If you know me personally, at all, you know that I am a hyper organized and tidy person - to a fault (think Monica Geller from Friends). I chose to be an archivist as a career which is basically the profession of making order and organization out of chaos. The Container Store is like heaven and if you put me in a messy room I would have a blast making it neat. Cleaning de-stresses me so if I'm feeling like things are out of control I can usually recenter myself by making something tidy.
I have been and will likely always be an organized person and that is my first "tip."
Know Yourself
If you are not an organized person by nature, staying organized will likely always take effort and thought. You can't be something you're not. I've tried being relaxed and nonchalant about mess - I can't - it makes me miserable and therefore everyone else who has to deal with me will be miserable as well (just ask my college roommate). If you are an organized person then you need no tips. If you aren't you will need loads of self control and consistency to make it habitual. It's not impossible but it's not easy. Try the tips below to start.
Home Base
In our apartment everything has a "home" and every night before we go to bed I make sure everything is at or near its home. Yes, I know this sounds crazy but it works. Dan is not a messy person but he definitely doesn't care as much as I to about putting things away. He is fine with leaving clothes on the floor and never making the bed. It took him approximately one week living with me to catch on and I'd say now he does it with little effort because he likes the outcome. The key to a tidy home is that everything gets put away EVERY SINGLE DAY. Dirty clothes live in the hamper. Clean clothes live folded in drawers and hanging in the closet. Dirty dishes belong in the dishwasher or clean on the drying rack. The throw pillows go back on the couch. The blanket gets folded over the chair. Backpacks are on the bench and coats are on the hook. Etc. etc. If you take the small amount of time at the end of the day to tidy things up and put them in their homes then you will live in a pleasant environment ready for guests at a moment's notice or just your own peace of mind. If you don't take that time to tidy, it will all pile up and you WILL have a giant mess to clean every week/month and it will likely take you all day to fix. Two minutes here or hours there? Your choice.
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Everything having a home base and tidying up every night doesn't mean we don't have piles of stuff lying around - it just means that pile has a home and its in the basket on the entry table. It can be dealt with at another time but it still has a home. Better to have one pile than sixteen.
If you are too darn tired at the end of the day to fold your clothes away - then toss them in the hamper. Maybe they weren't dirty but they are in a home and your floor is clear.
Leave your shoes at the door
We have this rule in our apartment for many reasons. One, dirt. We live in NYC and I'd prefer we didn't track that through our home. Two, comfort. Socked feet or slippers make everyone feel more comfy. Three, noise. Our neighbors below are probably much happier that we don't clomp around above them with our boots on. I'd sure love if the people above us followed that rule. Three, vacuuming. You don't have to vacuum or sweep as much if you don't have dirty shoes walking around. Win win. We have a boot tray by our front door and a basket. Shoes belong in the closet but you can cheat and toss them in the basket by the front door. Also all of our rugs are either indoor/outdoor or braided. No pile rugs means easier clean-up.
Let them!
If you live with someone (roommate or spouse or kid) who is somewhat opposite of you and is an organized and tidy person by nature - let them be who they are! It isn't a burden and it isn't a task for a tidy obsessed person to do the dishes or fold the clothes. We do it for our own sanity and you benefit so let it go. Dan knows that I can't enjoy watching a movie if I know there are dishes in the sink. So he lets me go wash them while the movie is paused - sometimes he helps and sometimes he does them. If you hate cleaning your room and someone offers to clean it for you, why would you say no?
This applies to me too. Everyone deserves grace so if Dan doesn't follow my admittedly obsessive rules I don't jump down his throat (usually) I ask nicely, I do it myself, I explain my logic and we laugh about how crazy I am. All of it is small potatoes so don't fight about it. Also I have to let it go sometimes too. It's not the end of the world if the dishes sit a few minutes or an hour longer.
Hope these tips help you to keep a happy, organized, and tidy home!
Having a organized home to come home to is a great feeling even for someone like me who is not super organized like steph
ReplyDeleteThis post maybe my absolute favorite. I agree with everything and I wish everyone would adhere to these rules. Clean and organized is best!
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