How quickly your home becomes cluttered has little to do with how much time and effort you put into cleaning. It really depends on two things:
- on how well organized your home is;
- depends on whether you have formed habits that help you maintain order.
Accordingly, in order to restore order once and for all, you need to organize your home and move from regular cleaning to systematic cleaning.
CLEANITY AS A HABIT
There are those for whom structure and maintaining order come easily; they are uncomfortable in a mess, and cleaning is an important part of their character.
There are those who are more comfortable in order, but among their personality traits there is no ability to adhere to routine operations - it is more difficult for such people to maintain order, so in their house the disorder most often gains a critical mass (everyone has their own mass), after which cleaning is carried out, but the result takes a long time does not hold, and the circle repeats.
There are also those who, in principle, are not able to maintain cleanliness in the space around them and do not worry about this at all.
However, if you still don’t like clutter, but you’re not a clean person by nature, you can try to deceive your character and instill habits in yourself, say activists of the Fly Lady movement. Just 10 habits will allow you to painlessly maintain order in your home.
How to organize your home: 9 useful tips
Today I would like to share observations regarding cleanliness in the house, the causes of disorder and measures to suppress and eliminate it.
If you have your own secrets about this, be sure to share them in the comments.
We hire assistants and delegate some of the work to them
Ideally, of course, a housekeeper (or the house-loving cat from the title picture) would solve most of these problems, but alas, they are not always available.
Therefore, we purchase a washing machine, dishwasher, multicooker and vacuum cleaner.
An automatic washing machine will take care of dirty laundry, and if it also has a drying function, then you won’t have to spend effort hanging it up or taking things off, and they won’t take up additional space on the clotheslines overhead or on the balcony.
At first the dishwasher didn’t catch on with me – I took the simplest one and regretted it. The fact is that if a family consists of 2 people, it is impractical to run it because of a couple of plates, and if you hoard dishes, they will not be washed completely. Over time, I figured out to put a quick wash (15 minutes without drying) before the main one - and lo and behold! Now the dishes are clean and shiny. I highly recommend purchasing it, this will save you not only on water, but also give you time to relax. Moreover, the plate/mug is immediately placed in the dishwasher, bypassing the sink, and this maintains visible cleanliness in the kitchen.
Regarding the vacuum cleaner, I have a manual wireless Xiaomi G9, it is always in the corner, so I remove any dirt immediately. A robot vacuum cleaner (in my opinion) is not for everyone.
Getting rid of unnecessary things
What does this include?
Old gadgets and household appliances (for example, you bought a new phone - you need to immediately sell the old one (on Avito). Such things quickly become outdated, and the batteries stop working without recharging. And if today you can give something for them, then tomorrow you will have just send it to the landfill)
We get rid of unsuccessful perfumes, care products and things that we don’t like at all (we are often given unnecessary hygiene items - soap, shaving foam and the like, which we don’t use. Or we buy toothpaste, but it’s frankly “not very good.” Usually it is put off until better times, because it’s a pity to throw away an almost full tube. It’s better to do it right away, or, for those who are really thrifty, keep a separate box of “unsuccessful purchases or gifts” and don’t let it overflow.
The same applies to tea, food – those purchases that have an expiration date. Throw it away! This is ballast, which will eventually expire anyway and remain unclaimed.
I hope you don’t keep ancient sets, feather pillows, carpets, outdated taps and other junk? Get rid of this relic of the past quickly.
Properly distributing things around the apartment
Having a lot of things is actually not as bad as not having a place to store them.
It is convenient to immediately purchase built-in cabinets with many compartments, or to have a pantry where you should take care of installing shelves. Less popular options are to make mezzanines in the hallway or on the balcony.
Seasonal items, shoes, blankets and things that are rarely brought out into the light can be packed into storage bags and placed in similar places. Even an ordinary wardrobe will do - you can put the bags down or place them on top.
Each item should have its own place, and many items with the same functions should be placed in organizers. For example, hand tools and consumables for them are in special bags or plastic cases with compartments, underwear and socks are in fabric organizers on the shelves of the chest of drawers, small items are in plastic mini-containers with partitions, etc.
Ikea also has a huge selection of containers, of all sizes, with and without lids. They fit perfectly on shelves in the pantry (you can label them, or buy colored ones for different categories of things - you don’t have to pull everything out to find what you need) and are suitable for other needs.
Arranging the hallway
Everything is simple here - we set up a rug at the entrance, a shoe rack, a shoe tray (dirty/wet shoes and an umbrella go there), a shelf for keys and small items, a small closet for outerwear (or open hooks and a shelf for scarves and hats).
When the season changes, we unload irrelevant outerwear from the hangers and hang up the ones we need.
Cleaning up the toilet and bathroom
Hordes of jars, crowded on the edge of the sink and periodically performing somersaults on the floor, look sloppy in comparison, but they take their rightful place on the shelves.
Toothbrushes, toilet paper, hair dryer, razor, mop also look great in special holders, liquid soap in an automatic dispenser, and regular soap in soap dishes, where excess water is drained (or you can at least use grandma’s version - put a dish sponge there ), laundry is in a basket, and detergents are in special containers.
If you have free access under the bathroom, it makes sense to have trays there in which you can compactly place supplies of personal hygiene items, soap, toothpastes, powder, dishwasher tablets and the like, which are often in demand in the bathroom (if water gets on the they will not get the floor wet).
If with a place in the san. the knot is quite tight, but there are a lot of items, you can use a rack above the toilet (washing machine) - they are roomy, cheap, easy to assemble and look good.
Stickers under the toilet rim or colored tablets in the cistern help reduce the frequency of cleaning the toilet a little.
The kitchen is the most vulnerable place for clutter
No other room in the apartment is cleaned as often as the kitchen.
If you have a dishwasher, then half the chores are eliminated, but you still have to constantly wipe the table, and almost every day the stove.
In order not to waste time on this, we came up with protective covers for the stoves, so that you don’t have to wipe them off the table - you can eat on a tray. As for me, this is already too much, but there is a demand, people are using it.
What really matters is a splashback on the wall where the sink is (and behind the stove if it doesn't have a hinged lid). Otherwise, the wall will quickly lose its whitewash/wallpaper due to splashes and drops of grease. The cheapest and simplest option is plastic aprons; they can be installed with glue and still look good (the downside is that they can wear out a little over time).
A few more tips to “unload” work surfaces and put things in order in the kitchen: screw a rod to the sink, hang a stand for mugs and hooks for kitchen utensils on it; We place the microwave on brackets, jars of spices on special holders, as well as knives, cutlery and dishes, if necessary we put additional shelves in the cabinet, we place flower pots on hanging holders, magnetic shelves on the refrigerator and towel holders can also be useful.
Get a portable organizer
If you constantly lose your phone in your own apartment, fumble with your hands for a long time in search of glasses, or always need to have certain items at hand (for example, a pen, notepad, headphones), then you will need a mobile box for these needs, ideally a special organizer.
It is convenient to carry it with you from room to room, and also to attach it to furniture using a removable metal holder.
What do you have there on your desktop?
Nowadays, many people work remotely, and proper workplace organization can significantly improve productivity.
We leave on the surface only what we use repeatedly every day, what is needed less often goes into the drawers of the table.
We will also be helped in maintaining order by additional hanging drawers under the table, a shelf organizer above the keyboard, stationery holders, a transparent silicone mat on the table (under it, in the old fashioned way, it is convenient to place a calendar, phones and other useful pieces of paper with information), stands for folders and documents.
It is better to place a wire organizer and a small trash bin under the table.
And a few final rules:
It’s easier to immediately put things in their place than to sort through a whole pile later.
Once a week, it’s worth doing a “general” cleaning of your home, sorting out what you haven’t taken care of.
Each family member should contribute to cleaning, and ideally, clean up after themselves.
Whether it is worth making your bed every day is a debatable issue. If you sit on it during the day, then definitely yes, in other cases there are options not to waste time on this.
Most of the helpers listed here (except for the cat), as well as other ideas, can be found in my collections:
10 indispensable organizers for order in the house from Aliexpress
10 shelves and holders to save space in the kitchen from AliExpress
10 practical shelves and holders for the bathroom from Aliexpress
Also, if you have your own life hacks on the topic, share them in the comments.
Habit #4: Leave the kitchen clean in the evening
Activists of the Fly Lady community claim that cleanliness in an apartment begins with a clean kitchen. Like, the kitchen becomes dirty first, and this is where you need to start the war against clutter. The procedure for Fly Lady is as follows:
- wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher (never leave dirty dishes overnight – cleanliness rule)
- Apply the cleaner onto the sink in a thick layer and leave it to work.
- wipe all surfaces with a damp sponge
- rinse the cleaning agent from the surface of the sink, wipe it dry
- take out a fresh kitchen towel, put it in the wash
With proper skill and consistency, the entire procedure takes from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the volume of dirty dishes.
What detergents should be
In order for the cleanliness of the house to please the owners for a long time, it is necessary to clean properly. And to properly restore order, you need to select suitable detergents and cleaning agents. Listed below are the most popular and necessary room cleaning products.
So, home remedies are available for the following purposes:
- Bathroom (for cleaning pipes, tiles, acrylic and ceramic surfaces), also sprays for mirrors and glass.
- Wet cleaning (floor detergents, for example, “Mr. Proper”, and cleaning powders for carpets. “Vanish” or “Kärcher” are suitable. For dust - “Pronto” polish).
- Sif cream works well for stains on the kitchen surface, and Fairy liquid cleaner works well for greasy dishes.
- Spray "Unicum", or similar ones, will help in cleaning and cleaning upholstered furniture.
- Liquid "Rhythmix" will cope with stains and dust on a TV or computer. Aerosol cans with the product are popular among housewives.
If you are allergic or generally do not use store-bought chemicals, you can easily prepare them yourself at home.
A universal solution for many types of stains, dirt, as well as dust and germs, is made from ordinary laundry soap and soda. Dissolve 50 g of baking soda in 100 ml of hot water. Grate 25 g of soap and add to the mixture. Stir until a light foam forms and the components are completely dissolved. Use a sponge or microfiber cloth to remove dirt or dust.
Habit #7: Don’t keep clothes outside of closets
Dirty clothes go in the wash, wearable clothes go back in the closet. This rule allows you to wean yourself and your loved ones from creating mountains of clothes on chairs and armchairs, which fit so harmoniously into the general atmosphere of a mess. This routine takes about 5 seconds of time - just control yourself during the process of unmasking and send the things you are removing not to the chair, but where they should be.
Typical storage mistakes
Let's consider 5 of the most banal situations that can be observed in almost every home:
Error 1 : a large number of things, clothes, books, small items with insufficient storage space. Many of them have not been used for a long time and serve as collectors of dust and dirt.
How to fix it? First of all, throw away everything unnecessary and what will no longer be in demand, change the storage pattern and acquire new things.
Mistake 2: You have a lot of things that are not assigned a specific place. These can be a variety of items: children's toys, accessories, household items. Each time, when cleaning, such things end up in a new place, and in the end they get lost among a large number of exactly the same ones.
How to fix it? Organize the space logically. Put the most necessary items close so that you don't feel the urge to throw them where you just used them. The weight should be simple: pick it up, put it in place and it takes a few seconds.
Mistake 3: You found a place for the thing, but you realize that it is inconvenient. It is difficult for you to take an item from a high shelf, it is difficult for you to reach deep into the closet, you have no desire to move other objects that interfere with access. As a result, you take a lot of unnecessary actions to take or put down what you need now. Result: things end up scattered.
How to fix it? Change your storage plan, get rid of unnecessary things, freeing up space.
Mistake 4: Lack of zoning and sorting of things, everything is mixed up.
How to fix it? Divide the room into separate sections, place things close to where they are used. This applies to any room, be it a nursery, a bathroom or a kitchen.
Mistake 5: Not using modern organizers and other convenient storage devices.
How to fix it? Look at the range of organizational materials in your local store or online and choose something that will really make your life easier.
Where to start cleaning
Before you start cleaning, it is important to determine the order of your actions. All accessible surfaces must be cleaned: if small objects are scattered on shelves and tables, they should be removed. Unnecessary items must be disposed of.
Getting rid of unnecessary things will make your home cleaner.
Each room is cleaned from top to bottom: from the top shelves, cabinets, mezzanines. Next, they move on to upholstered furniture, tables, and only then begin to wash the floor.
