What could be better than a tidy home? Everything packed away in the cupboards, no mess on the shelves, and everything organized in such a way that you can always find what you need straightaway. Would you like your place to be like this? We have some practical tips for you on how to keep you home tidy and organized.
If you want to create order by having a system in place, the first step is to clean out the entire apartment. Get a rough overview first and take a look around to see what you haven’t used for years and what’s taking up unnecessary space. Don’t rush! Think of the saying "Good things take time" - this is also true when tidying up.
You need time to really clean everything up so don’t expect to tidy up your whole home in one day. Take your time otherwise you might get frustrated. On the other hand, if you create a system, the tidying up and organizing will be a lot quicker. With our tips, you won’t get frazzled and you’ll feel super successful once the tidying up is complete.
- Tidying up with good preparation
Whether you’ve decided to live the minimalist lifestyle from now on or you have simply accumulated too much stuff over time and want to get rid of it, the first step is to work out what you don't use (anymore). So get some moving boxes ready before you begin tidying up. You could also write a to-do list to be even more prepared. This list will show you which cupboards, shelves, or corners you want to tidy up in each room. If you proceed in this way, you will create order systematically and can work out approximately how long you will need.
- Tidying up by sorting
Everything checked off the list? Then let’s begin! Take a box and collect everything that seems superfluous. Go through every room, look in every closet, shelf, and drawer. Do you really need fifteen soup bowls? How about the game collection for the old console that you gave away years ago? And what about the matching sheets with the broken pillowcase? Maybe there are some ornaments in your apartment that you don’t like anymore? No time for second guessing – throw it all in the box! You’ll be amazed at how quickly box after box fills up when you have this attitude. You’ll probably find things that are too good to throw away or that you want to keep for sentimental reasons. That’s why you’ll re-sort at the end – into three more boxes. In one of them, you put everything you want to keep. In another one, you put things to sell or give away. And in a third one, you put everything that you want to throw away. Now you have gained a lot of space and it can stay this way if you keep the place organized and tidy up regularly.
- Tidying up from top to bottom
Did you notice that tidying up works best with a system in place? Start at the top of each room and work your way down. Clear everything out completely from shelves and cabinets and put it back in again. In the kitchen, you might just throw spices anywhere with no proper plan, but how about tidying up here too and introducing a new system where similar products are placed with each other? For the drawers, it’s also worth rethinking your system of organization – and not only in the kitchen. Keep your paperwork tidy by sorting everything out and filing it away in folders. Don’t forget to tidy your closet! This will most certainly take some time so it’s better to plan an extra afternoon for this.
It looks very untidy if mail, keys, and bags are taking up all the space on the windowsill. Find a better place for them and place some plants there instead. This creates a friendly atmosphere. When you are finished with the cupboards, shelves, and windowsill, take a look at the floor as there's probably a lot to sort out there too. Keep things tidy by either moving small items out of the way or putting them in storage boxes, for example.
- Tidying up without taking shortcuts
If you tidy up your entire apartment systematically, it will take a few days. It can get frustrating, but don’t give up and start throwing things carelessly into boxes or stuffing them into drawers to get the whole process done faster. Doing it properly the first time will mean it will last a long time. If you lose momentum when tidying up, simply take a break, and continue later. Don’t take on too much - set yourself realistic goals! Then you will be able to tidy up your apartment properly – right down to the smallest corner.