Fighting clutter can feel like a losing battle. After all, there are 300,000 items in the average American home. But decluttering is more about habits than ones ability to get organized.
My first piece of advice for clutter-free living is to stop shopping. Stop the inflow. Consider a Shopping Moratorium for 30 days. Experimenting with less reveals how little we really need.
Living with less also creates a peaceful sanctuary in our homes. A calm environment at the end of a workday and a place where our eyes can rest, clutter-free from distractions.
If you’d like to calm the chaos in your home, start with these 5 habits.
Protect Flat Surfaces
Flat surfaces attract clutter. And clutter attracts more clutter. The largest flat surface in your home is the floor. Don’t mistake it for storage. Adopt the habit that only furniture belongs on the floor.
Pick up trash when it falls. If you have hardwood floors keep a dust mop handy for a quick sweep. Go through the mail outside by the recycling bin. Clean the kitchen counter each night for an easier morning routine.
Once or twice a week, return toys to their cabinet or bins. (Hint: Fewer toys make clean up easy. With less toys, you can enjoy a creative Lego build or blanket fort for days.)
Set Boundaries
Are you digging through baskets of clean laundry? Is it difficult to close the dresser drawers? Are plastic containers spilling out of kitchen cabinets?
Set boundaries for your belongings and reduce the volume to comfortably fit in their designated home. Sort and purge routinely to respect the boundary and maintain organization.
Landing Spot
Create a landing spot for your wallet, phone, keys, and sunglasses. Use hooks to hang your work bag or purse near the door. Save time looking for lost things and make the morning routine easier. A landing spot encourages us to park our phones and reduce screen time. Ensuring we connect with the people, not just devices.
Say No Thank You
Say no to free stuff. Freebies add clutter to our home. Stop them before they enter by saying “No thank you.” And consider saying no to activities that take over your calendar. In the words of Stephen Covey, “What is your burning yes?” What activities do you really want to do? (Game night, bike ride, weekend trip, etc.) Saying no means you can say yes to these.
Donation Box
Keep a donation box or bag on each level of the house. As you find items, drop them in the box. Once it’s full, move the box to your car and schedule a convenient day (in your calendar) to stop by the donation center. Or request a pick up from your home. Use the calendar appointment as a deadline to go through another space or two. Let your family know of the schedule and ask if they have items to add.
What strategies and habits keep your home clutter-free?
Great tips and easy to follow!
Thanks Diane!
That donation box is such a great idea! Let everyone in the house know that they can drop items inside whenever they wish. Having a spot of “unwanted items” is just as important as having one for the things we want to keep!
Thanks Seana. It has been a great habit for our entire family. Sometimes they ask me, where’s the box? If I have forgotten to replace it after delivery to the donation center. LOL!
I LOVE the idea of a shopping moratorium. Also, I created a landing spot when we moved into our new place and it has helped me so much – car keys go in one spot, purse goes in another – and for now, the face masks are by the purse so I always know where they are.
yes, my mask hangs with my sling bag as well.
I’m pretty frugal so I only tend to buy what I need, but free things are hard to resist. I’m getting better but I have to remind myself to consider what I’m going to do with it once I have it. I’m embarrassed to say how many things I’ve downloaded and never looked at.
Yes, free stuff gets me too. I have some digital clutter of my own too. Using a spam email account has helped though to at least keep my inbox clean.
There is a book called “The Floor is Not An Option”. I love to say this. Making a rule to keep the floors clear can start the process of clearing other surfaces as well.
I think I’ll adopt that saying as well. Thanks for the book reco. I’m adding it to my Goodreads.