Do you dream of a clutter free home? You’re in the right place, because here are the habits that will make your dreams come true!
No matter what we do about clutter, it keeps returning – but it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
Here are my top 8 habits to start today that will make all the difference to being able to keep a clutter free home each and every day.
8 Clutter Free Habits To Get A Tidy Home
Clutter Free Home Habit #1 – Make The Bed
I wanted to start with a really quick win, as habits can sometimes feel quite daunting – so the #1 easiest way to make a bedroom feel less cluttered is to simply make the bed.
It’s the largest area of a bedroom usually, and can really set the tone.
(You’re also less likely to use the bed as a dumping ground if you care for it and make it a habit to make it every morning).
#2 – Have a Place For Everything
If you don’t have set places for things, then how do you know where to put them?
It seems a straightforward thing to say, but most of us don’t give thought to every type of item that comes through the door each day.
Where would you store a large school craft project that your child just HAS to keep, or a stock of something you bought as it was on sale, or even your handbag/purse etc….?
If you give everything a designated home then it will be a lot easier to keep things clutter free.
Related: A Place For Everything – How To Make Your Home Work For You
Habit #3 – 10 Minute Tidy
If you followed #2 then you will now have a place for everything in your home – so it’s a lot easier to now get the whole family involved in a 10 minute tidy each evening before bed.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and go around the house tidying what you can. Put things back where they came from and make sure each room stays as tidy as possible ready for the next day.
Habit #4 – Keep Things Moving
When you walk around your home, there will be things that you can do each and every time you leave a room.
Something may need taking upstairs, or into the kitchen, or you could take washing downstairs – basically if you start to see things that need to be taken somewhere else then it will become second nature to get them moving into their right place there and then.
Clutter Free Habit #5 – If It Takes Less Than 2 Minutes – Do It Now
This rule will help stop extra piles of things appearing around the house. What about that letter you have to stamp and address, what about that form to fill, what about that bin that needs emptying? all these types of things when left can create mess and clutter – so do them as soon as you see them.
(The other great thing about this is that you can stop thinking about all those little things you have to do, because they will be done! – this stops mental clutter as well so it’s a double bonus!)
Habit #6 – One In, One Out
The space you have is all the space you have – so work with it rather than forcing too much into it.
You will fill the space you have, it’s natural – but you can be more aware of what’s happening before you end up with overspill and therefore a cluttered room/house.
If you bring anything new into the house (clothes, toys, DVDs etc…), then take one existing thing away.
This way you will keep the balance of what you own, refresh it, and never run out of the storage you have.
Clutter Free Habit #7 – Put It Back When Finished
Of course, if you can start to get into the habit of putting things back as soon as you have finished with them (and get the rest of the family involved too), then clutter will start to fade as a result.
To get started, think about getting kids to put whatever they were just playing with away before they get out the next thing (this may take time, but they will become used to it before too long), and follow the example yourself by tidying the kitchen as soon as you can after dinner, or taking away the paperwork you were working on when you run out of time etc…
#8 – Donate As Soon As You Can
There are always things that you can find that you don’t need any longer in your home that would be perfect for someone else. (Clothes that don’t fit, home items that don’t work because you have redecorated, items that you don’t need any longer etc….).
But they can sit around in their positions for ages before you get to do something, because you think it will take too long to sort out and take to a charity shop.
Why not make it as easy as you can – and get rid of things quickly but simply?
Set up a place for things that are ready to go to charity somewhere in your home, just as you set up a space for everything that you need to keep.
When you have something that could go to charity, just take a minute to add it to that space, and when you are ready you can take a group of things to the charity shop to save time.
In the meantime, they are out of the way and not causing you any more clutter.
A great place for this spot would be a garage, or a cupboard that you don’t use very often. I have even used the boot of my car as then I can simply stop and drop things off when I pass the charity shop.
TIP – I get a lot of charity donation bags through the door, and when they come in I put in what I can and leave it outside for them on the collection day. This is the easiest way of helping clutter leave!
Try and adopt as many of these habits as you can into your daily routine, and you’ll soon be living in a clutter free home without having to spend hours maintaining it.
Everything will become second nature, and these habits will ensure your success – so enjoy!
PS – want more habits?, why not take a look at 52 Habits to change your life and see how many you are already doing…
