Many people struggle to keep their homes clutter-free. This is especially common for people who have kids or full-time jobs. Stuff accumulates, and sometimes you lose control of it. However, these functional tips protect your home from clutter.
1. Daily routine
Having small, manageable routines help reduce clutter in your home. You don’t need to do significant chores to keep things under control. Motivating yourself to keep your items away after using them, wiping down surfaces after activities like cooking, or folding laundry immediately after it’s dried. Daily tidying also reduces the risk of feeling overwhelmed by chores when you let things pile up.
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2. Try donations
You can have a basket or bag next to your door where you drop an item for donation each day. Put away items that you no longer use, such as clothes that no longer fit or kitchen items that you have replaced. Old books that you never plan to read again as well. Once the donation basket is packed, deliver the items to donation centres.
3. Organise your everyday items
Have a specific place to store items you use every day. Use a basket or bowl to store sunglasses or keys. You can also get a container to store spare change. Keep decluttering old receipts and keep them straightened up to avoid clutter.
4. Empty your purse
When you get home, empty your bag of its contents. Put away what’s no longer needed. Clean your water bottle. In addition, ensure you put away any wrappers, used tissues, crumbs, or receipts. Put away your notebooks, wallets, and devices to be put in your bag the following day. Use smaller bags or Ziplocs to store cables and pens carefully. Use a small purse to keep loose change.
5. Hang up your clothes
Avoid making a habit of dumbing your jackets and scarves on a chair or on your bed. Invest in some hooks or nails where to hand your bags. Don’t put too many of them on one hook.
6. Get a shoe rack
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by shoe clutter, even living alone. Buy a shoe rack and place it next to your front door for the shoes you use most frequently. Remove the shoes over the weekend to clean them. Keep the rest of the shoes in your closet or organised under the bed.
7. Never leave clothes lying around
Tossing your coat on a chair can easily lead to a pile of clothes. Leaving a stray pair of socks on the floor or dumping clean laundry in your drawers without folding easily leads to clutter. Ensure you always put away your clothes. If you throw your dirty clothes in the hamper and miss, put the back immediately. Fold your clean clothes as soon as you take them off the lines. Try not to sleep without having folded away your clothes. Set aside a place where you store clothes you plan to wear again. Don’t mix them with your clean clothes.
8. Keep your beauty products organised
It’s easy to lose control of your makeup and beauty accessories. Face creams, lipstick tubes, perfumes, and deodorants can quickly accumulate. People also often buy multiple makeup accessories even when their older products aren’t depleted. Try to discard what you no longer use and keep everything organised. Once you’re done with your glam routine, put away the products in their rightful place immediately.
9. Keep the kitchen counter clear
Once you clean the dishes and store them on the rack, store them in their cupboards when they’re dry. The dish rack isn’t extra storage space. Ensure you have a separate place for cutlery, cups, spoons, and pans. Wash the dish rack after every few days to prevent any build-up of dirt.
10. Get rid of leftovers
The usual program is to store food in Tupperware containers, keep it in the fridge until you forget about it and have to throw away the mouldy remains of last week’s dinner. You can try only cooking enough food for one meal to avoid leftovers. However, that may not always be practical. When organising your fridge, put the things you’re more likely to use at the front of the shelves. Don’t stuff leftovers in the back.
Read Also: 7 Tips To Keep Your Fridge Organized
11. Leave your desk clean
If you have a desk where you work from home, avoid leaving all your objects on the desk. Clean up your desk at the end of each work day. Put away your notebooks, pens, and other material. You can organise them according to your schedule the next day. Clean your counter every morning. Use a pen holder to organise your pens. Use small containers to store rubber bands, staples, and other stationery. Keep a small bin next to your desk to throw waste you empty at the end of the workday.
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12. Use a to-do list
To-do lists can be great ways to motivate yourself to keep your house decluttered. Each day uses the checklist to ensure you’ve done everything to leave your house clean. If you use a physical one, keep it in the same spot where you can easily see it.
13. Sort your digital clutter
Digital clutter is just as mentally exhausting as physical. Keep your emails and messages organised. Delete junk mail. Set aside time to sort your correspondence to avoid being overwhelmed. Deal with messages as they come. If you receive messages asking you to attend something, add it to your planner immediately, so you don’t lose track.
Read Also: Why You Need To Get Rid Of Digital Clutter
14. Avoid using your car as a storage unit
Don’t use your car as a dumping ground. Clutter gathers easily. Remove trash as soon as you leave your car. Don’t leave coats, bags, or shoes in it. Make a habit of emptying your car as soon as you get home.
15. Relocate items
When you move objects from one room to another, it can be easy to let items gather. If you took pillows from your bedroom to the living room, put them away at the end of the day. It takes about fifteen minutes to ensure everything is back where it’s supposed to be.
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