Having a tidy home really is an achievable goal for all of us, whatever stage we are at in life and whether we have young kids or not. Having a tidy home is all about getting in to the habit of keeping on top of themes before it becomes… well, a mess. More importantly, you can do it without spending every minute of your life tidying with these super helpful tips.
Having a tidy home has so many benefits why wouldn’t you want a neat home? Clear spaces and surfaces can make your home seem larger and more inviting and can also drastically reduce the stress in your life. After a hard day at work or running around with the kids the last thing you want to be doing is searching for the TV remote under piles of magazines or stepping over piles of laundry or having to clear enough space just to prepare a meal.
It’s easy to understand the benefits but if your house already looks like a tornado has hit it where on earth do you start?
Organise Your Possessions
Clutter is often the by-product of a lack or organisation and/or storage space. If personal items do not have a set place where they belong when they are not in use then nobody quite knows where to put them. So, give each and every item it’s own defined storage place then when you’re tidying up you can return the items to that place. No more wondering what to do with something so just leaving it on the floor, kitchen worktop, sofa or wherever it happens t be at the time. Even better if your home is well-organised you will always know where to find a particular item.
One Room at A Time
If your entire house needs tidying don’t try to do it all at once. That way you will become disheartened and probably never start because the job will seem to huge. Instead choose one room at a time, perhaps the living room to start with or the master bedroom, and take a “tidy or move” approach to the contents. If an item belongs in the room it gets tidied away – if it doesn’t then move it out into another room (and hopefully eventually it will end up where it belongs!)
Delegate The Work
Unless you live alone make sure that everyone else in the household is pitching in to help. Children (or spouses, relatives, lodgers and flatmates) can, and should, all be responsible for keeping their own things tidy – in their own room – so you can simply move their belongings out of the shared areas if they are creating clutter. I know someone who always removes one shoe from each pair left in the hallway. Her family quickly learnt to put their shoes away where they belong.
Hide It
A bit cheeky this one, I know, but providing the “hiding place” is kept well-organised I can live with that. I’m not so much thinking about sweeping clutter under the carpet but more about placing it in storage furniture. Coffee tables with drawers underneath can store magazines; as can storage footstools with a lift-up lid. Drawers under beds can store spare bed linen and pillows, Box and shelf storage systems can provide a lot of modern storage and hide the clutter away much more successfully than open bookcases. Chooses your storage boxes carefully and they can become a good-looking interior feature in your home.
Get Rid of It
As you tidy why not think “Do I actually still use this?” If the answer is no then put it in a box of things to sell or give away to charity. Rather than having it cluttering up your home let someone else use it. You never know you just might come to love this clutter-free home and become the next Marie Kondo.
Store It Elsewhere
Of course, sometimes there are things you actually do use or want to keep but not every day. These are ideal candidates for moving into a self-storage unit. If you have a garage or loft they can be put there but these days self-storage is very cheap so that might be an option worth considering, especially for sentimental items you want to keep secure.
Do It Daily
Once you’ve tidied your house you need to keep on top of it. A daily ten minutes before bed, moving remote controls, magazines, books, toys and clothes to where they belong will avoid you having to spend a whole day at the weekend sorting out the mess.
Don’t Buy More
One of the secrets to having a tidy house is simply to avoid buying more items than you have a use for. When you’ve finished with a magazine recycle it and don’t buy another one until you’ve done so. Don’t buy five types of coffee maker to clutter up the kitchen. The less stuff you have in the house the easier it will be to keep it tidy.
Loves home. I am here to provide how to make your home a much better place. 🙂 Blogging about HomeDecor, Home Improvements and more.
