The question of how to stop cluttering from returning is something that I get asked a lot from my coaching clients, and I wanted to share with you what my top techniques are to keep your home clutter free and to make things easier for the long term.
Create New Habits – You have a set habits that you do without even knowing it and without even knowing about each of them. How you do those specific habits is what makes your home look like it does whether or not it is neat or tidy or disorganized and cluttered. If you don’t tend to pick up things and put things back where they belong, then over time your home will become cluttered again, however if you think about those habits ( no matter if they are big or small ) then your home will be naturally clean and clutter free. Now answer honestly whether your habits are helping or hindering your new clutter free lifestyle. It is tackling the smaller habits over time that has created the clutter and trying to change them to prevent the clutter.
Get The Whole Family Involved – Just as you have created new habits to stop cluttering from returning so to for the rest of the family or anyone living with you. The easiest way to get everyone involved is to set up a quick 10 minute pick up at the end of each day. If they are reluctant to help, explain that spending 10 minutes a day can prevent a big clean up over the weekend and say that spending time cleaning up, you will have more time to do things with them.
Make It Easy To Put Things Away – If you tend to put items in awkward places or have to pull things out to get to it, and then you are less likely to put them back in the place where it really belongs after and that is how clutter can start. If it is difficult to do it, you are less likely to do and that goes for putting things away as well.
Instead make it easy as possible to put things away –
- Kids toys can be put in toy box that can be simply be put back into each night
- Store your books and DVDs , vertically instead of stacking them up in piles
- Make sure that no drawer is stuffed so full that it is difficult to open without something falling out, let alone trying to put something back into it.
Don’t Let Things Into Your House – Stopping things before they come into the house is the key to preventing clutter from returning. Try to put a trash bin by the front door for junk mail and flyers ect. Also be careful about what you buy. It or When you are in the store ask yourself where will you put the item when you get home and if you can’t think of where you are going to put it, then that should be a sign that you should not by it as it may add clutter as it comes into the front door.
Use A One In One Out Policy – If you receive presents on your birthday or Christmas, and then use the one in one out policy to make sure nothing gets out of control. For instance, you really want a pair of jeans; you buy them and take them home, and put them in the drawer where you always keep your jeans. Take out one pair that you don’t want any more and they are still in good condition; bring them to a second hand store. If you stick to this policy then you should always have space for what you need and your stuff shouldn’t take over anymore.