3 Small Things You Can Do to Get Your House In Order Today
Clutter and the crusty bits got you feeling down at home?
Personally, I have a house full of pets and people. An absolute need of mine is to have a space that’s mostly clean and clutter free. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have the time/energy/headspace/capacity to do a full on house cleaning, where no detail is overlooked. Yes, there’s a time and a space for that too. But sometimes, we just need to function…you know?
The reality is, you might be managing a lot at any given time: a 40+ hour work week, parenthood, friendships, house repairs, Amazon returns…the list goes on.
For most of us, there’s a need for an “in between” system. A system where getting something done is better than getting nothing done. But let’s make that “in between/quick clean” time that you DO spend tidying + cleaning, just as effective. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather FEEL the before/after difference in my home after doing some cleaning vs. finding myself nose deep in a corner of the house, scrubbing for hours with nothing to show for it.
I want it to have the “reset” feeling. If you’re with me on this, read on. I’ve got some tips on how to do a quick and easy tidy + clean in between those deeper cleaning sessions.
try these 3 tips if:
⏰ you’re short on time, but want to feel that ‘refresh’ at home
🧺 you’re feeling overwhelmed and can’t concentrate (clutter chaos)
⚡️ you want to give yourself a big win without the hours of effort
Image by Ron Lach
1: Declutter
There are a couple of ways to approach decluttering, depending on the time and capacity you have. I’ll name a few:
The basket method: walk around with a basket and pick up all clutter. If you don’t have a basket or if the amount of clutter adds up to a much larger area than a basket, you can also consolidate and gather all items in one area in a pile. The trick with this is making a commitment with yourself to address this basket or pile full of clutter at a later date.
The “like goes with like” method: This really is the epitome of what decluttering is. It’s taking a big jumbo chaotic pile of miscellaneous things and making sense of it by creating a “home” for everything you own. This may or may not be tied to a larger project, however, you can start decluttering in small ways by creating piles that are categories of things you own. For example, do you have 4 piles of mail in different areas of your house? Consolidate that into one area.
Return clutter to its “home”: as mentioned above, everything should have a place in which it ‘lives’ or has a ‘home’. If you’re already a tidy person, it’s likely you have some semblance of where items belong.
Image by Ron Lach
2: Dishes, Counters, and Tabletops
Once you’ve gotten the major pieces of clutter put away: Do the dishes. Then, do a quick spray and wipe of the counters, tabletops, and any other commonly touched surfaces such as coffee tables, side tables, bathroom sinks & vanities, etc. Some of this may be “extra” in your quick tidy+clean time block, but it does make things feel more refreshed.
Image by Liliana Drew
3: Floors
Floors make a HUGE difference. If you have time to do one task, prioritize THIS one. Did you know that floors are the largest continuous surface in your home? By vacuuming/sweeping and mopping your floors throughout, you'll clean the most amount of space in the least amount of time. This includes vacuuming all carpets and hard surface floors such as wood/linoleum, tile (basically run a vacuum and/or broom over all ground surfaces in your space). For vacuum recommendations, check out this article.
As you look to prioritize a clean home, whether that be a quick tidy+clean or a deep cleaning, I highly suggest making time by putting it on your calendar. Depending on your lifestyle, routines, and habits already, you may or may not get to this task *every* time you have it on the calendar, but the chances are higher if you make the time. Another point to mention is that if you live with others, learn to delegate some of these tasks out to your partner, housemates, etc. Have them put this on their calendar, too. It will create consistency and you’ll receive that home ‘reset’ you oh-so desire.
