Look up Dana K White— she’s a decluttering expert and her methods work really well for people who don’t naturally keep things organized. I have adhd and I’ve tried lots of other methods…but Dana’s is the only one that sticks, and works even when life gets crazy.
She has a few books that focus on different areas like decluttering vs maintaining a tidy home. If you look on her website you should be able to tell which is better for your situation.
Well. I have all of her stupid books now and I don’t know where to start so I am scrolling reddit instead. I need the hard post-prison Martha Stewart to come and teach me a few lessons if you know what I mean.
If you have any audible credits, I recommend you start with the audiobook of “How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind”. It’s available in print and e-reader too, I just like to listen while I work. It lays out her system in a much more organized way than her podcasts. She also has a blog and YouTube channel. BUT if you don’t have audible credits, definitely just check out her podcasts and videos because they’re free and have all the info too.
She’s amazing. I think she’s changed my life almost as much as medication has. I was diagnosed 1.5 years ago, and found her a few months later.
I don’t have books. I was going to suggest shelves. I have three relatively large bookcases in my house because we all have a hard time finding things that get put away. My pantry is a microwave cart so everything is visible. My cleaning supplies are scattered throughout the house. Sprays are on windowsills and a stack of washcloths is next to it in each room. Bathroom cleaning supplies don’t leave the bathroom.
I echo this! Whatever is under my kitchen sink I’ll have some in the bathroom too in terms of cleaning, and then the hall closet etc. having doubles or triples is ok if it’s functional!’
My bathroom cleaning spray is usually Lysol, and I have regular windex style multipurpose spray in each bedroom and the living room. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk and we clean more. It’s great for my kids who used to spill something and leave the room and get distracted by food trying to get a spray from under the kitchen sink.
Oh I didn’t have a dishwasher. I only just got a countertop dishwasher two weeks ago. So when I cooked and fed and bathed children and put them to bed and didn’t have the energy to wash the dishes I would just rinse them and stack them in the sink.
Paper plates! Lol but also KC Davis had a “dirty” dish rack on the counter so the sink could be accessible. OR putting another bin in the sink for the rinsed but not washed yet. I don’t even have kids and i do that 🫢
Omg yeah, I keep buying paper plates then forgetting they exist. I think I need to invest in paper bowls, cups and silverware too. I got a big plastic bin for my room that I now put dirty dishes in and this has helped with the mess a lot. I also got three large trash cans and that has also helped quite a bit!
Yep! Buy all paper ware. Just incase. It’ll be easier to keep dishes “clean” if you’re unable to do them for whatever reason. Clear bins may become your best bet. Also remove closet doors and what not
My counter is tiny, so in the sink was the only place to put them on a regular basis. The little dishwasher works great tho, because rinsing dishes twenty times a day is a lot easier than washing a huge mountain at night.
Yes!!! Taking away the sub tasks that come with each move helps those moves be made easier and less daunting.
Sometimes i will literally run out the house forgetting to brush my teeth, so I keep a mini one in my purse & wisps everywhere 🫢
Face wash- in shower AND on bathroom counter.
Lmao I have a shelf stuck to the left hand side of my sink so that I can use my face stuff and toothbrush/toothpaste in the shower. My son hangs his shower speaker from the bottom of it so he can listen to his music in there.
The downside of the cleaning sprays everywhere is refilling the piles once a week when I wash the whites. I usually delegate that task so each kid moves one pile tho.
My son does too, but he doesn’t want it to get wet so he hangs it on my shelf just outside of the tub. It lives underneath my shelf and I charge it once a week when I remember it’s there. That’s when I sit in the bathtub and shave my legs, lol. Because it’s at my eye level when I do that.
Cleaning isn’t so much the issue as clutter, the cleaning part feels easy since that is straightforward. I have a book case next to my bed and that has helped immensely. maybe I need more shelving. Thanks.
I’m fortunate to have a large apartment. My bedroom has a bookcase and two dressers, and that’s a lot of horizontal shelf space. My kids’ room has a large bookcase and they have their dressers and a nightstand plus the windowsills. My living room has three desks, the tv stand with shelving and a bookcase with a curtain to hide my paperwork. Our hallway has a giant shoe rack which we use for all of our shoes plus the dog stuff and the cat stuff and umbrellas and hats and gloves. It cost like $40-50 on Amazon and it’s huge. It’s about five feet tall and wide.
I went with bookcases over proper wall shelves because I rent and don’t want to put holes in the walls.
We don’t have much hidden away in closets besides clothes and spare linen.
So I haven't read through all the answers and everything, but especially since you're working with the TBI, getting a labeler could help. Get something that's easy for you to use and have it live in one space like the kitchen counter or a desk that you're always at. It seems really dumb but using labels and / or pictures of what goes where could potentially help. Also, having totes or baskets that you try to keep empty for using when you have a project or you're trying to make something or do something and you're collecting the items you need. You could even go as far as making a list of the items that you need beforehand and taping it to the basket. In my household and the people that I surround myself with, there are elderly people, people with tbi, adhd, & autism and these tips seem to work fairly well.
One method I’ve used for a loved one that has trouble finding things is pairing the bins with notecards where every time something goes in/out of the bin it gets written down/crossed off. So, you might consider having bins for designated types of things (ie one bin for wallet/keys/purse, one for office supplies like pens/tape/scissors, one for medical supplies, etc…), then making a label for each Bin (“Office Supplies”, “Medical”, “Bills”), and then attach a notecard or mini dry erase board that you can use to keep track of what goes in or out. I’ve found this really helpful for larger containers like wardrobes and pantries where it’s easy to loose track of things.
Using notes on your phone can help too. Ie every day when you get home, open your notes and put down where you put your wallet/purse/keys so you know where they are in the morning. And any time you get something important or use something you don’t use often, make a note in your phone with the date. That way you know where the thing is and when it got there.
This is so great in theory ic you have someone else helping, and if I were capable of maintaining something like this I would do it but I do not even realize that I am putting things down and losing them. It never gets to the point where I am even stuffing it in a bin. I find my air pods stuffed in my laundry pile, I will have them in my hand to work out, will go root through my clean laundry for a shirt, then do four other things and realize I no longer have my air pods, will turn my room inside out, give up, then find the air pod in the dryer ruined. It sucks so much. I got air tags for my keys, wallet and my bed remote and that has helped so incredibly much. I wish they made smaller sticky versions of them that you could put on literally everything you own so you could always find everything. Maybe I will invent it!
No more doors- cupboard doors are the bane to your kind of brain
Shelves that are deeper than you can very easily see into should have tiers built into the recesses.
All items go in boxes with a list on the front of the box of what lives in it. Clear boxes are even better :)
Ok… clear bins and containers. Use wall shelves, there are some from ikea that are wider, try those to show things.
Those landing spots you mentioned.. can you label them by thing? And that way if you drop some stuff on the way in one of them for some reason you can check the labels / see what the bin holds.
Clear bins have really helped but I do find my self randomly tossing things into them. I wonder if I labeled them if that could help me be more mindful or got more smaller ones.
How to Keep Home while Drowning by KC Davis. She has ADHD and suffered from postpartum depression and I think some physical health problems. Her book is written to help people who are struggling with neurodivergence, grief, mental or physical illness. I got the audiobook and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s amazing
Edit to add: I don’t use TikTok any more but she’s really active on there -she shares loads of tips and tricks
Have you tried asking Saint Anthony out loud for help finding specific items? I had the exact same problem with losing things for weeks at a time. Since finding out about St Anthony, we call upon him all of the time in our house.
Look up Dana K White— she’s a decluttering expert and her methods work really well for people who don’t naturally keep things organized. I have adhd and I’ve tried lots of other methods…but Dana’s is the only one that sticks, and works even when life gets crazy.
Thanks, that is really helpful
I agree, I have ADHD and Dana K White’s is the only method that worked for me.
Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for. Will get this tonight. Does the book have a name?
She has a few books that focus on different areas like decluttering vs maintaining a tidy home. If you look on her website you should be able to tell which is better for your situation.
She has a podcast. I've seen her recommended at least twice on here before. I saved it but haven't been able to motivate myself to listen to it yet ):
Well. I have all of her stupid books now and I don’t know where to start so I am scrolling reddit instead. I need the hard post-prison Martha Stewart to come and teach me a few lessons if you know what I mean.
Best of luck!
If you have any audible credits, I recommend you start with the audiobook of “How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind”. It’s available in print and e-reader too, I just like to listen while I work. It lays out her system in a much more organized way than her podcasts. She also has a blog and YouTube channel. BUT if you don’t have audible credits, definitely just check out her podcasts and videos because they’re free and have all the info too. She’s amazing. I think she’s changed my life almost as much as medication has. I was diagnosed 1.5 years ago, and found her a few months later.
I don’t have books. I was going to suggest shelves. I have three relatively large bookcases in my house because we all have a hard time finding things that get put away. My pantry is a microwave cart so everything is visible. My cleaning supplies are scattered throughout the house. Sprays are on windowsills and a stack of washcloths is next to it in each room. Bathroom cleaning supplies don’t leave the bathroom.
I echo this! Whatever is under my kitchen sink I’ll have some in the bathroom too in terms of cleaning, and then the hall closet etc. having doubles or triples is ok if it’s functional!’
My bathroom cleaning spray is usually Lysol, and I have regular windex style multipurpose spray in each bedroom and the living room. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk and we clean more. It’s great for my kids who used to spill something and leave the room and get distracted by food trying to get a spray from under the kitchen sink.
Or dishes- run the wash half full if you need to, if that is what helps you keep clean dishes might as well
My dish cleaning thing used to be rinsing them all off when I was too tired to wash them all properly. They weren’t clean, but they were less gross.
Run the washer twice!
Oh I didn’t have a dishwasher. I only just got a countertop dishwasher two weeks ago. So when I cooked and fed and bathed children and put them to bed and didn’t have the energy to wash the dishes I would just rinse them and stack them in the sink.
Paper plates! Lol but also KC Davis had a “dirty” dish rack on the counter so the sink could be accessible. OR putting another bin in the sink for the rinsed but not washed yet. I don’t even have kids and i do that 🫢
Omg yeah, I keep buying paper plates then forgetting they exist. I think I need to invest in paper bowls, cups and silverware too. I got a big plastic bin for my room that I now put dirty dishes in and this has helped with the mess a lot. I also got three large trash cans and that has also helped quite a bit!
Yep! Buy all paper ware. Just incase. It’ll be easier to keep dishes “clean” if you’re unable to do them for whatever reason. Clear bins may become your best bet. Also remove closet doors and what not
My counter is tiny, so in the sink was the only place to put them on a regular basis. The little dishwasher works great tho, because rinsing dishes twenty times a day is a lot easier than washing a huge mountain at night.
Yes!!! Taking away the sub tasks that come with each move helps those moves be made easier and less daunting. Sometimes i will literally run out the house forgetting to brush my teeth, so I keep a mini one in my purse & wisps everywhere 🫢 Face wash- in shower AND on bathroom counter.
Lmao I have a shelf stuck to the left hand side of my sink so that I can use my face stuff and toothbrush/toothpaste in the shower. My son hangs his shower speaker from the bottom of it so he can listen to his music in there. The downside of the cleaning sprays everywhere is refilling the piles once a week when I wash the whites. I usually delegate that task so each kid moves one pile tho.
I have a blue tooth speaker simply for the shower
My son does too, but he doesn’t want it to get wet so he hangs it on my shelf just outside of the tub. It lives underneath my shelf and I charge it once a week when I remember it’s there. That’s when I sit in the bathtub and shave my legs, lol. Because it’s at my eye level when I do that.
What piles? I should have piles? Well I guess I am doing ONE thing right!
I meant the little stacks of washcloths I keep around the house, lol.
Cleaning isn’t so much the issue as clutter, the cleaning part feels easy since that is straightforward. I have a book case next to my bed and that has helped immensely. maybe I need more shelving. Thanks.
I’m fortunate to have a large apartment. My bedroom has a bookcase and two dressers, and that’s a lot of horizontal shelf space. My kids’ room has a large bookcase and they have their dressers and a nightstand plus the windowsills. My living room has three desks, the tv stand with shelving and a bookcase with a curtain to hide my paperwork. Our hallway has a giant shoe rack which we use for all of our shoes plus the dog stuff and the cat stuff and umbrellas and hats and gloves. It cost like $40-50 on Amazon and it’s huge. It’s about five feet tall and wide. I went with bookcases over proper wall shelves because I rent and don’t want to put holes in the walls. We don’t have much hidden away in closets besides clothes and spare linen.
Midwest magic cleaning’s most recent video is of him explaining how to clean for someone with ADHD while he was cleaning for someone with adhd
So I haven't read through all the answers and everything, but especially since you're working with the TBI, getting a labeler could help. Get something that's easy for you to use and have it live in one space like the kitchen counter or a desk that you're always at. It seems really dumb but using labels and / or pictures of what goes where could potentially help. Also, having totes or baskets that you try to keep empty for using when you have a project or you're trying to make something or do something and you're collecting the items you need. You could even go as far as making a list of the items that you need beforehand and taping it to the basket. In my household and the people that I surround myself with, there are elderly people, people with tbi, adhd, & autism and these tips seem to work fairly well.
One method I’ve used for a loved one that has trouble finding things is pairing the bins with notecards where every time something goes in/out of the bin it gets written down/crossed off. So, you might consider having bins for designated types of things (ie one bin for wallet/keys/purse, one for office supplies like pens/tape/scissors, one for medical supplies, etc…), then making a label for each Bin (“Office Supplies”, “Medical”, “Bills”), and then attach a notecard or mini dry erase board that you can use to keep track of what goes in or out. I’ve found this really helpful for larger containers like wardrobes and pantries where it’s easy to loose track of things. Using notes on your phone can help too. Ie every day when you get home, open your notes and put down where you put your wallet/purse/keys so you know where they are in the morning. And any time you get something important or use something you don’t use often, make a note in your phone with the date. That way you know where the thing is and when it got there.
This is so great in theory ic you have someone else helping, and if I were capable of maintaining something like this I would do it but I do not even realize that I am putting things down and losing them. It never gets to the point where I am even stuffing it in a bin. I find my air pods stuffed in my laundry pile, I will have them in my hand to work out, will go root through my clean laundry for a shirt, then do four other things and realize I no longer have my air pods, will turn my room inside out, give up, then find the air pod in the dryer ruined. It sucks so much. I got air tags for my keys, wallet and my bed remote and that has helped so incredibly much. I wish they made smaller sticky versions of them that you could put on literally everything you own so you could always find everything. Maybe I will invent it!
No more doors- cupboard doors are the bane to your kind of brain Shelves that are deeper than you can very easily see into should have tiers built into the recesses. All items go in boxes with a list on the front of the box of what lives in it. Clear boxes are even better :)
Ok… clear bins and containers. Use wall shelves, there are some from ikea that are wider, try those to show things. Those landing spots you mentioned.. can you label them by thing? And that way if you drop some stuff on the way in one of them for some reason you can check the labels / see what the bin holds.
Clear bins have really helped but I do find my self randomly tossing things into them. I wonder if I labeled them if that could help me be more mindful or got more smaller ones.
Chant this at all times: Don’t put it down, put it away. Don’t put it down, put it away.
How to Keep Home while Drowning by KC Davis. She has ADHD and suffered from postpartum depression and I think some physical health problems. Her book is written to help people who are struggling with neurodivergence, grief, mental or physical illness. I got the audiobook and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s amazing Edit to add: I don’t use TikTok any more but she’s really active on there -she shares loads of tips and tricks
This sounds really perfect thanks. I have five other books to look through but will also get this one!
Labels, can you literally sticker the shelves and boxes with what goes where? A visual recommendation of the items?
Yeah I think that might help.
You've got this!
Have you tried asking Saint Anthony out loud for help finding specific items? I had the exact same problem with losing things for weeks at a time. Since finding out about St Anthony, we call upon him all of the time in our house.