Having a tidy house keeps me happy and calm.
When my space is organised and clear, I don't panic when people drop by unannounced, I'm not wasting time searching for lost items, I arrive on time or early when I go somewhere (which is something I never did before!), and I have more time to have fun with my family.
When my space is organised and clear, I don't panic when people drop by unannounced, I'm not wasting time searching for lost items, I arrive on time or early when I go somewhere (which is something I never did before!), and I have more time to have fun with my family.
When I help people organise their spaces, I usually get asked what sort of tools they should buy - containers, planners, file folders, desks, cupboards, etc. I say the same thing every time.
Fancy tools, boxes and organising products are fun, pretty and useful and I LOVE them. But they aren't necessary, they're just nice to have.
So before you go out and spend lots of $ on organising products, get the basics covered first, so you're not wasting your money.
Fancy tools, boxes and organising products are fun, pretty and useful and I LOVE them. But they aren't necessary, they're just nice to have.
So before you go out and spend lots of $ on organising products, get the basics covered first, so you're not wasting your money.
To start with, you only need to focus on 3 things to keep your house clear and clutter free.
Three things. That's it!
And you don't need to spend and money on them if you don't want to.
Here's what you REALLY need to do to keep a tidy house:
1. Get Motivated: Something has to get you going, get you interested in tidying your house regularly. For some, it's writing a To Do list and crossing chores off as you go. For others, it's rewarding themselves after the job is complete. You may like to play your favourite music while you work, put up a motivational poster or keep a few inspiration photos handy - pictures of your house when it's tidy so you know how good it looks when it's organised. Clean with me videos on YouTube are great motivators, and podcasts are awesome too! Whatever you choose, it has to be something that appeals to YOU so you're more likely to do it. Personally, I get motivated to tidy when I'm stressed, because a tidy room makes my head feel clearer and I look forward to feeling relaxed.
2. Assign a home for everything: Yep, even the little things. Where do you keep your keys, spare change, any business cards you collect, caps, phone charger, sunglasses, medicines, safety pins? If you give everything a proper place to live, it's easy to put it away, rather than just put it down anywhere, creating clutter. Make it easy for your family to put things away too by labelling boxes, shelves, etc so they know exactly where things belong.
3. Consistency: This is so important. Your house will only stay tidy if you look after it on a regular basis. The easiest way to do this is to get in the habit of doing a quick tidy up every day. The key is to make it part of your daily routine. Even if it's only a 15 or 30 minute activity, it will help reduce the mess so much and you won't have to spend your whole weekend catching up on housework! I usually set my iPhone timer for 15 minutes and go around the house, room by room, as fast as I can - making sure I put things away in the place they belong!
The important thing to remember here is that keeping your house tidy is an ongoing process - it's going to need work every day. But with these 3 ideas, the work won't be difficult or time consuming, you can just cruise through on auto pilot and then relax and enjoy your beautiful home :)
Now, time to share your tips! How do YOU stay on top of your housework? Let me know on Facebook!
x Marissa
x Marissa
