Keeping an organized home is an ongoing struggle. Between work, kids, and much-needed personal time, maintaining organization can fall to the bottom of the list of priorities. Make it easier to keep on top of things by building time-saving techniques into your routine.
Stop Clutter at the Door
A big source of clutter in many households is junk mail. Mass mailers full of advertisements and coupons you’ll never use, solicitation from neighborhood businesses, and credit card offers come straight to your mailbox whether you want them or not. Before you know it, you have a huge stack of messy paper taking up vital real estate on your kitchen counter. Start sorting mail as soon as you pick it up from the box. Keep a small folder near the front door, and put any mail you intend to keep into it the minute you walk in. Throw everything else away immediately. This will cut your paper pile in half and also keep it contained to a neat, designated spot.
Make Things Visible
You don’t know what you need if you can’t see what you have. Make every item easily visible in storage areas like pantries, laundry rooms, or bathroom cabinets. Put inexpensive risers on shelves or install supplementary tiered shelving so that you can make use of deep closets and cabinets without sacrificing visibility. This will make it easier to find cleaning supplies, canned goods, and other things that can get buried behind taller neighbors.
Keep Running Lists
Post a dry erase board near the pantry or cleaning cabinet. As soon as you run out of something, add it to the list for the next grocery run. Now that things are easily visible, it will only take a quick glance to see what staples might be running low. Constantly updating the list instead of waiting until just before heading out to make one will streamline a formerly daunting fact-gathering mission.
These tips will help keep your home more organized.
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