If you are lucky enough to have a home, you may wonder how to make the most of it. Most people want their spaces to look and function well, and yet many are struggling. As I discussed last week, the backlog of decisions and their associated “stuff” that we may have neglected can feel daunting. This week I want to shift into the specifics of what you can start doing today to get your space back on track. Here are three simple daily habits to keep your home clutter-free and organized.
Before I discuss the habits, I want to emphasize that this approach focuses on the items and spaces that you are regularly using. You may have remote spaces (e.g., attics, basements, crawlspaces, storage units, closets, etc.) that need to be addressed as well. I’m all for tackling these projects, and if you need help, feel free to reach out to me. However, these projects are easier to manage once your daily spaces are working, so I want to start there.
Also, if you have children, teaching them these three habits is a great way to help them develop the organizing skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Even little ones can participate in these three habits in some way.
Habit 1: Address Laundry Every Day
Everyone has laundry. If you live in a multi-person household, you probably have a lot of it. Laundry is one “topic” that comes up again and again, and can put a lot of strain on a household. This is understandable, because:
- Laundry is never-ending.
- “Laundry” is a multi-step task, including collecting, sorting, washing, drying, folding, (potentially ironing), and putting away.
- The people generating the laundry may not be the same people who are handling it, resulting in a low appreciation for the enormity of the task.
- Many families have never had a clear conversation about how to best assign the various laundry tasks.
- Families take different approaches, and “experts” may share conflicting advice.
- Laundry machines may be inconvenient to access and/or expensive to use.
People feel differently about laundry. A friend of mine, who worked in an office, found solace in doing the household laundry. For her, it was a relatively brainless task that she could complete after hours, without anyone bothering her. In contrast, other people dread laundry chores and procrastinate doing them, which only makes the situation worse.
Since laundry is generated every day, I suggest you deal with it (in some way) every day. Here are a couple of “daily” options to consider:
Option #1 Make sure everyone puts their laundry in a designated location every day.
This might be a hamper in a bedroom or bathroom, or directly into a laundry room itself. Clothing that has been worn but doesn’t warrant washing should be returned to a clothing storage location (drawer, closet, hook, etc.). Sports clothing should be carried to a designated spot for washing. Even small children can put clothing into a bin or basket.
Shoes should also be put away. I recommend the “daily use” shoes be stored near the entryway. Boots and cleats can be stored in a garage or in a boot tray. Nicer shoes, that are worn only periodically, are best kept in bedrooms.
Option #2 Run one load of laundry each day.
The accessibility of washers and dryers will impact how you go about this. If your machines are not too close to the bedrooms, you can put in one load every night before bed. [Note: ensure that you have emergency shut offs in case of a leak.] Then, when you get up, place that load in the dryer. At some point in the day (e.g., after breakfast, when you get home from work, before bed), you get in the habit of folding and putting away that one load.
If running laundry at night doesn’t work for you, designate another time when you can regularly run and then manage one load of laundry.
Option #3 Tackle one type of laundry each day of the week.
For instance:
- Wash delicates.
- Wash towels.
- Do the “extra wash” for smelly/sports/athletic clothing.
- Iron.
- Go the dry cleaners.
- Wash Darks.
- Wash Lights.
The idea here is to break the large task down into smaller pieces that get associated with a day of the week. Everyone in the house can learn, for example, to bring their towels to the washing machine on Wednesdays.
These are just a few examples, and you may think of others. If you lack in-home laundry machines, you may choose to gather your clothes for 4 days, sort 1 day, go to the laundromat one day, etc. Young children can also get be included in this project. The key is to get out of thinking that laundry has to be handled by only one person, on one day. Just as we eat dinner or brush teeth each day, we can develop the habit of completing one laundry task each day.
For tips on how to set up your laundry room, click here.
Habit 2: Process Dirty Dishes Daily
Very much like laundry, dirty dishes are produced every day. In fact, dishes are soiled multiple times a day, so this one can get quickly out of hand if you aren’t on top of it. Dishes must be managed at least once a day, if not more often.
If you are lucky enough to have a dishwasher, get in the habit of rinsing and putting dishes in your dishwasher as soon as you have finished using them. (For tips on how to load the dishwasher, you can see my video here.) Dishwashers are much more energy efficient than they used to be, so don’t be afraid to run your dishwasher every day if it has a decent number of dishes. If you live alone, you may only need to run the dishwasher weekly, but it is still smart to clear dishes from the counters and sink every day.
Avoid the habit of piling dishes next to or in the sink. Dishes sitting in your sink undermine the functionality of the sink itself because you have less room to maneuver. Dishes that are left to sit dirty, either in or near the sink, become more difficult to clean as the food dries and adheres.
Yes, you may have one dish that needs to soak a bit, but it doesn’t need to be overnight. I strongly encourage everyone to deal with the day’s dishes before going to bed, either by putting them into the dishwasher or by handwashing them. Wet dishes can certainly be left to air dry overnight.
If you run the dishwasher every night, you can get in the habit of unloading the dishwasher every morning (maybe after putting a load of wash in the dryer!). Dishes that were left to air dry are also put away in the morning. Again, this can be a shared task, and divided by day of the week, by person, by month, etc.
This suggestion may seem obvious, but I see many people who have not formed this habit. Habits that we perform at a predictable time are much easier to sustain that those that we handle at random times.
Not only does cleaning dishes daily make the specific task easier, it also leaves your kitchen “ready to go” for whatever happens next. Resetting your kitchen is a huge gift you give your future self. You never know what unexpected circumstances may be on the horizon, and if something were to happen (such as a loss of power, a sick child, an urgent request, unexpected guests stopping by, etc.), it will be easier for you if your kitchen is in order.
Habit 3: Clear Surfaces Daily
Clear surfaces are the foundation of productivity. They spark our creativity and invite us to approach and get busy. In contrast, surfaces that are crowded are hard to use. Not only do they provide little space for us to put the tools we need, but they often become visual distractions that undermine our focus.
One of the best habits you can cultivate is that of walking around daily and clearing your surfaces. If you do this each day, the number of items that accumulate should never get to the point of being overly burdensome. Alternatively, when we allow items to pile up for days or weeks, or when we scoop accumulated objects into a box to get them out of sight, we will have created a big project.
Clearing surfaces is a daily habit that every family member should be trained to do. It should never fall on the shoulders of one person to do all the putting away. Many hands often make light work on this task.
I will admit, the person who typically ends up doing the daily surface clearing is the family member who is most troubled by visual clutter. Alas, the albatross for those of us who can’t stand clutter! However, this is one of those household chores that should be discussed, planned for, and contributed to by all who are old enough. Putting things back where they belong is key to an organized life.
If people in your household refuse to participate in putting their own things away, then I suggest you designate a location where you will put other people’s stuff. For example:
- Dad’s stuff goes on his desk.
- The kids’ stuff goes into their designated basket in their cubby.
- Mom’s stuff goes into the dining room.
It doesn’t matter where things go, as long as the location is consistent, ensuring family members know where to look. If they then end up with a big pile of stuff to go through, that will be their task to manage. This also alleviates the “where is my…?” or “have you seen my…?” type of questions. If you’ve seen it, it is in their location.
Learning to put things away is a life skill. Some people do it naturally, just like some people naturally have good eye-hand coordination or can do math in their head. Children may resist putting things away. I understand: the payoff for restoring order may not feel as tangible as the fun of taking things out. However, regardless of what they say, children generally do prefer a space that is set and ready to go. Furthermore, as they grow up, they will benefit if they have learned the habit of doing a walk-through each day and putting things back where they belong.
If you are reading this and thinking, “Clearing my surfaces is more than a daily task because I have piles everywhere,” this habit may seem out of reach. I acknowledge that you may have a backlog of stuff on your surfaces, and yes, these will need to be dealt with. If this is your circumstance, I suggest you begin by developing this habit with a small subsection of your surfaces. For example, the kitchen island or right side of your desk. Once you strengthen the “daily put away” habit, you can then add in ten minutes each day to start reducing the pile on other surfaces. Remember, once you clear a surface, keeping that surface clear gets added to your daily target area.
* * *
Habits are on the most powerful tools we can invest in to create the life we want. These are just a couple simple ways to create a more organized life. If you would like to learn about other habits for organized living, you can check out my Youtube series.
Have you formed any of these three habits?
I love that this system will make a difference for everyone’s home. A daily tidy makes everyone less anxious and more energetic.
A little “back to the basics” this week!
I love how you approach these organizing and maintenance tasks. They speak to the cycle of our stuff. It gets used, removed from its ‘home,’ and needs to find its way back to keep clutter from accumulating.
The habits you suggested are worth developing for yourself and your children. They will help your household run smoothly and teach the kids excellent life skills.
You mentioned how maintenance can be more challenging if there is a backlog. It can also be an issue if there are no organizational systems to reset. So, in certain instances, getting to the maintenance habits could take longer because other work needs to happen first. The good news is this is all doable.
Exactly, Linda! It is all doable. If someone needs a bit of help to get started, or to deal with the backlog, people like you and me are available. There is just tremendous value in realizing that these systems are tools to make life better, not onerous chores to be avoided!
I’m happy to report that my husband and I have good processes in place for these three key areas. It’s the less obvious areas that tend to get neglected, so I always appreciate the tips you share.
Sounds like a well-run household. Also sounds like you are reading to dig into another area. Photos? Memorabilia? There always seems to be more!!
These are three of the most important daily habits to cultivate. Dishes, laundry, and things that are left out to put away ‘later’ are never-ending tasks. Your suggestions to get in the habit of doing dishes after they have been used, assigning days of the week to certain types of laundry, and doing a daily tidy are great ones. I also like your thought that about keeping spaces clear. So many people get stuck because they don’t have a clear space to do the task that comes next. Maintaining the space by putting things away is a habit to cultivate.
Absolutely! Not having a clear space to work is actually a huge hindrance. We leave things out because we think that will remind us to do a task, or that we will need that piece of paper or item to do a task, but if we leave out too much, we lose track of it. Once we lose track, it is no longer useful, right?
Great tips, Seana! You have pinpointed the main issues that can easily make a house cluttered.
I do laundry once a week. When the kids were little, we all have a laundry basket, the kids would bring down their clothes and sort them into three piles. Then, I could do laundry on Fridays while working from home (the advantage of working from home). Then, I would sort/fold clothes in labeled laundry baskets so everyone could grab their things and bring them upstairs. It worked pretty well.
Now, my kids do their laundry, so my husband and my laundry only takes 1/2 day. =)
I only have laundry for two of us, but with exercise, work, travel, golf, and relaxing, my husband makes a lot of laundry. One load is just his shirts! One day towels, one day sheets.. it can still be a lot.
Love the way your included your children in the laundry process. This also helps when they get olde and can start doing laundry themselves (which I initiated when my children were 12…)
I love the idea of having one place to put misplaced items for each person in the home. This makes tiding up easier for you and the person missing lost items knows that if you have seen it, you have put it in “their” space. Also, as the misplaced items pile up it may motivate that person to put the stuff away.
It is one technique for getting a person’s items back into being their responsibility, instead of mine (or whoever is doing the “putting away.”). If your space is overwhelmed, not my problem. I’m available to help, but there will be some “cost” involved if the accumulation was simply because you refused to participate in putting your things away.
All great suggestions to keep up on those mundane tasks that can pile up. I am so thankful my kids are old enough to do their own laundry now so it doesn’t pile up so quickly! I feel it’s very important to have them help with all these tasks as it helps to keep up with the tasks!
I was very happy when my girls got old enough to do their own laundry. One of them actually loved it – took to it quickly and easily. Who knew?
You’re so right that being organized is a lot of walking around and putting things back where they go. I’d hazard it’s more like 97%, but it’s 100% effective.
I remember how much I hated doing laundry in college, grad school, and for my first few apartments. Having to drag my laundry, detergent, fabric softener and QUARTERS to a laundry room or laundromat was always a frustration. But my hatred turned to love 26 years ago, when I moved into my home with a washer/dryer just off of the kitchen. It makes all the difference in the world. If I want to wash one brand-new sweater? No problem. A load of towels? Super! No quarters, no schlepping, and I don’t have to pace around if I forget to bring a magazine or book; I can wander anywhere in my home and can still hear the laundry when it’s done so I can fold it while warm. Next to taking cookies out of the oven, laundry is my favorite household task.
I agree with your different approaches. With clients who are overwhelmed by laundry, I often have them start a load at the beginning of a session, and they are often shocked to see that they may get through three loads while mostly busying themselves with non-laundry tasks. (It’s not like we have to beat the clothing against the rocks at the river; we put it all in a big metal box! And yet we procrastinate.)
I do tidy as I go on, usually during commercial breaks, so by the time I go to bed, everything is back in place. But I’ll admit that sometimes the dishwasher is going at night, meaning any dishes or cutlery I use after dinner will likely sit in the sink until morning. But I’m trying to train myself into hand-washing the extra without grumbling so I’ll have a shiny (and empty) sink in the morning.
You are right on all points!
I do that with some clients who struggle with laundry as well. Let’s just pop a load in when I arrive! And then I track the time to make sure it gets into the dryer right away.
In-unit/in-home laundry is the game changer. If you can swing it, it is worth the extra rent in IMHO.
You’ve highlighted 3 of the most challenging tasks to do to stay organized. They are probably the most important because each task is never-ending. It is best to get everyone in the family on board and participating. For laundry, I suggest to clients that each family member has a hamper and a designated laundry day that their laundry gets done. I think this takes a lot of the decision-making process out of doing the laundry because it’s easier to sort and put away if the day’s laundry comes from the same person.
I love this! It eases the sorting and matching up of socks if they all come from the same person, right? Great suggestion. 🙂
I love your blog. It seems so simple. Do tasks everyday, everyone needs to take responsibility for their things and help. Putting things away will keep your home organized. Why is it so hard? I love your suggestion that can make these suggestions easy, fast and simple. We need to get out of the mindset that these jobs are hard and take time. Add them to your routines and stop thinking about them. Make them automatic.
That’s totally it, Julie. These don’t have to be big and arduous, just part of our routine, like combing our hair and putting on pajamas. When we get to the point where they activities feel somewhat automatic, we no longer think about them or worry about them. We just do them, and it feels relatively easy!
Small daily habits like tidying up, using the one-in-one-out rule, and cleaning as you go keep your home clutter-free and organized effortlessly! 🏡✨
For some the process isn’t effortless, but these habits definitely help keep it from getting overwhelming!