Daily Habits for a Tidier Home

Ten things you can do every day to help make your surroundings a little more tidy:

1.       MAKE THE BED EVERY MORNING

It may seem obvious, but making the bed is one of the best ways to keep your bedroom looking tidy. The bed is the focal point of every bedroom and when the bed is messy, the room looks messy. Getting in the habit of making the bed every morning starts the day off with a sense of accomplishment and you’ll be more inclined to keep the rest of the house tidy as well.

Good Housekeeping

2.       WIPE DOWN THE BATHROOM ONCE A DAY

After you’ve finished getting ready in the morning, take two or three minutes to simply wipe down the mirror, the sink and the counter with a cloth and a cleaning solution. Keep a caddie of cleaning supplies and a roll of paper towels or a cleaning cloth under the sink so you don't have to search for them. You may also want to keep a small broom and a dustbin under the sink for quickly sweeping up the floor. Doing this daily will keep the buildup of grime on your fixtures at bay. When it comes time for a more thorough cleaning at the end of the week, your time will have been cut in half!

3.       DO A LOAD OF LAUNDRY EVERY DAY

Laundry can easily pile up if it is not regularly addressed. The simple rule of doing one load of laundry a day will minimize dirty-laundry pileup greatly. Be sure to allocate some time to finish the load completely: wash and dry and put away. Doing one load a day will prevent the need for a ‘wash day’ where multiple loads must be done: this is time consuming and can really feel like a chore.

4.       HAVE A SPOT FOR DIRTY LAUNDRY

How many of us have thrown our dirty socks or t-shirts on the floor, or just stuffed them into a closet to be collected and washed some other time? Having a spot to toss your dirty laundry (a hamper in your bedroom or a laundry basket in a closet) keeps it all in one spot. When it comes time to do the laundry, there is no rummaging around for dirty clothes to wash and it keeps your rooms looking tidy throughout the week.

The White Company

5.       CLEAN AS YOU COOK

This may sound challenging, or even distracting, but it’s quite simple. As you’re cooking, simply be mindful about where you’re placing the items you’ve used. For example, put the spices back into the spice rack once you’ve finished with them; put condiments back into the fridge the moment you’ve finished using them; quickly rinse and dry the cutting board while the sauce is simmering and quickly wipe the counter of any spills and crumbs while the roast is in the oven. This will make washing up a much simpler task after dinner.

6.       EMPTY THE DISHWASHER EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED

How nice it is to start the day with an empty dishwasher! After dinner and before bed, run a dishwasher cycle and be sure to empty it before you tuck in for the night. This way, when you wake up the next morning, all the dishes are clean and at the ready. You may also be in a rush in the morning and may not have time to empty the dishwasher. Emptying the dishwasher the night before prepares you for the following day: you’ll wake up to a clean kitchen and clean dishes, and all the breakfast dishes can go into the empty dishwasher. (If you don’t have a dishwasher, the same principle still applies: wash, dry and put away the dirty dishes before you go bed each night.)

7.       TIDY THE KITCHEN BEFORE BED

Once the dishwasher has been loaded and the cycle has begun, take ten minutes to quickly tidy the kitchen. Make sure everything is put back into the pantry and the refrigerator, clean the counters and wash up any large pots and pans and then put them away. Finally, sweep the floor. At the end of the dishwasher cycle, put the dishes away. You’ll wake up to a clean kitchen with everything at the ready.

8.       HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING – AND PUT THINGS AWAY

It may take some time to get organized, but design your home so that everything has a specific place: magazines go in the magazine rack; books go on the shelf; toys go into the toy chest, DVDs go in the cabinet, etc. If you don't have a spot for something yet, create one. In much the same way you have designated a kitchen cupboard for your dishes and a jewelry box for your jewelry, make similar decisions in other rooms in the house: clear a drawer in the bedroom to store electronic devices, headphones and batteries, or designate a plastic bin in the spare room for craft supplies. Making sure there is a place where everything “lives” - and that everyone in the household knows where those places are - will make it much easier to put things away once you’ve finished using them.

greenfrogcleaning.com

9.       START A DONATION BIN

Keep a box or a bag in a storage closet, the laundry room or the basement where you can place items for donation: clothing or books or items that are in good condition but that you no longer use or need. Try adding one item a day: a book, a sweater you never wear, a stuffed animal that's been outgrown. Once the box is full, donate it to your local charity or take it to a donation bin. This will help reduce clutter in the home and keep you aware of the items you find useful and those you don’t.

10.       KEEP JUNK MAIL OUT

Junk mail can easily pile up. Often it collects on the kitchen counter, the dining room table or the coffee table. Sort the mail as soon as you remove it from your mailbox and quickly separate the flyers and the ‘junk’ from the bills and correspondence. Before coming into the house, toss what you don’t want into the recycling bin. If you do enjoy looking through flyers, a recycling basket can be set up where the mail is usually sorted. The flyers and ads can be easily tossed into the basket once they’ve been browsed. 

Adopting even a few of these measures and making them part of your daily routine will help keep you organized and your surroundings looking their best.