To be honest, keeping your home neat and clean doesn’t take too much work. What it does take, however, is consistency and commitment about doing little tasks and implementing changes like the following:
Label Your Storage
Remote controls, children’s toys, small office supplies like scissors and pens, even paperwork and other important documents can be organized in boxes. Label these boxes accordingly and place them in a prominent spot in the rooms where they are usually used. This way, every member of the household knows where to get and store the items they need.
You can even take this a step further and get drawer and cabinet organizers or dividers and label each section. This is especially helpful if you have limited storage space.
Group Small Items Together
Dedicate a space for small objects that often get lost, such as keys, thumb drives, eyeglasses, nail clippers, and the like. These things are easily misplaced, so it’s a good idea to have a constant place to put them down.
You can use labeled storage boxes for these items, as well. However, if you’re running out of shelf space to put the boxes on, you might want to consider hanging them up instead. Install pegs by the door or some other highly visible area and use customized lanyards with different attachments to organize these items. Using different colors of lanyards will make organization even easier.
Don’t Let Tasks Pile Up
Accomplish considerably easy or small tasks immediately, like folding and putting away clean laundry or washing the dishes, as these are things that can quickly pile up and become less and less appealing to do. Clearing these small tasks ASAP will give you more time to do other things — maybe you can even relax for a bit before tackling other chores.
Clean As You Go
As soon as you finish something, say cooking or perhaps brushing your teeth, clean everything that needs to be cleaned up. Wipe the counters, wash the utensils that you used to cook, rinse and dry the sink — these tasks are easy enough to do but they make a big difference toward making your home look clean even if there is constant activity.
Make the Shift to Paperless Billing
Utility and bank bills printed on paper can easily accumulate and make a lot of mess. If your service providers have the option, choose to go the paperless route. Not only will you be helping the environment, you’ll also save yourself from digging out the latest electricity bill from under a pile of other papers. If the option is available, you can even ask for e-receipts to further reduce clutter.
Use Glass or Clear Plastic Containers in the Fridge
No more guessing! This can also help you reduce food waste because glass keeps foods fresher for longer — why do you think jams, food preserves, and even medicines are stored in glass bottles? To further prevent wastage, label the containers with the date you cooked or bought them, so you know which ones to consume first.
Place a Box at the Foot of the Stairs
This makes it easier for you to carry things back upstairs, like clean clothes, toys, and books. Doing this also prevents clutter from piling up and becoming an eyesore downstairs.
Put a Trash Bin in Every Room
Having only one or two trash cans, located somewhere far or inconvenient no less, may discourage your family members to get up and throw their garbage properly. Put small ones in each room, especially those that end up having a lot of trash like a home office, so that there’s always somewhere to put in garbage. There are various designs and styles available, so don’t worry about the trash bin messing up your decor!
Remember: small things add up to big things. Taking these small steps will go a long way to maintaining an organized and spotless home. They will keep you from getting overwhelmed by your chores, too!
