If your house feels like a war zone this fall, with clothes, kid's toy, and paperwork everywhere, then don't despair. These top tips will help you to get on top of the fall clutter, and turn your house into a place of peace and comfort.
If in doubt, chuck it out - There's no point trying to dust, hoover, and generally clean up if you can't even navigate your Vax Powermax around the room. So, instead of focusing on making everywhere spotless, start by making lots of space. Pick an area that tends to be cluttered, and clean it off. Do one area per day, and you'll soon have a spotless room.
Make a routine - The easiest way to stay on top of clutter is to do little bits of cleaning here and there. A seasonal mammoth cleanup is stressful, and not exactly effective. You'll find life much easier if you build small cleaning tasks into your routine.
Invest in storage - Is your problem area your desk? If you've got papers everywhere, buy a filing cabinet, and use it. If your problem is clothes on the bedroom floor, perhaps you need a bigger closet? If there's one thing worth investing in, it's sturdy storage.
Buy less - This might sound like an obvious statement, but it's something a lot of people overlook. That ornament might look great in the store - but do you really need it? Do you even have the space to put it on your mantle piece? Think carefully before you hand over your hard earned cash for something that will probably end up forgotten about a few days after you buy it.
Tackle important stuff first - give important things a place to live. Nominate a spot for your wallet, your keys, your passport, and the TV remote. Now that you know where to find those items, you won't be wasting several minutes a day turning the house upside down to find them. You can spend that time relaxing, or working on other bits of the list.
Of course, keeping your home tidy should be a joint effort, and everyone, including the youngsters, should play their part. You'll have more luck getting kids to keep their area of the house tidy if you set limits as to where their stuff can stray. Allow them to put a toy box in a corner of the living room, and tell them that everything must be returned to that box before they leave the room to go out to play, or to go to bed. If they leave their Star Wars toys on the floor, then they can't complain if your Vax Powermax sucks up a lightsaber.
Conquering clutter can be hard work, at first, but once things are in order, it's easier to keep them that way. You should find that you love your new-found organization, and that you grow to love a clutter-free, roomy home.
This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of The Original Factory Shop; suppliers of discounted clothes, housewares, toys, gifts and beauty products.
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