Discover 8 secrets to keep your home’s surfaces clean and clutter-free. Create a stress-free, organized living space today.
The kitchen counter, dining table and bathroom countertop seem to attract piles of clutter that can make it challenging to prepare meals, find objects you need or have peace of mind. How do you keep these areas clean? It can be done, as long as you have a system in place and stick to it. Here are some tips to help you stay organized so you can fully relax at home.
1. Use the 10 Minute Rule
In common areas like the living room and kitchen, have a 10-minute window where you commit to picking up stray objects and clearing surfaces. This beats doing it for a few hours when the clutter has become unbearable. Sometimes, you’re in a rush, or your hands are full and you just need somewhere to place things. Cleaning up before bed or when you have enough time will ensure everything stays neat.
2. Find a Home for Everything
Create storage spaces for items that constantly pile up on surfaces. For example, if your skin care products always end up on your dressing table or the bathroom counter, it may help to get a rotating two-tier stand to organize your toiletries. This makes it easy to put your cleanser and toner where they belong when you’ve finished using them. You’ll always know where to find them, making your bedtime routine more streamlined.
3. Create Easy Storage Space
One reason clutter builds up so quickly is because storage space is inconvenient or hard to get to. You are more likely to return objects where they belong if you can do so easily without removing lids and restacking boxes. A problematic process makes it easier to leave things on a surface for later, leading to piles of clutter. Try open storage or decorative bins to store throws, documents or board games.
4. Clean up After Every Activity
Get into the habit of cleaning up family spaces after every activity, whether dinner or crafts at the dining table or a movie night with wine and board games in the living room. While these are wonderful bonding activities, remember that clutter attracts clutter. You’re more likely to place something random on a surface when it’s already filled up.
Cleanup also includes wiping down counters to prevent dust and buildup. Most surfaces, like quartz, require a simple soap and water solution to keep them clean.
5. Reserve Kitchen Counter Space for the Necessities
The key to keeping your kitchen countertops clutter-free is leaving as little outside the cabinets as possible. Consider placing appliances like blenders, toasters and air fryers in cupboards until you need to use them. This provides more space for food preparation and keeps the kitchen stress-free. If you have a coffee station, keep everything in a tray for easy moving when it’s time to clean.
6. Utilize Decor to Block Off Clutter Zones
Empty surfaces look good, but they also attract clutter. It might help to block spaces off if they always fill up. Use decorative items such as flower arrangements and books on the coffee table. A great way to keep the dining table clutter-free is to reset it after every meal. These techniques prevent areas from attracting junk. Plus, your home will look neater and more stylish.
7. Address Family Habits
What surfaces continue to get cluttered daily, even after a cleanup? Perhaps your preschool kids aren’t sure where to put their arts and crafts masterpieces once they bring them home. It may help to create display areas in their rooms to hang up their drawings and paintings inside frames or on magnetic boards.
Maybe, when you return from work, you put your jewelry and car keys on the dining table because it’s the most accessible spot. This is where having a place for everything helps. In this case, it may help to have hooks for keys or a glass container for items that are used daily but don’t have a designated home. Bracelets and necklaces can eventually be put away to keep the space clear.
8. Downsize Your Bedside Stand
Your nightstand is the most important surface to keep clean for an organized, clutter-free, restful space and better sleep. If you often dump things on your bedside table, replace it with a small one that’s just big enough to hold a book, lamp or candle, and a glass of water. That will force you to put other items in their designated places before going to sleep.
Declutter to Destress
Clean surfaces can positively affect your well-being. Taking a few minutes daily to clear clutter and organize your home efficiently provides the freedom and peace of being organized. Losing the mess and the stress will make a big difference in your life.
Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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