How Do I Keep Areas of My Home Neat Once It is Organized?

Keeping your house neat once you organize it doesn’t have to be difficult, but the title here is a bit of a trick question. That’s because it’s not about figuring out ways to keep your house neat. It’s about figuring out how you use your house and the things in it, and then organizing around that. In other words, don’t store kitchen cleaner in the garage, or the vacuum upstairs when there’s no carpet there. When you organize a home with usage in mind, you can find creative ways to store things where they’re needed most and make it easy to put them back when you’re done. Here’s how.

1. Your House Shouldn’t be Impractical

Even if your house looks neat and orderly, it won’t stay that way if the organization you have in it is too impractical to sustain. It’s much easier to have a house that’s practical and functional, so everything can have a place and be put back in that place when you’re done using it. The more practical that place is, the easier it’ll be for you to find what you need, use it, and put it away again. You’re more likely to keep things neat when it makes sense to do so.

2. Organize Things Based on How You Use Them

You use bathroom cleaner in the bathroom, and that’s where it should be. If you have it on a high shelf in the pantry or out in the garage or laundry room, you’ll have to go and get it each time you need it. That can lead to a bathroom that doesn’t get cleaned as frequently, and to cleaner that’s left out because you don’t want the hassle of putting it away again. If it’s under the sink in the bathroom, though, it’s easy to get it out, use it, and put it right back. It only takes a minute, and it’s a great incentive to keep things clean and also keep them neat and orderly.

3. It’s Okay for Your House to Look Like People Live There

There’s nothing wrong with having blankets on the back of the couch if you cuddle up under them when watching TV. All of your children’s toys don’t have to be in their room, either. They can be in a small box by the couch, or in a play area in the corner. People have household necessities like toasters and coasters and more. You don’t have to put all of those things away all the time in order for your house to be neat. The goal is to keep your house organized and orderly so it’s clean and easy to find things. That doesn’t mean you have to make it look like a magazine picture, or like no one lives there.

4. A Focus on Practicality Can Help

Especially if you have children, pets, or both, it can be very hard to have your house neat and tidy all the time. But there’s a big difference between toys in the play area and toys all over the living room floor. The first one means your children like to play. The second one is a tripping hazard. Keeping the toys in one spot when they aren’t being used is a good idea, but there’s no need to take them all upstairs every night, only to bring them down again in the morning. You can be practical and still keep things orderly and neat throughout your house.

5. Keep Track of What Works and What Doesn’t

By using a planner to write down the things that work and the things that don’t, you can keep track of methods that help you and things that sounded like a good idea but that don’t work in practice. Having a neat home is a great goal, but there are times when daily life doesn’t permit your house to be as tidy as you’d like. That’s all right, and there are ways you can reduce clutter and have a nice looking home without making that home impractical to live in and enjoy.

A little bit of focus on how you use items and where they really should be stored can be a big help when it comes to making your house feel comfortable and keeping it looking good for your family and friends, as well as guests you may come and visit. Remember that you live there, and your comfort and convenience should come before the need to have a “perfect” home. The perfect home is the one that you’re happy with and feel good living in, after all.