Home Organization: Make it a Habit | ProductiveandFree

We all want homes as clean and neat as the ones we see on magazines: clean, organized, walls as white as the clouds on a clear day, shiny and clear mirrors with no fingerprints or smudges, or sliding doors that you can probably walk straight into because it looks like there’s nothing there.

Whatever home we have, in reality it really looks like a hurricane visited at some point or another. No matter how many times you clean and organize, it will get messy and it’s no easy job to keep it clean and organized.

My son’s room is a mess and no matter how many times I ask him to clean it, it will still be a mess. I’ve even found lists and chart on Pinterest to aid him in cleaning his room which brings me to my point: everyone needs a little help. We need to-do lists, charts, chore lists, and a guide to stay organized.

So, I went searching on Pinterest for one of those chore charts that we used for my son and created one that is a bit more suitable for us adults. A home cleaning-slash-organizing chart if you must. Yes, we’ve written about 31 Days of Organization in a previous post, but let’s just say this is a more updated version of it.

Home Organization Checklist | ProductiveandFree

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When I feel like there’s too much junk in the house, and that’s mostly my son’s toys, I announce that it’s time to purge. Both my son and my husband knows that means I’m about to dig in the closets and bins to get rid of stuff and tell them to throw away things.

If clothes, toys, old kid’s books, whatever non-memorable thing we find has not been touched, used, played with in six months or a year, it goes in the trash or donation basket. No objections whatsoever.

The KonMari Method says if it doesn’t give you happiness or spark joy, get rid of it. There’s no point waiting until spring or New Year’s to clean up or make a change, right now can be that time, the right time. Change can happen at any moment that you choose. It will do wonders to maintain a clean and clutter free environment in your home.

“Life truly begins only after you have put your house in order.”

— Marie Kondo

Let’s start with some tips to get organized:

Tip #1: Make it part of your habit. Part of your routine.

James Clear writer of Atomic Habits mentioned a story of a man who straightened out his sofa after he watched TV and placed the remote back where it is supposed to be. It’s not about being neat and organized but preparing the room for when he comes back to it. The man actually said it’s not about him working hard, he’s actually lazy, he’s being proactively lazy. He doesn’t have to fix the sofa and look for the remote before he wants to relax and watch tv. He prepares for it before the need arises. Make sense?

Here are something one can do to prepare for things before the need arises.

1. After eating, just put dishes straight in the dishwasher, so you don’t have to load them all at once later when its actually time to do the dishes.

2. After changing your clothes, throw them straight in the laundry basket, so you don’t have to pick them up and look for them before doing the laundry.

3. When you get off the bed, at least put the pillows back where they should be, and just cover the bed with your blanket or comforter, no need for the whole fixing the bed if you don’t want to. [my sister taught me that cause I hate fixing the bed, she said to just cover my messy bed with the comforter, thanks sis].

4. Wipe down the sink after you brush your teeth, so it’s not all wet when you come back. Here’s a little extra, leave a cleaning towel by the front of the sink, or the back of the faucet and use it to wipe around the area when it gets wet. Just remember to change it often.

5. When you shower, if you can spend a minute or two to scrub the floor, it makes it a bit easier. My son has this awful idea to use his scubby to scrub the walls, and he said he’s cleaning. He has a good idea, but the wrong tools. I gotta give him props for the idea and efficiency though.

“You’ll Never Change Your Life Until You Change Something You Do Daily. The Secret of Your Success is Found in Your Daily Routine.”

— John C. Maxwell

Tip #2: Have a place for everything.

1. Bins are a popular way to organize all the things that needs to be cleaned up, put away, organized, decluttered, stored, and kept away. So, use bins, baskets, big or small. Any size or color you want.

Me, personally, I use airtight bins for clothes, my Legos, [yes, MY Legos, the ones I don’t share with my son], my baking tools, things I don’t want to get get dusty, that sort of thing.

We use these shelving with open bins for toys, movies disc, electronic games and controllers, cleaning supplies, first aid supplies, kitchen towels, and vacuum attachments. We use variations of this shelving to organize a lot of loose things around the house. My husband and I find it very accommodating; you can pick different bin sizes and bin types to suit your needs. Ikea has even added new shelving options like this storage tray with compartments and the flat shelf option which we use to stack books and my printer too.

2. Now, the trick to being organized is to always put things back where they belong.

Meaning don’t put toys in the electronics game bin, and cleaning supplies in the kitchen towel bin, or you’ll never end up finding anything when you need it. This is a whole new mess we are trying to prevent.

We should also aim to clean up our mess instead of leaving things around. Put back pen and pencils in the pen cup holder after use. After reading a book, put it back on the bookshelf. After using the screwdriver, put it back in the toolbox. These simple tasks take less than two minutes to deal with, which means it will take less effort to do one at a time, than when all those things pile up in a huge, big mess and having the need to clean them all up at one time.

Making one simple change and being consistent about it can result in big differences in your life. A clean, organized home is actually much better for one’s mental health, focus, productivity, and all-around wellness.

3. Label your bins.

This would be really helpful, especially if your bins are not transparent. It would really be helpful if you had an outer label of what is, in general. Then add a very detailed list on the cover of the bin. This way you don’t have to rummage inside the bins when you are looking for something.

“Don’t pull off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

— Benjamin Franklin

Tip #3: Have a system to stay organized.

1. The usual to-do lists are always the way to go. You can put those weekly schedule charts on your fridge, or use one of those removable white board for the wall that you can find on amazon.

2. You can use various apps that you would be comfortable to use to remind you of chores and tasks. Asana is something you can use to help you get chores done as well as daily to-do lists. It can be used not only for project management but daily tasks as well.

3. Then there is this template that I’ve been taking about. A simple checklist that I formulated from my kid’s chore chart. Why not right. Kids chore charts are simple and easy to understand. Why can’t an adult’s chore chart be just as easy.

Want to follow along with a FREE checklist?

Just click the link below to access our member area and download this free checklist.

Conclusion:

Cleaning and organizing may not be easy, but it can be simple if one creates a plan and follows through with it. It takes a lot of work and effort to get done, but when one sets realistic expectations and goals it too can be achieved. Remember to design a manageable cleaning schedule that fits your life, work, and capability. Ask for help when needed. Get the right tools. Delegate when possible. Establish a system. Then one can overcome this challenge.