Q & A: what’s the #1 habit that keeps your home clutter-free?
as we stretch into march, many of us will push up our sleeves in the collective spirit of spring cleaning and decluttering. however, clearing clutter is only half the equation. maintaining the minty fresh space afterwards? ahhhh, that’s where it can get tricky. so, it was a treat MindBodyGreen recently reached out for some Simple Shui suggestions on maintaining a clean home. and if you feel a craving for more ideas once you’ve read these, consider it a loving nudge to grab this workbook!
THE QUESTION: we are crowdsourcing ideas from some of the most organized people we could think of (that’s you :)). can you shoot over a few sentences on the #1 habit that helps keep your home clean & (for the most part) clutter-free?
THE SHUI:
(1) do little things every day.
it’s always the little things, right? hanging up keys; opening mail; putting shoes away; clearing the table; folding another basket of laundry, hanging up clothes. . .and the beat goes on.
at first blush, they’re all minor tasks but a little effort now becomes my bridge over troubled waters later. when the BIG demands do make a house call, i’m less theatrical about them because all those little chores aren’t piled up and pulling on me, too. the way i see it is much of what happens tomorrow begins today, so i move through each room daily – fluffing a pillow or folding a blanket; returning everything to its designated spot; washing any last-minute dishes and wiping down the sink. getting into this one habit will add up quickly and change how you feel in your home.
(2) always take something with you.
daily clutter – the stray glass left on the coffee table from last night, the pile of coats on the back of a chair, the laundry basket – tricks us into thinking we have more to do than we have time. if i am going into the kitchen, i grab that glass and wash it. if one of those coats is mine, i take it with me on the way to my closet and hang it up. (i ask everyone else here to do the same!) we put the laundry away immediately. i don’t encourage multi-tasking EXCEPT when it comes to streamlining trips around the house!
(3) time yourself.
what gets measured gets managed. so, if i’m running around short on time, but i have a 10-minute pocket until my next call. . .
i actually know i have time to quickly unload the dishwasher; fold a basket of laundry; or straighten up because i have timed myself previously. information is power, and noticeable tidying can happen in less than 10 minutes, so i use these slivers like a boss.
(4) make the floors and counters off-limits to storage.
i pick anything up off the floor that doesn’t belong there – shoes, toys, bags, etc. we refrain from using/keeping baskets on the floor because those tend to become clutter depositories. also, countertops morph quickly into clutter havens – everything is drawn to them, right? we strive to clear those daily – a quick effort that leaves the room feeling more spacious immediately! bottom line: energy goes where the eye goes – when we put our stuff away, our home immediately feels so much cleaner and lighter.
xo
p.s. the Clutter is Not Love workbook is on sale for $15 (!!!) until the 15th, so walk, skip, or run to grab yours before the savings blow away!
