My Tidying Secret

Recently, I have seen a lot of posts and pins on Pinterest all about how to keep a tidy house. I also recently read the ever popular book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. While I was able to appreciate the book as a whole, I did not agree with most of her techniques. I found that most of her techniques just did not work for me.

For most people who have kids, there is absolutely no way to always have a tidy house always. There will always be some sort of mess laying around somewhere. As I am typing this there is laundry to fold on the couch and dishes in the sink. Now, most of the time, I would have already had these done, but I have actually been trying to have more mess, if you can believe that. I wrote a post awhile back about being ok with mess, so that I can enjoy more important things.

Let me explain. I am the queen of tidying and organizing (in the least boastful way). It's just who I am, almost to a fault. I guess some people might call it OCD. I am the type of person who, normally, can't enjoy dinner or relax and watch a movie, if I know there is a mess to clean, dishes in the sink, or laundry to fold. I felt that I was focusing too much on having a perfectly tidy house, and I was missing out on the more important things in life. So recently, I have been trying to be more relaxed with my tidying up.

I also feel that no matter how much you clean, organize, and get rid of stuff, you will always gain more stuff. It's just the way things work. We buy new things, we receive gifts for different occasions, our kids bring home stuff from school and parties, we get mail everyday, and so on!

So what are my tidying secrets?!! Well, they really aren't a secret at all. It's just two simple rules I follow.

1. What
2. How

The first big thing is what you do with the new stuff you acquire. Either it's of value or it's junk. This means it either gets put away where it belongs, or it gets thrown away. Secondly, whether it's new stuff or stuff you already have, how long do you wait for it to be cleaned up or organized and put away. Here is what I mean.

You check the mail when you get home from work. What do you do with it? Well, I'll tell you what I do with it. I go through it right away. I throw away the junk and I keep what is needed. Then I place each piece where it belongs. I don't leave it on the counter to pile up.

You have a birthday party for your child. What do you do after it's over? I'll tell you. You clean up right away. You throw out the trash, you go through the gifts and put them away. You clean the dishes. Don't wait for tomorrow to do all of this, because you won't.

The key point here, is to not wait! If you want to have a tidy house you can't wait. You have to clean up the mess right away. You have to do the dishes right after dinner. You have to fold the laundry and put it away as soon as its done in the dryer. You have to organize your mail and other things you buy as soon as you get them.

It's just that simple. Now, I know that sometimes we are just too busy or maybe we just don't feel like doing something that particular day. Well hey, nobody is perfect, and sure when there is more important stuff, sometimes we just have to deal with a messy house. That's life! These tips are just what I do most of the time to keep my house organized and tidy.

One other thing that I do once a month and once a year, is go through stuff and clean out what I don't need. Most of us when we purchase something new, or receive something new, aren't going to throw it away, we purchased it or kept it for a reason. Eventually though, after some time, things aren't needed any longer or certain clothes don't fit. Once a month I take a big basket and I go through all of my little spaces that can accumulate stuff. As I go through these spaces, I place what doesn't belong in the basket. When I am all done, I go through what's in the basket and either throw it away or place it back where it should be, to keep things organized. This may seem like a lengthy process, but it really only takes 30 minutes. These places I organize include, our two junk drawers, the basket by the door, our paper filing basket, and our nightstand drawers by our bed. I also do this same process once a year, but I go through mostly everything in the house. This is what keeps me from accumulating too much stuff!

Remember, this is what works for me. It may not work for you. Everyone has a different style. These are just a few tips, if you want to start having a more tidied up home.

Many Blessings,