Habits and Routines That Keep Your Home Tidy
First and foremost – Make Your Bed – It instantly makes the room feel calmer and sets the tone for the rest of your home and the rest of your day because you have already accomplished something before you’ve even had your coffee.
Don’t Put it Down, Put it Away – it only takes a minute to hang up your coat, put the scissors back in the utility drawer or the glass in the dishwasher. All the small tidies throughout the day will eliminate future clutter and an overwhelming clean up at the end of the day when you are tired. If you don’t feel like going upstairs to put away something, place it on the stairs. Encourage family members to take those items up when they walk by and put them in the room where it belongs unless it’s theirs and they should put it away. An organized home is a group effort so there is more time and energy for the fun stuff.
Everything Has a Home – I said this in my last article but it bears repeating! Create homes for EVERYTHING. This makes the putting away habit so much easier. If you live with other people, show them the homes, ask, “where does this live?” Have homes be in locations that make sense for use. I suggest using bins to contain similar items in a closet, cabinet or pantry and label if it’s not obvious what the category is. This part of the process can be confusing or time consuming so having a professional like me come in would set you up for future success.
One in One Out – Even if you have a large home with lots of storage space, this is not a free pass to collect multiples of your belongings. I’ve said for years if you don’t need, use or love it, get rid of it. I heard something recently that I like even more: “if you can’t live without it, get rid of it” We can always rationalize needing something. Consider changing your thinking to how much do I value the item and does it deserve space in my home, prioritizing the freedom and space gained by its absence.
Deal With Paper Immediately – File it, scan it, shred it or toss it. We have trash that comes into our homes daily with mail and packages being delivered. The convenience of Amazon and ordering on line has been life changing but the packaging can take over a room in just a few days. Make it a habit to break down the box as soon as you open it. Keep a box cutter in the area of the door where the packages are delivered and ideally have the recycling bin close to that door. When bringing mail into the house or picking it up off the floor, go straight to the recycling bin in your home and throw away the junk mail. Make a pile of the pieces that need to be dealt with like bills and invitations and have a file tray to put tax info and other important papers in for filing later. If you deal with the incoming daily, the clutter paralysis will be kept at bay.
Shoes and Bags Have a Home – Not every home has a mudroom but every house has a coat/front hall closet. With multiple family members, it’s unlikely to be able to keep all outer wear for everybody in one space. Organize by season and item. Putting hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas in a piece of furniture near the door can make the coat closet feel less cluttered and easier to grab what you need as you are heading out the door. Also consider decorative hooks to hold one coat per family member by the door. Excess coats and out of season gear can live in the bedroom closet or in underbed boxes. In smaller homes you have to get creative with finding homes for ALL the THINGS. Living in a small home myself, I have become the master of my small domain. No matter the size of your home there is a system that will work to make your home, life and daily routine easier and more peaceful.
