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Decluttering and organizing your home is a task that never truly ends. It’s not a one-and-done thing. To keep your home organized, you need to make a habit of regular decluttering and tidying.
I’m always asked about long-term maintenance. The most important thing to remember is that organizing is something that happens every day through consistent decluttering and tidying. As nice as it would be to organize once and never worry about it again, real life doesn’t work that way.
Instead of thinking of organizing as a one-time thing, make it a consistent part of your life by using these 5 tips for regular decluttering and tidying.
Tidy up throughout the day
Let’s face it: Going through an entire day without doing any cleaning up equates to a big, overwhelming mess at the end of the day. To avoid this implement a “10-Minute Tidy” to stay on top of the mess and clutter.
This strategy worked especially well when my daughter was younger. Here’s how it worked: Every 2-3 hours, or right before meal times and naptimes, spend 10 minutes tidying up. During these sprints, vacuum, wash dishes, pick up toys, sort the mail, or remove excess clutter.
By doing this in increments, you’ll have less to do by the end of the day, and you won’t be as tired.
Assign tasks to specific days
I learned from Ma Ingalls to assign a specific task to each day of the week, or by setting up themed days. For example, one day is set for cleaning and another is a day for washing bedding.
This way, you can focus on accomplishing that one thing without neglecting others. Even if some tasks only take a few minutes, they’ll still get done every week, and that’s what counts!
Learn more about theming your days in this post: The Perfect Way to Structure Your Week as a Homemaker.
Set up daily rhythms
Some chores must get done daily in order to keep your home organized. For example, washing and putting away the dishes will prevent pile-ups and keep your kitchen counters clutter-free daily. Putting away toys, homeschooling materials, and other frequently used items will ensure that those things are where you need them when you need them.
During a 10-Minute Tidy, having a specific set of chores to do can be helpful. Find a rhythm that works for you, and stick to it. You can check out my daily rhythms in this post: Swipe My Simple Daily Cleaning Rhythm.
Designate an area for donatable items
Clutter constantly flows into the home, so it’s important to evaluate items as they come in. Decide if those items are worth your time and energy to possess. If they’re not, don’t hang onto them!
Make it easier to remove unneeded items by having a designated area, such as a basket or bin, to place any items that can be donated. When your bin is filled up, an easy way to donate is by having your items picked up from your home. Here’s a post on where to donate items.
Tackle one organizing project a month
Taking time to filter items as they come into your home prevents clutter from piling up. However, every space needs decluttering once in a while. Tackle one area of your home per month, and you’ll keep your home clutter-free. Taking on one area at a time is more doable than trying to declutter the entire house at once.
Making organization a habit
Staying organized is an ongoing process that requires commitment and effort. But by following these five tips, you can simplify the task of regularly decluttering and tidying your home.
Get started with decluttering by downloading the Where To Start Decluttering Guide. In addition to this Guide, you’ll receive an email on the first of every month with an area to tackle along with resources to do it.
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