How To Keep Your Home Tidy – 5 Simple Tips To Maintain A Clutter-free Home
I hate a messy space. Despite this, I used to find myself drowning in clutter just days after doing deep cleaning. Life would happen, things would pile up and it felt overwhelming to get things back in order again. I quickly realized the key was to MAINTAIN a tidy space instead of constantly having to tackle a messy house. If this sounds familiar, this article will tell you exactly how to keep your home tidy with just 5 simple tips.
1. CLEAR FLAT SURFACES
Chances are if you look around your home, many flat surfaces are littered with items that don’t belong there. Check your kitchen countertop. How about the dining room table? Should I ask about the bed in the spare room? These spaces and many other flat surfaces in your home are a hotbed for clutter. Start by clearing all the items from the flat surfaces that don’t belong there. You will be amazed how much better the space will feel once the flat surfaces around your home are free from clutter.
Many times, the problem of cluttered flat surfaces is caused by the fact that there is no dedicated space for the items placed there. That leads me to the next tip.
2. CREATE A HOME FOR EACH ITEM
Many times, piles accumulate because we haven’t identified a space for the different items to go in the home so we just put it somewhere, hoping to get to it eventually. Of course, we never do and this causes the space to feel cluttered. Consider the items that seem to float around the home with no specific location identified for storage. Create a home and keep it there.
3. PUT THINGS WHERE THEY SHOULD GO
Let’s face it, sometimes we know exactly where an item should go but we’re just too lazy to take the extra step to put it where it belongs. The problem is, those extra few seconds or minutes it takes to put away an item can really make a difference to the appearance of your space. Choosing not to put something in its home now is just delaying the inevitable as you will have to make the effort to address the problem later. One of my favorite content creators Brittany Vasseur has a mantra “don’t put it down, put it away”. Adopting that mantra has really helped me to maintain a tidier space. Try putting things where they should go in the first instance and this will help to maintain the appearance of a clean home and drastically reduce the time it takes to clean your space.
4. BREAK UP CLEANING INTO MANAGEABLE TASKS
Cleaning the home is an overwhelming task. I admire those who enjoy doing it and are able to keep a spotless home. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. If you’re like me, don’t worry, you can keep your home (mostly) spotless and take on the beast of cleaning your home in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. Consider breaking up the tasks. You have dusting, sweeping/ vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathroom… you get the idea. There are tasks that you may be able to complete in small manageable time periods each day instead of committing a whole day to the process. Try it for a week – 15 to 30 minutes each day on small manageable tasks. Doing this along with keeping your space clear of clutter and maintaining this by putting items in their home can be the perfect combo for a tidy home.
5. SET DEADLINES
It’s very easy to say you want to do something. But without self-imposed deadlines, I sometimes find that that thing never happens. The same applies to cleaning. It is easy to procrastinate and put off this activity if you don’t find it enjoyable. But don’t wait till the day your family and friends call to say they’re dropping by to start the process. Give yourself deadlines to complete certain tasks around the home. Stick to those deadlines and you’ll be happy you did.
A QUICK REMINDER
Social media can sometimes bombard you with the aesthetic immaculate Pinterest-perfect home, but that’s not realistic for all of us. And that’s ok. The aim is to do your best to make your space comfortable for YOU.
Try these tips and let me know if you find them helpful. If you have any other options, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what works for you!