A clean, organized home is a happy home. That’s why we’ve come up with this list of 10 habits that will motivate you to keep your place spotless!
Declutter Your Home
It’s vital to declutter your home and be ruthless with what you keep. While it can be tempting to hold onto everything under the sun, only keeping functional, beautiful, or sentimental things is best.
Don’t keep things because they might be helpful later. Don’t hold onto items in case someone else might need them someday. Let it go if something is out of obligation—it’s time to say goodbye!
Don’t Buy What You Can’t Afford
If you’re struggling to pay your bills, it’s important not to make the situation worse by buying things on credit that you can’t afford. If you don’t have enough money in your bank account, don’t make the purchase.
It’s also important to remember that just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it will save money in the long run. If an item only lasts for one use or breaks easily after just one use, then this would be more expensive than buying a higher quality product (because of all the new purchases).
Have a Place for Everything and Bring Everything to That Place
Organizing your home is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your home. The benefits are endless:
- You save time and money by not having to look for things that should be in their place, whether a pair of scissors or an umbrella.
- It’s easier to find things when they’re organized, which makes doing laundry easier (you know where to put the clothes after they come out of the dryer!).
- Your organization habits will lead to having more space in closets and cabinets because you’ll only have what you need in those areas. You can even get rid of some items if they’re not being used anymore!
Go Through Your Mail the Same Day You Bring It Into the House
It’s essential to go through your mail right away. If you don’t, it will pile up and inevitably get lost in the chaos of life.
You can cut down on this mess by organizing your mail right after you bring it into your home. That way, if any essential pieces of mail need to be dealt with immediately (like an urgent notice from the IRS), they won’t get misplaced under a stack of junk mail and forgotten about until later when they’re even more acute.
To organise your incoming mail, try one or all of these ideas:
- Set up a tray where all items go for further sorting and processing later on in the week or month—a basket works well for this purpose because it’s easy to take out as needed when sorting through piles at a later date
- File bills into folders labeled with their due dates so that you can keep track of them quickly if needed.
Hang Up Your Coat, Bag and Put Away Your Shoes (Not Just Where They Land)
This habit aims to create a home that looks like you’re there. The whole point of having an organized space is that it doesn’t look like a tornado went through; instead, it feels inviting, tidy, and relaxing (even when you have guests). So if your shoes are scattered in different rooms or your coat gets left on the floor next to the door every time, then none of those things will happen.
If you store items that aren’t currently in use somewhere specific – like hanging up coats in closets or putting away shoes under beds – then it makes sense to keep them there until they are needed again.
Clean as You Go
When you are clean as you go, you’re saving time by doing a little bit every day and staying focused on the task at hand. This way, if your husband asks to watch TV and eat pizza while he pretends he’s catching up on work, he can do it without feeling guilty about making a mess in the kitchen.
Suppose your kids are trying to work on their homework while simultaneously playing video games and throwing Legos at each other (not that I know anyone like that). In that case, they can still focus without worrying about what will happen when they leave their room.
When we clean as we go or tidy up after ourselves when we eat dinner or make tea/coffee (or whatever else), we don’t have all of these little chores adding up into one big mess later! It also helps us save money by not buying cleaning products; instead, we use essential items around the house so that nothing gets wasted!
Do Dishes Right After You Eat, or Have Them Washed Right Before Bed
This one is for the kitchen, but it applies to all areas of your home. Don’t let dirty dishes sit in the sink overnight—wash them as soon as you finish eating or put away leftovers with a clean dish towel (or paper towels).
If you are worried about having no clean plates, use paper plates and napkins until they are washed and dried. Vacuum or sweep up any crumbs that may have fallen on the floor, so they don’t attract bugs or rodents later in the day when everyone is gone from the house again.
And finally, toss trash into garbage cans instead of leaving it on countertops where it can stink up your kitchen and make people sick if they accidentally touch it while cooking later!
Follow the One-Minute Rule
The one-minute rule is one of the most powerful tools in an organized person’s arsenal because it gives you a great way to start something that can snowball into something huge. The premise is simple: if you have a task or project that needs to be done but are unsure where to start, do it for one minute.
One minute may seem like nothing, but once your timer goes off, you’ll probably feel compelled to keep going because the task feels much closer to completion than before!
This works with many jobs—cleaning up after cooking dinner (and washing dishes), tidying up toys when the kids leave them lying around the living room floor without having been played with…even decluttering!
I try applying this rule as often as possible when approaching my home-keeping tasks since it helps me get started on those things I might otherwise procrastinate over doing or forget altogether.
Sort Through Any Papers or Piles of Things at Least Once a Month
Don’t let papers and other items pile up on your desk, countertops, and kitchen table. Sort through them every month or so, preferably while doing something else. You can even do this while watching TV or convert mp4 to mp3 music to listen on. While waiting at the post office, take a few minutes to sort through your mail or bills that have accumulated since the last time you checked it—and then file those papers when you get home.
Always Remember What Feels Best to Come Home To
It’s a simple concept that can make all the difference in your life: keep your home clean. Not only will it be easier to clean, but you’ll also feel less stressed and more relaxed when you get home. A clean home is better for everyone—you, your family, and your guests.
Take Away:
We hope these habits will help you keep your house clean and organized. And if you’re still struggling, try out some of our other advice for keeping a tidy home. You might also want to check out our articles on decluttering and organizing–they’ll help get things under control in no time!
