Several years ago, we made a life-changing decision. We decided to remove all the possessions from our home that we didn’t need.
Over the course of 9 months, we removed 50% of our stuff. And over the course of a few years, we removed 60-70% of our things and moved into a smaller home.
I discovered almost immediately that the less stuff you own, the more organized and clutterfree your home becomes. Go figure.
We would soon discover 21 benefits of owning less and decide that we’d never go back to our old lives of mindless consumption.
In addition to a significant purge that cleared the space for clutterfree living, we developed simple habits to keep our home clutterfree. They were not obtrusive or burdensome in anyway. Just the opposite, in fact. Practiced daily, they take only a few minutes to complete. But together, they leave our home in a perpetual state of calm (or at least, close to it).
Here are the habits I most recommend: 7 Daily Habits for a Clutter-Free Home.
1. Handle physical mail immediately. Too often, mail is only relocated from the mailbox to our countertop—where it often sits or begins to collect. But the fact is, most mail can be processed in very little time if we make it a habit. Immediately discard junk mail (or use Paper Karma to eliminate it completely) and process the rest. Mail that requires processing but can’t be handled right away can easily be placed in a manila To-Do Folder out of sight.
2. Clean dishes after meals. I used to hate washing dishes—especially right after preparing and eating a meal. But things changed when I read this story. Now, I view cleaning dishes as just the last step of the family dinner. Washing dishes (or filling the dishwasher) immediately takes less time (they wash easier when food has not dried). And the kitchen is clean all evening.
3. Make your bed each morning. Messes attract messes. One of the easiest places to see this is the bedroom. Your bed is the centerpiece of the room and when it is made, it sets environment and the culture. But when it is left undone, clutter begins to accumulate around it. The first, best step when cleaning a bedroom is to make the bed. And the first, best step for clutterfree living is to do it first thing in the morning (or find a spouse who does).
4. Store things off the kitchen counter. Messes attract messes and clutter attracts clutter. The better we get at storing clutter out of sight, the less likely it is to accumulate. The kitchen counter is a good example. When countertops become an acceptable place to store things, more things begin to collect there. But a clean countertop communicates calm and order, promotes opportunity for its intended use, and is probably easier than you think.
5. Return items nightly. When we minimized our possessions, we found tidying up to be easier. Every item has a purpose and every item has a home. At the end of the day, items are returned. This is a daily habit I have worked hard to incorporate in my life and my kids’ lives. One reason is because it allows every morning to begin fresh, new, and clutterfree.
6. Complete 1-2 minute jobs immediately. Clutter is often a result of procrastination—decisions put off or small jobs left unfinished. Counteract this procrastination in your home with a simple rule: If a job can be completed in less than 2 minutes, do it now. Take the garbage out, scrub the pot, return the remote control, or place your dirty clothes in the hamper. Every time you see a task all the way to completion, a source of clutter is avoided.
7. Minimize overfilled spaces right away. Clutter often reveals itself as too many things in too small a place: too many clothes in a drawer, too many linens in a closet, too many toiletries in a bathroom cabinet, or too many items on a shelf. When this occurs, as it often does, minimize the overfilled space right away by removing everything no longer needed. Don’t put it off. It will take longer than 2 minutes, but usually no more than 15. Staying ahead of clutter is the best way to defeat it altogether.
Each of these daily habits are routine in our home and help to keep it clutterfree all week long. Certainly, owning less helps make them possible.
Want a cleaner home? Own less stuff. It works every time.
Maressa says
I still have to discipline myself on doing the dishes after dinner and making the bed every morning. Living with less does help a lot in our daily cleaning routine and keeping things organized. I’m becoming a minimalist and am loving it.
Joy @ Jumbled Up Joy says
Uggghhh… Time for me to own up to my procrastination habits. Our game closet is calling me right now to face it in all its ugliness.
But on the flip side, I’ve gotten really good about making my bed promptly every day… so there’s hope, right?
Maureen says
I wrote a similar post back in March entitled 12 Habits of People Who Always Have A Clean Home. While I wasn’t writing it to promote minimalism, it has many of the same suggestions because when you own less stuff, it’s much easier to keep things neat and tidy. I too take care of mail right away, sometimes throwing it away before I even make back into the house. Thanks for your great post.
Bethany says
This post is going to help me so much with my imminent move to university. I’m hoping with determination and your tips that I will be able to keep my flat tidy and clutter free. Thanks for the advice, I definitely need to start following number 6!
Bethany (curlyandwordy.blogspot.co.uk)
InsiderAccountant says
You must’ve read my mind – I have been doing all of these things for the last 12 months and they have had a significant effect on my state of mind. If I am the last one out of bed in the morning then I even make the bed before I leave the room!
I have converted all (or as much as possible) of my mail to email, and pay my bills automatically by direct debit. When you combine this with a “no junk mail” sticker on the mailbox there is almost no possibility of leaving mail sitting around. Some of my tips in this area are below:
http://insideraccountant.com/2015/01/11/why-isnt-the-world-paperless-already/
Leanne Winters says
Lovely tips here, Im going to consider these when i see a bunch of things cluttered up!
Leanne’s Lifestyle Blog
Anastacia Maness says
I need to do this. I also need to give myself permission to get rid of that overflowing box of unused sheets that I have been saving for my “someday” sewing spree. *sigh* Why do we do this to ourselves? I need to get rid of all this clutter and just buy myself some material when I am finally ready to sew something.
edill says
donate them. when u are ready for that sewing spree, go to resale shop and buy exactly what you need for one dollar each. space is money.
Mathias says
Nice post! Gotta love how obvious most of these habits sound once you see them in front of you!
I guess it all just boils down to keeping up a standard of not procrastinating. Because, once you accept procrastination as the norm, it will be that much harder to get out of it!
Thanks for sharing these habits!
christina oman says
I HAVE A BAD HABIT OF PUTTING ”STUFF” ON MY FORMAL DINNING ROOM TABLE SO TO STOP THIS I SET THE TABLE WITH ALL OF MY CHINA SILVER WATERFORD ETC. AND GUESS WHAT ? NOT ONLY DOES IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL BUT NOW I HAVE MORE SPACE IN THE BREAKFRONT.
Heather @ Simply Save says
Love this list! Being a neat freak, I already do many of these things but I especially love the one about completing 1-2 minute tasks. Even keeping my To Do list decluttered feels good!
Gigistandard says
My minimalist daughter and her family are living with us temporarily before moving to new location — she has been a life saver by helping me develop many of your clutter-free principles. We are filling up bags and bags of items, some thrown away and most donated. I am amazed how good it feels to see clear spaces again. I still have a ways to go. It is quite surprising to find boxes of “saved” items I accumulated over past 36 years of marriage for those “just in case” moments! We rarely need them and most items can be easily purchased at little cost. Thank you for promoting these great habits. Less is best!