again. Like someone lifted a weight they didn’t know they were carrying.
You don’t have to become some cleaning enthusiast. You can still skip housework whenever you want. But starting from zero instead of starting from disaster? Game changer.
Sometimes the best reason to skip housework is knowing when its time to hand it over to someone else. No shame in that game. Just sweet, sweet relief and a house you can actually use again.
Life’s too short to spend it fighting with stuff that doesn’t spark joy. Or any emotion really, except maybe mild annoyance. Save your energy for the good stuff. Like finding new and creative ways to avoid doing the dishes.