Many people ask how I keep my house clean and organized. As stated in previous posts, I’m positive that trait is in my genes. Organization comes naturally to me thanks to my mom and dad who always kept a darn clean house. 

The tips I’m sharing are basic but they work. You can apply them to any room, closet, or drawer that you’d like to see in better shape than you found it.  I am certainly no Marie Kondo, a popular organizational guru. As the picture of my cupboard shows, I don’t have that perfect Instagram picture with lots of containers and mason jars lined up in a row. It sure looks pretty, but I’m not sure how realistic that is for most people. This is what works for our family.

1. Start small. 

If a whole room needs organizing, it feels overwhelming. It may seem easier to walk away. My advice is to start in a small area. Begin working in one part of your room, closet, or cupboard. Choose where to begin, whether it’s a small pile of mail on your counter or one kitchen cabinet.

2. Keep a trash bag and cleaning supplies nearby.

Start sifting through your small work area and anything you won’t use in the next foreseeable month, throw away. Be reasonable. Do you really think you’ll use a $5 off coupon for an oil change facility that’s a 30-minute drive away? Use your cleaning products to wipe anything down as you’re sorting through. This way you don’t have to backtrack when you’ve completed purging your area.

3. Have an empty laundry basket and donation box handy.

Everything in your house should have a home. Pens go on your desk and seldom-worn tennis shoes parked at your back door should go in the closet. Place items that don’t belong in that space into the basket. When you have completed organizing the area, immediately take the items and put them in their proper place.

If you have something not being used but in good condition, that goes in your donation box. My tip is to take the box directly in your car so when you pass by a donation center you have it on hand to drop off.

4. Use a timer.

Rome wasn’t built in a day so don’t expect to organize your whole house in one either. Set a timer for 20 minutes and work in the small section you chose. When the alarm sounds, quit for the day if you had enough, or set it again for another short amount of time. Working in small increments will keep you motivated to continue working at another time. 

Congratulations! The difficult part of organizing is the drive to start. Celebrate your small wins and revel in your clean space. If you make it a daily priority, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a week’s time. Pat yourself on the back and feel great about your achievement!