I’ve often share ideas on decluttering your home. Today, I wanted to share some simple ideas on how you can keep your home clutter-free. Because once you’ve decluttered, it’s usually only a matter of time before the clutter builds up again. And nobody wants that!
It is possible to keep clutter at bay with a few simple actions and habits. Some are small daily tasks which take very little time but go a long way to keeping your home clutter free. Others are about being intentional with your home and your stuff. Together, these ideas will help you stop clutter building up in your home.
5 simple ideas for keeping your home clutter-free
1. have a place for everything
This is the number one secret to having a clutter-free home. If everything has a place, then nothing needs to be out of place. The problem starts when things don’t have a home, so they are left lying around and that slowly builds up into a whole pile of stuff. Before this happens, if something doesn’t have a home either find a place for it or ask yourself if you really need to hang on to it.
2. put everything back in its place
Having a place for everything is only one part of the equation. The second, equally important bit is putting things back in their place after each use. This is the part I find the hardest because I always tell myself that I’ll do it later. But later means that more stuff piles up and it soon becomes a big task. Instead, start trying to put stuff away immediately. Over time this will become a habit and you’ll do it without thinking.
3. follow the ‘one in one out rule’
There are lots of rules and ideas out there on reducing clutter, but the simplest and the most effective is the one in one out rule. Every time you buy something new, get rid of something. I like to do this by category. For e.g. I started following this rule with baby clothes when my daughter was little. Each time I bought something new for her, I got rid of something. I do the same with my clothes now. Similarly, if I buy a new kitchen gadget, I get rid of another one. If you follow this rule strictly, you will never accumulate clutter.
4. make two-minute efforts throughout the day
Small consistent efforts add up to big results, almost effortlessly. This means doing little things that take no more than a minute or two and doing them consistently. For e.g. when kicking off your shoes as you walk in the door, take a few seconds to put them where they belong. Similarly hang clothes up every night. Don’t leave stuff in the kitchen sink. The list goes on.
Be especially mindful of leaving stuff on countertops and flat surfaces – they are clutter magnets! In time, this habit will be a real game changer when it comes to having a clutter-free home.
5. be intentional with purchases
In other words, don’t buy things on impulse. Indulging in impulse purchases was my thing for years. A little trip to IKEA meant I would buy yet another vase to add to my collection of a gazillion vases! Then there were always those tempting bargains – I mean if it’s 50% off, you must buy it, right?
Now, I’ve learned to be more intentional. I stop and ask myself ‘do I really want this? And ‘how will it add to my home?’. And most importantly, I wait a few days before hitting the buy button — the minimalists have a good explanation on this. Most of the time, I don’t end up buying it. It’s simply about taking a moment to pause and think before you buy. If you do this, you will stop buying unnecessary stuff which becomes clutter in the long run.
Doing just a few of these things regularly, will help you stay clutter-free.
image credits: all images via sjoman frisk and alvhem
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