Clutter and mess create stress, especially in women. For these reasons and others, it is beneficial for us to have a tidy home.
Here are 4 steps that I take to always have a tidy(ish) home:
1. Put Things Back Where They Belong
After you have decluttered and organized, things should be very easy to put back where they belong. Either easier or as easy as leaving things in the wrong place. So let’s try our best to put things where they belong.
I take it as a victory when my three-year-old knows where things live. She recently found a hair tie on the floor and when I asked her to put it where it belongs she marched to the right spot and got the job done without any extra questions. Win!
2. Never Leave A Room Empty-Handed
Try to make a habit of always scanning a room before you leave it. Is there something that doesn’t belong there?
Let’s say you are in your kids’ room. On the floor, you notice a pair of scissors, a few pieces of paper, and dirty pajamas. If you’re going next to the kitchen where the scissors and paper recycling bin live, pick those up and take them where they belong. If you happen to walk by the laundry hamper might as well pick up the dirty pajamas as well.
This habit takes no additional time and makes the house look pretty tidy all day long.
3. The One-Minute Rule
If a task takes less than a minute, just do it. Making the bed, picking up a bread crumb from the floor, or wiping the toothpaste off the sink.
These things are tiny and they don’t deserve to take up mental space in your head.
So instead of “Oh, I should do that when I have a chance” or “Whoever left that there should come and clean it”, I try to just do it and move on. It makes my home tidier and my mind calmer.
4. Clean As You Go
This could be categorized under the one-minute rule but I wanted to give it a special mention. This method could be used in any situation where you do a task that has multiple steps.
I find it especially helpful in the kitchen. Facing a mess after a nice meal can bring a mood down so make sure to clean as you cook.
After you chop and peel vegetables, put the scraps into the compost bin right away. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, take as many clean dishes out of the dishwasher as you have time for. Or load as many dirty dishes in as the time allows. Make use of the in-between times and put things back in the fridge or pantry as soon as you’re done with an ingredient.
I personally find these habits to be crucial. If things get too out of control, too messy, I find myself almost paralyzed. It takes much more effort to clean a messy, untidy room from top to bottom than it does to continuously keep things tidy one item or task at a time.
I hope this list will help you keep things tidy! Also, remember to give yourself and your family some slack. The goal is not to have 100% of your home to be tidy 100% of the time.
The goal is to have a home that works for you and your family.