How to Get Organised at Home

We are all aware that we need to de-clutter our living space to enable us to clean our homes quickly, easily and properly.

Getting around to do the job is entirely another thing, but bear in mind that clutter makes you feel, stressed, annoyed, irritated, and you spend long enough cleaning, you really don't want to spend more time doing the job because you are looking for the surface under the clutter!

Wouldn't it be great if, when you came home, everything was in its place and instead of an exasperated sigh at the sight of a mess, you sigh with relief instead at the calm, uncluttered space in front of you and think ,"I'm home now, I can relax".

Perhaps you need to de-clutter in a hurry for one reason or another. Maybe you are expecting weekend visitors, the parents are arriving for a short stay. Let me give you some motivation and guidelines to get started

No 1 Motivator

De-cluttering cuts down the time spent cleaning by 40% - Yes, really by 40%!

Just think how many times you pick something up, to clean underneath it, and then dump it down again. Now, every time you pick something up, look at, if you don't love it, if it has not been used in a while, its probably junk or useless to you - trash it or donate it.

This thinking will give you the extra motivation you need to keep the main plan in mind. A total de-clutter of your home, and perhaps next in line is your work, and then your life?

A nice dream would be if we could hire a huge vacuum cleaner , with massive sucking ability, so we could just aim the nozzle at all the accumulated junk and clutter in the house and it would suck it up and the surrounding dust, then it would go away and dispose of it.

We will only be left with peace and tranquility and all the stress our accumulated belongings cause, would drift away.

HOW TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER

De-cluttering your home may seem like an impossible task when you don’t have a clue where to begin. If your closets are stuffed, your drawers crammed and you can barely navigate through the rooms of your home, you need a plan to follow so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Start with a few simple steps and you’ll soon be feeling empowered enough to keep the process going until you have conquered the clutter once and for all:

◆ ENTRANCE
◆ First priority should be the entry point of your home. This may be your front door, but if you typically enter the house from the back or side, focus on that area first. Remove all items that don’t belong there, and be sure to vacuum the floor. Create a welcoming atmosphere in your home’s entrance, and automatically you will feel better when you arrive. Let the first thing you see be a pretty picture or a vase of fresh flowers.

◆ BEDROOM
◆ Your bedroom should be an oasis of peace. A good night’s sleep, should have you revitalized and de-stressed. Firstly, put away anything that does not belong on your bed. Clear your bedside table of whatever is not in present use. Put books away or add them to the old magazines and whatever else you are donating.

Ensure you change and launder your linen at least once a week, a fresh bed feels luxurious when your tired. Perhaps new linen is needed, especially if yours has seen better days! Hopefully, there is nothing under your bed. Ideally it should be clear - the clutter beneath you when you sleep will clutter your mind. Move it elsewhere or, if the space has to be used, pack everything neatly in containers and store them in an organized way.

◆ SITTING ROOM
◆ The sofa, or armchair, is where you spend time reading or relaxing. Clear anything that doesn’t belong on them. Clear the surrounding space of clutter, so you have a clear path leading to your seating. Vacuum away any crumbs on top or under the cushions, use a lint brush or upholstery nozzle to clean up the surface areas and plump the cushions. Make it a welcoming, relaxing space for you or the guests.

◆ Coffee Table
◆ The coffee table usually sits in front of the sofa, so clear it and the side tables too. Collect the old magazines, they are horrid dust collectors and donate them to the local charity, old age home, etc. Even if a room is neat and orderly, one cluttered table spoils the entire effect. Leave only the things you use regularly such as the TV remote or program guide. Anything else would be place in a decorative box to keep them out of sight. What is the television standing on, is it clear, or is the area surrounded with stuff? MPJ - move it, pack it, or junk it!

There, that is now a large part of your home that you have de-cluttered and re-organised.The most vital areas, your entrance, sitting room and your bedroom are tranquil havens. The whole atmosphere will feel lifted and the calming energies can circulate. They are ready for you to relax, rest and recharge.

◆ KITCHEN
◆

Perhaps you don't eat meals at the kitchen table or bar, but clear it up straight away. If you don’t have time to sort through everything, throw away the rubbish and place the rest on a shelf or box and put it out of sight until you start the closet de-clutter. When you prepare meals it is so much more enjoyable to work in a space that is clear, clean and usable.

◆ Kitchen Counters


◆ Counters seem to be a breeding grounds for clutter. If the drawers or cabinets are too full, and you need more space, look at a few appliances and other kitchen articles. The de-clutter rule applies - if you haven't used in the last 18 months, you probably do not need it - donate it to someone who does.

Use a box as a temporary storage bin, at the same time remove appliances that are used less than once per week. They do not have to sit there looking at you, taking up space and getting dirty, while you work.

◆ Kitchen Washing Area


◆ Clear the area in and around your kitchen sink and keep it clear on a daily basis. Nothing is more off-putting than a sink full of dirty dishes or various pots drying upside down. The whole kitchen will seem lighter, more wholesome and inviting.

Stove, Oven, Hob. Whatever you have - it is far and away easier to clean a mess or spill promptly. Warm or hot soapy water and a quick wipe of the mess will usually remove it, without the elbow grease required to clean baked on, thick, sticky grime. Give the area a quick, wipe with a wrung out soapy cloth every time you use it, and it will not need a focused 1 - 2 hour clean.

◆ BATHROOMS

◆ There is nothing worse than bathroom clutter, especially when you’re trying to get ready for work or a social function when your bathroom sink and counter looks as chaotic as you are now feeling. Bottles, jars, medication, vitamins and other miscellaneous stuff, must be checked for expiry dates, anything that is no longer used should be disposed of safely.

What do the towels resemble, faded, thin, see-through cotton or are luxurious looking, enveloping, matching items?

Your guests may need to use your bathroom, so place the beauty and health products in an attractive container or put them in the cabinet. The surface should be clean, clear and unrestricted. Perhaps a pretty candle, or attractive hand wash or hand cream bottle may be left out.

A pretty, well presented bathroom, is relaxing.

◆ Shower / bathtub


◆ Remove excess bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash from your shower area, and throw away the few drops at the base of an empty bottle along with the soap slivers which no one ever uses. Put all the weekly, scrubs exfoliants whatever away Then scrub and clean your entire tub and or shower area. Ensure the toilet is disinfected, and clean inside and out.

◆ FLOOR SPACE - In all the Rooms


◆ Of all the areas listed above, clearing up the floor area of your home may make the biggest impact. Remove all clutter lying on the floor, and have a look at what it is, perhaps it is an ornamental table you once thought was great and now it is just in the way.

Is it a magazine holder, or extra chair that no one has sat on for 3 years. Is it two or three small bookcases pushed in to hold books that nobody looks at or the children have grown out of. Dispose of it, give yourself space to walk.

Now that everything is dusted, from the top down, vacuum everywhere, and at least five or six times in the main traffic areas on the carpeting. Mop, preferably with two, one to wash and the other to dry.

Your home looks better, feels better – and the next day, not surprisingly, so will you!

And, another thing ....
Before you put that vacuum away, have a look at it. Is this vacuum helping or hindering you, 80% of the dust and dirt in your home is removed, or will be removed, by a very good vacuum cleaner.

Tell me, is it the best you can afford, do you have to replace bags/belts etc. regularly. Bags should be replaced when they are 2/3 full, otherwise the vacuum suction is compromised.

As vacuums are one of the biggest convenience tools in the home, it should be an upright (great suction), it should have a five year warranty, (that means it will last and not be replaced within 12 - 18 months), it should be bagless and have a lifelong Hepa filter, so there are no regular hidden costs, and it should do the job you paid for - quickly, properly, reliably over and over again, year in and year out.

Maybe while you are out buying new linen, you should also be getting a second microfiber mop. Relax in front of the computer and go online to see which vacuum you should have living with you.

Start with an upright bagless vacuum cleaner, and look for that warranty, I know of vacuums that have a five year warranty and a free extended 10 year warranty. So that vac will be part of your household for the next 15 years. Just like Mom's!

Back to the subject, once you have conquered these major areas of clutter, you can welcome your guests with a lighter heart. If you have some time, pick one closet and start clearing out, or pick on a really messy drawer.

Again, the question -

How does the ant eat the elephant - just one bite at a time!