Is Your Home Always Messy? These Hacks Will Keep It Tidy

Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away!

The next time you want to put something down, take a second and put it where it belongs immediately. “Countertops and table surfaces seem to be a magnet for all the things. While it may seem easier to plop your items on the first flat surface you see, it only takes an extra second to return them to their rightful place,” Cheyenne Ely of Cheyenne Paige Interiors tells Southern Living. This prevents a buildup of clutter on your surfaces.

Declutter As You Go

Don’t hesitate to throw things out or donate them if they are of no more use to you. “A lot of times, the reason you can’t keep your home organized is because you have too much stuff,” Judi Igwe of Rescue My Space in Houston, Texas, tells Southern Living. “You’re constantly going through it, you can’t find anything, and it’s a never-ending cycle.”

Find a Home For Everything

Having designated containers, closets, and hooks for your things will stop you from leaving things lying around willy-nilly. “The most obvious way to keep your home in order is to create a home for everything and get rid of anything you can't house easily in your space,” professional organizer and designer Courtney Finley tells Homes & Gardens. “It is vital in home organizing to designate a place for everything in an area that makes sense. Similarly, it is important to contain these areas to ensure that you don't overspend and categories do not overflow to start cluttering up the rest of your home.”

Stay Focused on One Thing At a Time

Clear up trash but don’t leave the room until every piece of trash is in a bag, waiting to be taken out. "The more times you leave that room, the more likely you are to get distracted on some different project," licensed therapist KC Davis, author of How to Keep House While Drowning, tells NPR. "I can function with a trash bag sitting by the back door. I can't function with too much trash all around the house. I will have all the motivation in the world to do something and I'll do it for like 30 minutes and then all of a sudden the motivation will fly out of my body .... And so knowing that, I want to get as much done to make the space livable as I can."

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Don’t Store on the Floor

As much as possible, hang things or put them in containers/shelves. “One of the biggest pitfalls of organizing a home is using the floor to store things,” says Gabriella Dyson, Solved section editor for Homes & Gardens. “This is a quick way for cluttered areas to get out of control. Ensure everything is contained, hung up, or stored in storage units to avoid clutter making a trail all over your home.”

Don’t Leave Dishes In the Sink

By loading the dishwasher and letting it work overnight then unloading it first thing in the morning, you have a big empty dishwasher to put your things in immediately, instead of just leaving dishes in the sink. “Instead, make it a habit to load your dishwasher before bed and unload before breakfast in the morning,” Ely recommends. “With an empty dishwasher now on standby, the day’s dishes have no business going in the sink.”

Make Your Bed

Admiral William H. McRaven is right—making your bed every morning is the best way to start the day. “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”

Don’t Let Mail Pile Up

The more you let mail pile up, the more overwhelming it will seem, especially as you can’t just throw it away unopened. “Over time, daily trips to the mailbox can lead to a mountain of paper on your table or counter,” according to Merry Maids. “By sorting the mail into dedicated bins and folders after every trip, you’ll cut down on clutter, and keep important documents close at hand.”

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Clean As You Go

Keeping your space tidy is so much easier if you just clean as you go. “Putting things away as you go doesn’t really take up much time but it will definitely make the difference between a tidy house and a messy house at the end of the day,” says Jenn from Clean and Scentsible. “Take your clothes off by your closet and either hang them back up or put them directly in the laundry. Load the dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher instead of just placing them on the counter. Put your shoes and coat away as you come in the door.”

Make It a Family Affair

There is no reason for you to take on all the work in your home—get everyone involved in keeping the house tidy. “One of the best ways minimalists keep their homes tidy is by encouraging family to declutter and tidy up with them, but this has more benefits than helping you with your chores,” Megan McGovern, CEO of SORT By Megan, tells Southern Living. Teaching children and other family members the importance of cleanliness and involving them in age-appropriate tasks instills a sense of responsibility and teamwork.”