What makes a tidy house? Is a house not a home if it’s a little bit “lived” in? Isn’t it better to have that homely look, rather than a white-laced hospital vibe?
Well, if it looks anything like this, then I’m erring on the side of the hospital vibe.
What the heck happened here? I will tell you what happened.
Life.
And, while I am most definitely not using that as an excuse, in fact, I detest people who throw that reason at me, that life just took over and all good intentions fell by the wayside.
There are plenty of television series around all about how to take your house from messy to tidy, such as Clean House, a show that makeovers a person house, or “How clean is your house?” scary stories on, while your house may be tidy, it may not be so clean.
So, back to that thing called life.
It is clear that a little orderliness is necessary, and most times, that is all it takes.
How can you bring orderliness to your house?
So as not to bombard your already cluttered brain with too much info, we have neatly broken your house down into each room.
Let us start with the bedroom, as this is where you will be when you start your day.
THE BEDROOM
Whoever is the last to exit the bed should be the one to make it! As the bedroom is also the last place you will be in, generally, at the end of your day, you should pack away whatever clothes, shoes, and bags you walked in with, straight away.
A dedicated basket for everything is a good way to go, suggests Marina of Evolve Real Estate & Property Management. Yes, it may seem like you are just passing the buck of responsibility into lovely little baskets, but it does make it easier to sort out when you have the time, as opposed to just chucking it on the floor or onto a nearby table.
Having storage options always makes life easier. Whether they be timber shelving or plastic containers, they will always force you to pack things away in their designated place.
THE LIVING ROOM
We spend a great deal of our time in the living room, well, mostly the kids, or the hubby, if you have either. We watch television here; we sometimes even eat here, and of course entertain here. So, it stands to reason, the lounge will accumulate stuff.
Open shelves can be a nightmare for some, as they will often just pop things on the shelves without any sense of order. So, this is where little baskets come in handy on the shelves.
Scatter cushions on couches add lovely color detail but can make your lounge area look messy when they land up scattered on the floor instead. Less is definitely more.
Coffee tables become landing ground for literally everything, so ensure your coffee table has drawers or little baskets underneath for storage.
THE KITCHEN
It’s easy to let cupboards get untidy because their contents are unseen, but when you take a little time and pop in some storage containers, you will find life just became a breeze. No longer will you be searching for the washing up liquid or that elusive Tupperware lid.
THE KIDS ROOMS
Yes, we sympathize. Kids are generally untidy creatures, and you often find yourself repeating those words that ring in your ear from when you were a child.
Clean your room!
The general child has no clue what you mean by that, by the way. So, make it very clear to them, else furniture can get damaged or worn out. Especially if you have purchased an expensive carpet or a pricey bunk bed. Give them baskets, shoe boxes, timber shelving, and any type of container that they can fill with their toys and brick-a-brack.
Labeling in a kid’s bedroom is key. If they can read, then simple words like, Legos or Puzzles will help them to pack away properly. If they are pre-reading stage, then pictures will do. Google is a wonderful thing, as you can find all sorts of images to relay your message to your monsters.
THE BATHROOM
You would think that the bathroom would be the least likely room to get untidy, right? I mean, what do you do in there? Shower, bathe, do your business, brush your teeth So, why should it look like a bomb hit it?!
Well, it’s easier than you might think. A dropped towel on the floor. A toothpaste tube with no cap. Empty shampoo bottles left lying around.
Sound familiar?
Creating shelving to stack your towels, toiletries and any other bathroom aids will always win hands down. Least you find yourself in a bathroom disaster that requires some heavy plumbing tools! They can be open timber shelving (the open, bare look is in), made from iron or plastic. Either way, it will bring order to your bathroom.
HOME OFFICE
Aah, yes. Many of us work from home. I’s cost-effective, with low overheads, and we can pop in and out as we wish throughout the day and night.
Yes, home offices are very popular, but, are you being as productive as you could be with a messy desk and impossible to find paper stack? Not very likely. The stats show that an organized desk renders a more productive day, week and month.
Make sure you have stackable trays labeled so you know what goes where. You don’t need 10 pens, so just keep the bare minimum in a little jar. Stick-it notes are great, but when they cover your entire computer screen or notice board, well, then they just become a newly designed artwork form.
In ending, life is hard; so don’t make it even more difficult by cluttering it up. Neat and tidy is the way to go, and nowadays there is no excuse not to find a way to do this.
