Your home is your sanctuary, a place where you can retreat from the world to rest and recharge. You want to make the most of it. Keeping your space tidy can help make it more soothing and enjoyable to spend time in. That doesn't mean you have to give the whole house a deep clean every week. This guide provides actionable tips for maintaining an orderly home where you can feel your best.
Start by making your bed
Start with the small things: Every morning, set aside the few minutes you need to make your bed. This automatically gives your bedroom, the place in your house where it's most important to feel at ease, a more relaxing aura. Very Well Mind reveals that making your bed every day even has mental health benefits, giving you a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of calm, and potentially reducing stress and improving sleep.
Declutter to nix things you don't need
Clutter is shown to increase feelings of anxiety, making home anything but serene. Clean out your closets, cabinets, and drawers, donating or selling items you no longer need. If you have old photographs or papers you still want, cut down on the space they require by digitizing them. You can combine PDFs into one file using document merging software and can then move PDF pages to get your valuable records in the desired order.
Ramp up your storage space
To help minimize the risk of clutter going forward, maximize your home's storage space. This Old House has tips for adding more storage to every room. For example, in the bedroom, invest in under-bed storage bins or a storage chest that doubles as a nightstand. In the kitchen, add hooks for hanging pots, pans, dish towels, and racks inside cabinets to hold spices and other small goods inside the doors.
Give everything its proper place
As you ramp up your home's storage capacity, make a point of designating a place for each thing. For instance, if you normally throw your laundry on the closet floor, invest in a hamper. Another example: If you throw your keys on the front hall table, get a key hook. You might also invest in home remodeling to create the space you need for your things. Artistic Solutions by EES can help you make aesthetically pleasing yet practical improvements.
Take a "clean as you go" approach
The biggest threat to a tidy home is allowing things to stack up. From dishes to laundry, when you let your mess build up over time, it seems insurmountable. Proactively combat this issue by taking a clean-as-you-go approach. Commit to always doing the dishes after dinner, for example, and try to do one load of laundry per day. This guide to cleaning a kitchen in just 15 minutes can help.
Get your family involved
Keeping a tidy home shouldn't be up to one person alone. Get your partner and kids to help. Instilling good organizational habits in children is especially useful, as surveys show that kids' rooms are the messiest in the house. Provide little ones with the tools they need to keep order. For example, big colored bins for their toys can be a great way to encourage them to put their things away.
Consider hiring a professional cleaning service
Putting things away and maintaining a clutter-free space is only half the battle when it comes to keeping a tidy home. You always want to ensure that the house is clean and hygienic. Towards this end, consider hiring a professional cleaning service. You can find qualified individuals online. They will have the tools and techniques to get the job done fast, sparing you time and stress.
Maintaining a tidy home doesn't have to be a headache. Small steps taken every day will make a big difference. Trust the tips above to get started.
