Keep your home pristine with these ingenious expert-approved tidying hacks
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Keeping your home neat can feel overwhelming, but professional organizers rely on simple, effective, everyday methods to keep things tidy.
Whether you want to declutter or simply keep daily messes in check, these 15 tips from our seasoned organizing pros will help you maintain a more streamlined space that exudes calm, not chaos.
By avoiding the things people with tidy homes never do, and embracing our pro tips, you’ll soon have a serene living space to be proud of.
1. Make your bed
(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez )
A made bed sets a positive tone for the day and instantly makes the entire room look tidier.
Professional organizer Francesca Verri says, ‘This can’t be stated enough: when you make your bed you start the day in an organized way, and that helps breed organization throughout the day.
‘It also means you’ve completed the first ‘tidy-up task’ of the day – which leaves you with a sense of accomplishment you’ll want to add to as the day goes on.’
For more, check out these 8 reasons to make your bed every day, plus our guide for how to make you bed the right way.
Verri adds, ‘Also, don’t forget what’s perhaps the most important benefit – when you come into your room after a long day, you’ll be welcomed by a neatly-made bed, bringing you that sense of peace and respite you deserve.’
Two colorways
A beautiful finishing touch to add to your made-up bed, this faux-fur checkered throw is not just sink-your-fingers-into-it soft and cozy, but timelessly designed and available in two colorways to complement most any color scheme.
2. Clean the sink
An empty, clean sink creates a sense of order in the kitchen, which breeds order elsewhere.
Verri explains, ‘Clean the sink is metaphor for how having things ‘done’ not only affects your physical surroundings, but your mindset as well. I use the kitchen as an example for clients. When the sink is filled with dirty dishes, the counters tend to be cluttered with homeless items. Soon, you feel overwhelmed, with no idea what to cook, or how to cook.’
Verri continues, ‘When the sink is clean, or the area is neat, the possibilities for living your life healthy and well are endless. That’s because there is an addictive quality to a tidy area, and often one tidy areas beckons you to ‘clean the sink’ in another area – whether that’s folding the blankets on the couch and straighten cushions, putting away laundry, hanging up coats, or straightening shoes in a mudroom.’
3. Tidy nightly
Spend a few minutes each night collecting clutter and resetting your home for the next day.
Home organization expert Amanda Scott says, ‘It’s much easier to manage small messes than tackle a big one later. Just like dust attracts more dust, clutter attracts more clutter. So while this tip may not have a fancy name, I believe it’s crucial for keeping your home tidy.
‘Simply set aside a few minutes each evening to return shoes to the shoe basket, hang up coats, recycle the day’s junk mail, wipe down the kitchen counter, run the dishwasher and start a load of laundry. If you have kids, let them help out by giving them a basket and going around the house picking up their toys and returning them to their homes.
‘I love this daily habit as it really helps you to cultivate a sense of control and calm over your home. It’s a simple yet powerful way to enhance your daily life!’