The process of moving can seem never-ending. But there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finally getting everything unpacked and settling into your home. Those first few days after unpacking are pretty glorious—everything is in its right place and your space is perfectly clean and uncluttered. The good news is, it’s actually pretty easy to keep it that way.
Embrace small changes first
If you’re generally a bit messy, it may be difficult for you to adopt a tidier and more organized lifestyle. Trying to clean your home from top to bottom at once can be quite overwhelming for you, so you should try to adopt simple habits first. For instance, you can start by simply washing the dishes after your meal every time. Gradually, you can implement other changes until you realize that living in a clean, organized home is much more inspiring and motivating.
Greet change at your front door
When cleaning your home, you should embrace change at your front door – leave your shoes there. You can imagine how much dirt and bacteria you’re bringing inside when you walk around your home in your shoes. So, once you step inside, take off your shoes and leave them by your front door. If you have a lot of shoes, make sure to introduce enough storage units for you and your family members. You can even design a built-in shoe closet next to your entry.
Don’t let clutter rule your life
According to NBC News, one in four Americans actually has a clutter problem. Not only is this making your space smaller, stuffier and more overwhelming, but it’s actually leaving you without a few extra bucks in your wallet. You’d be surprised by how much money you can earn by simply selling your clutter online or organizing a yard sale. Therefore, instead of feeling cramped in your own home and letting clutter take over your life, you should finally free yourself and your space from unnecessary junk and useless items. The best way to declutter your home is to deal with one room at a time. You should throw away anything that you haven’t used in more than a year, put away some items and clothing that you want to donate and set aside those things that you can sell.
Start your morning the organized way
Your bedroom will seem more organized the moment you make your bed in the morning. This will take just a few minutes each morning and you’ll be able to start your day by creating an organized look in your bedroom. Afterwards, your personal sanctuary will seem more relaxing and inspiring, which will have a positive effect on you, as well.
Pay attention to what you breathe in
When cleaning and tidying up their homes, most people consider dusting, mopping, scrubbing and vacuuming without even thinking about the quality of their indoor air. Yet, indoor pollution is a serious issue that can affect your health and your home’s general atmosphere. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to eliminate or at least mitigate this problem in your home. For instance, effective AC units are a key component for creating a healthy, airy atmosphere in homes. Furthermore, proper air conditioning installation is a way of ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of both duct and spit systems in households. Therefore, if you feel that your home needs some fresh air, you should have an AC unit installed by professionals so that you can rest assured that it’s working properly.
Other ways to increase your indoor air quality is to introduce air purifiers and houseplants that will help you remove airborne toxins and allergens. You should also switch to healthy, green cleaning products instead of using those highly toxic ones.
Wash and deep clean
Everything from covers and pillowcases to drapes and area rugs collects dust and allergens in your home every day. Carpets and rugs, in particular, are full of dirt, toxins and other pollutants that can easily spread throughout your space. Therefore, you should wash and deep clean your fabrics, carpets, rugs and other materials on a regular basis. While covers, pillowcases, sheets, cloths, towels and other materials can be easily thrown into the washing machine, rugs and carpets require more effort, so you can just have them professionally cleaned at least twice a year.
Put away after use
Learning to put an item away after using it is a simple habit that will save you a lot of effort. By always keeping each item in its own place, you’ll prevent clutter from building up. You may need to introduce more storage units, but you’ll finally have enough room for everything.
Clean as you go
You probably passed by a blanket thrown over your sofa or a pile of magazines lying on your coffee table countless times. Instead of choosing not to even pay attention to these messy spots, you should tidy them up as soon as you notice them. Every time you pass by a cluttered or dirty area in your home, don’t ignore it, but deal with it immediately. This will save you a lot of trouble later on when you can’t postpone cleaning anymore.
Keeping your home clean, tidy and healthy often entails adopting simple habits that will make both your home and your life more organized.